Freelancefolder

6 Great Ways to Use Email Marketing to Find More Work

Posted March 31, 2011 in How-To, Marketing

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The revolution of telecommuting has created an entire new breed of worker: the techno-freelancer. If you’re a computer-enabled pro that falls under this umbrella (and who doesn’t nowadays) you’re no doubt familiar with the challenge of finding new opportunities, making decent money, and standing out in an ocean of your freelancer peers.

But even though social media and blogging are reliable and cheap promotional tools that seem tailor-made for the freelance business, email marketing has been unfairly been pegged as an old and ineffective medium for padding your portfolio.

If you’re not sure how an email newsletter fits into your marketing scheme, invite both frequent and infrequent clients to your mailing list, create a template, and put the types of content listed in this post into your monthly updates. You will see for yourself how email marketing can help you find freelancing work.

6 Types of Content for Your Email Newsletter

Here are six types of content that will help you market yourself through your email newsletter:

1. Testimonials from clients and colleagues–Don’t be shy about soliciting testimonials from not only your customers, but also the people you’ve collaborated with on various projects. When you inject them into your emails your prospects will gain confidence in your professionalism and abilities. Make sure that you use specific, complete, and verifiable testimonials: never try to pass off an obviously faked scammy quote from “Mr. John G., Chicago.”
2. Social media chatter about you and your work–No one in the social sphere receives 100% favorable comments as any presence on the web invariably attracts some aspects of negativism to the most impeccable reputation. Seek out the complimentary comments about who you are and what you’ve achieved and weave them seamlessly into your email marketing content (complete with links) to provide additional justification of trust and respect.
3. Previews of projects you’ve just started working on–Your portfolio and/or compendium need not only include projects which you’ve completed. Many prospects will be interested in gaining perspective on your works in progress. It is always fascinating to watch something take shape before your very eyes, and providing regular updates as to how your various projects are unfolding can capture both the imagination and contracts of your clients.
4. Links to your most recent–and best–blog posts–It is indisputable that every freelancer should blog to some extent, and you can use your blog to leverage additional business by giving “sneak peeks” on some of your most recent highlights. There is no need to write an overlong tome about it: just a simple mention and a link or two can work wonders in piquing interest in prospective clients.
5. Invites to social networks you’ve joined–Yes, Virginia, there are social networks that don’t start with Face and end with Book. There are new social media opportunities springing up all around the net and whatever your freelancing specialization, you can be certain that there is a nascent social network catering particularly to your profession or skill-set. Becoming visible on that medium and informing your email clientele is a great way to build reputation and professional credit.
6. Great work you’ve done recently–Presenting your work in a portfolio or compendium format will not only serve to interest prospective clients to avail themselves of your services, but will also trigger the feasibility of additional projects from the clients you are currently working for. Your clients will show considerable interest in what you’re doing for other customers, and may want you to do the same for them… or even do more. By demonstrating that you have specific project skills that your clients may not be aware of is a great way to generate additional billings.

Email Marketing’s New Reputation

Email marketing has a much cleaner reputation than it used to have. Thanks to new spam laws, permission-based practices and a flexible format that includes text, images and video, email is no longer the ugly, Wild West-style vehicle to push questionable services, move pharmaceutical contraband, and solicit donations from fake Nigerian royals.

Build up your newsletter and keep in touch with your clients on a regular basis, and your emails will serve as an effective reminder that you’re talented, sought-after, and ready to get to work.

Your Turn

We’ve showed you how email marketing can help your freelancing business. Have you used email marketing techniques? If so, what was the result?

Share your answers in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Online Marketing Is Great – But What About Traditional Marketing?
2. 28 Quick and Easy Ways to Get Your Marketing Message Across
3. 6 Ways to Get the Email Response You Need
4. Top 3 Ways I Find Clients
5. How to Find Work Without Using the Freelance Job Boards