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<\/p>\nAs a fellow freelancer, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re not waiting for another article on how content marketing is what makes the world go round right now. What you might want to know, though, is how you can use content marketing, not to stay busy, but to effectively draw in new leads.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s face it: we\u2019re all producing content, all the time. Because we\u2019re told to, and because we don\u2019t want the algorithm Gods to punish us. But if you calculate the time and resources spent on all those pieces of content, and measure the actual ROI in terms of leads and conversions, you might want to throw in the towel and start that beach bar in Panama after all.<\/p>\n
While that does sound great, bear with me. Because content marketing can\u2014and should\u2014be used to reach real objectives, beyond likes and reach.<\/p>\n
In this article, I\u2019ll focus on content\u2014based lead generation. I\u2019ll dive into what it is and where it fits into your market acquisition efforts, and I\u2019ll give you some fresh ideas to immediately put that knowledge into practice. Grab another cup of coffee, and we\u2019ll jump right in.<\/p>\n
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Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m sure nobody is creating content just out of boredom if they run a business. But ever since content marketing became so<\/em> important, a lot of people have lost track of what it really is supposed to do<\/em>. It\u2019s not just about visibility and being consistent.<\/p>\n Content marketing done right helps you reach specific business goals, and you should tailor said content to help you with that.<\/p>\n So next time you write a blog post, post on social media or join a podcast, ask yourself: is this piece of content contributing to\u2026<\/p>\n Spoiler alert: one piece of bite-sized content, can\u2019t do all of that at once. That\u2019s why you need a content strategy, that maps out which of those\u2014or other\u2014objectives need your attention first, and what messages and types of content fit the bill.<\/p>\n Email marketing for your small business<\/a> could make all the difference in your lead generation. Think your business is not newsletter-worthy? You\u2019re approaching newsletters wrong! You don’t need to have a big announcement every week or month. That\u2019s probably not what your audience wants to receive anyway.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a little secret: people don\u2019t like to read about your business. They like to read about themselves. So, focus less on yourself, and more on them.<\/p>\n That\u2019s how they connect what you do, to their life or business. For instance, if your expertise is managing social media accounts, highlight a client every week in your newsletter. Let them share their struggles they had or have with social media, and show how their feed now looks completely different from before.<\/p>\n The important thing is to let others do the talking in a lot of your content marketing. Speaking from your ideal client’s perspective is like trying to read minds, and people will tell immediately if it’s a little off. If you want to collect and nurture leads, make sure they feel recognized and understood.<\/p>\n Pop quiz: what’s the most important piece of content for a freelancer?<\/p>\n If your mind is at TikToks or whitepapers, take a step back\u2014in time, if you will.<\/p>\n Portfolios are content. A lot of creators and creatives are churning out great-looking content every day, from blogs to reels, but when it\u2019s time to seal the deal or get real leads, they lack one thing: a strong portfolio.<\/p>\n Let me rephrase that: you need several<\/em> strong portfolios.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been procrastinating work and found yourself on Instagram lately, like the rest of us, you might have stumbled across Jamie Brindle<\/a>, who gives freelancers all kinds of advice in videos that have the cleanest of loops\u2014but that’s not the most impressive part.<\/p>\n One piece of advice that really picked up in the freelance community, is to create several portfolios, for either the different parts of your service or business, or for the different clients you cater to.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you are a freelance copywriter, like me. Even though you have your specialties and niche, you branch out regularly and enjoy working on different kinds of projects.<\/p>\n Sometimes you write blogs about cryptocurrencies, but sometimes you create SEO\u2014proof websites for businesses in the finance industry. Oh, and you write killer email sequences for e-commerce businesses.<\/p>\n Those clients are all hunting for something else. One wants to see that you can write converting copy, the other is looking for a good understanding of complex topics.<\/p>\n Divide your portfolio up into two and promote or highlight them differently. Make a clear distinction on your website and in your landing pages between what you do, to make sure that leads only see what’s relevant to them at that moment.<\/p>\n You make it easier for them to decide whether to keep following you, or sign up for your newsletter\u2014or however you collect leads. A great way to collect high-quality leads is by utilizing subscribe email templates<\/a> that offer tailored sign-up incentives.<\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/p>\n Don\u2019t be shy. We often don’t hesitate to share our content with our network, but we rarely put the name of a partner or client in our actual content\u2014because we\u2019re talking about what we<\/em>\u2019ve been doing.<\/p>\n Make your content revolve around real projects and collaborations. Not only will this demonstrate your skills better, but you also benefit from the reach of your client’s network. Because that\u2019s what happens if you tag someone.<\/p>\n (Make sure it makes sense. Beyonc\u00e9 has a lot of followers, but tagging her won\u2019t get you fame. Trust me.)<\/p>\n For instance, if you see a great post on LinkedIn and have thoughts on it, share them while tagging the person that inspired it. This type of content marketing doesn’t even require your own content so to speak, because you’re drawing inspiration from someone else’s.<\/p>\n What it does show is how involved you are with your profession, and others might start following you because they also admire the person you tagged\u2014which could turn into a valuable lead.<\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/p>\n It’s easy to get lost in your own skills and knowledge\u2014but how interesting is it for potential clients to read or listen to that? It\u2019s not their field of expertise\u2014and they need help, not education. So, your lead generation content should revolve around how you specifically help your clients reach their objectives and help their challenges.<\/p>\n How can you put this type of content in a format that feels natural? Write more case studies.<\/p>\n No excuses for this one. They are especially easy to write\u2014because it’s not a piece of fiction. You describe the challenge your client faced, anonymous or not, your process, solution and the results.<\/p>\n This type of content is great for lead generation, because it shows potential clients how they could benefit from working with you, and following you.<\/p>\n When doing research for a content strategy, a lot of people focus on the keywords that they are going to use.<\/p>\n While that is absolutely necessary, it\u2019s not everything. It often pushes you in the direction of writing blogs or whitepapers, but maybe your audience really wants short videos, long podcasts, or content produced with a Vidico explainer video company<\/a> to better communicate your message.<\/p>\n If done right, those different types of content can also be optimized for search engines.<\/p>\n SEO but also what types of content<\/p>\n My last piece of advice takes a little more work to set up, but could potentially be a lead-generating machine if your business is suitable for it. The tip? Build a course. Free, or really cheap.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason why you get bombarded with online courses for every aspect of your life when you open Instagram. Admit it, sometimes you\u2019re really tempted.<\/p>\n But what does that person get from you following their free course or challenge?<\/p>\n To show you how students convert into leads, let\u2019s look at how a freelance web designer uses this trick.<\/p>\n Her main service is creating stunning WordPress websites. But she also sells a course on how to \u2018boost your website\u2019\u2014basically by making it easier to find, set up WordPress and Yoast the right way\u2014the basics.<\/p>\n She\u2019ll show you how to create basic pages and edit them\u2014and you might think, hey, but then I don’t need her anymore, do I? In most cases, you will.<\/p>\n She flipped her service upside down. Not only does she educate future clients on how to edit their own WordPress websites\u2014which prevents her inbox from flooding with a lot of panicked emails\u2014but it’s also a great lead generator.<\/p>\n Someone who might not be ready yet to invest as much money in having a website built for them, starts out with this. Once their business grows and they recognize the need for a really professional and slick website, she’s the first one that comes to mind.<\/p>\n The main takeaway? Take a good look at your lead generation process and visualize how you can make it more client-centered. Find out how you can make them part of the process, and not make it something you do<\/em> to them, so to speak.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u200b\u200b<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a fellow freelancer, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re not waiting for another article on how content marketing is what makes the world go round right now. What you might want to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freelancing","category-getting-jobs"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a>Why are you doing content marketing?<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Start a fun newsletter with your clients.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Create laser-targeted portfolios. Yes, that\u2019s plural.<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/solidgigs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/word-image.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>Use your network in<\/em> your content<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/solidgigs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/word-image-11.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>Focus your content on the goals of your clients<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Research what types of content your audience wants<\/h2>\n
<\/a>6. Use an online course as a lead generator<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Get your creative juices flowing<\/h2>\n