🔒Ask ACE: How should I focus my marketing efforts?

Q: I’m starting out as a solopreneur. My first challenge is to develop a steady stream of clients. How should I focus my marketing efforts?

ACE Advises: Think of building awareness of your business like adding drops of dye to a large container of water. To have any real effect, concentrate your efforts in one place.

Keep it personal: When launching a one-person business as a coach, consultant or freelancer, start with your current connections and move out from there. Make your marketing personal. Your clients will hire you because they trust you and your expertise.

The most essential marketing strategy for new solopreneurs is networking.

Create a list of two types of people: the first are prospective clients for your new business, and the second is people who can connect you to prospects. Reach out systematically to people and introduce them to your new business using email, social media, or networking groups. Find an approach that feels comfortable and that you’ll stick with.

Focus your efforts: Then supplement your networking with other activities that get your name in front of prospects and show off your expertise. Research where your prospective clients spend their time or where they might go if they are looking for your service. Is it LinkedIn? Industry conferences? Researching online? Choose one place and focus your attention there. You could post on LinkedIn, attend conferences, run an ad in an industry journal, or start writing a blog.

It can be a struggle to find time for non-billable activities like marketing, so choose activities that you enjoy, can be done quickly and give you a good return for the time and effort you expend.

Emily Brackett, an ACE member, is president of Visible Logic, a marketing firm in Portland that specializes in branding, messaging, websites and marketing for innovative services, technical products, and specialized software. She can be reached at ebrackett@visiblelogic.com