Marketing is an entire industry. From TV and radio ads to email and website banners, marketing surrounds us. We get marketing phone calls, fliers and catalogues through the mail, and elevator pitches. But what does it mean to be the one doing the marketing? What actually goes into the process of marketing your freelance language service business?
In previous blog posts, we’ve talked about specific techniques and strategies for marketing your freelance language service business, such as creating a website, regularly writing a blog, networking at conferences, and creating business cards. Having a defined approach for marketing, though, is vital to ensure success. You should treat marketing as a priority in your initial business plan and throughout the life of your business.
Successful marketing is the cornerstone of any successful business. Daily successful marketing is necessary for retaining existing clients and gaining new ones.
How daily marketing helps your business:
- Allows you to keep your clients informed regarding your business, such as your general availability, discounts, or other news
- Gives you an opportunity to write a short daily blog to give your thoughts on your business or the language industry in general
- Gives you a chance to take a moment to reconnect with clients you haven’t heard from in some time to thank them for their business and inquire about any language needs
- Gives you time to update your website with fresh content, including frequently asked questions and other relevant information
- Allows you to plan both short-term and long-term goals for your business according to the needs of your business at the time
- Gives you an opportunity to keep up with the latest trends in the translation and interpretation industry to target your services and answer your clients’ most pressing questions
Clients directly benefit from your marketing because they have an opportunity to learn about your language service business, your personal thoughts on the language industry, your approach to translation or interpretation, and your other satisfied clients! By regularly updating your website and communicating on social media, you demonstrate your willingness to communicate with clients and keep them informed.
By marketing your freelance business daily, you demonstrate your commitment to working with clients and helping them understand your work and its value to their lives. Short-term and long-term goals ensure a plan for success by giving you defined goals against which to measure your progress. IF you want to write one blog per week, for example, you may have a short-term goal of increasing your website traffic by ten percent. If you want to increase your number of clients, you may have a long-term goal of gaining new clients through a frequently asked questions page, handing out more business cards, giving a discount to new clients, or through many other approaches.
No matter your specific technique or strategy, daily marketing benefits both your business and the clients you serve. So whether your just starting or have been in the language service business for a while, take some time to think about your specific needs and how marketing can help your business flourish.
Are you just starting out in the freelance language industry or are you an experienced freelance linguist? Do you have tips and advice for others? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
