My PO News readers are great at asking questions. A recent flurry of questions carried a common theme – How do I get clients when I’m just starting out? I could write a weighty tome about all the various strategies available for a successful launch. But when you’re starting out, it’s best to keep things simple and do the basics well. You can always ramp things up when you have a bigger budget. So here are three marketing tips to get you successfully started.
- Nurture your online presence.
When someone is looking to hire a professional organiser, they will naturally go looking on the internet. If you’re not to be found, you won’t be hired. Even if they meet you in person, or they receive a referral, it’s likely they will look online for validation that you are a credible operator. Make sure you can be found and that what they find is worth engaging with.
Ideally, you will have a website. But if the budget doesn’t stretch to that just yet, there are other ways to have an awesome online presence. The socials are a great place to showcase your services. Remember the tip is to NURTURE your online presence. That means posting and engaging regularly with content that will appeal to your ideal client.
- Have a great bio.
People buy from those they know, like and trust. Hiring a professional organiser is a big step. Inviting someone into your space and sharing private details of your life can be intimidating. Your great bio can help potential clients to know, like and trust you even before you’ve officially met. For tips on how to write a great bio, I recommend my friend and writing mentor, Holly Cardamone from Blue51 Communications.
Another tip is to check out other people’s bios. Which ones do you warm to, and why? Which ones give you a real sense of the person, their philosophy and style? What do those bios have in common? Check them out, be inspired, but never, ever, ever copy.
- Put your face out there.
I know when you’re starting out, it feels a bit scary to be “out there”. But if you want to be the professional organiser that gets hired, people need to see you face. It’s worth investing in some professional photos, in a variety of poses and outfits, and putting them on your website and socials. I know lots of new organisers who feel too shy, or they don’t like how they look, or they want to remain anonymous. Let me tell you, “anonymous” doesn’t get you hired. People want to know who will be coming to their front door. They want to know, like and trust you and a photo does just that.
There’s another way to put your face out there. Get out and network in person. Seek out local networking opportunities. Meet up with fellow organisers. Once they know, like and trust you, they will send work your way. I can’t tell you the number of times my organiser networking group has called out for an extra pair of hands on a job or passed on a lead that they can’t fulfill.
For more marketing tips like these, and so much more, check out my training and mentoring options.
