Pancake is online invoicing, project management, time tracking and proposal software for your business. You only pay for it once and then you're done! No monthly payments snapping at your bank balance.
Pancake app does what Freshbooks, Quickbooks and Wave does- but better.
I've been using Pancake to invoice my clients for the last two years and even though I've tried a lot of other invoicing systems, they haven't come close to what Pancake can do.
So is 'promoting'. When we sit down and write 'marketing' on our To Do lists, it rarely gets done, right? Because those words fill us with dread. They literally make us go 'ugh, forget that.'
It's easy to feel that way. I sometimes feel like that, too. But your business will fail if you don't get your act together and start marketing.
The blog posts you spent hours writing? They'll barely reach anyone if you don't promote them when they're published.
The portfolio you've spent years curating? That will sit gathering dust if you don't drive people to your website.
The services you're trying to sell? Barely anyone will look at them or book your time if you don't get out there and promote what you're selling.
Aside from creating amazing products and services that add real value to people's lives, marketing is the next most important thing you need to focus on in your business. Without it, you'll reach far less people than you could. You'll make a lot less money than you could. And you could potentially end up back at your 9-5 job, answering the phone all day or making piles of money for The Man, not yourself.
You don't want that. I don't want that. So we have to dedicate time to marketing, even if we hate doing it.
Recently in The Shelancers Club, we discussed marketing and discovered that not many of us have solid marketing plans in place. Heck, even I didn't give much thought to marketing in my first two years of business. I just winged it, like many other freelancers. I figured- if I built it, people would come. And people did. But when I implemented a marketing plan and put real effort and time into promoting my services and products, more people came and I made more sales.
Marketing doesn't have to be sleazy, hard or boring. You don't have to devote lots of time to it. In fact, there are 10 simple ways freelancers can promote their services.
Every one of your blog posts should have a purpose. They should either show off your expertise, sell your products/services, or get people to sign up to your mailing list.
How?
You can subtly link to your products and services within posts, and you can include opt-ins that get readers to subscribe to your mailing list. I offer content upgrades (like the one at the bottom of this post!) where my readers are sent a free bonus when they enter their details. I've found that content upgrades are the best way to build your list and ultimately promote your services in future newsletters!
Related post: Why do you blog?
If you want to grow your audience and get your offerings in front of more people, guest blog for people in similar niches to you. Try and find bloggers with thousands of readers and pitch a guest post to them. They usually won't allow you to overly promote your services throughout the post but they do allow you to add a bio at the end linking to your site. Try linking to your opt-in and your latest product or service! It's much more effective than driving new visitors to your homepage and letting them find their own way to your mailing list or offerings.
This is the obvious one but I'm going to mention it anyway. You should be tweeting about your blog posts and services, pinning your blog post graphics, and networking with potential clients in Facebook groups. Most of the clients I've booked this year were from Facebook groups! That's how powerful social media marketing is.
You could try other forms of social media too, like Instagram, LinkedIn and Stumbleupon. But don't waste time on social media platforms that don't bring in new leads. Just focus on 3 social media platforms that work the best for your biz.
Related post: How to get clients from Facebook groups
I haven't done a webinar yet but I'm doing one soon and I can't wait! As well as sharing lots of valuable information in your webinars, you can promote your services and products at the end. Just make sure they're related to what your webinar is about!
It's a proven fact that more people are likely to purchase after a webinar than after receiving a promo emails. In fact, Readytalk recently conducted a survey that showed that 20-40% of webinar attendants turn into leads! That means that almost half of your attendants could become potential customers or clients depending on how your webinars goes.
Join webinars are another great way of promoting your products and services. Team up with someone in another creative field, invite both of your audiences, do a webinar together, then offer a package deal at the end of the webinar that offers your services and your collaborators services at a discounted price. Join webinars like this will get your services in front of a whole new audience!
(If you're enjoying these 10 promotion tips so far, I have 5 MORE bonus tips for you! And they're pretty awesome. Just fill in the form below to get the cheatsheet!)
Do such good work for your clients that they can't help but rave about you to all their friends and followers. When they do, you may find that people want to hire you because of the great things they've heard. You're probably wondering how you can get people to rave about you though, right? After all, it must take more than good work?
You're right.
Don't just do good work for them. Give them an amazing client experience. Be the best *insert job title here* they've ever worked with. Go above and beyond what they expect from you. And lastly, don't shy away from outright asking them to refer you to their friends and followers.
Related post: How to get referrals from your clients
Everyone loves free stuff. When you give away free guides, worksheets, webinars, podcasts, eBooks and courses, it pulls people deeper into your sales funnel and closer to buying from you. It also builds trust in your potential clients and customers.
If you want them to trust you enough to invest thousands of dollars in you, you have to prove to them that you're worth it and that you know what you're talking about. Why should they give you their money, instead of someone else in your field? You can prove you're an expert in the free stuff you give them, and promote your products and services in freebies too.
You can't just put up a website and expect people to look at your services and get in touch with you. Sure, some will. But not everyone. You have to tell people in blog posts, newsletters and social media that you're available to hire. I booked one of my most loyal clients through simply tweeting her and telling her about my design services!
Before people give you their hard-earned cash in exchange for your knowledge, they like to know that you know what you're talking about- that you're an expert. You can show them you do by creating affordable books and courses on your expert topic.
For example, if you're a website designer you could create a $20 eBook on website design. A potential client could come along, hesitate about hiring you for thousands of dollars but see your $20 eBook and buy it. After reading it and experiencing just how knowledgeable you are, it could help them make up their mind to hire you! See where I'm going with this?
Live video allows your followers and potential clients to get close to you and get to know you.
For those of you who don't know, you can live stream on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. While you're talking, your followers can interact with you and ask questions, kinda like mini webinars.
I've found that live streaming has drawn me closer to my followers and it's doing wonders for my business. It may feel really scary doing your first live video but it's worth it! Little tip though: You can promote your services and products on live video (of course!) but don't overdo it. Your main priority should be providing people with lots of value. When you do that, people will want to look you up and invest in you.
You may not realize it but most people go through a sales funnel before purchasing your higher-priced services and products. First they get hooked on your free content (blog posts and social media updates) then they commit to more of your free content (webinars and newsletters), then they buy affordable products like $20 eBooks, THEN they invest in your higher priced services.
Branding.
That word is thrown around the blogsphere a lot these days, but many people misunderstand what it means. Some people think branding is just a visual brand identity made up of a logo, color palette and type combinations. But that's only a part of what your brand truly is.
'Branding demands commitment... Striking chords with people to stir their emotions.' - Sir Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin.
'Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room.' - Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.
There are so many ways to define branding, but I like to think of it like this: your brand is what people think of when they hear your brand name. It's how people feel when they think of you, visit your website, hire you, learn from you or walk into your shop.
How your brand makes someone feel can often be the difference between booking a client or losing them to a competitor. {Click to tweet}
Clients and consumers are almost always willing to pay more to the brand that makes them feel something, and that should always be your brand. {Click to tweet}
Last year I went shopping for a leather jacket. I looked in standard high street shops like Topshop and found decent jackets for £40-80. These jackets were perfectly adequate. Even though they weren't real leather, they looked great!
But then I walked into Allsaints. Ah, Allsaints. The shop front is distressed and rustic, and the inside of the shop has vintage mannequins everywhere, red-brick walls, copper and steel furnishings and the coolest-looking staff you will ever see. You feel sexy when you walk into Allsaints. You don't care that their leather jackets cost £300+ because they make you feel like a badass that just walked right out of a Fast & Furious movie when you're wearing one.
My point?
I splashed £300 on a leather jacket when I could have purchased a similar jacket, albeit fake leather, for 1/5 of the price. I purchased from Allsaints because of the way they made me feel. I wasn't shopping for a leather jacket that day, I was shopping for a feeling. Allsaints gave that to me.
Nowadays we're bombarded with brands all the time; so many that our brains can't handle it! In order to stand out and get our potential clients to listen to us, we have to make an emotional connection through our brands and our website presence. But that's easier said than done, right?
1. Brand style. As you read about my experience with Allsaints, their brand style played a big part in why I chose to purchase from them instead of Topshop. Allsaints had a brand aesthetic that immediately made me feel cool and sexy. Their brand has a unique style that stirs certain emotions within their customers.
When you're trying to emotionally connect with your target market, you'll never form a true connection if your brand style isn't cohesive or isn't an authentic representation of you.
Ask yourself- how do you want people to feel when they come into contact with your brand? What emotions do you want to stir within your ideal clients? Does your current brand identity convey these emotions, or is it failing to connect with your target market in some way? Maybe you need to invest in a rebrand, or maybe you can make some small tweaks to connect with your audience more?
If you need help creating a cohesive brand experience that will make sure your ideal clients fall in love with your brand, check out the free bonus at the end of this article!
Related post: How to build a strong brand on a small budget
2. Brand voice. Your brand voice goes hand in hand with your brand aesthetic. Your brand voice is how you talk and write; how your words make your target market feel. Small businesses that write in a friendly and 'human' voice usually connect easier with their target market because they seem real! People don't want to do business with someone who talks to like a robot and has no sense of personality, they want to do business with a real person.
3. Use of words. When you research what your target market wants from you (usually within a survey), it's important that you use the words and phrases they use. It will make a much better emotional connection when they come to read about your services! For example, this year I wanted to buy a book on money mindset. I found a woman who specialized in this field but her product page used robotic 'professional' phrases that I would have never used to describe what I was looking for. Then I found another website that described my struggles and my desires exactly how I would describe them, in a casual and understandable way. Because this website used words and phrases I'd use- phrases I understood and completely resonated with- I didn't hesitate to purchase from them and not the other woman.
Related post: 10 tools and apps I use for freelancing
4. Brand consistency. Is your brand cohesive and consistent across all areas of your web and print presence? It's important that your brand style stretches across all areas of your brand, not just your website. The look and feel of your website needs to be the same on your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, your business cards, your shop front, your client documents and more. When your brand is perfectly consistent, your target market sees you as a strong brand that really knows what they're doing.
5. Keep your business simple and streamlined. Even if you build an emotional connection through all of the points listed above, that connection can be broken instantly if your business processes are not simple and easy for your customers/clients. What exactly do I mean? Well, a potential client may look at your website and feel totally connected to you; eager to start working with you. But if they contact you and your processes are sloppy, your reply times are slow and your system isn't clear then that connection will immediately break. Keep your customer connected by streamlining your systems. Make doing business with you feel like a guilty pleasure!
I recently enrolled in Leah's course, Stress Less & Impress, and it totally transformed my business systems and processes! I was already doing a lot of what she suggested, but her tips and videos helped me refine my process even more. I highly recommend checking it out if you need help streamlining your business!
If you're interested in rebranding your business, I'm now booking clients from November 2015 onward! Just check out my services and get in touch if you'd like to set up a time to discuss your needs.
I sometimes feel like a fraud even though I'm not.
When I start feeling that way, I can literally feel my business halt in its tracks. I start rethinking every system I have in place and every goal I've set for the year. I can't bring myself to publish a blog post because I imagine someone will jump out from behind a digital curtain and yell 'You don't know what you're talking about!'
This fraudulent feeling is often known as imposter syndrome.
Feeling like a fraud is an icky feeling.
It usually stems from situations like...
Have YOU ever felt like a fraud?
Research shows that women feel like frauds more often than men because we internalize things and blame ourselves for every mistake that happens in our businesses.
Sound familiar? Sadly, I bet it does.
Over the years I've been in business, I've learned a few ways to deal with imposter syndrome. Sure, I still feel like a fraud from time to time. But I know now that I can ride the Fraud Wave and confidently come out the other side! Want to do the same?
You are beautiful and unique. You're also imperfect. You're going to make mistakes from time to time and they're going to make you feel like you're a fraud. Just because you feel that way doesn't mean it's true.
I wouldn't rush into a Facebook group of 10,000 potential clients and announce that you feel a fraud because that could cause some leads to think you lack in confidence, and it could stop people hiring you.
Instead, join a group of other designers and share your feelings with them! When you talk to others who feel or have felt the same way, you hand some of the burden over to them and you instantly feel better. A problem shared is a problem halved!
You're welcome to join my Facebook group, The Designer Collective.
If you think you're the only creative entrepreneur who feels like a fraud, think again. Even famous creatives feel like frauds!
Cath Kidston, a famous fashion and accessories designer who turns over £70 million per annum and has 61 shops in the UK, writes about her experience as a self-taught designer in her latest book. She wrote, 'When you're self taught you always feel like you will be found out.'
See?
Even a wildly successful designer like her suffers from imposter syndrome sometimes.
Even though you're imperfect and you sometimes make mistakes in your business, you also do a lot of things right. Own them. Be proud of your successes.
It's all too easy to forget about our successes, but we shouldn't.
Our successes are keeping us in business.
I like to keep a notebook in Evernote called My Success Log. Every time I reach a milestone or do something amazing for my business, I log it down. Then when I'm feeling bad about myself or my business, I look at the notes in my success log. Works every time!
This is similar to a success log. In your email inbox, create a folder called Happy Mail. Then when you receive a happy note from one of your readers or clients, store it in the happy folder.
When you're having a bad day its helpful to read through all the wonderful things people have written to your over time. It pushes you to overcome your fraudulent feelings and continue growing your business!
Haters are gonna hate (try and read that without bursting into Taylor Swift's Shake It Off, I dare you.) Some people just like being spiteful. Some people despise your success and will look for any mistake they can call you out on.
Try not to let it get to you.
If you let a hater spoil your happiness, they've pretty much won. So here's the thing: don't dignify hate mail with a response. Simply delete it and get on with your awesome day, because if you don't, hate mail can start causing you to feel like a fraud. Like someone who doesn't deserve all the great things you've worked so hard to have!
Imposter syndrome often begins with comparing yourself to others. I've done this myself! When I see Income Reports from people in my industry who are having $8000 months, I feel totally jealous. And that leads to me feeling like a fraud because I'm not making the same amount of money as them, so I feel like I'm doing something wrong.
It is sometimes healthy to compare yourself to others because it can push you to achieve more.
But try not to focus on others. There's no point in focusing on someone who is at a different stage to you. They may have been in business for 5 years and you may have only been in business for 1. You can't possibly expect to play in their league in just a 1/5 of the time it took them to get there.
Focus on self improvement. It doesn't matter what other people in your niche are doing, the only thing that matters is you and your progress.
You're a human being who makes mistakes! You're imperfect! Deal with it. We are all imperfect. That doesn't make us all frauds.
If you can't shake your imposter syndrome, step away from your screen and take a break. Whether it's just an afternoon coffee break at a local cafe, a whole day spent in front of the TV, or a week away in a peaceful village. It doesn't matter. Just get away from your business and give yourself time to calm down and accept that you're not a fraud. Often, a little break is all that is needed to help you feel better about yourself and your business.
Feeling like a fraud has a lot to do with your self-confidence. If you doubt your capabilities or expertise, imposter syndrome with undoubtedly kick in. Try boosting your confidence and self-esteem by hopping on Skype with a business friend, providing valuable advice to people who need it (people ask for advice in Facebook groups ALL the time and YOU could help them!) or writing a blog post about how you feel and listing steps you can take to overcome your feelings.\
Related post:
I've already said this but I'm going to say it again: you're an imperfect human being. You're going to make mistakes. You should recognize and accept this, and so should your blog readers and your clients.
Making mistakes doesn't mean you're a fraud. It simply means you have a issue to fix and opportunities to grow.
Embrace your mistakes. When you do, you'll no longer feel like a fraud.
You've heard of the saying 'fake it till you make it' right? Here's a little secret: everyone is faking it. No one has everything figured out and nothing else to learn. If someone thinks they do, they're the one who is the fraud.
Everyone is faking it. No one has everything figured out and nothing else to learn. - Tweet this
When you feel like a fraud, you usually stop creating stuff because you feel like the stuff you create isn't perfect or viable. That's not true. Even if you feel like you're creating content that is already out there and written by someone else who is ten times better than you, you have to remember that there are lots of people who love your point of view. They want to read what you write because of the unique spin you give it. Don't deny people that.
Sometimes you'll get things right. Other things will totally fail (like course launches... Ugh). That's OK! Your business is one big experiment and some experiments go better than others. The main thing to remember is to never give up experimenting. That would be like giving up on finding love because you boyfriend dumped you. Everyone knows it's an unwise thing to do, because that one failure just opens the door for a success later down the line.
List all the things you're good at within your business. Maybe it's client communication? Writing awesome newsletters and blog posts? Cultivating a creative community? Helping people? Whatever it is, embrace it. Write it all down. You're an expert at all of these things. A unique expert. Don't forget that.
That's OK. Some feelings are deeply engrained within us and they take a bit more work to eliminate. Go through the 15 steps above and try a few. If they work, come back here and leave me a comment telling me all about it! Share your feelings. I want to hear them!
I have become a podcast addict.
Before going on my recent vacation I decided to download a few podcasts that vowed they would help me improve my business, life and travels.
I was not let down.
I know I may be going a little over the top here, but podcasts are the future, I swear. I love reading blogs and writing blog posts, but nothing beats being able to go on a long walk while listening to your favorite podcast.
I'm sure most of you know the answer to this, but if not, a podcast is .........
You can make the best use of you time by listening to podcasts on the go! That's the beauty of them. You could listen...
While you probably won't catch me doing my own podcast any time soon (my voice is too weird and I say ummmm way too many times in conversation), I have a few recommendations that you will love if you are a creative entrepreneur who wants to work smarter, not harder, so you can grow a profitable and fun business.
1. The Suitcase Entrepreneur. Natalie Sisson of The Suitcase Entrepreneur hosts a really helpful podcast that discusses travel AND business. She runs a 6 figure business while travelling the world and living out of a suitcase. If you're a keen traveller then you'll love her podcast.
2. Being Boss. This podcast is specifically for creative entrepreneurs. The Being Boss hosts, Emily and Kathleen, both run successful branding & web design businesses and they discuss business tactics and tips in their podcast. I listened to about 10 episodes of this on my recent break. Their fun and insightful girls who will have you addicted to their podcast in no time!
3. The Chalene Show. After listening to Chalene on Being Boss, I knew I had to hop over to her site and check out everything she's ever made. She's really strong and confident and discusses confidence, goal-setting and business on The Chalene Show.
4. How They Blog. If you're interested in starting a blog or you want to take your blog to the next level, this podcast will help you. Kat Lee interviews bloggers and gets them to share their tips and strategies with the listeners on her podcast, How They Blog.
5. The Travel Freedom Podcast. I love travelling, so when I heard Tommy and Megsy of The Travel Freedom Podcast being interviewed on The Suitcase Entrepreneur, I was immediately interested. This couple decided to use the money they'd saved for a house on travelling the world, and they also run an online business together. If you want to work for yourself AND travel, you'll love this.
6. Smart Passive Income. Pat Flynn answers questions from readers on his podcast, and it's alllll about creating smart passive income.
7. The Lively Show. Hosted by Jess Lively, The Lively Show is really conversational and upbeat. Jess interviews small business owners and bloggers and discusses lots of topics on the minds of female entrepreneurs and everyday women.
8. After The Jump. Hosted by Grace Bonney, founder of Design*Sponge, After The Jump is one of my very faves. Grace gives amazing, strategic advice on how to run a successful business. She gets into the real cost of business, how to market your brand, how to handle the emotional side of working for yourself and much more. This podcast is PACKED with little gems, so I suggested you subscribe ASAP.
9. Adventures in Design. If you're creative then you're sure to love this. Adventures in Design is hosted by Mark & Beth Brickey. iTunes describes this podcast as “Graphic design gossip and artistic growing pains through the eyes of two handsome DIY poster designers and their friends.” Seriously, does that podcast sound fun or what?
You're probably thinking 'I get it, Nesha. Podcasts are the future. But does that mean I should start one?'
I'm a firm believer in only doing things that bring you joy, whether that's in business or in life. Just because podcasts are getting huge now does not mean you have to start one of your own. It's totally OK to be a fan of them without starting one yourself.
Just like it's OK to admire pretty Instagram accounts but not have one yourself.
Or read amazing blogs but not own a blog.
Podcasting is not the only way to get your voice heard and connect with your tribe. Don't do anything in business just because it's the 'in' thing to do.
You're the boss of your business, and you can do whatever the hell you want! {tweet this}
What if it feels like the perfect thing for you, your personality and your business? Well, as an avid podcast listener I have a few tips to help you craft a drool-worthy podcast. One that will actually get subscribers and build your audience of loyal fans.
I'm no expert on CREATING podcasts but I reeeeally love listening to them. And since I've listened to about a million, here's what I think makes the perfect podcast.
1. Personality. The main thing that makes me subscribe to a podcast is a host with a big personality. Someone who has a captivating voice and a sense of humor. You don't have to be a chatter box or the life of the party, you just need to be someone I would hang out with in real life. Someone who isn't boring, but isn't stuck up. The best podcast hosts are just themselves.
2. Motivating content & honest opinions. Podcasts aren't just for having fun conversations with your cohost or your guests. Podcasts work like blog posts- they have to provide actionable advice to the listeners, and motivate or inspire listeners in some way. My favorite business podcasts are brimming with advice that help me improve my biz. My favorite travel podcasts are full of tips on where to go and what to do. Make sure your podcast offers your listeners something valuable, not just chatter.
3. Freebies. The best way to get podcast listeners onto your list is by creating related freebie and requiring people to sign up to get it. For example, Being Boss did an amazing episode on pushing goals with Chalene. It was that amazing that I wanted more. And they gave me that! They offered their listeners a related worksheet if they signed up. Of course, I HAD to have that worksheet so I signed up.
4. Special guests. I love finding a new creative entrepreneur to inspire me- everyone does! Podcasts can get a little boring if you're always listening to the same person, so it's nice to feature special guests with specific talents.
5. Fun! If you're not having fun with your podcast, your listeners won't have fun either. I love podcasts that involve the hosts have a laugh and joke with each other. I love hearing giggles and 'inside jokes'. I love when a host says something they probably shouldn't have. I love the fun and real aspect of podcasts, because it draws me closer to the hosts! It makes me feel like I really know them. And of course, the closer you feel to a host, the more of their stuff you want to buy!
Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular. If you think you have something valuable to share in your very own podcast, step up and go for it! Don't be afraid to take chances when it feels right. If it doesn't? Don't worry. You can make your voice heard in other ways- it's just a case of finding the right way.
