Turning readers into clients. It’s the ultimate goal of every freelancer who starts a blog. Too bad most of us fail to do so.
If you’re struggling to turn readers into clients, you’re going to enjoy reading this:
Freelancers have trouble turning readers into clients when they fail to showcase their expertise on their blog.
What’s worse is they often fail to recognize why their readers aren’t turning into clients.
This was exactly the problem one of The Creative Class students was facing when she joined the course earlier this year.
She just didn’t know it yet.
Stacey Corrin called herself a freelance writer, marketer, and designer when she joined the course.
It didn’t take long before The Creative Class helped her figure out why she was having trouble attracting clients through her blog.
The very first module of the course helped Stacey realize her heart wasn’t in writing or marketing or even writing about them. It was in designing. Not only did she love designing but she enjoyed writing about it.
“My key breakthrough was in the section which discussed finding the overlap between what I wanted to do and what my audience needed. I’ve finally hit that sweet spot and work has taken off as a result.”
The next module had her researching her prospective clients. And what she found blew her mind. Her prospective clients didn’t need help with their marketing – they needed help with their designs.
“I was focusing more on what I thought people wanted, rather than what my audience was really looking for. More precisely I was pushing out a load of posts about marketing, hoping they’d bring in the right kind of client, when in reality my perfect client wanted help with their WordPress sites and blogs, not their marketing. They were interested in simple design tutorials and how-to content which I found naturally easy to create.”
From there it was a simple matter of connecting the dots.
While this was enough to turn her readers into clients, she still hadn’t found the right combination that would encourage them to turn to her for solutions to their design problems.
She found the right balance when she studied the “pricing” module.
“What really spoke to me in the course was the pricing section and charging what your ideal client can afford to pay.
My ideal clients are bloggers, with small budgets. There was no point me charging hundreds of pounds for a blog design if the people I wanted to work with couldn’t afford it. So I went back to the drawing board and started tweaking my price.
I started off low and then with client feedback, slowly increased it to a point where people are comfortable and I’m earning enough money for my time. I then supplemented this with quicker, smaller jobs that I know bloggers need and which they can afford.”
While the rest of the course helped her set up her business for continued success, it was these three specific actions that paved the way for turning her readers into clients.
Today, everything Stacey identifies with – WordPress, web design, minimalism, motherhood – is very visible on her blog.
But what’s really interesting is her portfolio. Just a glance will tell you that her clients identify with the same things she does.
The clients who come to her are mostly female business owners and mommy bloggers who want a minimalist and professional design.
Of course, those aren’t the only clients who come to Stacey but her readers know that if they want a professional design that reflects their personality and is also minimalistic, Stacey’s their girl.
If you’re struggling to turn readers into clients, do what Stacey did.
Take the time to figure out what you’re passionate about. Whether it’s writing, designing or dog walking. It needs to be a subject you can happily blog about for at least a year.
Then find out the problems people face in your chosen topic. If you’re passionate about writing, how can your writing make your client’s life or business easy?
And finally, set your rates – but not in stone. Experiment with them until you find a happy medium. Offer your services in packages, tiers, and one-offs.
If you don’t, you’re bound to feel like Stacey did:
“Before the course, I was a freelance writer – a job I didn’t really like, but which paid the bills. I felt unfulfilled, uninspired and emotionally barren because of the competition I was up against.”
After the course, Stacey’s business … well, I’ll let you tell her yourself.
“After the course, I gained the confidence to try making a change anyway. I dug deep, promoted my design services with everyone I knew and now have a waiting list a month long. My clients recommend me to their friends and clients. Not because I’m the best designer, but because they like the experience of working with me. And personally, I’m a much happier, more fulfilled person because of it.”
Creative Class reopens for new students in Spring 2023: