So you’ve finally done it, you’ve made the jump to start your own side hustle. It could be driven by passion for something you love doing, or simply something you are good at and want to make some extra money. No matter what it is, the hard part is not done yet! Differentiating yourself and standing out in your ever-competitive market is increasingly difficult. There is some comfort to take away from this, and that is the fact that you are not alone.
The are many aspiring entrepreneurs that are uncertain about many things, but marketing their business is one of the biggest issues many people face. This is why it is always best to speak to a professional to help you out in order to attract new clients. New side hustles are born every day, and the ones that succeed are those whose owners persevere and possess a willingness to learn. Here are some of the best side hustles in 2023. In this article, we will go through how to market your side hustle in 2023.
Create A Website Optimised For Search Engines
A website is an essential tool for the 21st century. It is not only a place for users to see what you are all about, but it is also your storefront. Without a website, you will not be able to compete with your competitors, and you will also also be considered obsolete.
Creating a website is not as hard as it sounds anymore, even with little to no experience, you can build a website through a CMS. Alternatively, you could hire a professional to create one for you. If you do opt for a CMS, then WordPress is the best for lead-generation websites, but Shopify is preferred for E-commerce stores. It is also important to have websites optimised for search engines, hiring a professional SEO Manchester based will significantly improve your chances of meeting your audience.
Identify Your Target Audience
Even if you’re still in the process of selecting one, there are important aspects you need to start considering. Regardless of your chosen side hustle idea, the first step is to identify your target audience or the group of individuals who are most likely to benefit from it.
It’s essential to have a clear understanding of your audience. Conduct research to uncover their needs, wants, desires, and pain points. What are the challenges that keep them up at night? What excites them when they wake up in the morning?
Having a deep understanding of your target audience provides the clarity necessary for all your marketing efforts. If you misjudge or misunderstand your audience, you’ll end up investing a significant amount of time, effort, and money in marketing your side hustle to the wrong people.
Give Something Away For Free
Often, people hesitate to make a purchase the first time they come across a product or service. One thing that does help to convert them is by giving away something for free. What you decide to give them is completely up to you. It could be something as simple as a discount code, or it could be a free ebook with all useful bits of information that will help them. The options are endless, you just need to ensure that what you are giving away will have value for your audience.
When you offer something for free, you not only give your audience a taster of what you can offer, but it also shows them what benefits they can get from using your product or service. This can greatly contribute to reassuring them that engaging in business with you is worthwhile.
Video Marketing
YouTube can be a valuable online side hustle for generating extra income, and it also serves as an excellent marketing tool for promoting any other side hustle, whether it operates online or offline. To do this, you need to produce high-quality and informative videos that showcase your expertise and knowledge. Demonstrate to potential clients the level of work you can deliver for them.
Whilst YouTube is an important platform for this, there are other platforms where you can showcase your video content such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. Some of the basics for this content are to optimise video titles, thumbnails, descriptions, and tags by incorporating relevant keywords that people are searching for. It is also important to engage with the viewer’s comments and reshare on social media platforms.
Ask Your Friends and Family
Friends and family are a great source of advertising. As we delve into various networking strategies to market your side hustle, it’s essential to begin by reaching out to your family and friends and asking them to spread the word.
To encourage your initial customers to try your product or service, you can offer special deals or incentives. In fact, if you’re just starting out, you could even provide them for free. The only request you make is that if they are satisfied with your work, they recommend you to others.
While it would be ideal for your first customers to generate income, the primary goal at the beginning is to establish momentum. Once you have acquired a client or two, you gain a new potential source for referrals.
Attend Industry Events and Conferences
Depending on the industry you are in, but when you are just starting out it is a great idea to show off your professionalism by attending industry events and conferences and signing up to talk at these events. It is also a great way to be able to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs as well as gain a couple of clients through meeting various businesses.
If you are not great at this, bite the bullet and build your confidence, you never know where a single conversation will go. If you want to pitch to people, prepare an elevator pitch in order to be able to act fast and be confident with it.
Collaborate With Other Businesses, Just Not Competitors
Identify local businesses that cater to a similar, yet distinct audience from your side hustle. Instead of directly competing with these businesses, seek those that offer complementary services to your own.
Propose a collaboration or partnership that benefits both parties, allowing for the expansion of each other’s reach. Through cross-promotion, you can mutually promote each other’s services, significantly enhancing exposure and generating new opportunities for both businesses.
Utilise Digital Advertising
To enhance the visibility of your website, consider investing in digital advertising. One option is to use Google Ads Manager, where you can bid on relevant keywords related to your business, such as “Digital marketing agency in [your location]” or “nail technician in [your location],” to connect with people actively searching for your services.
Social media platforms also offer these types of advertising, just ensure that the platform you are advertising on has your target audience there. There is no point in creating ads if your audience is on a different platform. For example, if you were a dog walker, LinkedIn probably isn’t the best platform, but FB, Instagram and TikTok may be more beneficial.
Don’t run ads just because others are doing it; make sure it aligns with your business objectives. Be patient, embrace a bit of trial and error, and find the advertising method that works best for your side hustle.
