How to Get Out of a Marketing Rut in Your T&I Business

So many people would love to make marketing a habit in their T&I freelance business, but it can be easier said than done.

Just like with any skill or habit, good marketing practices take time to develop. And when you find what works for you, what resonates with your clients, and what brings you more business, you’ll inevitably want to keep doing more of it. 

That said, it's not unusual to experience a marketing slump from time to time. We all have them.

Perhaps you have enough work in the queue at the moment and you've stopped marketing altogether. I've been there! 

Or maybe you haven't yet found what really works for you and your business, and it all just feels like a slog. Been there, too!

The key to getting out of a marketing rut and marketing your business consistently lies in two things most of us don't think much about: what works for you and making marketing fun. 

Yes, marketing can be fun. It doesn't have to feel like you're constantly pitching your services to clients. Marketing can be a routine part of your day and business operations just as much as any other task you regularly handle. And once you check it off your list, you can move on to other tasks and projects where you need or want to spend your time. 

Make your marketing efforts work for you

There are lots of things you can do to market your translation or interpreting business. Sometimes, too many! In fact, there are so many options, it can be hard to know where to even start. Here are a few ways to make your marketing efforts work for you.

• Be clear about what you want from your marketing efforts. 
  Identify what you want to achieve with your marketing efforts, and write it down. Own it. Maybe you want to earn more money or take a paid vacation from your freelance business. Maybe you want to try to avoid times of famine in your business have a set monthly income. Or maybe you just want to work with more clients you really enjoy. Whatever you want from your business, make that the main reason you show up and check off your marketing tasks every day. You will find that the more clarity you have around your marketing, the easier it will be to get it done and pull yourself out of any marketing slumps that you might experience.

"Momentum is always preceded by clarity." - Brendon Burchard

• Identify what you absolutely need and let go of what you don't.
  I alluded to this already, but there are so many ways you can market your business. However, that doesn't mean that you have to do all of them. Know where your clients are hanging out online and focus on marketing your business there. For me, that's Google, LinkedIn, and email. And for you, it might be different. Avoid spending time on any specific platform or tool that doesn't serve your business. If your clients aren't on Instagram or Facebook, give yourself permission to drop those platforms from your mental list of potential places to market your business.

• Start small.
  Starting small sounds easy enough, but many of us are quick to get overwhelmed by the bigger picture of what we believe marketing to be. Think of your marketing as a long-term relationship-building process. Just as you wouldn't ask someone out on a date after you met for the first time, you wouldn't ask a client to sign a contract with you the first time you reach out to them. Commit to a few minutes of marketing every day and build from there. I believe that a little bit every day versus once or a few times a week is a smarter (and faster) way to build habits. Personally, I commit to 20 minutes a day. It's what works for me. Find and do what works for you. 

• Focus on one thing at a time.
  Part of the overwhelm people feel about marketing their businesses is that they make it such a large task that it feels unattainable. Focus on one thing at a time. If you struggle with confidence in marketing your business, start there. Make a list of all the successes you've had with clients and then think of who else might need you to help them. Now that you have a list, you can focus on the next thing: figuring out how you will start building a relationship with them. After that, you can focus on your next step, and on and on until you feel like you finally hit your groove. By focusing on one bite-sized task at a time, you will slowly make progress in the right direction. This is essential to sticking with it and avoiding those r periods of time when you would otherwise feel scattered or spread too thin.

Make your marketing efforts fun

Okay, you may be thinking “How can marketing be fun??” I get it. I used to really dislike marketing. In fact, I was great at finding ways to postpone it or avoid it altogether. But when I realized how rewarding regular marketing can be, I found more ways to make it fun, too. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

• Set goals and reward yourself when you achieve them.
  Do you want to hit a certain income goal this year? Do you have a goal to get three new clients in six months? Set some milestones for yourself and reward yourself when you achieve them. Whether it's a day off work, a new monitor for your workspace, or something even more luxurious, determine early on what you'll do for yourself when you hit your goals so you can celebrate these wins along the way. When you do, your marketing efforts will pay off in multiple ways. 

• Do it first thing (if that works for you) so you can't talk yourself out of it.
  Now, you might be wondering how getting your marketing done first thing in the morning could possibly be fun. Well, if you're anything like me, checking something off your to-do list early in the morning gives you a little boost of energy to move on with your day knowing that you already achieved something positive for your business. Just this morning I reached out to two clients to check in with them about potential new freelance projects. By 8:30 am, I had confirmation of about $1500 worth of new work. If that's not a fun way to start your day, I don't know what is! Whether doing your marketing first thing works for you or not is a personal decision. But whatever you do, put it on your task list or schedule it so it gets done.

• Get an accountability partner.
  If you work better with an accountability partner, someone you can check in with regularly to let them know you completed what you set out to do (and they do the same with you), put out an open call to colleagues on social media and ask if anyone would like to go on this marketing journey with you. Even if you only need accountability to get going, try checking in with each other for a few months to build your motivation and make your good marketing habits stick!

Marketing your business doesn't have to be painful or tedious. If anything, once you get going, you'll get to enjoy the fruits of your labor in terms of income, job satisfaction, and stronger relationships with your clients.

When you approach your marketing this way, making it work for you and making it fun, your marketing efforts will feel more natural and less like a burden or chore. Not to mention the marketing slumps will be fewer and further between!

Have you ever been in a marketing rut? What did you do to get out of it? Do you have any tips for colleagues who are currently struggling to market their businesses regularly and successfully?