Technological advancements have made it easier and more practical to work from home than ever before. As technologies continue to be developed, this trend will only become more commonplace. This is an affordable option for salaried employees as well as self-employed individuals and freelancers or contractors.
Regardless of whether you work from home on a part-time or full-time basis, you need to create an excellent home office that fosters productivity and efficiency. If you are self-employed, you also should not overlook the importance of professional marketing efforts. Your marketing efforts will develop and build on your brand as well as create leads and drive sales.
Even though you are working from the comfort of your own home, you can still create exceptional marketing that puts you on a level to compete with corporate competitors. These are some of the primary elements that you should focus on initially to lay the groundwork for a solid marketing effort.
1. Create a Great Landing Page
When your prospective customers click on your website, they will make an immediate judgment about your business based on the landing page. This means that your professional website needs to have a carefully crafted landing page that simply and directly speaks volumes about your brand with a quick glance. It should be easy to understand and to navigate.
Think about the primary information that you would initially convey to a new customer over the phone that explains what you do and how you are different and better than the competition. Make this message as concise and direct as possible. Your landing page needs to be aesthetically pleasing as well as informative. Do not overlook the importance of SEO factors, such as the title of your page, your keywords, your page description and your meta tags.
2. Get the Right Digital Tools
Your goal is to be as competitive as possible with major corporations and larger, established businesses. The good news is that there are now an exceptional range of digital tools that make it easier to level the playing field when you are working from home. For example, there are apps and software programs for SEO marketing, task and time management, managing workflow, collaborating with remote employees, managing your finances and more.
There are also other resources that you can take advantage of. For example, you can find online forums and communities of like-minded individuals. You can use these platforms to get valuable information and tips and to share your own advice.
3. Manage Your Home Office Like a Corporate Office
When you structure your day and your home office like you would if you worked in a traditional corporate environment, you may be more mentally focused on your business activities. While you could set up shop with your laptop while sitting on the couch or reclining in bed, avoid this urge. Set up a dedicated workspace in your home that is out of the way of others in the home.
When looking for an ideal location, choose a space that has ample electrical power for all of your equipment and that makes use of natural light. When working out of this space daily, it can get messy. You may be inclined to let it grow messier than you would in a shared office space, but this can detract from organization and efficiency. Keep the space clean with regularly tidying every day. You should also take maintenance steps annually, such as by checking your electrical cords for signs of damage.
4. Use Social Media Wisely
Social media is an excellent marketing resource for home-based workers to use because it is direct and cost-effective. You can spend ample time building up a list of followers, but remember to stay active so that you do not lose followers. Your content should be focused and effective without being bothersome in any way. Think about highlighting your blog posts, announcing promotions and new products and even talking about your community impact.
You may think about opening an account on all social media platforms, but this may be overkill. Think about which platforms your customers use, and focus your attention on those platforms. Put links to your social media sites on our website and professional emails to encourage followers.
5. Engage or Give Something Back
The most effective use of social media involves two-way communication. At the most basic level, this is communication in the form of retweets, replies to comments and answers to questions. At a more profound level, it may include contests and promotions or even giving away free merchandise or services.
Remember that your customers want to feel connected to businesses that they work with regularly. They also want to see value in their buying decisions. Social media is a great way to encourage those feelings.
Working from home can improve your life in substantial ways, but you also must plan to do real work and to manage your activities in a professionally. Each of these tips offers constructive value to your work activities in different ways. Adopt these tips to improve your work-at-home efforts.
