Advice on How to Promote Your Freelance Programming

You can’t work as a freelance programmer in a vacuum. In other words, you must let others know that you do in fact know the difference between C/C++, SQL and Java, and that you’re willing to work hard, if you want others to hire you. The first step when your goal is to promote your freelance programming business is to get on social media, if you haven’t already. Start there and then start spreading the news. Let enough people know about your freelance programming business and you could find yourself booked up for months. Here’s how it’s done.

Keys to Social Media Promotion

If you want others to notice you and your freelance programming skills on social media, you are going to have to learn to speak to your target market directly. Find out what problems your average clients-to-be are facing. Maybe they need a database constructed or maybe security is more their concern. If you want those clients to notice you on social media, start posting and tweeting phrases that get their attention.

Examples might include:

“Need a database constructed? Here are the steps to take.” Then post a link to a blog, article or video describing the necessary steps.

Another example might be, “Think your website is secure? I bet it’s not. Here’s why.” Then post a link to media that explains why your potential clients’ networks are insecure.” For best results, make sure the links you post lead to materials that you yourself produced. If you can’t write blogs, articles or film videos to save your life, get other freelancers to help you.

Using social media to promote yourself as a freelance programmer is only the first step. You may succeed in winning clients from your posts, butyour social media activity will primarily be used to get yourself seen and noticed. The next step is to join popular freelancing forums, particularly ones that have to do with freelance programming.

Popular Forums

Codecall, CodeGuru, Dream.in.Code, Digital Point and even the Warrior Forum (which recently teamed up with Freelancer.com) are excellent examples of freelance programmer forums that you can join; and join you should.

Posting on popular forums and reading popular posts can not only teach you more about the freelancer business, but it can also help you form important connections that could possibly pay off somewhere down the line.

Imagine how much your life would change if you met up with a fellow freelance programming enthusiast who wanted to form a joint venture, or you could meet up with individuals who wish to form a freelance programmer agency.

Even if those things don’t interest you now, they could be opportunities that just might interest you a few months or years from now. The point is, the more you put yourself out there, the more exciting opportunities may come your way.

Now Go On the Freelance Programming Offensive

This freelance programming advice has so far concentrated on passive promotional techniques. That is, they are techniques that expect the client to come to you. Instead of relying on fate to build up your freelance programming business, it’s time to take your business to the clients who you hope will hire you. The best way to do this is to go where the clients are; and most freelancer clients hang out on one or more of the most popular freelance job boards online.

Freelance Programming Job Boards

The following job boards are excellent resources that all freelance programming professionals should check out. Create your profiles, talk a good game, describe your experience and training and start bidding on jobs to become the success story you’ve always wanted to become one new project at a time.

iHireTechnology

Programmers, software engineers, Java and application developers will all find a nice home at iHire. The user-interface is fairly straight forward, the site is easy to use and there are always new jobs being posted. This site is perfect for the truly ambitious programmers who desire all the work they can handle.

Freelancer, Elance and Odesk

These three are fairly similar in design, yet each one comes with its own perks and drawbacks. For best results, create profiles on all three. You can then maximize your chances of finding work and you’ll look like you’re everywhere to clients who happen to be using multiple job boards to conduct their own freelancer searches.

Don’t just stop at social media, forums and job boards. Call/email/fax companies and inquire about their programming needs. Go door-to-door and ask companies if they need a good freelancing professional and attend job fairs where you know clients-to-be might congregate.

The fact is, promoting your freelance programming business isn’t difficult these days. You have many tools and techniques at your fingertips. For them to work, you must use them and actively promote your services to anyone who will listen. With freelance programmers being in such high demand, put the effort in and you will be hired. As long as you have the skills and experience to do a job well done, your business will flourish.

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