Did you wake up on Jan 1st thinking “this is my year!” I know I certainly did, and I’m betting there are millions of other people out there who are feeling the same.

The start of a new year brings so much promise with it right? New year, new us. New year, new business. New year, new successes, etc etc… The list goes on.

But in order to see that success and actually make 2017 your year, you need to put in a bit of hard work. It’s not enough to simply sit back and hope that the powers of 2017 will bring you everything you’ve ever dreamed of.

So today, in light of this new year and the opportunities it brings with it, let’s take a look at the three key things you can improve in your freelance business this year in order to reap that success you want and need.

The reason I’m sticking to just three is partly because the list could go on and on, and no one wants to be overwhelmed now the new year is here, and partly because the three things I’m going to cover combine together to create the backbone of your business.

They’re the three things that will focus you and, when they’re in place, you’ll be able to improve other areas of your business, too.

Before we dig in, be sure to sign up for the free 3-video workshop which starts Jan 9th if you’re ready to seriously improve your business in 2017.

1. Your Services

So many freelancers overlook their services, but they are what your business revolves around. Without them, you’d have NO business.

It’s really not enough to just hit and hope, though. Most freelancers I know advertise themselves as a “freelance writer” or a “freelance designer” and then mould each project to fit the scope of their clients.

While this might work in the early stages of your career as you figure out what exactly it is you like doing, at some point you’re going to want to become known for something in particular in order to earn more money and consistently land clients that are a good fit for you.

This means honing your services down. Yes, you may well be a freelance writer, but what kind of writing do you do? Think about all these options:

• Blog post writing
• Website copywriting
• Email marketing
• White papers
• Articles
• Social media updates
• Product descriptions
• Guides
• E-books

This is just a small selection of the kinds of projects freelance writers do. If you’re spreading yourself too thin, your portfolio will look scattered and clients won’t know what it is you can help them with.

Think about it this way:

A company is looking for a writer to create kick-ass product descriptions for their new line of shoes. Do they hire the freelance writer who has done a bit of product description writing among many other things, or do they hire the freelancer who has carved a name for themselves writing product descriptions for numerous brands?

It’s a no-brainer, right?

But how do you even go about choosing your services and making sure clients go ga-ga for them? I teach you exactly that process in Skyrocket Your 2017, a totally free 3-video workshop.

I’ll show you exactly how you can determine what your dream clients NEED from you, and how to create your services around that need.

2. Your Messaging

It seems that everyone has an online presence these days – particularly freelancers who are hustling to land more clients.

Does this sound familiar?

• You’ve put up a website with a few paragraphs about what you do and why you’re good at it
• You’ve got a couple of social channels that you post on semi-regularly
• You’re not entirely sure who you’re targeting, so you try and make your website as generic as possible

If you have a website, that’s GREAT. You really do need one as a freelancer, but in order to stand out, you need to take it one step further.

What does that mean?

It means using the wants and needs of your ideal clients to drive the copy, graphics, and overall “feel” of your website (a.k.a. your branding).

Let’s take the company who are looking for a writer to create product descriptions about their new line of shoes again.

Do they hire the freelancer who has a generic website that says they’re a freelance writer and they love helping brands sell products? Or do they hire the freelancer that focuses on their need for awesome product descriptions and use language that draws them in and resonates with them?

Words are incredibly powerful when it comes to selling yourself, and getting them right isn’t an easy task at all. Compare the copy on these two freelancer websites:

The first is the homepage of an entertainment writer. As you can see, the copy is casual and super laidback, whereas the second example below, which promotes a health writer, is more formal and uses the third person.

The audiences of these two writers are completely different, hence why the copy is at two opposite ends of the spectrum.

In Skyrocket Your 2017, I show you exactly how to determine what kind of language will hook, line, and sinker your audience, and give you one really easy strategy (you’ll kick yourself when you realise) for getting your messaging right in every bit of communication you have with clients.

3. Your Marketing

Does the term marketing bring you out in a cold sweat?

You are not alone, my friend, you are not alone!

Us freelancers seem to have this underlying fear of selling ourselves. It can feel sleazy and uncomfortable – trust me, I’ve been there.

But without marketing, how will you land clients? How will brands and businesses know that you’re the person to help them solve their problem.

Well, they won’t.

Once you realise that you’re selling a product or a service, not yourself, things get so much easier. But that’s just the first hurdle with marketing.

I know so many freelancers (me included, at the start of my career), that are constantly overwhelmed by all the new, “must-do” marketing methods that pop up every single day.

Should you be running webinars? Using Pinterest? Cold emailing? Using content mills?

Unfortunately, the answer isn’t cut and dry. Creating a marketing strategy is all about figuring out what works for you and your business. It doesn’t have to be some elaborate strategy that covers every single base (in fact, this is absolutely NOT what you want!). It just needs to incorporate a few methods that consistently bring in leads for you.

In Skyrocket Your 2017, I show you exactly how to create a successful (that’s the key word here!) marketing strategy that aligns with your business and your needs. Seriously, the method I’m going to show you will ease that overwhelm and teach you that marketing doesn’t have to be scary AT ALL, and can actually be quite fun.

So if you’re ready to skyrocket your freelance business in 2017, land clients you’ve only ever DREAMED of working with, and increase your revenue every single month, let’s get your services, your messaging, and your marketing in order.

Grab your spot on the Skyrocket Your 2017 3-video workshop and let’s get stuck in.

Bring it 2017! We’re ready!