What you need to know about marketing yourself as a contractor

What’s in a name?

Building a brand should be top of your list when you start contracting, ensuring you pick the right company name, logo and tagline.

From a legal point of view, you need to make sure that you don’t pick a name that is already taken or too similar to another business, it can’t include an offensive word or phrase and it must end in either ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’ (if a limited company).

Read our Starting Up Checklist page for more information on this.

Make sure you choose a name, company logo and tagline that are professional and in some way related to your sector or the type of work you do so that people can easily recognise what your business is offering.

You might also be interested in our How to Trademark a Company page, which provides advice on ensuring you have legal rights to your business name and logo.

Create your own website

Having your own website is a great way to reach your audience and show off your skills.

Treat your website like a portfolio, showing what you can do with examples and images (depending on the type of work you do of course).

Think about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) to ensure you rank higher on Google, keep the design simple and easy to use and make sure you only include relevant content.

Don’t forget to link your website in emails and all social media accounts.

Networking via social media

With billions of active social media users across the world, it’s the perfect place to market your business and connect with people you might not usually come into contact with, plus, it’s free!

When it comes to the social media platforms you choose to interact through, it’s worth thinking about what each one can offer and the audience it will attract.

The best social media platforms for contractors include:

• LinkedIn – the most business-focused platform; used to connect and find work, it can be a valuable tool for contractors. For more information on how LinkedIn can help you as a contractor, take a look at our Finding work on LinkedIn page.
• Facebook – still one of the most popular social media platforms, Facebook can appeal to a wide range of potential customers. A small business can use the platform to advertise and sell, and it’s extremely user-friendly.
• Instagram – more of a visual platform with the use of reels, posts and stories, it’s perfect for creative individuals and brands that can produce aesthetically pleasing images. You will need to put time and effort into this type of marketing to create a presence – you might need to post up to seven or eight times a week to pop up on follower’s feeds.
• TikTok – probably not the first platform to come to mind, but there is a place for TikTok when it comes to marketing, especially if you’re looking to grab the attention of younger generations. Similar to Instagram. you’ll need to put the time in and follow trends that work well with your brand.

Email marketing

An effective marketing method, sending emails to customers, or potential customers, can help to generate traffic to your website and improve sales.

It’s also one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies and you can even conduct surveys and receive feedback, which could help to further increase your business success.

We hope you found this page helpful. Our team of experts are available to answer any questions you may have, so either contact us via online chat, call us on 01442 795 100 or email sophie.lewis@dolanaccountancy.com.