Invosy – More cashflow

Marketing guide for light entrepreneurs

How to guide your potential customer to the service you offer? Through marketing! After reading this light entrepreneur’s marketing guide you'll know where to start when your goal is to market your commodity.

These links will take you directly to the topic you're looking for

What you sell and to whom

The foundation of marketing is knowing what you sell and to whom – what is your business idea and its operating principle? By answering the following questions, you make freelancing easier and clearer for both yourself and your customer.

What you do as a light entrepreneur

What is the commodity you offer?
How have you priced the commodity you offer?
In which area is your commodity available (e.g., Helsinki region, Oulu, all of Finland)?

How you do what you do

How do you sell your commodity (e.g., via a website)?
How can the customer purchase the commodity you offer?
How does your customer benefit from the commodity you sell?

How you do what you do

How do you sell your commodity (e.g., via a website)?
How can the customer purchase the commodity you offer?
How does your customer benefit from the commodity you sell?

Why are you a light entrepreneur?

Why did you become a light entrepreneur?
Why do you sell the particular commodity you’re selling?
Why would a customer buy the commodity you’re selling and why is it beneficial to them?

Target group

The target group refers to the customers to whom you should market your product or service. They can be either potential customers or those who have already purchased from you. When planning your target group, it's good to start with basic details such as age, gender, location, and occupation/education. In addition, it's useful to explore the target group's interests, hobbies, and lifestyle.

The saying "everything for everyone is nothing for anyone" holds true – only companies like Google can have "everyone" as their target group.

Define your target group with these tips:

Study your current customers:
– Who has already purchased your product or service?
What benefits does your commodity offer, and to what type of customers?
Where do your customers live?
– If you live in Helsinki, for example, do you only offer your product or service there, or in a broader area?
Request feedback and analyze it
Remember that occasional negative comments don't mean your target group is wrong. On the contrary, you can learn a lot from them!
Study the target groups of your competitors:
– What target groups do your competitors have? This can be revealed by studying their marketing materials.
– Could your competitor's target groups also be your target groups?

Budget and channels

Before you can start implementing your marketing plan, you need to set a budget. The budget can include, for example, paid advertising, a domain name, and necessary software.

Tips for creating and using a marketing budget:

Determine your customer's purchasing journey – how do they find you?
Keep your budget in line with your goals
Consider potential hidden costs
Measure the return on investment (ROI)

When creating a budget, think about the channels where you want to reach your target group. Once you have chosen the channels (e.g., social media), it's time to produce content that informs about the products or services you offer and generates leads (i.e., reaches new buyers interested in your product or service). Remember, it's important to be able to measure the effectiveness of your advertising.

It's wise to start marketing with a small budget. Over time, you will see what works and what doesn't, and based on this, you can adjust both the budget and the marketing content.

Marketing plan

When you know what, how, and to whom you sell your product or service, it's time to create a marketing plan. This plan helps you stay on track with the organization, implementation, and monitoring of your marketing efforts, making your work easier – a ready-made plan is easy to follow.

SMART method

The SMART method helps you set achievable, realistic goals for yourself and your business, keeping you motivated in your work!

Specific
Define exactly what you want to achieve (e.g., a certain number of new customers).
Measurable
Set measurable milestones to track your progress (e.g., income earned from light entrepreneuring).
Achievable
Realistic goals maintain motivation. Ask yourself: How can I achieve my goal? How realistic is my goal considering my limitations (e.g., the amount of time available for work)?
Relevant
Ensure your goals are genuinely important to you. Ask yourself: Does this goal feel worth my time? Is the goal achievable?
Time-bound
Setting deadlines makes it easier to achieve your goals and work towards them. Ask yourself: What can I do today, in six weeks, or in six months?