8 Online Freelancers You Should Have Already Outsourced

There are certain tasks necessary for every business to function properly – tasks that online freelancers can accomplish for you. Your marketing strategy, your finance department, how customers perceive you, and your online presence are all dependent on these 8 tasks.

Have you outsourced these tasks? If not, the FreeUp Marketplace can introduce you to experienced freelancers in all 8 areas.

Emails that are Opened and Read

Emails are personal.

You can’t just walk into anybody’s house; you need permission. As a stranger, you have to knock on the door. The homeowner decides if he wants to open the door to you. When he opens the door, he is standing inside; you are outside on the doorstep. He listens to what you have to say and then decides if he wants to invite you inside.

As a friend, when you knock on the door, you immediately gain access.

Email marketing works in a similar manner. The owner of the inbox decides if he wants to open your email or trash it. If he knows your business or product, you have immediate access. Alternatively, the subject line is what helps you gain access… or not.

When he opens the email, the next step is to interest him in your conversation. Lastly, you want to prompt him to take a specific action — the purpose of the email. The email always takes you to the next step.

Online freelance copywriters who specialize in email marketing know how to get the permission, how to gain access to the potential clients’ inbox. When you’ve received the permission, you need emails to sell your product or service to new and current clients. Emails help you follow up with buyers during the decision process. Emails also build relationships, so buyers become recurring customers.

Each business is unique with a marketing strategy specific to that business’ products or services. By outsourcing your email campaigns, you will always have an email copywriter on hand when needed.

Bookkeeping: Don’t Neglect the Finances

Most business owners aren’t accountants. When starting a new business, you need to wear different hats. Bookkeeping is often the hat that is neglected. Initially, your bookkeeping requirements don’t justify appointing a full-time worker.

By outsourcing your bookkeeping needs your financial records are kept up to date. The outsourced bookkeeping services grow alongside your bookkeeping requirements. No need to have an experienced bookkeeper onboard who initially doesn’t have enough work and later too much work. Instead of spending time and money to equip a bookkeeper, outsource an experienced online freelancer.

By outsourcing, you only pay for the time and work done. When your business expands or you decide to downsize, you adapt outsourced bookkeeping services accordingly.

Keep your financial records private. Outsourcing distances your finances from in-house workers. If it’s important to you to keep your financial records private from in-house workers, outsourcing is the solution.

Social Media for Customers and Workers

The kids of today who are entering the marketplace grew up with social media as a standard way of communication. Social media is going to increase, not decrease. What do Blog posts, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, or Google Plus have to do with your business?

There are two great usage benefits.

The first is to communicate with your customers. The company blog is perfect to relay valuable information to customers. There’s a double benefit here. You give customers valuable tips. At the same time, they perceive your expertise on the topic. When they need your kind of product or service, they will buy from you.

The different social media platforms allow you to communicate in a fun and informal way with your customers and potential customers. You stay in contact with them without pushing your product or service.

The second usage benefit is the “human social” aspect of your business. These tools are perfect to build company morale. Use Facebook to promote workers. Have a Facebook Group or Instagram group where company news and worker achievements are posted. Congratulate parents with the new baby born or a child’s sports achievement.

Posting on social media takes time. It may take only 1-2 hours per day but it’s valuable time you don’t have. Giving the task to any worker isn’t the solution. There is a skill to networking on social media. Besides, it’s not cost-effective to hire someone that works only 1-2 hours per day… or is it? It is if you are only paying for that 1 or 2 hours. Outsourcing your social media posts to an expert will save you time and money.

Customer Service is the Secret Key

Building relationships is key to a successful business. Customer service is that secret key that can build your business or destroy it.

It’s the middle of the summer and it’s hot. You bought an electric fan. Thankfully, you can plug it in to escape the heat. You switch the fan on, and… nothing happens. You call customer service. Imagine having an incompetent person answer your call… You’d probably boil over.

Skilled workers in the customer service department are essential. People who can deal with conflict, with irate customers. They represent your business. Customer service is a very important customer interaction with your business; their first real impression of who and what your company stands for.

Outsourcing this vital part of your business will save you time, money, and give you a competitive edge. Online freelancers who specialize in customer service tasks are experts in their field. They also work in different time zones, which enables you to serve customers immediately no matter where in the world your customer is based.

Graphic Design for Your Brand

Branding is important. Graphic design plays a vital role in the “look” of your logo, letterhead, banner, business cards, and other brand collateral.

Although businesses require graphic design, not all have a skilled in-house graphic designer. Mainly because this is not a daily requirement for the business. Take a restaurant for example. How often do you need a graphic designer for your menu?

The mistake many companies make is to give the graphic design to a creative worker who isn’t a professional graphic designer. Often the result is better than what most could accomplish, but it still lacks the professional touch. Outsourcing your graphic designs is cost-effective, and your design gets done by a professional.

Lead Generation for Sales

For a business to grow, you need new customers. To sell to customers, the sales people working for you need leads for potential customers interested in your product or services.

Salespeople differ in their expertise. Some love cold calling and finding leads. Then you have the closers who know how to make the sale. Although good in closing, they can’t generate the leads to close. Then there are the after sales groups who change one-time-buyers into recurring customers. To hire enough salespeople in all three areas is not always feasible.

The solution for highly effective sales is to generate the leads for closers and leave the after sales people free to follow up. Allow them to sell according to what they do best. Outsource the cold calling and copywriting of lead generation emails. Outsource customer service to do initial follow-ups. Online freelancers with experience can take a load off salespeople’s backs.

Web Development for Excellence

If your house is poorly built or not maintained, it looks neglected and even shabby. It won’t matter that you have the most beautiful furniture in your home. The neglected look won’t motivate people to visit. They’ll never experience your hospitality and learn how good you are.

Similarly, if your website is outdated, confusing or haphazardly put together, you won’t have many online visitors. Visitors won’t stay long enough at your doorstep to discover your product or service. They’ll never know you have the solution to their problem.

Outsourcing your web development is one of the best choices you can make. If your line of business isn’t in web development, you probably don’t have a web development department. Online freelancers who specialize in web development will create and maintain an excellent website so you can attract each customer and make that sale.

Social Media Management

You’ve made the decision to build a presence online on all the major social media platforms. That’s great!

Why is social media management important and why should you outsource it? Although workers may enjoy social media, none have the passion combined with the expertise to manage all the social media platforms.

Outsourcing will produce accountability for how the different social media campaigns are managed. You have the freedom of contracting online freelancers who specialize in specific platforms. Your content will be up to date and follow the current trends.

Conclusion and Takeaways

If you haven’t outsourced these 8 tasks yet, here is a checklist to create an action plan.

1. List the email campaigns you need this year to increase sales.
2. Do you need email letters or newsletters to follow up with customers and build relationships?
3. Are your financial records up to date or do you need a bookkeeper?
4. What social media platforms do your customers use?
5. How do you want to increase your social media presence?
6. Is your blog working for you?
7. How are you generating leads for sales workers? How can you increase the leads?
8. Do your logo, banners, business cards need to be updated? Is your brand the same on all platforms?
9. When was the last time you had a website review? What are your visitor statistics? Are you generating leads from your website?
10. Who is managing your social media? How visible are you on social media?
11. Create a list of the type of online freelancers you need.

Now you;re ready to begin outsourcing. If you need help or advice in this area, speak to Nathan. He has extensive experience in outsourcing and will be able to advise you on what your business needs and how to outsource tasks.

Retha Groenewald is a web copywriter and published author. Her versatile background gives her the freedom to write for the B2B and B2C market. Her writing is featured at Christian Web Copywriter and at Writing That Breathes Life.