From the most basic marketing requirements of logo, stationery and website -- right through to brand development, lead generation and customer retention, all companies need to make these things happen.

As a freelance marketing professional, your two main opportunities are smaller businesses who have no in-house resource at all and larger organisations who need a specialist skill or some short-term additional marketing support in relation to a specific activity or campaign.

Freelance Marketing Tools?

The most vital thing is that you look like a marketing professional. So consider these:

* You really will create a better impression if you invest in a proper domain name, email and web hosting packages. Being able to point people at your web page for further information and contact details really helps when marketing your services and also makes you look more professional.
* Business cards, for giving to friends, suppliers and industry contacts - and for handing out when visiting industry events.
* Any other marketing tools, like a brochure or hard copy sales materials, are a nice-to-have but really are not essential. If someone asks for a brochure simply refer them to your web page instead.
* Your other vital marketing tool will be samples of work, but these take time to build up. Make sure that you always ask for some samples to be sent to you when any job is completed and get a copy of any materials in PDF format as well to go on your website as you develop it. Even if you sub-contracted the creative concept, the design, the artwork, the copywriting and the print, it's still your campaign, that you organised for a client - and it shows a prospect that you can do the same for them.

Freelance Marketing Rates and Allowances

Knowing how much to charge is always one of the most difficult things to work out. The best way to find out is some research and if necessary some mystery shopping! Look at freelancers on the web who offer the same services as you are planning to and see what they charge. And bear in mind that you can probably get away with charging more to clients who are in your specialist industry sector, if you have one.

Getting Started

There are a number of freelance job sites where people post freelance marketing projects . Many allow you to include a listing of your services and contact details -- and whilst they rarely generate direct responses, they do assist with improving the chance of your web page being found by search engines.