It can sometimes pay to have as many strings to your freelancing bow as possible in today’s increasingly competitive and technological world, enabling you to diversify when needed.

That’s a nice (and perfectly sensible) idea in theory, but what if it means branching out into areas so varied you end up running multiple freelance businesses, rather than extending your existing service? In which case, how on earth are you supposed to promote all of them at the same time?

It’s a question we regularly encounter, so in this article we share our favourite tips for promoting multiple freelance businesses at once.
 

Can I have more than one business?

Absolutely. Whether you operate multiple limited companies or as a sole trader, there aren’t any restrictions on the number of businesses you can set up or be involved in.

Just bear in mind that being a sole trader means you operate as an individual, so there’s no legal distinction between you and your sole trader business(es). You’ll still submit one single Self Assessment tax return, but you’ll need to include separate sections for your various businesses.

If you need to use MTD Income Tax then you’ll still only submit one single tax return, but each business will need its own quarterly update. For instance, if you have two sole trader businesses, you’ll submit eight quarterly updates!
 

How do I separate my businesses for marketing?

When it comes to actually promoting your different businesses, you’ll want to have an overall plan of some kind. Things can get very confusing for both you and your clients otherwise.
 

Branding

Your branding is the way you create an obvious consistent identity for your business. If you run multiple businesses then you could try to make each as different and unique as possible. Or, in other words, find a way to distinguish them from one another.

Conversely, you can focus on developing a cohesive brand identity that encompasses everything, with this making it a lot easier to promote yourself and your services. In a sense, you’ll just be promoting one business which offers different services.

This might not be useful if they’re in wildly different industries, but if they’re related then it might even allow you to use the brand loyalty from an existing business to attract customers to a new one.

Finding a way to organically link different businesses is no mean feat, which is why it’s imperative that you focus on what you’re passionate about. This way, you become the brand.
 

Platform strategy

If you do decide to keep your businesses as separate entities, one strategy is to make use of different social media platforms or networks.

For example, you could keep LinkedIn reserved for your primary business and promote your other endeavours on Instagram or TikTok.

Alternatively, it is possible to create two or more company pages on LinkedIn if that’s your preferred networking site (you just can’t create more than one personal profile). The only real downside is that company pages aren’t the best in terms of engagement, likely because they tend to lack personality.

The important thing is to target the right customer base for your business, and if that means having a presence on TikTok, then so be it. You don’t have to dance.
 

Content strategy

Let’s have a think about the actual content you’ll post – and where.

Now, if you like the idea of being the brand yourself, you could simply post different types of content on your own personal profile, whether that’s on LinkedIn, Instagram, or some other site.

An argument can be made, however, that this isn’t the most effective strategy, as people tend to follow others for very specific reasons (unless there’s an existing relationship, of course).

You may find that you start to lose followers if your content isn’t consistent. It’s why picking a lane and committing to it could actually be the best strategy in the long run.

A more subtle approach would be to prioritise content related to your main business, and then drop the odd hint about the other services you offer.

This strategy allows you to plug your side hustle(s) without compromising your own unique brand, meaning you shouldn’t lose followers as a result.

You could also look out for online groups or forums to join. These can offer a less public way to network with potential clients if you’re particularly concerned about muddying the waters.
 

Set clear guidelines for yourself

As we mentioned earlier, running multiple businesses can get rather confusing, but there are things you can do to make it at least a little easier for yourself.

For example, make it a rule that each of your businesses will be distinct in terms of pricing. While seemingly simple, this could be the difference between staying on track and not.

 
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