Going freelance is an increasingly common career move in Australia, with almost 4 million freelancers trying to make a living across the country. For some, this is a great way to balance their home and work lives. For others, it's a struggle.

Sometimes it's not easy being a freelancer. Constantly having to travel to give presentations or meet clients can disrupt your social life. Having to stand up and persuade crowds of executives that you know what you are talking about can be stressful, while maintaining a constant stream of work is never easy either.

That final point is worth looking at in more detail. Finding work and promoting yourself is probably the single most important skill that freelancers possess. Unless you can create word of mouth buzz about your expertise and tell a wide audience of potential clients what you have to offer, you will struggle to attract regular work. If you are a freelancer who needs to keep a steady flow of clients, these promotional ideas could make a huge difference.

Optimise Your Social Media Presence

These days, no freelancers can afford to neglect social media. That applies equally to trainers, consultants, motivational speakers, copywriters and strategists. When you hand out your business card at events, at the very least it has to point attendees towards a comprehensive LinkedIn profile that includes plenty of useful articles and case studies of your previous work. It also helps to be active on Twitter and Facebook, while any professional blogs that you maintain should always be included too.

Cultivate a Reputation for Expertise

This sounds obvious, but not all freelancers have the confidence to compete with the leading names in their niche. However, if you want to be taken seriously, you need to be able to join Twitter discussions with leading lights in your sector. That means researching your field and staying on top of recent developments, writing blogs that display your own unique insights and promoting those blogs to other influencers in your niche. It also means not selling yourself short. When people search for your name, they should find evidence that you are an expert, not just a social media profile.

Use Duplication Services to Create a Professionally Printed DVD Portfolio

You can also use more direct methods to promote your personal brand. When you give presentations or sales pitches at trade events, don't allow your listeners to leave empty handed. Even if they enjoyed your speech and were impressed by your abilities, they may well forget about you in the course of time. Giving them something to take away from your presentation is a good way to prompt them to look you up later when they need to make a booking.

Custom-printed DVDs or CDs are an excellent way to create interest after your presentation has finished. They could include Powerpoint slides, instructional videos, eBooks, podcasts - whatever kind of content you specialise in. By working with professional duplication services, you can create attractive menus and packaging and have a stack of promotional DVDs ready to hand out to attendees when your talk has finished.

When you mixing this kind of inventive marketing with a solid social media strategy and the cultivation of an expert reputation, you will find it much easier to attract clients. Whatever freelance niche you operate in, it pays to use every available tool to boost your profile.