It’s not uncommon for solo entrepreneurs to start their journey with a humble side hustle that then grows into a full-time business. However, most people fail to realize that without proper investments, your side hustle is unlikely to move to the next level. Indeed, side hustles are characterized by one crucial factor: They run during your spare time. Consequently, even if the venture becomes successful, it is unlikely to generate enough income to pay for its growth. Your side hustle needs to attract a broad audience; it needs a marketing budget. 

Social media marketing services

A strong social media presence is an essential part of your brand strategy. In fact, social media platforms are a popular choice for bloggers, vloggers, and influencers, who can learn to monetize their presence. You can turn to these social media experts to boost your business presence. Working with influencers on social media can help reach a new audience group and expand your brand awareness. 

Additionally, it’s fair to say that boosting your social media presence is a full-time job in itself. It’s worth partnering with a social media management agency to build your brand influence on the most relevant platforms. 

Trade show presence

Making an unforgettable impression is no easy task in today’s digital environment. That’s why it can be extremely effective to create a real interaction with your audience outside of the digital world. Attending small trade shows as an exhibitor ensures you can talk to potential customers. Booth designer expert infinity exhibits believes that a design that stands out is half the battle to get noticed. Once people spot your brand, it becomes easy to engage in a conversation and make a memorable impression. Besides, if your side hustle specializes in goods, such as fashion items or arts, a booth is a great place to show your collection.   

SEO consultant

Nowadays, you can launch a website in a matter of minutes with platforms such as WordPress or wix.com. Modern CMS platforms promise to be SEO-friendly. However, being SEO-friendly is no guarantee of a good SEO ranking. With billions of websites competing for attention, you need to work with an SEO expert who understands Google’s algorithm if you want to be seen. Additionally, what your SEO-friendly CMS does is called technical SEO, aka ensuring that the pages are accessible to a crawler. Yet, you are responsible for the on-page and off-page optimization processes.

A brand creation service

Branding and logo design can be confusing. You might be tempted to keep costs low and use a cheap logo design service when you launch your side hustle. Freelancing platforms such as Fiverr would get you a decent enough business logo at a low cost. While it’s good enough for a venture you run a few hours during the week, a full-time business will need a full branding strategy. This will help develop your online voice, including your full brand image and visuals. Good branding needs to create an impression. Think of Apple’s logo, which refers to the sleek and innovative approach of the brand via its simple design. Starbucks logo evolves to include seductive sea imagery (a siren) while creating a positive connection via the green color. Wouldn’t you want a similar effect for your own brand?

Bringing your side hustle to the next level is as much a labor of love as it is a business decision. Marketing investments are crucial to building your business presence and appealing to a broad audience.