Ask HN: How do consultants do marketing?

Networking is, in my experience, the best way to earn business. Most contracts go through referral channels because there is a chain of trust.

I see marketing as a long-term investment. It takes time to establish a position in the market where others see you as a trusted authority. It helps to have a niche and to develop a unique point of view.

One way to build trust is to find a place where your customer hangs out and post helpful content there regularly. Also, think about what signals your customer might consider when evaluating a contractor. An open source project with many stars, followers on your social media accounts, qualified testimonials, a blog with quality content, etc.

Your best results will come from combining networking with a solid online presence.

Here are some of the things you might see a consultant do for marketing: writing, speaking, teaching, social media, on-line forums, meetups, user groups, code camps, and anything else that sounds interesting. There are probably a never-ending list of creative ideas. Over time, these things add up and they can be a lot of fun.