You can't hope to make it as a work-from-home mom if you're completely unwilling to market yourself. For some people, self promotion comes naturally; for others, it's a little uncomfortable or hard to get used to. Wherever you may fall on the spectrum, the bottom line is that you can't build up a truly lucrative work-from-home career without engaging in regular marketing activities. That's not to say that you have to do direct mail campaigns or splurge on radio spots; rather, you need to harness the power of the Internet to make the world know that you're ready and available to work. A few of the best marketing strategies for work-from-home moms are outlined below.

Making a Portfolio

Whether you're a writer, a graphic designer or another creative professional, you're going to need to have a portfolio at the ready. This step isn't really necessary for those who intend on focusing on customer service types of work; in that case, a well-designed resume should suffice. When it comes to writing and designing, though, clients are going to want to see what you can do. To that end, it pays to have a ready supply of work that you've done in the past. If you're starting from scratch, try to whip up a few samples. Going forward, save copies of your work and post your best examples to your portfolio.

Sending Thank You Notes

Every time you successfully complete a project for a client, you should send a thank you note. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate or fancy; it just needs to let them know that you appreciate their business. All too often, clients send projects, pay for them and then promptly forget about the people who completed the work. You're more likely to be remembered when you send thank you notes, so be sure to do so.

Following Up with Clients

Another important technique that you need to get into the habit of is following up with your clients. Keep a file that contains the email addresses and names of all of your past and present clients. If possible, keep notes about the last time that you did work for them. After a month or two passes without hearing from a client, send them a polite follow-up email. You're sure to be amazed by how much work you can generate by using this simple and effective technique.

Asking Others to Pass On Your Name

When a person is looking for someone to handle their customer service, write their content or design their website, they're more likely to take the plunge when they have a recommendation. Make a point of asking satisfied clients to share your name with colleagues, associates and others. There is no harm in asking this, and it often results in a lot of extra work. Some people even offer incentives to those who refer them to other clients. However you decide to handle it, it's a priceless way to get yourself a steady stream of business.

Creating a Blog and Website

You simply can't hope to be a successful work-from-home mom without a current, up-to-date website and blog. Even if you're not a writer by trade, it pays to maintain a small blog. Use the blog to keep the world up to date about your work activities. Share links to interesting posts about other work-from-home opportunities. The point here isn't necessarily to share knowledge; it's to get the word out there about your website. As more and more people find your blog and website, the amount of interest that you generate is sure to skyrocket.

Using LinkedIn

It's a little disheartening to create a new LinkedIn profile when you don't have a whole lot to put there. That being said, going without a LinkedIn profile is foolhardy. It's free to use the social networking site, and many people look for talented writers, designers and others through the site. It's also a wonderful way to expand your networking efforts. There is not good reason not to create a LinkedIn profile. Many clients will expect you to have one, and it tends to legitimize your experience in a number of important ways.

Starting a Facebook Page

One thing that you don't want to do is to "friend" clients on Facebook. Always keep your personal Facebook profile for friends and family members. That doesn't mean that you can't use Facebook to market yourself, though. To do that, just create a Facebook page for yourself. Link to your professional Facebook page through your blog, LinkedIn and other social networking sites. You can also share it with other work-from-home moms on the forums that you frequent. It's a great way to cast an even wider net; with a wider net, you're more likely to reel in some great clients.

Getting Active on Twitter

In the world of social networking and marketing sites, few stand out quite like Twitter. Shameless self promotion is encouraged on the site. However, spamming is definitely frowned upon. Therefore, you should only use Twitter to helpfully offer your services to those who are actually asking for help. You don't want to alienate people; you just want to let them know that you are available. Twitter is also great for keeping on top of new job leads and opportunities. Like LinkedIn and Facebook, it's completely free to use and it only takes a minute to get started.

There are no two ways about it: To find success as a work-from-home mom, you have to be willing to sell yourself. Assuming that your skills are up to par, though, you shouldn't have any trouble with doing that. Remember that you're going to be competing for business with a whole lot of other people. There's more than enough work to go around, but the higher paying work isn't quite as abundant. Clients prefer to stick with freelancers who've produced great results for them in the past. Accrue a great client roster and you will set the stage for a truly amazing work-from-home career!