Selling Drupal: Leveraging Drupal’s Strengths to Attract and Retain Clients
Find an email database and SPAM everyone into loving Drupal. Done! You’re welcome! 🙂
Not quite. This is not about cold-selling but how Drupal can empower you and organisations.
Who Are You Selling To, and Why?
Buyers
- Flexibility and Ownership: Drupal allows you to build exactly what you want, with the freedom to extend as needed.
- Control Your Platform: Own your platform, with the ability to change vendors whenever necessary.
- Future-Proof: With Drupal, you're not locked in; it's scalable, customizable, and designed for longevity.
Site Builders
- Low-Code, High Impact: Drupal offers powerful, pre-built functionality with minimal coding.
- Skill Growth: The skills you develop with Drupal are transferable to other projects, making your learning investment worthwhile.
- Battle-Tested: Trusted by major organizations for over 20 years, Drupal’s staying power ensures you’ll see a return on your time and effort.
Developers
- Thriving Community: Learn and grow with the support of a generous, engaged community.
- Career Growth: Expertise in Drupal opens doors to well-paid opportunities.
- Flexible Toolkit: Drupal gives you the tools to build complex applications and engage users seamlessly.
How Do I Get Work with Drupal?
Outbound Marketing: The Tough Road
While possible, outbound marketing is often challenging.
The market is noisy, and decision-makers are overwhelmed with options.
If you pursue this route, make sure to research your prospects thoroughly, and when possible, leverage introductions from mutual connections.
Additionally, keep an eye out for tenders and public contracts, as these can be valuable opportunities for Drupal-based projects.
This approach requires significant investment per lead* and has lower conversion rates.
Inbound Marketing: The Sustainable Path
Inbound marketing—getting clients to come to you—yields better results. Share your work, contribute to communities, and engage in thought leadership.
Leads generated this way are often more informed, more invested, and more likely to convert into clients.
Recurrent Business and Word-of-Mouth: The Gold Standard
The best leads are the ones you already have. Building strong relationships with your existing clients leads to repeat business and valuable referrals.
Ensure your clients succeed, and help their key decision-makers shine. This establishes you as a reliable, long-term partner.
What If I’m a Freelancer or Part of a Small Team?
There are plenty of opportunities for solo developers and small teams. You can:
- Apply for Traditional Jobs: Drupal-specific positions are available at many organizations.
Partner with Agencies: Many agencies need the flexibility to complete projects without hiring full-time staff. Freelancers with Drupal expertise are in demand and often command higher hourly rates to compensate for less job security.
To Niche or Not too Niche?
Drupal is a specialized area of web development, but often, clients care more about the outcome than the tools used.
If you’re skilled in Drupal, you’ve likely acquired a versatile skill set that allows you to tackle non-Drupal projects as well.
Taking on smaller, diverse tasks can open doors to larger opportunities down the line.
* Potential client