You know your way around the tools of the trade. You’ve mastered the spoken and unspoken rules of your domain, whether it’s content writing or graphic design. You have what it takes to do a fantastic job for your clients.
Now, all you have to do is convince your prospective clients you’re to be trusted. And that’s where it gets really difficult, doesn’t it?
I’ve landed many clients throughout my venture in freelance work as a marketing specialist, from a research paper writing service in Canada to tech startups and travel agencies. Here’s my guide to finding and landing ideal clients for all freelancers out there.
But First: Do You Know What Being a Freelancer Means?
Some clients may say they want to hire freelancers. But once you kick off the project, they start treating you, an independent contractor, the same way they do their employees. And that’s something to watch out for – that’s exploitation right there!
So, before you start looking for clients, make sure you’re clear on this one question: What is freelance work? Here’s what it IS:
- Working with multiple clients on various projects
- Deciding what projects you work on
- Setting your own working hours and deciding where to work from
- Choosing the preferred workload per day, week, or month yourself
- Setting your own rates
And here’s what freelance work ISN’T:
- Being required to do your job during specific hours when it’s not strictly necessary or attend non-essential meetings (e.g., daily stand-ups)
- Performing tasks outside of the agreement’s scope (e.g., writing copy if you’re a graphic designer)
- Having the payment terms dictated by the client
7 Tried-and-True Ways to Find Clients
Let’s dive right into the nitty-gritty of the specific ways to find clients, from social media and freelance platforms to referrals.
Build Your Online Presence
Depending on your niche, you may be well off with just a LinkedIn page. Alternatively, you can launch a website and create accounts on other social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, TikTok).
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You can also go to niche-specific websites to set up your portfolio (e.g., CodePen for web developers).
Wherever you start, use your online presence to:
- Showcase your portfolio
- Connect with prospective clients
- Share your expertise by commenting or publishing content
Jump into Content Marketing
If you’re ready to invest your time into building and maintaining a website, this bet may pay off, all thanks to SEO-optimized content marketing.
Regularly publishing your professional insights will help you find potential clients who are struggling with the exact challenges you solve as a freelancer. Plus, it’s a great way to show you’re a master of your trade!
Join Freelance Platforms
If you haven’t yet, go ahead and create profiles on freelance platforms. You may already know the most popular ones like Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr.
Look for platforms that cater to your particular domain, too. Graphic designers, for example, can set up shop on Dribbble and 99Designs, among others. Web developers can find freelance work online on Toptal, Stack Overflow Jobs, GitHub Jobs, and CodePen Jobs.
Setting up a profile is only the first step, of course. To actually win the bidding war, make sure you:
- Pitch your services to the potential client as you bid on the project
- Adapt your pitch to every potential client
- Avoid applying for any job you see: focus on quality of bids over quantity
- Don’t hesitate to send follow-ups
Browse Job Portals
Yes, you might think that job portals are made specifically for connecting employers with job seekers. But you’d be surprised how often I’ve come across freelance jobs work from home listings on job portals!
When you come across a listing that speaks to you, you’ll want to have your up-to-date resume ready to send. Write a personalized cover letter and link to your portfolio, too.
Have a Portfolio at the Ready
Speaking of portfolios. Whether you set it up as a folder in your preferred cloud storage or make it publicly available on a niche-specific website (e.g., Behance, CodePen), you need one. That’s non-negotiable.
Over time, you may be tempted to just leave your portfolio be. Don’t! Make sure you review and update it at least twice a year so that it reflects your current skill levels.
Get Referrals
In online freelance work, referrals are everything. Most of my clients came to me because someone shared their positive experiences with my services with them.
Of course, there’s not much you can do to proactively gain those referrals, especially if you’re just beginning as a freelancer. It’s easy to come across as pushy or untactful when you ask for them directly.
I’d recommend you focus on making sure your clients are happy with the quality of your services and communication. That way, they’ll be more likely to refer their peers to you.
Collect Testimonials
I’d prioritize asking for testimonials instead of referrals. Put them on your website if you have one – or at least ask your clients to publish them on your LinkedIn page.
These testimonials will serve as social proof for your potential clients. If you’re working with freelance platforms, don’t hesitate to remind your clients you’ll appreciate their reviews.
How to Convert a Prospect into a Client
Here are my four tips for turning your potential clients into paying ones:
- Know your pitch. You have to understand the value of your services for your client. Your first message or email to them has to convey what you’ll bring to the table and how your services will meet their needs.
- Be transparent in your communications. When you start discussing a project, be straightforward and honest. Make sure you iron out all the details of your involvement to avoid misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations later on.
- Be mindful of the client’s context. Working with a tech startup is different from providing services to an insurer operating in multiple countries. Depending on the client’s industry and size, they may expect different things when it comes to your level of involvement or communication style.
- Tailor your proposals. Your proposal has to not only showcase your expertise but also be a spot-on solution for your client. And as no two businesses are completely identical, your proposals shouldn’t be, either. Check out this guide on writing a proposal to learn more.
Don’t Forget to Do a Knockout Job
Yes, searching for new clients is an inevitable part of life for anyone who chooses freelance work from home to make a living. That said, I’d like to warn you: don’t let it consume your working days whole.
If you do a great job, word-of-mouth will do most of the prospecting for you, in my experience. So, focus on fostering your existing client relationships – you never know when your former client may send a new one your way!
One more thing...
You didn't start freelancing to spend hours every week searching through job boards. You started freelancing to do more work you enjoy! Here at SolidGigs, we want to help you spend less time hunting and more time doing work you love.
Our team of "Gig Hunters"—together with the power of A.I.—sends you high-quality leads every weekday on autopilot. You can learn more or sign up here. Happy Freelancing!
