When you start out as a freelancer, it’s important to know that your skills alone won’t be enough. As a freelancer, you need to be able to market yourself effectively so that companies will trust you and hire you for projects. So whether you’re a webmaster, web editor, web developer, graphic designer, photographer, or translator, you need to know a few tips for landing contracts. We’ll share those tips with you in this article. So how do you find clients as a freelancer? That’s what we’re going to explore.
What are the basics of finding clients as a freelancer?
When you start out asa self-employed professional, right from your very first months, it’s essential to seek out contracts. Only by seeking out projects will you truly expand your portfolio of potential clients. Therefore, you needto learn how to market your skillsandhighlight your expertise as a specialist. Let’s take a look at how you should go about this.
Clearly Define Your Area of Expertise
Preparation is a fundamental aspect you need to work on when you want to apply for freelance assignments. So, even before you officially register as a self-employed individual, you need to be ableto clearly present your services,identify your target clients, andprepare relevant sales pitches.
To start, take a thorough inventory of your skills. The goal of this assessment is to help you define your area of specialization. As a freelancer, you need to have in-depth knowledge, experience, and genuine expertise in your field. That’s why you needto specialize.
Identify Your Target Audience
While keeping in mind that you need to have genuine expertise in a very specific field, conduct market research. The goal here is to identify the problems and needs of your potential customers. As a result, you’ll know exactly what type of customer you’ll be offering your services to (your ideal customer). You can then develop an appropriate service offering.
To achieve this, the first step is to put yourself in your prospects’ shoes. Start by identifying individuals or companies that have used the services of freelancers withskills similar to yours. Then send them short emails asking for advice. The primary goal of this approach isn’t to get hired, but rather to learn more aboutwhythese companies chose to hire freelancers.
To identify these companies, you can use freelance platforms such as Malt (formerly Hopwork), for example. On Malt, freelancers list their various references on their profile pages.These references are potential clients for you. You can then contact them to ask questions such as:
- What are the reasons you hire freelancers?
- What made you decide to hire a freelancer?
- What specific reasons led you to hire this freelancer?
- How did you find this freelancer?
Of course, not all companies will respond. However, some will certainly provide feedback. Based on these responses, you’ll be able to identify the issues that lead companies to hire freelancers.
Building Your Portfolio
Once you know your target audience, the challenges they face, and have identified an offering that might interest them, you’ll build your portfolio. A portfolio is much like acollection of your skills, allowing you to gather your past work in one place. Unlike a resume, in addition to listing your skills and experience, you canillustrate themin a concrete way. This way, your potential clients will get a real sense of your skills through your past projects. As a freelancer, you can present your portfolio through a showcase website, a printed portfolio, a PDF portfolio, and so on.
So, for example, if you’re a writer, you can include the articles, newsletters, and sales pages you’ve written. If you’re a web developer, it would be a good idea to showcase the websites and apps you’ve already developed. If you’re a graphic designer, your best illustrations will be perfect for enhancing your portfolio.
Carry out pilot projects
If you don’t yet have any experience related to the services you offer as a freelancer, don’t panic. You can showcase your skills and demonstrate your expertise through“portfolio projects.”Be curious and creative, and experiment with existing products:
- If you're a web designer, you can redesign a popular website, for example. You'll then explain why you made the changes you did;
- If you're a web developer, you can design a demo program to showcase during your sales pitches;
- If you're a digital marketer, why not create a landing page for your prospects?
These ideas will show your potential clients that you’re passionate about your work—but also, and most importantly, that you care about their challenges. They’ll see you as adedicatedfreelancer who can help themachieve their goals. So you need to work hard on sample projects to showcase.
Learning how to approach and engage with new customers
As we’re seeing, it’s essential to adopt a solid strategy to attract clients. You must thereforelearn to market your skillsin order to convince and encourage companies to work with you. To do this, try to view your prospects as future partners. In doing so, targetthe right people, and makethe right offerat the right timeandin the right way.
As a result, you won’t risk being perceived by your potential clients as a pushy salesperson. On the contrary, they’ll see you as a potential partner who provides an excellent solution at just the right time to a problem that’s causing them trouble.
How can I find clients as a freelancer?
Now that you know these basics, you have all the tools you need to prepare yourself properly to find clients. So let's take a closer look at the different ways you can use them to find clients.
Search for clients on freelance platforms
When you’re self-employed, freelancing websites are undoubtedly the most effective way to find clients. In fact, thanks to these platforms, you can respond to project postings. You’re probably familiar with a few of them. These include platforms such asCodeur,Malt,Fiver, 5 euros, andmany others. On these sites, you’ll find projects that will help youhone your skillsandgain experience.
Better yet, you'll also start togradually build a network. Your portfolio will become more and more impressive. As a result, it will be easier for you to attract more relevant clients.
In reality, there are a great many freelance platforms. All you have to do is choose the ones that best match your profile. However, to land gigs on these freelance sites, you’ll needtomarket yourselfeffectively. So gather positive reviews from your past clients, optimize your profile, and respond to job postings in a compelling and persuasive manner.
Use job boards to apply for freelance assignments
We don’t always think about it, but job listing sites are very effective for finding freelance clients. In fact, many companies are looking for independent contractors on these platforms. But what’s the real advantage of using these sites? You won’t need to have a network or do any sales outreach before you can find projects there.
What’s more, on job listing sites, potential clients express an immediate need, just as they do on freelancing sites. But the biggest advantage is that you can find clients for free. Isn’t that great? To stay up to date on all online listings every day, subscribe to alertsandcheck them regularly.
Create social media content
As you know, social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.) are powerful tools for freelancing and communication. By using these platforms effectively, you can find clients—whether businesses or individuals—who are interested in your services.
In addition, it’s important not to spread yourself too thin. Stay focused by limiting your presence tojust one or two social media platforms. To do this, depending on your industry, identify the platforms where industry professionals and your target audience are active. This will also help you avoid wasting time. So, to find clients through social media, you need to create high-quality content on your pages. By doing so:
- You're working on your "personal branding." To that end, be sure to optimize your professional profile or page and implement a solid content strategy;
- you interact not only with your prospects, but also with influencers;
- You're monitoring the market. This is a way to keep track of the posts your potential customers are sharing;
- You can launch advertising campaigns and ads.
Search forums for freelance projects
Although social media has somewhat overshadowed them, forums remain prime places for discussion and sharing. In addition to being removed from the media frenzy, forums are much less competitive. You can therefore use them to find freelance clients.
To do this, identify one or two forums frequented by influencers and, in particular, your target audience. Sign up for these forums, then optimize your freelancer profile. When prospects have concerns, answer their questionsprofessionally and courteously. There’s no better way to demonstrate your expertise as a specialist, engage in meaningful conversations with prospects, and—most importantly—build your reputation. The result? Your potential clients will take notice and be more likely to hire you.
Aside from freelance project forums, you can try to identifyplaces frequented by the people or companies you’d like to work with. These might include, for example, networking events. Attend these events to meet potential clients. However, when you go, don’t come across as arrogant. Instead, be humble and make sure people see you as someone who can be helpful, not as a salesperson. Focus on adding value wherever possible.
Build Your Reputation as a Freelancer Through Partnerships
Many freelancers don't always have the resources they need to develop a content strategy aimed at attracting clients. If you lack the technical skills, financial resources, or time to set up a newsletter, a YouTube channel, etc., don't panic.
Content strategies aren't the only way to attract customers.Partnershipscan also help you showcase your expertise and increase your visibility—even without building a social media following. You'll also be able to expand your professional network and reach a wider audience.
To achieve this, collaborate withinfluencers,freelancers, orcompaniesthat share your values and your audience, without necessarily being direct competitors. For example, you can create infographics or write blog posts for a company in your industry. You can also share your expert advice on a podcast or in an interview hosted by a peer. These types of collaborations will help you reach a wider audience.
Reach out to your professional and personal networks to secure freelance contracts
Whether you’re an experienced freelancer or just starting out, it’s always helpful to tap into your network to find clients. The power of referrals should not be underestimated. In fact, word of mouth is a simple, friendly, and effective way to find clients quickly and for free.
As soon as you start freelancing, reach out toyour personal and professional network. Contact your former classmates, coworkers, friends, clients, and even your peers (anyone who might be able to help you). Let them know what kind of freelance work you do, and specify your field and skills. You can even send themshort, personalized emails. Describe the kind of clients you’re looking for. And why not offer them acommissionif their help leads to a successful outcome?
Collaborate with your fellow freelancers on projects
To find clients and land projects, you can team up with other freelancers in your field to work together on projects. You know, freelancers working in the same field as you aren’t your enemies. You shouldn’t think of them as competitors. On the contrary, you’re actually part of a community. In fact, freelancers tend to besupportive and look out for one another.
So, if you have plenty of friendship to spare but aren’t very effective at prospecting, you have three main options. The first is topartner with a freelancer whose profession complements yours. That way, you can join forces to find clients more effectively (for example, a graphic designer or web copywriter can collaborate with a webmaster).
The second option is tojoin a community of freelancerssoyoucan work with other talented professionals on various projects. The third option is toreach out to a peer who has more experience and skillsthan you. To find other freelancers, use social media, Google, industry events, and freelancing platforms.
Reach out via email
When you're a freelancer, email is a great way to find clients and build customer loyalty. Email marketing generally allows you to implement two strategies:
- cold emailing: which allows you to offer your servicesto professionalsby sending them emails;
- Lead nurturing, which aims to generate enthusiasm among your prospects and convert them into long-term customers.
Work for free at first—at worst
You probably don’t agree with this! And that’s perfectly normal. But if you’re just starting out, your main goal should be to gain experience and develop your skills—as well as to build a comprehensive portfolio. It’s true that working for free isn’t very motivating. However, if you do it, your chances of being entrusted with paid assignments will increase significantly.
However, before committing to this, first make sure that your client is hiring you for who you are and your expertise. It wouldn’t be fair to commit just because you’re working for free. Also, you need to be clear about whether your clients are willing to recommend you if they’re satisfied with your work. Otherwise, it would be a waste of time.
See also: How to Become a Freelancer: The Guide
Make a list of all the companies you'd like to work with
When you have a well-defined target audience, it will be easier for you to find potential clients. So, if you want to work with a specific clienteleright from the start, searchdailyfor companies that match your target audience. Make a list of these companies and send them emails. In these messages, introduce yourself and clearly describe your services.
Even if they don't hire you right away, they'll remember your name. Some may also add your name to a list of freelancers to contact if the need arises. So, to identify these companies, you can ask yourself a few questions:
- In which industries are freelancers with your skills in demand?
- Which sectors interest you personally?
- Which companies would you like to include in your professional network, and which ones would you like to work with?
How to Find Clients as a Freelancer: A Summary
Ultimately, finding clients as a freelancer can be challenging. However, if you prepare in advance and clearly define your target audience, you’ll succeed with the right techniques. Also, don’t forget that when communicating with your clients, you need to convince them and truly show them how your services can help them. You should also ask them relevant questions to understand their problem and provide them with a customized proposal.
So, what methods do you plan to use to find freelance clients? Have you tried other methods that have been successful? We’d love to read your responses in the comments.
