When it comes to being a freelancer one of the hardest things to do is find good clients and keep them. You could have all the talent, the perfect home office, and a phenomenal work ethic, but if you can’t keep a steady flow of clients, you’ll have to return to the 9-5.
So, the solution is just find more clients? Well, it’s not that simple when your just starting building your first few recurring clients can seem like quite the daunting task. With the tips I’m about to give you’ll never have to wonder when your next client will come
Personal Website
One of the most important things you can do to attract new clients is to create a personal website. Having a personal website that showcases your best work, previous experience, education, and background will put you ahead of the other 90% of freelancers with lack luster portfolios.
A personal website is a representation of your brand. A good website will help build credibility, increase trust and showcase your passion for the work you do. Your personal website may also come in handy if you decide to apply for a job in the future. Anyone who is serious about freelancing should invest the time or hire someone to develop a website.
Start Blogging
An issue most freelancers have is a lack of credibility, clients are put off when you have lack luster work experience and portfolio. They don’t want to take a chance on freelancers without first seeing their work.
Blogging is a valuable tool that every freelancer should have in their arsenal. Blogging will not only help you establish credibility in whatever field you work in, but it will also help bring clients to your personal website via search engine optimization.
If you can consistently write blog posts every week or every other week about whatever field you currently work in. You will be in the top 1% of freelancers, catching the attention of any potential clients.
Personal Network
Reaching out to your personal network is an easy way to get your first few clients. Simply informing all of your friends and family about the type of work you do can pay off tenfold later on when they recommend you work.
Personal recommendations from a friend or family member are more trusted than anything else. You could have little experience, no portfolio, and no degree, but if a friend says you do great work, none of that matters.
LinkedIn Leads
LinkedIn is one of the most underutilized social media platforms. The LinkedIn InMail system has a three times higher response rate than traditional email. Using LinkedIn’s network building tools should be a no-brainer. Because the majority of LinkedIn users are professionals, it is the ideal social media platform for growing your audience.
One of the easiest things you can do is perform a Boolean search for “CEO” “Founder” or “Owner” and then send a connection request introducing yourself and what you do. It is best not to give them your sales pitch right away, but after a brief friendly discussion, feel free to tell them more about your freelance work and tell them to contact you if they ever need work done.
As you begin to build a network of like-minded professionals, you can even begin posting content related to your profession. This will help you build credibility and keep you in everyone’s mind so that when they need a job done, you’re the first person they think of.
Job sites
Freelancer job sites can be a great place to find clients, but they are frequently overcrowded and competitive. However, if you’ve been following along and have a nice personal website, blog, and portfolio. Then you should have no problem standing out and finding work on these platforms.
Join a freelancer cooperative
Joining a freelancer cooperative is a simple way to get consistent clients as a freelancer. Freelancer cooperatives make the entire process easier by finding clients for you, handling client support, and invoicing.
When you’re in a freelancer cooperative, you won’t have to worry nearly as much about finding clients. Their marketing team will work diligently to bring in clients, and their project management team will handle all invoicing and client support.
Freelancer cooperatives are similar to traditional agencies, but distinctly different in how they make money. Traditional agencies take upwards of 60-70 percent of your profits. Cooperatives add a project management fee to client invoices and charge freelancers a small fee to cover marketing and billing costs.
If you’re looking to join a freelancer cooperative, agency716 is currently accepting freelancers with no fees for a limited time. Join our freelancer cooperative now if you want to save more time and make more money.