There’s an undeniable thrill when you decide to go freelance. You get to embrace your passion and direct your own path, but that freedom also comes with a significant challenge: finding clients. As a freelancer, you need to be a jack-of-all-trades. You’re not just a specialist in your field—you also need to be a marketer, salesperson, negotiator and much more. In short, you need to be your own business development team.
5 Steps to Attract Freelance Clients
To aid in your freelance journey, here are five simple steps that can help you attract potential clients and grow your business.
1. **Craft a professional online presence**
Having a strong online presence is akin to having a 24/7 digital salesperson. Your website or portfolio is usually the first place potential clients will look to gauge your skill set and qualifications. It’s crucial to make the best impression possible, showcasing your skills and experience, past work, and, most importantly, the value you can bring to the table. Services like LinkedIn are also useful for promoting yourself in a professional sense.
2. **Network**
In the era of remote work, networking doesn’t just mean attending business mixers or industry conferences, although those can certainly be beneficial. Social media sites, especially LinkedIn, give you a platform to build relevant connections in a more strategic, targeted way. Engage with others’ posts, share your insights, and inject yourself into relevant conversations. You never know when your next big client might notice your comment on a shared industry article.
3. **Pursue proactive customer acquisition**
Don’t just wait for clients to find you—find them. A well-crafted pitch can be just as powerful as any blog post or portfolio piece. Research potential clients carefully, discover their needs, and pitch a specific, targeted solution to their problem. This strategy requires a significant time investment and the theoretical ratio of pitches to buyer acceptance might be low, but the successful pitches can lead to a client’s long-term loyalty.
4. **Ask for referrals**
Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the most effective ways to attract new clients. Happy clients are typically willing to refer you to their contacts. Alternatively, if you’ve established a good relationship with a client and they haven’t already referred you to others, don’t be afraid to ask. The worst they can say is no, but the best-case scenario could be a strong pipeline of clients that already trust you because they were referred by someone they trust.
5. **Offer a distinctive service**
Last but not least, offer a service that sets you apart from others. Clients are more likely to choose a freelancer who provides a unique, specialized service over someone with a general, “jack of all trades” offering. Once you’ve carved out a niche, make sure your messaging, portfolio, pitch, and even networking efforts all underscore this unique selling proposition.
Attracting Freelance Clients
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your freelance client roster be. These five steps may be simple, but they’re not always easy. Creating a successful freelance business involves a good deal of effort, perseverance, and, above all, patience. However, when done right, you’ll see the number of your freelance clients grow, and with it, the satisfaction and rewards of running your own business.