3 Myth-Bunking Ways to Find More Freelancing Clients
Ever wondered where all those potential clients are hanging out? As a freelancer who consistently scouts for new gigs and opportunities, it’s important to know that you don’t always need to necessarily chase and hunt down new clients. After all, it’s YOUR expertise and knowledge that they want.
In this first episode of our latest video advice series for freelancers, ‘Raising the Bar’, Matthew Mottola, author of The Human Cloud, shares his tips on how to get more clients and debunks the myths about attracting new clients and what you’re ‘supposed’ to do.
To watch the full video, click below!
Let’s first start with a couple of myths about hunting for new clients.
1. You Need a New Client Everyday
Wrong! Working as a freelancer does not mean that you should be spending hours upon hours seeking a new client. Instead, you should build a client base with about 15 solid clients that are always consistently turning to you for your help.
2. You Must Be a Thought Leader
Not necessarily. There might be a lot of buzz out there that you should be active on social media, posting every day, and that’s not entirely true. In fact, some of the most successful freelancers don’t actually have a very active social media profile, or personal brand as many would call it.
With that said, let’s better understand where exactly your clients ARE hanging out and how they can come running to you.
1. Existing Clients
Particularly in larger companies and organizations, employees typically go around and ask one another if they know a freelancer who can help with a specific project. In this way, an employee from a specific department who has already hired you for a previous project would recommend you.
2. Fellow Freelancers
You’d be surprised to know that some of the most successful freelancers don’t encounter the problem of having to look for new clients, they’re actually rejecting them due to high demand and work overload. So, what do they do when a client comes to them with a task they can’t deliver 100% of the work for? They look to their peers, or hire a sub-contractor, aka YOU, to do partial work. The original freelancer owns the strategy of the project, but then hires you to do about 70-80% of the work.
3. Google
Google is everything. The moment your potential prospect searches on Google for “looking to hire a freelance graphic designer”, they’ll most likely find your profile. Searching on Google for freelancers can also sometimes be more affective than searching on other platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook.
So, now that you know where your clients are hanging out, here’s how put these all into action.
1. Over Deliver to Existing Clients
The type of work you deliver your existing client is not what is always important. Instead, it’s how you make them feel when going above and beyond. For example, take the initiative and provide them with weekly status updates, or upsell your services and offer them help they didn’t even know they needed. Simply put, try to consistently offer your clients that “wow experience”.
2. Build a Strong Network of Freelancers
Branch out to your fellow freelancers and build a strong network of at least 15 freelancers who you can connect with. For example, if you’re a freelance content writer, don’t just stick within your niche, but instead make sure you have connections with designers, developers, etc.
Bottom Line
You can post on LinkedIn three times a day, every day, however, that’s not always going to get you in front of new prospects. Getting clients to find you all depends on how deep your relationships are with your current clients and fellow peers.
Remember, the three leading drivers to get your clients to find you is via existing clients, fellow freelancers and the internet. Good luck out there!
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