The best way to find clients when you are new to freelancing

How do you get a steady flow of clients when you are just starting out as a freelancer? A lot of different factors contribute to the success of your business. If you are serious about freelancing and willing to put the effort into marketing yourself, this article is going to answer your question. Here are the best ways to land your first clients.

Build a shortlist of dream clients

To start off, you will need to sit down and do a bit of research. What are the skills in your arsenal? How do your current skills correlate to freelance services that are offered in the market? Connect the dots and outline the scope of services you can offer. Next, you should research the industries of your interest. You might be familiar with and have experience with working in certain industries. That will help you a lot since freelancing entails working without much supervision. Or you might be interested in certain industries and have never worked with them before. Bottom line is, you should choose your market carefully because you are going to work a lot within it. Freelancing will be a lot more fun if you have a genuine interest in the field. Next, you should be able to identify at least twenty businesses in that market that interest you in one way or another. Research each business thoroughly. What are the holes in their workflow that you are able to fill? Once you identify the challenges in the business and are certain that you can help them, put together a pitch to sell your services. You should think about it this way: how do I make a compelling offer to this business, by solving a problem that currently costs them money? Once you have your offer down, send them an email. Repeat that process for at least twenty different businesses. Many freelancers at the beginning of their journey make the mistake of waiting. Waiting for clients to come to them for the services they offer, don’t fall into that trap. The best freelancers in the market are those who take a proactive approach and connect with clients first. By putting yourself out there in front of your dream clients, you will find work faster, and be able to choose who you want to work with early on.

Build a portfolio website where you can showcase your work (or where potential clients will be able to learn more about what you do)

You need to create a portfolio showcasing the work that you have done in the past. This is what your clients will use as proof that you can do what you offer to do. Include specific services that you specialize in, which you determined while developing your service offering.

After each project you complete, update your portfolio with those pieces, especially if they were done in your preferred market. If you consistently add relevant work to your portfolio, ideal clients will perceive you as an expert in the industry.

• Knowing the businesses that you want to cater to means that you become familiar with the style and brand of work they are looking for. Find out the type of services that are in demand with your potential customers. Now, this is the work that should be reflected in your website. Your professional portfolio should include:
• Personal background. Portfolio might be the first introduction that your clients get to you as an individual. If you are interested in building relationships with them, you might include an “About Me” section to introduce yourself and what you care for.
• Examples of your work. You should include pieces of your work that you are most proud of and that fit well with the rest of your professional portfolio. You can add descriptions of the projects and how you were able to benefit them through your services.
• Creative visuals. It is always more efficient to show what you did rather than just tell them about it. If you are a web designer, add screenshots and links of the work you did. If you are a social media marketer, share the profiles that you worked on.
• References and testimonials. People are much more likely to hire someone that seems trustworthy.
• Contact information. Make it easy for your clients to contact you, by giving them multiple ways to do so.

Personal portfolio is not just a reflection of your work. It should describe your story, which will become the foundation of your brand.

Join freelancing sites

There are many freelancing websites out there that can be useful to you. Join them to have access to job boards and have your profile put in front of your potential clients. How do you choose a perfect website for you? There are pros and cons to each website, so you need to do your own research to determine which platform suits your needs perfectly.

International platforms like Fiverr or Upwork offer a greater variety of work that you will be able to get. That also means that there will be more competition in your field. To stand out from the crowd, you might have to lower your rates in the beginning. It also may take longer to build your reputation, due to the large number of freelancers that compete for the best clients.

Unicorn Factory offers a straightforward process of connecting Kiwi freelancers and businesses. We pre-vet the clients that post their jobs on the job board and offer personalized introductions to the most up-to-date ones.

Joining a platform can have benefits that scale beyond finding more clients. Becoming a part of a tight community can have other benefits. Unicorn Factory offers networking opportunities and monthly online workshops to help you take your business to the next level. Unicorn Factory has built a community of Kiwi freelancers, so feel free to join in few simple clicks.

Ask existing clients for referrals or introductions to other businesses

Referrals are a fast way to grow your freelance business. People are more likely to work with you when referred from a trusted source so don’t shy away from asking your clients for them. Remember that the most successful freelancers tend to take a proactive approach in their career.

You may wonder, when is a good time to ask for a referral? Simple answer is, anytime that you feel comfortable enough with the client. If you get feedback from the client and they are satisfied with the work that you've been doing, go ahead and ask for a referral.

To get more referrals, make it as easy for your client to do so.

• Ask for referrals only if you know it is valuable to you. Make sure that you are going to be introduced to clients in your market. If you work in the beauty industry, asking for referrals for work in tech might not be work for you. 
• Create an outline that your client can use. Explain your services and what you did for the client. Add your portfolio and social media links to it. If you want to add an extra push to your offer, follow it with a discount for any client who comes to you from this referral. That way, all your clients have to do is to forward the email further.
• After they send the referral, stay in touch with your clients. Remember, that relationship building is extremely important for any freelancer if you want to find more long term projects. Say thank you for the referral, send occasional check ins and keep being valuable to the client.

Collaborate with other freelancers on bigger projects

Building your network is crucial for freelancing long term. Having a solid relationship base with other freelancers will mean that you are going to be able to offer a wider range of services. 

That will help you to stand out from the competition and significantly increase your rates. Collaborating with freelancers in your field also means having access to a greater variety of projects.

Before you start working with your freelance colleague, you need to determine who would be good people to work with. For instance, if you are a content writer, you might benefit from working closely with website developers. Try to outline what kind of skills and experience you would expect from them, before ever offering to work together.

Checking the rates they set might be a smart choice. Remember that you are going to be responsible for each other’s work, so make sure to double check their portfolios and background. While personal connection is important in professional collaborations, it can’t cover holes in expertise.

Here are a couple of ways that you can use to start building your own freelance network today:

• Freelance Marketplaces. Once you join one, make your introductions and start building relationships with people. You can find collaborators and future colleagues in one place.
• In Person Networking. For example, becoming a part of coworking spaces can be a good start for someone who seeks that environment of collaboration and sense of community.
• Reaching out. You can start referring work to them and create a mutually beneficial relationship that way.
• Events. Becoming an expert in your industry means becoming familiar with the type of events that people in your industry attend. 

Building a network of freelancers will help you to get referrals from them, when clients come looking for services that they can’t provide alone. Having more industry connections will bring you better leads and expand your professional experience.

Conclusion 

There are many ways for you to find your first clients. They include:

• Identifying what services and industries interest you most and reaching out to clients yourself.
• Building a portfolio website that showcases your best work and tells your clients who you are.
• Joining freelancing websites to have access to a consistent flow of work.
• Asking for referrals or introductions to other businesses will help you attract more leads.
• Collaborating with freelancers in your field to land bigger projects.
  

How did you land your first freelance client?