Being a freelancer often means doing a lot of the work yourself and that usually means approaching clients first. But what if you could find ways that could lessen the load on yourself by making your potential clients be the ones who approach you first for work? In this blog post, I share some tips on this.
1. Use Social Media Marketing To Get Clients To Come To You
Now, depending on the service you are offering, certain platforms will be better for you to use to market your services. For example, as a writer, I have situations where people have found me on Twitter and LinkedIn and approached me to work on projects. However, if you’re a graphic designer, a more visual platform like Instagram may be more beneficial for having potential clients approach you.
Once you find the right social media platform that works well for you, create a consistent strategy, using hashtags where possible, so that you can expand your reach and potential for potential clients to approach you for work.
2. Interviews/ Collaborations
Another strategy that has proved effective in clients approaching me is through landing interviews on blogs. If the blog you approach is quite popular, you have a greater chance of potential clients finding you via search engines like Google or even just the blogs following alone.
Search for websites closely related to your industry and ask if they would be interested in interviewing you or if they have an opportunity for you to write for them. Once you do this, the post will live on their website, with more exposure for you and the possibility for you to be found by the right client.
3. Referrals
Word of mouth is always a powerful tool for business. So, once you’ve completed a project with a client, you could let them know that you are still available for work for future projects and ask them to keep you in mind if they know of anyone else who is looking for the service you provide.
Referrals have strong cases because the referee has a personal connection with the referral therefore, there’s a sense of trust there. Therefore, making a stronger case for them to approach you for work.
4. Build A Portfolio
Create a portfolio on a well-known portfolio site, so that potential clients are more likely to come across it. If you’re a writer, muckrack may have even created one for you without you knowing, like they. did for me! Definitely worth checking out.
5. Create Your Own Blog To Get Clients To Come To You
As well as approaching other websites to get featured, creating your own blog and regularly updating it can also be an effective way for potential clients to approach you.
For example, if you make blog posts on tips for your target client, they could do a google search, come across your blog and then end up contacting you for a project. It’s the power of Search Engine Optimization!
6. Start Coworking
Co-working can be another organic way of getting a client to come to you first.
Simply by working next to a range of other workers, naturally conversations may come up where they ask you what you do. This gives you an opportunity to share and then maybe share your business card. Then when a relevant project comes up, they could keep you in mind and approach you to work on that project.
7. Attend Networking Events To Get Clients To Come To You
Although the purpose of networking events means you share your business, it’s not meant to be a hard sale. It’s mainly an opportunity to meet people in business. Then, there’s the additional opportunity for you to share what you do and give your business card. Then they have your details should they need your services in the future.
I hope these tips help increase your chances of getting clients to approach you first.
If you are a beginner freelancer, looking for more detailed insight as to how you can gain clients and build your freelance business, check out my Beginner Freelancer E-course.
