How to Gain more Clients for Your Freelancing Business

February 24, 2023, | By Erika Glysz

Let's face it trying to find clients can be challenging and it's not always an easy task. Sometimes you have a client overload and then other times you have a client drought. The ideal goal for any freelancer is to have a constant source of income, whether that be revolving monthly clients on a continuous basis, or a lot of smaller 'by-project' jobs each month.

Either way, freelancers rely heavily on the number of clients they have each month as that dictates their income. Unlike a regular marketing job in an office with steady hours, freelancers can choose when and how much they want to work. While some people value money more, other people value their time. Now, you might be asking yourself how you stand out from the crowd of freelancers and make a big impact so that clients will want to come to you instead of the competition. Here are 5 tips to help you gain more quality clients for your freelancing business.

1. Figure out your niche and stick to it

One of the first things you should be doing when starting out in your freelancing journey is narrowing down who you want your target clientele to be and sticking to that. Now there's no right or wrong niche to stick to and as long as there is a market for it, you'll find your customers. I, for example, want to help small to mid-sized businesses in the KW region create an online brand presence and overall brand identity. You'll notice how this isn't super specific like saying I want to target the food and beverage industry, or the healthcare industry, but it is specific enough in the sense of I have a clear idea of who I'd like to help.

I also want to say that there is nothing wrong with rejecting work either. I know that when we are starting out you almost never want to say no as you don't know when the next job will come again but it's also important that your client matches up with your niche and your overall goals. I had someone approach me once and look at my services for managing a life insurance Instagram page but that wasn't in my interest of what I like doing. Yes, it was a small business in the KW region but I also wanted to work with companies that I align with. The moral of the story is to stick within your niche to create a better brand identity for yourself. If you take a job and don't do the best at it, it'll show.

2. Start networking and building industry relationships

I remember always being told this in school the saying 'it's all about who you know', and I never gave it much thought until I was out of school, now I feel like I say that at least once a month (my teachers would be so proud). Take any opportunity you can to network yourself at events or just when you're around in public. I always carry extra business cards with me as you never know who you are going to run into that may want to find out more information on your business. The worst thing you can do is talk yourself up and say "I'm sorry I don't have a portfolio, social media, or a business card for myself but they are in the works" (this is a true story I said this like a month ago).

Take advantage of any chance to market yourself to others as these connections can also come in handy down the road as well. I've had people contact me months after meeting them because at the original time that we met, they weren't looking for anyone.

3. Offer to do some pro bono work in exchange for exposure

I know, I know free work can only get you so far but free work is also a great way to get your name out there and get quality work examples and references. Offering free work, in the end, is a great way for you to pack your portfolio full of industry work as well as gain valuable connections from these jobs. I contacted my local dog-friendly coffee shop and asked to do work for them in exchange that they would refer anyone who inquires about their marketing materials to me, and from that, I have already received 4 leads. Of course, you can go just about anywhere and offer your services but what will really set you apart from others is being strategic about it. The coffee shop, for example, is a hit spot in Waterloo and a lot of my target audience frequents there so this partnership has more benefits than just name-sharing. There have been many times that I have been there for meetings and have passed out my card due to people overhearing us, now if that isn't a success I don't know what is.

On another note of the free work, this is a strategy that I implement to turn those free clients into future paying ones. I typically will offer one service for free and then offer that client a discount if they want to hire me again for future work. This works out great for me as I have already built that connection and trust with them, and clients like it when they are able to get a discount so again another win-win in the books.

4. Set up quality social media accounts so clients can follow you

Now that you are starting to get clients you want something to drive them to, a CTA (call to action) if you will. I strongly believe that any freelancer should have a website/portfolio, a social media account of their choosing (Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook preferred), and some sort of marketing material with these details and contact info on it. This allows clients to keep up with what you're doing and also size you up as a potential freelancer for them.

As much as we are trying to find the right match for a client, the client is also trying to do the same. By not having anything to give them or to follow, there is no brand identity, trust, or proof of skill. In a field like this, that type of stuff matters so do yourself a favour and sign up for your business Instagram already!

5. Stay consistent with your work

By now everyone knows that consistency is one of the biggest rewards on social media, but did you also know it can be equally as rewarding for freelancers? There is more to being a hit freelancer than posting on social media 4x a week, there are a bunch of things you could be doing to get your name out there such as blogging, tweeting, YouTube Videos, podcasts, email marketing, etc. All of these ways reward the same; consistency is key. It doesn't matter how talented you are if you post on social media once eery 3 months, update your blog once a year, and never take down the 'merry Christmas banner from your website. As a freelancer it's your job to stay up to date on the latest trends and news so if you aren't able to stay up to date with your own brand, other clients are going to have a hard time trusting you.

PRO TIP: If you are unsure of the best times to post on social media click here to read my blog post on understanding the best times to post on social media.

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