If you are considering a job as a freelancer, it’s important that you spend the bulk of your time looking for clients. Whether you are a student writing blogs or a banker designing websites on the side, you will need to make sure that your practice gets the attention it deserves and builds a stable revenue stream.
Considering how saturated the freelancing market has become, you will need to apply the right approaches for seeking out and engaging potential clients. Here are just a few of the best ones:
1) Leverage Your Social Circle
If you are not sure where to start finding clients for your freelancing service, you can reach out to friends and family members. You may be compelled to work for free, but your inner circle can pay you back by referring you to their networks. They can help get the word out and become your first advocates.
2) Establish A Niche
A niche is a specific segment of a larger market. If you are working as a copywriter, you will have to narrow down your service to a field or area. If you have had experience working in the healthcare industry, you can offer copywriting services to clinics and private practitioners. The reason for this is that you need to focus only on a market segment where you are guaranteed to find clients who need your skill sets.
3) Build Your Credentials
In order to compete for more high-value clients, you need to show your market you’re the best in terms of experience and credentials. Apart from listing down your academic achievements, you should also include certifications and awards you have gathered through events, seminars, and courses. It always helps to invest in your professional development through various learning opportunities.
4) Update Your Online Portfolio and Resume
As you continue to gain more knowledge about your niche and hone your skills, you need to keep your online presence current. Based on what you have accomplished so far in your journey, you need to include the latest projects or campaigns you have handled and add more recent samples to your online portfolio.
You can use platforms like LinkedIn or Behance (if you are creative) to manage your freelancing profile and connect with potential clients. Be sure to include an updated resume in case clients require more details. If you don’t have the luxury of time to make one yourself, check out https://resume-example.com/ for customizable templates.
5) Sign up on Freelancing Platforms
If you don’t want to do much of the legwork in seeking out clients, you might as well set up a presence in online marketplaces for freelance services. Platforms such as UpWork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr are the best places for setting up your profile for potential clients to see. You just need to include complete details about yourself as well as your rate.
In order to rise above everyone else in the cut-throat world of freelancing, you need to make yourself stand out and be active when it comes to client outreach.
