How to Find New Clients as a Freelancer

If you have ever felt that your life needs a bit more excitement and that you cannot stand your regular nine to five job anymore, then you have probably given freelancing some thought. It is one of the most satisfying areas of work where you can find yourself. You just need to find your niche and start applying for jobs.

To get into the game, you'll need an updated resume with all your relevant skills. However, when you are new to freelancing, you'll want to find a regular flow of new customers. Here are a couple of ideas on how to keep your job flow steady.

Hit the job boards

When you are new to the game, you have to build a reputation and you will inevitably do work that is not necessarily your style. Everyone has to start somewhere, so you cannot expect to land big projects right off the bat.

People need to see that you are trustworthy and that you can deliver the goods. There are many job posting sites that you can join, like Fiverr, Freelancer and Upwork. Once you have your profile set up, you need to shoot for as many job posts as possible. You also need to be realistic about your fees.

As a new freelancer, you'll have to do work for less money to build a reputation. If you do your job well, people will rate you higher and you'll soon get to choose better jobs.
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Talk to other freelancers

Although freelancing is a relatively solo career path, you can still get valuable information form guys who have been in the business for a while. There are just so many hours in a day and if you start to connect with other freelancers, they could throw work your way.

As a freelancer, your reputation is everything and someone who has a good rep would rather pass on something that is not their style or that they don't have time for. It better to pass on some work than to risk producing something that is not professional.

The more freelancers you meet, the bigger your circle of informants get and you'll probably pass on some work their way in the future as well.

Create diverse content and showcase your talents

As a freelancer, you want to showcase all your talents and not just focus on one single line of work. You probably have more than one skillset and it would be a shame to let your talents go to waste if you focus on one thing only.

On the other hand, you could find that you have a knack for something else and expand on what you already do. The more diverse you market yourself, the better your chances are of getting more work.

That being said, you should also make an effort to expand your knowledge and skill base. This will allow you to approach new customers with confidence.

Do some free work

Although you want to make money, you first want to get your name out there and the best way to do that is to do some free work. This is not wasted time, but time well-spent on your future.

This is only something that you are more likely to do when freelancing is only temporary. Look for charities or companies that you agree with and offer your services in return for a good word. It's a win-win situation and could lead to great things in the future.

Attend networking events

One of the perks of being a freelancer is that you can work alone and that you are your own boss. This also means that you need to network on your own.

If you want to land new clients, then you need to attend networking events and start to build contacts for future reference. You are not necessarily going to find new clients at these events, but you could use the event as an opportunity to spread the word of what you do.

Hang out where potential clients hang out

You are not in the stalking business, and you aren't going to follow people around and find out where they stay. Rather, you need to frequent the cyberspace that your clients frequent. See which social media platforms they operate on and join wherever they join.

Look at the trends. Something that is in trend these days is the top resume writing services or the best assignment writing service UK that offer custom essay writing to college students.

Here you can offer free tips and writing samples and start a meaningful conversation. Sooner or later, someone will reach out to you with an offer or they could refer you to someone who needs your specific skillset and talents.

Referrals

When you have an existing client, don't wait for them to refer you spontaneously. Ask them to refer you when they see an opportunity. If you don't plant the seed, they might not think of you.

When you do get a referral, don't stick to the same price as your current client, you can always up the price a bit and build towards the standard rate that will sustain you.

When you work for referrals, it motivates you to do your job even better than you would normally have. The best part about referral jobs is that they bring in high-quality clients, which means better rates for you.

Send cold emails

You should never underestimate the power of a cold email. That initial contact that you make is priceless and you could end up getting a pretty good deal.

The aim of the cold email is not to let it sound like an offer that is too good to be true, but rather something that is tailored and personal. The potential client will see that you did your homework and that you will do your part to get the job done.

Conclusion

The world is full of opportunities and as more and more people are opting to work from home and work online, the job opportunities are growing with it. If you put some effort in and start small, you could replace your current income in no time and set yourself up for the work-life that you have always dreamed of.

This guest article was written by Kurt Walker, a London based writer, proofreader and editor working for academic writing sites and providing essay help. His current assignment is with EssayNinja, Easy Essay, Edu Birdie and Best Dissertation.