How to Get More Clients as a Freelancer

With 59 million freelancers in 2020 in the US and experts claiming that by 2027, the majority of the workforce in the US will be freelancers, we know freelancing is getting increasingly popular each year.

Nowadays, independent workers have a plethora of helpful tools to increase productivity: planning apps, communication tools, paperwork and contracting managers, social media planners, etc. Thus, freelancers are recovering control over their time, schedules, and finances while making more money than ever.

A functioning and well-designed website is essential in some industries, which can ring up an expensive bill. Website development options range from simple, inexpensive options, including easy-to-use website builders (i.e., Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, etc.), to sophisticated and complex solutions like Magento's progressive web app. Even with these tools, attracting high-paying clients online can still be challenging and pricey. Identify the purpose, necessary functionality, and value that having a website would add, then research the various options. Most importantly, you want to ensure that you are visible to prospective clients.

When developing your freelance company into a full-time source of revenue, you may need to employ multiple resources and strategies. Let's dive into some tips on how to grow your freelance business and attract high-paying clients.

Set Yourself on Some Freelance Job Sites

Freelance platforms that aid freelancers in finding clients and projects can diminish your profit margins. However, these platforms are often worth exploring, as 91% of freelancers who have used freelance job platforms to find work would recommend them to others.

Before signing up, ensure you research the various available freelance platforms and their different pricing structures. Keep in mind that other platforms have different exclusivity policies. When choosing a platform, beware of these policies as they can determine your client interactions-- you may not be able to keep collaborating with clients gleaned off the freelance platform.

Look into options that serve freelancers with your skills or specialties, as platforms are available for specific industries and work. The most popular platforms are Upwork, Freelancer, FlexJobs, Fiverr, and Toptal, which provide opportunities in various fields.

Create Social Media Profiles

Don't hesitate to post your projects online! Promoting your work is one of the best methods to attract potential customers, 70% of small businesses in the US have found a freelancer on LinkedIn. Use your social media accounts as a portfolio and employ hashtags, location tags, and informative material to raise awareness of your services.

Be sure to consider less obvious options to engage, like Quora, Reddit, or Pinterest, and mention that you're open to freelancing work in your profile. For better results, pin the examples of your finest works, create a summary describing your accomplishments and expertise, include your certificates and proofs of education received, and include testimonials from previous customers.

Invest in Social Media Ads

Launching an ad campaign doesn't require much. Contrastingly to other online advertisement options, social media advertising is a powerful and inexpensive way to promote your freelancing business. One of the key advantages of such promotion is that you can target a particular audience, specifying the age, gender, location, and interests. The system will show your ad only to those matching the given parameters.

Use Email Marketing

According to Campaign Monitor, 64% of small businesses use email marketing to reach customers. It can be equally effective for freelancers. Here are some actions you can take as a part of the email marketing campaign:

• Add a pop-up asking users to subscribe in return for a coupon code or free download on your website;
• On all social media profiles, include a link to your newsletter;
• Publish a monthly email displaying your most recent work and material pertinent to your business;
• Introduce yourself to potential clients who would likely benefit from your services via a well-crafted cold email sequence.

Take good care of the content. Always provide the reader with valuable and insightful information. That value will keep the reader interested and demonstrate to the customers that you are a professional that may be helpful to them.

Ask Clients to Give Reviews

It's crucial, as never before, to maintain your reputation and prove trustworthiness. Real people have always been the most reliable source of information. Therefore, you should make sure potential customers can easily find reviews on your work—request testimonials from former and present clients regarding their interactions with you.

• Ask customers to provide reviews on social media;
• As social proof, display the testimonials on your website;
• Ask your clients to leave their opinions there if you work through a freelance platform.

Build a Customer Referral Program

Your clients may know other people who can be interested in your services. Word-of-mouth advertising doesn't take much work to do. Send an email when the moment is appropriate, maybe when a project is finished or after you get good feedback. To encourage the clients to recommend your services, offer them incentives for each customer they bring. It can be a discount for their next inquiry, access to unique materials, or free extra services.

Prove Your Expertise

Prove you're good at your field to win more clients. Therefore, attempt to present yourself as an expert in the area.

You can speak at professional events. Giving a presentation at business conferences is a fantastic method to demonstrate your skills and network with new contacts. It's your chance to show unique skills that a business audience would find appealing.

Start blogging. Since you are familiar with the hottest trends, subjects, and intriguing advances in your industry, why not share your expertise with others? Make sure to talk about issues you believe would benefit potential clients and provide information on how you can assist them.

Publish Guest Posts

An excellent strategy to increase your audience is to publish articles in reputable journals and blogs relevant to your industry.

First, you need to determine the right platform. Look for blogs that are relevant to your skills and have an established reader base. Directly pitch editors with topics you can write about and share some of your earlier writing. After getting a green light, look at recently released pieces to obtain a sense of the publication's style, tone of voice, and preferred content forms. Directly pitch editors with topics you can write about and share some of your earlier writing. Don't forget to repost the link to your social media after publication.

You're killing two birds with guest posts: establish your authority in the field and directly link people to your website. By the way, this post is a guest one 😉.

Take Care of SEO

Your target customers are actively seeking freelancers on the Internet. Making sure your website is optimized for search engines is one of the best methods to make yourself more visible.

In essence, this means searching terms people use to find services you offer and utilizing those keywords on your website. Of course, SEO becomes a little more complicated than that, so if you can't fully understand it, turn to an SEO specialist.

Final Word

Hiring a marketing expert or spending a fortune on advertisements and promotions to get new clients is unnecessary. The key is reaching out to as many people as possible and develop connections with people within the industry or who have shared interests. According to Upwork.com, 73% of freelancers say technology has made it easier to find work. Think about the channels you can use and actions you can take to demonstrate your successful cases and nurture trust towards you and your product or service.