How to Find Clients as a Freelancer: 14 POWERFUL Strategies

How to Find Freelancing Clients Online

Finding freelance clients online can be very challenging if you don’t understand the intricacies of digital marketing.

The most successful freelancers usually have a number of channels that they have completely mastered and can rely on. For some, it is platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, while for others it is social media or even cold emails.

Having dependable channels gives you peace of mind and you won’t need to constantly worry about when your next payday is going to be.

This article will go over some ways to get clients as a freelancer. But before jumping right in, take some time to work on your buyer persona (if you haven’t already done so).

A buyer persona is simply a detailed description of your most ideal clients; the people who you would love to work with and would most benefit from your expertise.

Ask yourself who they are, what industries they work in, where they live, how much they earn. Note down every detail and characteristic they have that is likely to influence their decision to hire you.

When you have such a clear understanding of your buyer persona, it becomes much easier to create plans that appeal to them. You’ll also know where and how to target them online.

The internet is extremely vast, and without some form of direction, you’ll end up spinning in circles without actually going anywhere. A buyer persona will simply help point you in the right direction. This article will go over 14 ways to find freelance clients online.

Interesting Freelancing Stats:

61% of freelancers specialize in up to 3 skills. (Source)
70% of freelancers work on 2–4 projects at the same time. (Source)
72% of new freelancers are male. (Source)
36% of freelancers earn over $75,000. (Source)
65% of freelancers make more money than they did while employed full-time. (Source)
Working from home can improve performance by up to 13%. (Source)
Americans spend nearly 30 billion hours commuting to work. Remote work can reduce that to zero. (Source)
Freelance coders and developers can earn an hourly rate of up to $1,000. (Source)
Website design, SEO, and sales are the most in-demand freelancing jobs. (Source)
AI, Instagram marketing, Machine learning, and Brand strategy are the most in-demand skills. (Source)

How to Find Clients as a Freelancer: 14 Effective Marketing Strategies

1. Get a professional website

Having a website can increase your credibility dramatically, and set you apart from competitors who only rely on third party platforms like Upwork to get new clients. It’s one of the best ways to grow your freelance business.

91% of internet users use search engines like Google and Bing to find things they need online. When you have a website, then it could get shown to people searching for your services.

A website is essentially your online resume and portfolio. It should contain information about your services and provide samples of past projects. It should enable potential clients to easily contact you by either filling out a contact form or through a live chat feature. It should be designed with user experience in mind.

User experience, or UX, is simply how easy the site is to navigate. It should load lightning fast, even on slow internet connections. It should be mobile responsive, which means that it works seamlessly across all devices, from smartphones to computers. Google often rewards websites with an outstanding UX with a higher ranking in the search results pages.

If you are not an expert in web development, you can use a tool such as Wix to build a professional website that checks all the boxes of a positive UX.

Wix enables non-technical people to build websites by either selecting from ready-made templates, and only editing the content, or building one from scratch using a drag and drop builder. Alternatively, you can use FreeWebDesign to get pro developers to build your entire site for free.

2. Set up PPC ads

PPC, or pay per click, is an advertising model where ads get shown to people as they browse the internet, however advertisers only pay for the clicks. For instance, if you create a Facebook campaign and your ads get shown to 10,000 people, however only 200 click them, then you’ll only pay for the 200 clicks. It’s one of the best ways to get freelance clients almost immediately.

You can set up PPC campaigns on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google. For instance, if you’re targeting a professional clientele such as HR managers, then LinkedIn would be more ideal than Instagram.

Most PPC platforms have advanced targeting options to help you pinpoint your buyer persona, and only show ads to them. You can target people based on their location, age, interests, income class, profession, and many other factors.

Google Ads is often the preferred option for many advertisers because it helps them target people who are Googling certain keywords and phrases. For example, if you’re a freelancer writer, you can target people who Google phrases such as:

“Best freelance writers”
“Where to find freelance writers”
“How to hire a freelance writer”

Read on to the end of this post to learn how you can get over $1,000 in free ad credit to run your PPC campaigns on various platforms, including Facebook and Google.

3. Set up retargeting ads

Retargeting is a popular advertising model where ads get shown to people who previously visited a website. Studies show that people who have been retargeted have a 70% higher conversion rate than people seeing ads for the first time.

Retargeting helps you isolate your website visitors, because they’re likely to be potential freelance clients, and show ads which are designed to get them to take action. For example, you can offer a special discount on their first order. It’s a very effective strategy when implemented together with other PPC campaigns which drive traffic to the site. It’s one of the best ways to get freelance clients.

4. Email marketing

Contrary to what many people believe, email marketing is not a thing of the past. In fact it has a higher conversion rate than most other digital marketing strategies, including PPC. Email campaigns have an average open rate of 21.3%.

You can start collecting emails for your marketing campaigns by integrating an opt-in form on your website requesting users to enter their email to get a discount, or to sign up for your newsletters.

Publishing newsletters is a great way to preserve your brand awareness by constantly reminding your subscribers of your existence. Your content can include the latest industry news and trends, business tips, market predictions, etc.

5. Get a Blog

A blog is one of the best ways to dominate the internet with content originating from your site, and in the process establish yourself an authority in your field. It’s much easier to convert leads into freelance clients if they see you as an authority.

Hubspot uses this strategy to a great effect. Although the company deals with marketing automation software, majority of their site traffic is generated from their blog. Whenever you Google anything related to marketing, even if it has nothing to do with automation, you’re likely to come across a Hubspot article on the subject.

Most people do online research whenever they need anything. For example, if they’re looking for a web designer, they will search phrases such as “best website design services”.

If they keep coming across your blog posts addressing their questions, then they naturally develop some familiarity with your name. You become a reliable source they can trust.

You can publish posts on a wide range of topics in your field that get searched frequently. SEMrush is a popular keyword research tool used by bloggers and digital marketers to find high-traffic Google keywords and phrases to write about. You can use it to find content ideas for your blog.

If you’re not a writer, or you just don’t feel confident writing your posts, you can outsource the work to other freelancers, or use an AI writing tool like Jasper AI.

Once your blog is generating traffic, you can easily upsell your services to your readers, or even monetize it using Google Adsense. It’s one of the best ways to grow a freelance business.

6. Find interview opportunities

This is another great way to build credibility and establish yourself an authority. You can become the voice of your industry by finding interview opportunities on platforms like Help a Reporter Out.

Whenever people research your name online and come across interviews you’ve done, then your value rises tremendously in their eyes. You become the real deal, a superstar freelancer.

Doing interviews is also a great way to get back links, which can help increase your SEO score and drive referral traffic to your website.

7. Stand out on freelance job sites

Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer are some of the best places to get freelance clients. But the problem is that they’re often so crowded.

The only way to survive and even find success in such crowded marketplaces is by standing out. And the best way to stand out is through your ratings and reviews. That’s the proof of your quality. Most people make their decisions based on testimonials they see from other users. The more positive reviews you have, the easier it will be to convert leads.

Reviews can also help you get a more favorable position in the search results pages of the freelancing platforms. The highest positions are often reserved for freelancers with the best ratings.

You can start accumulating ratings and reviews by temporarily offering your services for below average prices. That helps people overlook the fact that you’re unrated and choose you over the more expensive freelancers. That’s the quickest way to get new clients and build up your ratings and reviews. You can also ask your current clients to leave you a review every time you complete a project.

8. Find leads on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a fantastic social media platform you can use to find your buyer persona. Unlike other social platforms, majority of its user base is professionals, making it an ideal place to get freelance clients.

You can search for potential clients using attributes such as job title, location, and even companies they work for. For example, if you are a freelance web developer targeting business owners, you can search for people who have the job title “CEO” or “owner”.

Send connection requests to all the people who most resemble your buyer persona, accompanied by a short introductory message. Avoid the temptation to start selling right away. Nothing puts people off faster than that. Instead, look to first build rapport by asking questions to get your new connections to open up. You can ask about the accomplishments in their profile, their business, or even future plans.

Only when you have built some rapport after some back and forth messages is when you can pitch your services. And if they are not interested, don’t shy away from asking for a referral.

9. Answer Quora questions

Quora is a popular Q&A site where people go to ask questions and get answers from internet users. It can also be a very effective tool to find potential clients.

You can search for questions that are in line with your freelance services, and simply provide elaborate answers. For example, if your specialty is graphic designing, you can search questions related to Photoshop or any other tool you use. You can also search for questions regarding the types of designs you do e.g. logos, brochures or business cards.

People who go online to ask questions are certainly in need of some assistance. Every time you answer their questions, you are subtly promoting yourself. You can even leave a link to your website in case they would like to get in touch.

Quora questions often get thousands of views from people facing similar issues. That means your answers could get seen by all the people who need your services.

10. Join social media groups

Groups are fantastic places to get freelance clients (particularly on Facebook and LinkedIn). For example, if your target audience consists of business owners, you can find a relevant Facebook group by simply searching “small business owners”.

Before joining a group, make sure to first read all its rules and guidelines. Some groups have very strict policies and don’t want people promoting things or even posting links. But that shouldn’t affect you since you’re not going to blatantly advertise your services.

The key to success in social media groups is being an active member and participating in discussions and answering questions. That gets other members acquainted with your name. Every time you answer a question related to your line of work, you are giving a free sample of your expertise.

Once you become known to members, they’ll not hesitate to follow up directly or even outsource some work to you. You can also take the initiative and follow up by sending private messages to check whether they were able to solve their issues, or if you can help further.

11. Host webinars on popular topics

Hosting free webinars is a great way to congregate people who are likely to be interested in your services, and promote yourself directly to them.

For example, if you are a freelance blog writer targeting marketers, you can host a webinar on “How a blog can help increase sales by 30%”. Such a topic is likely to catch the eye of marketers.

Make sure to start promoting the event several weeks in advance just to give people enough time to plan to attend. You can promote it on social media, to your email list, or even run some PPC ads. The goal is simply to get as many live viewers as possible.

Once the webinar is done, you can break down the video and use it as content for your social media pages and website. You’ll gain so much respect and from people who come across your videos speaking from such an authoritative position as the host of a webinar.

12. Partner with other freelancers

This is one of the most underrated ways of getting freelancing clients. All you need to do is partner with other experts who are in a different (but relative) niche, and refer each other to your respective clientele.

For example, if you’re a graphic designer, you can partner with web developers, such that they refer to you clients who need branding for their website, and you reciprocate by also referring your clients to them. It’s a win-win strategy that barely has any risks.

You can form partnerships with numerous freelancers across different fields. All you need to do is reach out and pitch the idea to them.

13. Attend networking events

Attending business events is a great way to physically meet future clients. It also gives you an opportunity to leave a better impression of yourself than you could have over the internet.

If you live in a large city then there are likely to be a number of events every month. You can easily find them by doing a quick Google search. In case you can’t find any relevant events, then it might be worth taking a trip to a nearby city that’s hosting one.

Make sure to always have your elevator pitch ready. You may only have a few seconds to leave an impression, therefore be ready for when the moment comes.

Once the event is done, wait two or three days and then email all the people who you met just to say what a pleasure it was to meet them. It’s a simple gesture that can go a long way.

14. Always ask for referrals

Last but not least, make it a habit to always ask for referrals. Not everyone is going to be in a position to hire you, but they may know someone else who is.

You can ask for referrals from friends and family, people you meet during events, other freelancers you interact with online, your LinkedIn friends. The possibilities are endless.

The best way to constantly get referrals is by simply having a great relationship with people. Don’t be too fixated on making money all the time. Sometimes offer to help without expecting anything in return. If somebody asks a question that’s in your line, answer it honestly, and even follow up later to see if they were able to solve it.

When people have a positive impression of you, then they will not mind going above and beyond to recommend your freelance work to their peers.

Resources

Use the links below to get free advertising credit to kickstart your PPC campaigns:

$100 on LinkedIn – https://bit.ly/linkedinadscredit
$375 on Snapchat Ads – https://bit.ly/snapchatadscredit
$100 for YouTube Ads – https://bit.ly/youtubeadscredit
$100 for Facebook Remarketing – https://bit.ly/perfectaudiencecredit
$150 for Google Ads (US) – https://bit.ly/creditgoogleads
$300 for Yelp Ads – https://bit.ly/yelpadscredit

Some useful tools:

Build a professional website using Wix – http://bit.ly/2vA9doX
Perform keyword research for your blog and PPC campaigns using SEMrush – https://bit.ly/2OtnIYg