This article, 9 Strategies To Acquire New Freelance Clients And Retain Old Ones, was published on the Millo.co blog. Thanks for reading!
You’ve got the talent and know-how to succeed as a self-employed or freelancer. In your home office, you’ve arranged all of the essentials: your desk, computer, and printer.
However, obtaining freelance clients is the most challenging component of being self-employed. The struggle is true regardless of whether you’re just getting started as a freelancer or hoping to expand your current client base.
As a freelancer, there may be days when you may feel like you spend more time looking for clients than actually working.
Here are a few strategies to get new clients while also retaining the ones you already have.
How To Market Yourself As A Freelancer
With your freelance business, you look for opportunities to sell your products and services. You’ll have to constantly market yourself if you want to bring in new customers and keep the ones you already have. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, this is one of the most popular ways to ensure you have consistent work.
Fortunately, you can achieve your goals by exploring the most promising possible marketing route available to you.
Growing your network can be as simple as going to professional networking events or handing out your business cards as a way to introduce yourself.
You can also try being active on various relevant social media sites. If you want to advertise your services on a global scale, consider these strategies:
1. Start With Your Circle
You already have a client base even if you’re not aware of it. Take a look at the people you already know as a starting point for finding clients. There are many individuals you know who might require your freelance services someday or who can recommend you to others who do.
If you’re looking for freelance work, ask your former coworkers to pass on your name. Also, reach out to your old boss for advice on finding clients and opportunities. Once they discover you’re a freelancer, they may even offer you a job right away. The good thing about this is that you’re already familiar with their industry, which saves time during the briefing.
2. Add Value To Your High-Quality Service
Contrary to popular belief, your marketing isn’t about you. It’s about helping people see how you can make their lives easier. Most clients are more interested in what you’re offering than what you think.
What can you offer to improve the image of a customer or increase their sales? By focusing on the issues that concern them, you’ll be able to provide them with the solutions they need. Most importantly, delivering quality service is critical to retaining and attracting new freelance clients. After all, if you don’t meet their expectations, they’ll quickly look for other freelancing services. Thus, having the right products and services will help retain their loyalty and increase your revenue.
3. Create A Portfolio
You may think that having an online portfolio isn’t necessary. However, given how tough the competition is nowadays, you have to grab every opportunity to present yourself and your services to your prospects. For instance, creating a website improves your credibility and increases your chance to get more new clients and retain loyal ones.
Sometimes, a client will ask you to send samples to see your latest work. With a portfolio ready, you can easily send them a link to the portfolio page of your website. Having a good online portfolio is very important if you want to be considered for a job. It can help you stand out from the crowd and impress potential employers.
4. Optimize Your Content Page
There’s no point in having a website if no one sees it. Making sure your online content will be visible on ideal locations in search results pages is as simple as optimizing your site. Over 95% of searchers never look past the first page, and over 50% of those clicks go to the top three results on that page. If you want to connect with new clients, start by building relevant content and using key phrases on your website and social media posts. Moreover, use a tool or plug-in to improve your content creation process.
5. Use Social Media Wisely
When it comes to finding freelance clients, social media is often the first tool clients look for. It’s free and easy to use, and it can be accessed from anywhere. Here’s how you can use your social media wisely:
LinkedIn: Since LinkedIn was specifically built for business and job connections, it’s essential that you create an impressive profile. It can help you stand out when searching for freelance work. It also allows you to connect with companies and organizations that you find interesting.
Facebook: There are also various ways to connect with others in your industry on Facebook. You can join existing groups of fellow freelancers, or you can create an online community for freelancers in your area. Also, make sure that your Facebook page is clean and doesn’t contain offensive content.
Instagram: If your work involves creating visual or graphic content, Instagram is a great way to promote your craft. You can also use it to share other creative projects and show off your creativity. Follow people and companies that you would like to work with and gain valuable insight into their industry. Doing this will help you attract freelance clients and retain old ones.
6. Broaden Your Network
While networking is often associated with job hunting, it’s also essential for freelancers. Attending networking events is a great way to meet other business owners and grow your freelance network. There are many ways to network effectively. Here are some of them:
– You can create an online network that builds on your existing one, or you can expand it by meeting new people.
– Other freelancers can recommend your services to others.
– Collect contact information so you can follow up with a potential client.
– There may be various local events that you can attend for free. Try to find something that fits your interest and schedule.
These social events are held online and in person. Remember that as a freelancer, how you manage your time contributes to your success. If you’re not working, then why don’t you spend it going to events and networking?
By developing a feel for what events and opportunities are worth your time, you’ll be able to maximize both your work and network time.
7. Join Community Pages
There are two ways to look at people who do the same job: either you see them as your competition or as a member of your community. Having the second perspective leads to a more contented, fulfilling freelance career, as well as more opportunities to expand your clientele.
An employee in a full-time work setting enjoys an advisory, friendly, collaborative, socializing environment with their colleagues. Freelancers and independent contractors can also create a support system by forming communities. Thus, freelance communities can take on many different shapes—from virtual networks to coworking spaces.
Gathering and connecting with freelancers is a strategy businesses can use to build their brand and connect with others. This strategy will help them attract and retain the best talent in the industry.
8. Upselling
Did you know that many freelancers get their extra work from existing clients? You can upsell a current client and persuade them to order additional work from you by introducing them to the other services you provide.
For example, if you’re a web designer, see if they’ll be interested in having you create their landing pages as well. This would result in more traffic for their site. Of course, to be convincing, you’ll have to highlight the advantages of the upsell.
9. Keep Learning
One of the best ways to attract new clients is to continually improve your skills and ability to provide quality services. This will help you get positive feedback from your clients and add value to everything you’re engaged in. Thus, putting in the effort to get better at what you do all the time is a great approach to attract freelance clients.
Find out what your clients, coworkers, and specialists have to say about this goal. Specifically, enroll in classes and learn more about your field and how to further enhance your abilities.
Takeaway
However difficult it may be at times, working as a freelancer has many benefits. For this reason, an increasing number of people prefer the freelance lifestyle over the traditional 9-to-5 job. However, freelancers need to be extremely persistent if they hope to get steady work.
These proven strategies in acquiring new freelance clients and retaining old ones will help you get there. You don’t need to be a marketing expert to get started with freelance work. Instead, start by reaching out to as many people as possible and forming relationships with them.
Moreover, if there’s a company that you’d love to work for, find out what they’re looking for and reach out to them. Cold calling may be hard, but it can be done successfully.
Just make sure to send an email with a compelling reason why you want to work with them and what you can contribute to the organization.
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