Getting Clients as a Freelancer/Contractor

2. Remember Your Existing Network

Even for those who are right at the beginning of their freelancing journey, it is important to remember that you still have a network of friends, family members, university, or school acquaintances. They might know people in their own professional networks, who they can help put you in contact with.

If you already have experience in freelancing, then it is likely you have previous clients who can give you recommendations.

Make sure to reach out to as many of these contacts as possible. However, try to do so without being pushy. Here are some top tips on how to successfully network:

• Use a spreadsheet to track your contacts – you may have spent time building up your network, so it makes sense to keep a track of your contacts. You can use a spreadsheet to track their details, how often you communicate, and where you met.
• Give them something useful – it can be a great idea to share something like a useful article with your contacts. If you’ve created something they might be interested in looking at or have any top tips to share, then these could be great ways to reach out.
• Remember to say ‘thank you’ - although this is quite a simple one, thanking people for their time, is very important in letting people know you appreciate them.

4. Write Case Studies

When you’re creating pages and content for your website and your portfolio, it’s important to remember to include results, rather than simply list all the tasks you completed.

Writing case studies can be a great way to write about all your fantastic work. If there’s a particular piece of work that you’re really proud of, then it’s an excellent idea to take any potential clients through this whole process. This makes great blog content.

You can discuss the following:

• Your brief
• Your creative process
• Any challenges you overcame
• The results
• Testimonials

This means that when you get in touch with clients, you will have several case studies to show, as examples of your excellent work.

If you’re looking for inspiration, then take a look at a case study we wrote. 

5. Write Guest Posts

Although it’s great to produce content for your own website, it can be a fantastic idea to write guest posts for other well-known websites, as it is a brilliant way to get your name out there.

If you’re looking for a publication to write for, then it can be a good start to search “write for us” and then the sector you work in.

This should then give you a choice of websites, who are looking for guest writers. Make sure to carefully research the different publications and watch out for the quality of the existing content, the number of followers, and whether it fits your niche.

Finally, take note of the submissions process. It is highly probably you will need to pitch any content ideas, so wait for this before writing up any articles in full.

7. Use Job Boards

Scrolling endlessly through job boards isn’t usually the best use of anyone’s time, but they can be a useful way to see what type of work is out there and who is hiring.

You can have a look at LinkedIn’s job board, places like indeed.co.uk, and also specific job boards for your industry and niche.

You might realise that there is lots of work in a niche that is slightly different from yours. If this is the case, then it might be a great idea to try and shift your focus and slightly alter your profile and CV to fit accordingly.

If you notice a business hiring in areas related to yours, this could mean they will be offering future opportunities. It could be worth contacting the business and making them aware of your services, so you will be ahead of the crowd.