If you happen to’re just starting out as a freelancer, you’re prone to have one query straightaway: where can I find clients?
Not with the ability to find work is one of the vital daunting parts of being a self-employed freelancer. Luckily, though, there may be a tonne of labor on the market for individuals who are daring enough to strike out on their very own. Often, freelancing can feel more stable than a conventional profession path – especially if you’ve got multiple income streams you can depend on, fairly than simply one. Also luckily, that is true of most industries that hire freelancers.
So, where do you look? In this text, we’ll introduce you to just a few different routes you can use to search out clients. Tell us in the event you’ve found work in a way that we’ve missed…
Job boards
Job boards – the Reed, Monster, Indeeds of the world – are ten a penny, and you would possibly must sift through plenty of irrelevant postings before you discover work that’s appropriate to you. They will still be useful, though. Just be certain your email alerts are filtered so that you’re only seeing the roles you would possibly want. Freelance journalists should keep watch over Cision, where tons of of roles are advertised. For the broader media, Mediargh and The Media Mentor are good options.
There are freelance specific job boards, too. Take a look at The Dots and Underpinned for nice roles across quite a few creative freelance areas.
Recruiters
You may not think you’ll find clients in your freelance work through recruiters, but hear us out! If you happen to’re on the lookout for long run gigs (maternity covers, for instance, or one-off projects that may take just a few months to finish) this will be a terrific option.
Recruiters can really make it easier to out in the case of things like pay and contracts. Better of all, they’ll find the opportunities so that you don’t all the time must. Taking up contracts will be a terrific option in the event you need a reliable income stream for just a few months. Search for recruiters that concentrate on temporary contracts, and be clear in regards to the form of work you do (and don’t) wish to do.
Newsletters
Freelance journalists across the land have been singing the praises of Freelance Writing Jobs, the weekly newsletter by author Sian Meades-Williams, for some time. Landing in inboxes every Thursday, FWJ lists all one of the best (paying) opportunities of the week – from in-house poets to editors laying out pitching guidelines for his or her glossies. Join in the event you’re a author of any kind. Search for similar initiatives inside your personal industry in the event you’re not.
Journalists must also try journalist Anna Codrea-Rado’s The Professional Freelancer, a newsletter with a wealth of invaluable advice and relevant musings.
Mine your network
That is the time to be certain everyone you’ve got contact with know that you simply’re self-employed and open for business. This includes the random connections in your LinkedIn profile, and prolonged members of the family. Spread the message widely, and don’t be afraid to succeed in out to old colleagues or acquaintances who might give you the chance to assist. Meeting people for coffees to update them in your work is a terrific method to stay in contact. You never know, that person out of your old job could introduce you to a possible latest client or spark one of the best idea you’ve had all 12 months…
Freelance communities
Because the freelance workforce grows, increasingly more groups are popping as much as support each the newly self-employed and people with existing experience. Across the creative industries, the culture of community is rife. All the pieces from advice on finding clients to financial management (and even just the corporate of others in the same position) is being freely offered.
Search for Slack communities inside your industry, and take a look at organisations just like the Society of Professional Journalists, Women in SEO Tech, and Freelance Heroes. That is, in fact, the tip of the iceberg.
Your website and online portfolio
You’ll probably have heard 1,000,000 times that you should display your best work online via your website and online portfolios. However it doesn’t make it any less true! If you happen to display your work clearly and your story is engaging, and in the event you’ve got details of how you possibly can be contacted displayed prominently, you’re in your method to having clients coming to you fairly than the opposite way round. If you should, put money into a graphic designer to get your website looking as skilled as possible. You won’t regret it!
With regards to online portfolios, you understand higher than us in regards to the ones which can be best suited to your specific industry. Do your research, and be certain you’ve got profiles and work displayed on the overall freelance portfolio sites (Behance, The Dots, Underpinned) in addition to those which can be more specific to your sector.
Find clients at conferences
Conferences will be great places to satisfy people inside your industry. That may include potential latest clients in addition to those in the same position to yourself. Even virtual events, which have largely replaced nose to nose ones in 2020, will be a terrific springboard for conversations. It’s time to get entangled…
Social media
Finally, we couldn’t end this piece without giving a shout-out to the behemoth of freelance opportunity that’s Twitter. In journalism circles, editors with a pitching budget often head straight to the timeline to shout in regards to the opportunities they’ve, what they’re on the lookout for, and the way you possibly can contact them. Is that the identical in your industry? Possibly – and also you won’t know unless you’re being attentive. Consider us, the time you spend scouting for brand new clients on Twitter isn’t wasted!
We hope this has given you some inspiration on where to search out clients in your upcoming freelance projects. If you happen to’ve got an concept that we haven’t talked about, we’d love so that you can share it. Tell us over on the forums!
Now read:
Need more help organising your freelance business? Read these articles next!