Are you sick of the overwhelming competition on sites like Upwork and Fiverr? If so you may be wondering how you could find clients as a freelancer without freelancing sites. So how can you?
There are many ways to find clients without freelancing sites. These methods include cold pitches (calls and emails), Connecting with business owners on LinkedIn, attending networking events, Old Connections (Word Of Mouth), Facebook Groups, and creating content around your freelancing expertise
Below we will go into detail about how these methods can help bring in clients.
Cold Pitches (Calls and Emails)
When it comes to bidding jobs on Upwork, you may feel like you have zero chance at getting work due to the amount of people bidding the jobs you want.
Doing cold calls and cold emails could really help you get the work you want because you take out the competition.
All you have to do is reach out to companies, explain the value of the freelance work you could do for them, and see if they’re interested in working with you.
Let’s say you’re a freelance writer, and that business has no blog or hasn’t updated their blog in months. You could pitch them on creating blog content for them, showing how it can bring more traffic to their website and improve their SEO ranking.
If you have your own stats or success with previous clients, make sure to mention those as well.
Connecting With Business Owners on LinkedIn
This is pretty much the same thing as a cold pitching. Except with LinkedIn you could search specific keywords. Let’s use freelance writing as another example. You could easily find companies based on the niche you like to write in.
Another plus when it comes to LinkedIn is that they have SEO when it comes to searching for profiles. If you put “freelance writer” in your headline, anyone searching for a freelance writer could possibly see your profile.
Just like cold pitching, you need to be able to show the value of your work and make sure you come across as professional.
Attending Networking Events
Networking events or even just local events where business owners could be present is a great option for finding clients. You have the opportunity to speak one on one, promote yourself, exchange business cards, and follow up with them afterwards.
It’s important to note that these events are just the starting point. Just because you exchanged business cards or spoke to a potential client, it doesn’t mean they’ll immediately hire you. Take it easy and just show them you’re a good person that they could potentially work with in the future.
Old Connections (Word Of Mouth)
Don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth and old connections. If you have previous colleagues or friends who know about your freelance work, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and let them know you’re available for hire. They could potentially lead you to a job or recommend you to someone else that may need your services.
Facebook Groups
There are a multitude of Facebook groups dedicated to certain niches and industries. Certain groups have companies who post freelance work in there so freelancers could reach out and apply.
This is also a great place to network with other freelancers and potentially start collaborating on projects or refer clients to each other.
Let’s say someone does freelance website design, it’s a great idea if you’re a freelance writer to reach out. This is because if they just created the site, there is no content on it (plenty of opportunity for you).
You can do this with pretty much any freelance venture you’re doing. You just have to think outside the box. Certain freelance gigs align with one another, you just need to find them.
Create Content Around Your Freelance Expertise
Creating content, whether it be on a personal website or even just on social media, is a great way to show off your skills and attract potential clients.
Let’s say you’re a freelance graphic designer, if you create a WordPress site and write a blog post with the title, “How To Hire The Right Graphic Designer For Your Business”, along with other similar posts, this could lead to someone finding your website and potentially hiring you for their own project. Just make sure you include a call to action at the end of each blog post.
A blog isn’t the only way you could do this. You could also do this with a YouTube channel. This may even help you more because you could show off your personality, and potential clients may be drawn to your knowledge more.
It’s important to note, however, that this method may take longer to bring in clients. It’s not the only thing you should do. This method should be something you do along with the other options listed above.
Does a Freelancer Need a Website?
If you liked the idea of creating content to get leads, you may be wondering if you need a website. The answer is no. Medium.com, forum sites like Quora and Reddit, and other free platforms will allow you to create content and get leads. However, having a website does make you look more professional and gives potential clients a central hub to see all your work and contact information in one place.
If you’re tight on money, we recommend starting with medium.com and then once you get going with your freelancing career, investing in a website may be worth it.
Is There a Freelance Website With No Bidding?
The reason you asked this question in the first place is because you don’t like the idea of so many people bidding on one job. So you may be wondering if there are sites for freelancers with no bidding.
The answer is yes, Fiverr. However, Fiverr still has competition. Businesses have the ability to search for the service they need and multiple freelancers will come up for them to choose from.
That being said, the methods I mentioned in the article is the best you could in order to get rid of the competition as much as possible.
In summary
Overall, there are plenty of ways to find clients as a freelancer. Doing a little bit of each and adjusting to what works best is key. Don’t limit yourself to just one option, and always be open to trying new methods.
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