Have you acquired a high-income skill or got expertise in different niches but don't know how to convert them to income?
Have you been struggling with getting clients to pay for your service?
If your answer to the above question is YES, then this article is for you.
Let's get started …
In freelancing terminology, people who would require your skill/service are called Clients. Having a lot of quality paying clients is paramount to your success as a freelancer.
If having clients to pay for your service is that important, then how do you get clients?
There are different ways to get clients, Here are six(6) ways to go about it.
- Job Marketplace Platforms
The job marketplace has been the first place most freelancers run to in search of clients.
Marketplace platform like Upwork, Fiverr, Flexjobs, Angelist, etc has done a great job on their platform to make it easier for freelancers to acquire new clients since there are tons of clients already waiting for you, all you need to do is to find a way to catch their attention.
Getting clients in the marketplace can be competitive, especially if you don't know how to position yourself well to prospective clients looking for your service.
2. Your Website(Portfolio)
As a freelancer, you can have a website where you display your portfolio and market your skills to clients. You can also have a blog attached to your portfolio website where you write some articles about your works. This blog post helps your website rank better on search engines and makes you easily seen by clients looking for their service.
You can also leverage on portfolio platforms such as Medium, Behance, Github, etc
3. Social Media
Social media has always been the best and fastest channel in which you can reach great audiences in the shortest possible time.
You as a Freelancer can leverage social media to showcase and promote your skills/expertise. You can get new clients there if you are strategic. Twitter and LinkedIn are examples of social media platforms where you can get clients as a freelancer with the right positioning.
4. Referrals
Referrals have always been the surest way to get quality clients. If you do a good job for a client, you will get referrals from them. They will come back and also refer you to their friends (other clients).
The key thing is to ensure you always give your clients a “WOW” experience. That is, you underpromise and over-deliver. This way, they will talk about you to other clients.
5. Your Network
As the saying goes that
“Business moves when friends and family buy from you”.
You need to take advantage of your network, people who already know you. Let them know the services you offer so you can get referrals from them.
You can also link up/connect with other freelancers — especially established ones, so you can get outsourced jobs from them. They get a lot of jobs, they can pass some to you.
6. Cold Emails
This is a method where you send emails/messages to prospective customers who will be needing your services. You can scrap emails of potential customers, or join groups where can find them.
There is an art to this so you ensure you are not spamming them.
Conclusion
These are my six(6) ways to get clients as a freelancer. You can try 6 different options if you are having trouble getting clients.
