10 Freelance Marketing Tips to Help You Get More Clients
Looking for the best freelance marketing tips to help you get more clients?
I asked hiring managers and marketing professionals for their best advice. From being consistent to seeking jobs from former clients, they shared lots of golden nuggets to help you market yourself better for more freelance work.
Here are the 10 best marketing tips to help you get more clients:
Be Consistent
Be consistent. If you are consistently posting your work online, people will start to recognize you as a reliable resource. This means that they’ll trust you and want to hire you over other freelancers. Also, don’t just post once. Posting multiple times per week is great, but if you only post once a month, you won’t have much of an impact.
Ilija Sekulov, Mailbutler
Build an Email List
As any freelancer will attest, one of the best ways to get a new client is via referral. The question is, how do you maximize word-of-mouth referrals in the first place? Easy: start a small (but mighty) email newsletter. You don't even need a website to start. You can sign up for a free Substack or Mailchimp account, then manually text past clients and fellow freelancers for permission to include them on a short, monthly email with links to great content in your niche. (Pro tip: you don't even have to write much, aside from brief commentary on the stuff you curate.) Once you start sending emails to 50, 100, or 200 contacts each month, you'll find that more intros get sent your way. Building an email list is all about staying on top, in the minds of clients and other freelancers - the people who are going to recommend you.
Zach Grove, Zach Grove
Keep Website Content and Messaging Clear
Keep your own website and messaging simple and clear to attract more marketing clients. If a seventh-grader cannot easily read your messaging or figure out what problem your freelance business solves, it’s time to go back to the brand drawing board; clear and simple beat cutesy and clever. When we try to be everything to everybody, our branding gets muddied and so do our results. If people have to work too hard to figure out how you can help them, or if your competition’s messaging is just a little clearer, they’ll beat you most of the time. So if you provide freelance marketing services for other businesses and your own messaging is confusing, you’re sending your competition more clients even if your service is superior.
Russell Lieberman, Altan Insights
Network On Linkedin
Network on LinkedIn. Use the filters in the Sales Navigator tool on LinkedIn to find businesses that may be in need of marketing assistance, such as smaller or newer businesses. Then message them to pitch your services. While cold messages do not always work, sometimes they do and it is better to try than not.
Drew Sherman, Carvaygo
Include a Video to Stand Out
Include a brief introduction video on your profile and website so prospective clients can get a better feel for who you are and what it’s like to work with you. While your credentials, work experience, and client testimonials are also necessary, including a video helps you stand out from other freelancers and provides the ultimate personal touch. You will want to include a few basic things in your video: your name, the type of services you provide, what problems you solve, any areas of expertise, and who you ideally like to work with. Be sure to record in a quiet, well-lit area and keep your video from 30-90 seconds, doing your best to showcase your personality and connect with viewers virtually. Adding an intro video to your profile and website doesn’t have to be a complicated or extensive production to make a significant impact. Making this connection with prospective clients will help you get more clients and make a great first impression.
Tommy Chang, Homelister
Showcase a Portfolio
When I hire freelancers, one of the most important criteria I look at is their past work. If you're new and don't have client work to show, then create some personal projects and show those. If you're a designer, then create some logos or web page designs to highlight your abilities. If you're a marketer, then put up a website and run a small advertising campaign. Start with work that benefits your own small business, and you'll get value out of improving your brand and having real work that you can show to your prospects.
Dennis Consorte, Snackable Solutions
Build Influence with the Community
Engage with other like-minded individuals and brands. Find notable people within your niche and interact with them and their followers. This is a natural way to engage with others who share similar interests and could lead to valuable connections in the long run. Share, like, and comment on their content that catches your attention. Stand out by offering your valuable opinion and insight. Engaging with the community is among the best ways for freelancers to build their influence and market their services to get more clients.
Jordan Duran, 6 ICE
Use Keywords in Your Offers
How do headhunters seek freelancers to hire? They use search engines. Of course, it’s an oversimplification because the process is quite more complicated. But the more relevant your profile, the higher it ranks in search results. You can boost its relevance by using keywords in your offers. You will be higher in search results, and you’ll be more likely to attract clients.
Karolina Zajac, PhotoAiD
Diversify Your Outreach
Freelancers should diversify their marketing outreach with motivation. Social media is a staple of successful marketing campaigns. The cost to maintain an account on most of the major sites is minimal if not free. Choose three social media platforms that make the most sense for your product, service, or industry. Streamline the content across all three, changing superficial details of captions or copy as desired. Meeting the customer and clientele base where they are in the digital space is critical. Selecting the appropriate channels and promoting your business is a great way to stay engaged with and attract new patrons.
Thomas Yuan, Sanebox
Seek Jobs from Former Clients
All of my business has been built from past co-workers and former clients (from my previous agency). When things got tough as the pandemic hit, I asked for help. I went to former clients, former colleagues, friends, etc. and I made a genuine request for help. Not begging, obviously, but told them that with COVID, I've lost a substantial amount of business. I would appreciate being your first call should anything come up, and appreciate keeping an ear out on my behalf for any opportunities you hear about. Being genuine, honest, and humble can save your business.
John Marzolph, RedPla.net
BONUS TIP: Take an Online Freelancing Course
Online courses help you skip the trial and error and get right to the good stuff. You can save yourself a ton of time and effort by trying what works. Fleurish Freelance’s new online freelancing course focuses on all things marketing. It covers the two things you need before you start pitching clients, tips on building a portfolio (even when you’re brand new to freelancing), where to find clients, and how to make a strong impression. It’s also on sale for 50% off for a limited time.
Which of these freelance marketing tips are you most excited to try? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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