Becoming a freelancer is a great way to earn extra money, and full time freelancers can accumulate even more.
When starting your freelance career, there are several challenges you must overcome, and getting your first client can be the hardest.
In this guide, you’ll find some of the best ways to find a freelance job, things to look out for when picking a client, and ways to stay relevant during your time as a freelancer.
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What exactly is a freelancer?
Freelancing is a type of job that allows you to offer your skills to any potential employer that is willing to pay for those skills.
A unique feature of a freelance business is that it allows you to work for several employers at the same time, which is much different from a traditional full time job.
In most cases, you’re getting paid on a project basis, and you have full control of your schedule. However, to start freelancing, you’ll need to do a few things, including:
- Pick a niche that ties directly to your expertise
- Create a rates structure to reflect your skills
- Clearly outline what skills and services you will offer
7 Ways to quickly find freelance work
As you get serious about your freelance career, you’ll need to figure out how to find the clients that pay well. To be honest, your first client might not pay the best, but you’ll need them to grow your reputation.
Nonetheless, you can always improve your chances of landing a high-paying gig by taking these actions:
1. Join freelance marketplaces
An invaluable tool for every new freelancer is a freelance marketplace. These are online platforms through which you can connect to various potential clients. A huge benefit of these sites is that you get to meet hundreds of clients in one location.
These sites function by letting clients post their job listings, scope of work, budget, and deadlines. As a freelancer, you then have the option to go through every job posting related to your skill, and pick anyone that you feel matches your talents.
However, you will have to compete with other freelancers to get these jobs.
Clients you meet on the freelance marketplaces are usually around for the duration of a project, which is typically a short-term contract. There are several trustworthy marketplaces you can visit, including:
- WeSellTalent
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- PeoplePerHour
- Flexjobs
- Craigslist
- Dribbble
- Workhoppers
- GoLance
2. Research your ideal client profile
Many top companies are looking to hire freelancers for remote jobs, but you won’t find them on freelance marketplaces. Instead, visiting the Career page of the company’s website can let you in on some excellent opportunities.
You should focus on any company looking to hire freelancers or remote workers, but you should also be ready to adjust to their requirements.
For instance, a remote job might not give you as much control over your schedule like a freelance gig, but it’s a great option for a steady pay.
3. Improve your online visibility
As a freelancer, you can’t always be online to search for potential clients. So, you have to ensure they can find you when you’re doing something else.
The easiest way to do this is to boost your online visibility by showcasing your work on various platforms. Many freelancers do so on marketplaces like WeSellTalent, Fiverr and Upwork, while others prefer social platforms like LinkedIn and FlexJobs.
However, you should also consider building a personal website or blog.
A website is an excellent option if you’re trying to attract window-shopping clients. Here, you can provide a list of your services, showcase your work, and provide contact details.
4. Make the most of social media
There is a lot more to social media than posting vacation pictures, and the top freelancers know this. Using social media the right way, you can share your experience and solidify your position as an expert in your field.
How you choose to use your social media pages will depend on what kind of work you do.
If you’re a copywriter, posting thought-provoking and engaging content that highlights your expertise is crucial. For web developers, giving viewers a glimpse of your personal projects and a link to your GitHub is a great idea.
Social media also gives you a chance to network with other freelancers through options like Facebook groups. Although there are many ways to find freelance gigs on your own, others can recommend you for jobs they’re too busy to take.
Plus, being part of a freelance community ensures you have people to talk to if you have issues regarding a project.
5. Send targeted cold outreach
Many of the best clients are those who offer long-term working opportunities.
These employers make it possible for you to survive even when you’re finding it difficult to land a new client.
So, how do you get your long term clients?
It’s possible to get them through sites like WeSellTalent, Fiverr or Upwork, but many clients on these marketplaces are often looking for help on short-term projects. For most long-term gigs, reaching out to clients directly works wonders.
To do so, you’ll need to send cold emails which you personalize to each potential client. You can find the necessary email address and information you need by going through the LinkedIn page or company website, so you know what the client needs and how you fit in.
Sending an email is like walking up to someone’s home and knocking on their door. While you can get a no for an answer, you don’t lose anything by making an attempt.
6. Collect previous clients testimonials
Word-of-mouth is one of the best advertising strategies, and it works for your freelance business. A potential client will be more interested in what your other clients have to say about you and your services before listening to you.
If you’ve been on WeSellTalent, you’ll notice that every freelancer has a rating.
These ratings are aggregates of all the reviews you receive from each client you work with on the site. Thanks to the rating system, new clients can find top talents with the knowledge and expertise they need.
For freelancers who own a website, the rating system may not be in place, but you can use the testimonials as an alternative. You can make this more trustworthy by linking each one to an actual employer or company, if they approve.
7. Pay for a coworking space
The beauty of freelancing is the option to set your own schedule and choose your workplace. You can decide to work from home, or find a coworking space to complete your tasks.
If you’re new to the business, then I highly recommend trying out a co working space. A coworking space allows you to share a work space with other professionals, who are usually freelancers.
While the primary goal of these spaces is to help boost your productivity, you should also take advantage of the chance to start building your network.
Interacting with other freelancers will give you a chance to share knowledge and also makes it possible to meet new clients. Depending on the relationships you build, you’ll also get referrals from these new individuals you add to your network.
How to stay relevant as a freelancer?
The freelancing industry is a competitive space and more people keep joining the community. With more freelancers, it means you have more competition for the limited jobs available.
If you want to be able to land clients consistently, then you must find ways to remain relevant in your niche, such as:
Don’t stop learning and upskill
The world is constantly changing, and the things that made you an expert a year ago might be commonplace now. As a freelancer, you need to continue to learn and upskill to stay ahead of your competition.
As you learn, you’ll gain information on the latest trends, which can provide insights on new skills you can acquire to stand out. Having more skills to offer gives you a chance to connect with more clients, which is always great.
Let your social media speak for you
As mentioned earlier, social media is important, and it’s a great way to stay relevant in your community. If you’re into photography, Instagram is a great place to showcase your work.
For writers, platforms like Medium, LinkedIn, and X are excellent options to share tips or post your content.
Whatever you post on your social media pages should relate to the skills you want to promote. Depending on the number of followers you gather, your freelance journey can quickly push you into a career as an influencer.
As an influencer, you’ll get paid for posting content on sites like YouTube, X, Medium, and Instagram, while some companies will pay you for a social media marketing campaign.
A little flexibility doesn’t hurt
When starting out with a new client, things like a contract, payment terms, and deadlines should be discussed upfront to avoid issues.
However, as you complete more projects with a client, there will be instances that require a bit of flexibility. When you get to this stage, it helps to be considerate.
This should only become an option as you grow your client base and notice a few that are worth holding on to long-term. Your willingness to be flexible to meet a clients demands often builds trust, which works in your favour.
What to avoid when looking for clients
As a freelancer, you will be working with many individuals, so you have to choose your employers carefully. If you’re using a site like WeSellTalent, you’ll find lots of information regarding new clients, making it easy to select trustworthy individuals.
However, if you’re taking jobs from social media or through your website, you’ll need to do the screening on your own.
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for your first client or trying to get additional employers; you shouldn’t be too desperate to take on just anyone.
Before accepting a client, try to check for these red flags:
Clients with an over the top budget
Finding high paying clients is your goal as a freelancer, but you should be able to separate a genuine rate from a scam.
When you find a client offering a rate that seems too good to be true, then it’s possible you may not get paid, or there will be a lot of back and forth in a bid to cut your pay.
Anyone who requests excessive free samples
As a freelancer, your time and skills are valuable, so you must be getting paid when you use them. If you come across a client who requests a free sample, they’re getting you to use your skill, but they’re not paying for the service.
Another problem with free samples is the fact that the potential client now has access to your ideas, and this can be outsourced to someone else. So, they get you to provide an initial mockup while looking for someone cheaper to complete the task.
Clients who try to evade contract signing
A lot of freelance relationships are built on trust, but there must be a way to bind the client and freelancer. The most efficient way to do this is through a contract. A great contract will list all the requirements, payment terms, termination clause, and deadlines of the project.
Without a contract, there is nothing legally binding between you and a client.
This can become a serious problem when you encounter a client who refuses to pay for your services, despite you having completed the work to expectations.
If you don’t know how to go about creating a contract, you can check online for templates or visit a lawyer if you have the funds.
Remember, the contract is only valid once both parties sign it.
The micromanagers and uninvolved clients
When it comes to freelancing, you want to be able to express your creative ideas to align with the needs of your client.
To achieve this, there must be a decent level of input from the client during the project.
Despite the need for input, clients who micromanage or become overinvolved can be a problem. These clients want you to provide an update every time you take an action, and usually expect you to be available whenever they decide to contact you.
Not only does this eat into your time, but it also strongly indicates that the client doesn’t trust your skills.
While getting out of the crosshairs of micromanagers is great, clients who seem to be unavailable during the project period can be a headache.
The problem with this situation is that while it gives you leeway to go about a project as you see fit, you’re completing it based on your preference. At the end of the day, the client will review the work and likely respond that it is not aligned with their vision.
An employer who behaves unprofessionally
We all have sudden fits of uneasiness after interacting with some individuals, but can’t seem to point to a specific reason.
This is often a gut feeling or bad vibe that you shouldn’t ignore as a freelancer. It doesn’t matter if the pay is great, it’s best to trust your human instinct at this point.
Conclusion
Anyone can start freelancing today, but building a successful business requires you to know how to find the right employers.
You’ll come across different types of clients as you go through various stages of freelancing, but you must ensure you always find yourself in a win-win situation.
Remember, freelancing is more than finding the right jobs that pay well. You also have to ensure you’re maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Unlike a regular job, your success as a freelancer depends on your ability to work.