As a freelancer, you’ll agree that finding new clients and starting a new freelance gig has become increasingly difficult. The freelance business is now at the booming phase. Still, gig-workers buddying up with clients face many challenges. You may be a member of many paid websites that promise you clients, but with no actionable results. However, you can get a continuous flow of clients free of cost. Read on to learn how to devise a strategy that will blend apps, tools, and creativity to increase your client base. 1. Referral From a Client or Anyone You Know Referrals from previous clients usually work better than alternative marketing tactics. It is quite common for businesses to search for the best service provider among their peers to avoid some of the hectic bidding processes. So, it is vital that you ask your existing clients to refer you to other businesses. Your best chance of finding clients is to ask around among your friends. They could also be your family members, mentors, former colleagues, managers at previous employment, etc. Let them know that you’re looking for referrals. 2. Publish Marketing Blog Contents Maintaining a blog site with a marketing objective is the most cost-effective way of spreading brand awareness among prospective clients. You can start blogging from websites like WordPress, Blogger, Medium, Hexo, etc., for free. When you’ll post content, make sure that the writing tone has a sales outlook. If you’re a WordPress developer/designer, publish content that appeals to the target audience to recruit you. For example, write how responsive websites increase sales up to a certain percentage and that you’re an expert in delivering such websites. 3. Start Guest Posting in Reputable Websites Many business owners, managers, and individual entrepreneurs subscribe to reputable online technology or business-oriented websites to stay updated. Hence, you need to send proposals to such websites and find out if you can publish your creatives on their platform. Doing so will increase your work’s visibility to the people who have the hiring authority. Some of the best guest posting sites are: Answerout.com for freelance SEO gigs. Content Marketing Institute for content writers. HubSpot Blog for general marketing. AllBusiness.com for small business gigs. Mashable for social media marketing gigs. GetResponse Blog for email marketers. Slashdot for technology gigs. Hongkiat for website designers and developers. 4. Maintain an Updated and Versatile Portfolio Create a digital portfolio in multiple formats like website, video, and PDF. You should also include a convincing cover letter and summary resume in your portfolio. Once your portfolio is ready, you need to publish it on a searchable portfolio platform to attract clients. Based on your skills, you can try any of the following portfolio platforms to display your gig: Graphic Artists Guild Coroflot Hireillo Sortfolio SolidGigs Upwork PeoplePerHour Fiverr 5. Focus on LinkedIn Networking Managers and recruiters from medium to large businesses prefer LinkedIn for the hiring purpose. Additionally, on Google and Bing searches for names or skills, LinkedIn is often the first search […]
