Social media is a great way to connect with people and find potential clients. Use Instagram to showcase your work in a unique and creative way or highlight behind-the-scenes visuals of your process. LinkedIn is great for publishing posts to showcase your expertise and increase your thought leadership on a topic. Each social media platform is different, so understand each and leverage its uniqueness to your advantage.
Often overlooked, MailChimp is a practical, and easy to use email-marketing tool that freelancers can use to build community and keep their contacts updated on their work. You can use MailChimp to send out your latest blog post, a recent project or links to your favorite articles. The key is to create a schedule (bi-weekly or monthly) and only provide information and resources that are relative and useful to your contacts.
If you’re passionate about what you do, and you want to help others, make money and attract new clients, you should consider creating a class on Skillshare. It might seem like a huge undertaking, but the additional source of income could be helpful until you get a steady stream of freelance projects. If you’re stuck on how to create a class, Skillshare has a workshop to help you get the ball rolling.
Can you share a few tips on how to find freelance work?
Connect with potential clients. The easiest way to connect with a potential client is to contact them directly. If you’ve developed a solid plan, you already know what types of clients you’d like to work with, so finding them should be easy. Once you have a targeted list of prospective clients, send them an email, call them or shoot them a Direct Message on Instagram or LinkedIn. The key is to have a tailored, brief pitch that highlights who you are, why you’re reaching out, the service you’re offering and a call to action (email me here, fill out the attached brief, etc.).
Ask for referrals. A great way to increase your project flow is to ask satisfied clients for referrals. Most people trust their friends and colleagues for referrals, so it’s important to make a good impression. To build a strong referral funnel, create a simple and straightforward process and incentive, i.e. refer a friend, and both get $50. The incentive doesn’t have to be monetary, but should be equally beneficial for the current and prospective client.
Get out. While social media is a great way to connect with people and find new opportunities, nothing beats meeting contacts face to face. Attend workshops, meetups and conferences in your industry to build authentic relationships and generate leads.