Whether you are new to freelance writing, or you’ve been doing it for decades, we all share one issue.
That issue is getting new freelance writing clients.
When you work for yourself, you are responsible for obtaining your own clients. There isn’t a list of prospects handed to you. You don’t have a page of numbers for cold calling. You must do it all yourself.
Finding new freelance writing clients takes up a good amount of your time. Some of your time goes toward completing your contracts. But the rest involves sourcing and acquiring new projects.
This is especially true for beginning freelance writers. If you are new to the game, you don’t have a solid portfolio. Nor do you have repeat clientele or a strong client base to recommend you. Beginning freelancers spend the most of their time obtaining new freelance writing clients.
Experienced freelancers are still responsible for getting new projects. But the task is easier since they already have an established client base.
Either way, you’re here because you want to know how to get new freelance writing clients. So, let’s get into that.
Perfect Your Specialization
This blog has discussed the importance of finding your niche several times. We talked about it recently in regards to marketing yourself.
Well, I’m going to mention it in this article, too.
At this point, you should know your niche. Once you do, focus on that area. Learn what you can and become an expert in that area.
Perfecting your area of specialization makes finding clients easier. When you know you excel at writing about finance, find clients seeking those specific deliverables. Clients seeking other services are a waste of your time.
If you are an expert in your field, it also makes you more desirable as a freelance writer. So, it narrows your pool of potential clients. And makes you more desirable to clients in that narrowed pool.
Build Up Your Portfolio
Having a strong portfolio is critical for freelance writers. It’s the best way for showcasing your skills and abilities. And, if you have experience, it showcases past projects that you’ve worked on and completed.
You want a strong portfolio as a freelance writer. It demonstrates what you deliver. Instead of clients guessing at your abilities, they can see it. Clients look at your portfolio and determine whether you are a good fit or not.
Many clients won’t play the guessing game. So, without a portfolio, they won’t hire you.
If you want more clients, build your portfolio and show prospects what they’d be getting.
Improve Your Pitch
It’s rare that you’ll have clients approach you with the clear decision that they’ll hire you. It does happen. But don’t rely on this strategy for finding new freelance writing clients.
Even when clients approach you, it’s still expected that you’ll make a pitch before clients decide on hiring you.
This means you need a solid pitch.
For each client, your pitch will differ. That’s because they have varying needs and expectations. But, the core structure remains the same.
Prove to clients that you understand their needs and expectations. Show them how hiring you fulfills those needs. And explain the benefits that hiring you provides. Mention any certifications, along with past projects relevant to the client’s project.
Keep your pitch short. Long pitches put off many clients. They want the gist of what you provide and how it benefits them. At the end of your pitch, mention setting up a time for discussing your capabilities in more detail.
The pitch gets your foot in the door.
Network Online and Offline
Networking is an ongoing activity. It isn’t as simple as passing out your cards at one event.
I know this because I have done this. I went to one professional networking event years ago. I made business cards specifically for it. And that was it. I didn’t go to more networking events after. From it, I got one prospect. Which didn’t land me a freelance writing project.
It was a failure. So, I have experience backing my claim to you when I say proper networking is ongoing.
For offline networking, check for in-person events in your area. Attend writing workshops and literary gatherings. Seek professional events that you can speak at, as well. Sharing your knowledge is essential to finding freelance writing clients.
Another opportunity for finding clients is aligning yourself with other freelancers. Freelance web designers, graphic designers, or project managers are all suitable for partnerships. They often need high-quality writing for their own projects. And, as a partner, other freelancers will share those projects with you.
For online networking, there are plenty of virtual business meetings. Look into online communities that align with your speciality and integrate yourself among them, too. Share your knowledge via social media and professional forums. And consider becoming active on freelance networks.
Volunteer Your Services
Obviously, volunteering your services doesn’t pay the bills. Regardless, it’s a viable method of landing new freelance writing clients.
It’s particularly helpful for new freelance writers.
Volunteering is a great method of networking. It connects you with other freelancers and professionals relating to your field. These connections turn into future jobs and projects.
Volunteering also grants you more projects for your portfolio. The beefier your portfolio is, the more comfortable clients are about hiring you.
Market Yourself
I’ve written an entire article about marketing yourself. Along with an article about email marketing. I’ll keep it brief here.
Marketing yourself includes a lot of things. Engage in content marketing by maintaining a blog and being a guest poster. Create infographics and polls that engage potential clients. And be active on social media.
Email marketing, speaking engagements, and partnerships are also part of marketing yourself.
When it comes to landing clients, marketing plays a big role in getting your name and skills out there. It builds your connections, which aids in word-of-mouth referrals. It also shares your expertise and builds up your portfolio. These are essential for landing new freelance writing clients.
Keep Improving
As with most things in life, the first step is the hardest. Once you land that first new client, the process of finding more gets easier.
However, that doesn’t mean you stagnate.
As your career continues, improve yourself. Continue doing research that betters your knowledge. Take on new projects that expand your experience. Participate in training, even.
The point is that you cannot remain the same with freelance writing. Especially if you want to continue landing new freelance writing clients.
You’ll never grow professionally, if you don’t grow yourself.