Break into Freelancing? 8 Powerful Techniques to Attract Your First Client

Lucia Pan
ILLUMINATION
Published in
4 min readApr 3, 2023

Get Ready to Kickstart Your Freelance Career!

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

Starting a freelance business can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to finding and attracting clients. With the right approach, you can successfully launch your freelance career and build a steady stream of clients.

In this article, we will explore practical ways to launch your freelance clients. These methods can help you launch your first freelance clients or establish yourself as a professional freelancer and grow your client base.

This article includes:

#1 Your Friends, Families, and Collages:

#2 Freelancing Websites:

#3 Email Outreach:

#4 Go Local:

#5 LinkedIn:

#6 Agencies:

#7 Social Media Platforms:

#8 Display Ads

#1 Your Friends, Families and Collages:

You can find work from friends, family, and colleagues by networking and letting them know you’re looking for employment. You can reach out to them through personal email, social media, or meeting with them in person.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask for referrals or to let your network know that you’re actively seeking new opportunities.

#2 Freelancing Websites:

Using freelancing websites can be an effective way to get clients as a freelancer. You can sign up for marketplaces like Upwork, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour and Fiverr, where clients can find and hire freelancers for specific projects.

On freelancing websites, making a professional profile, specializing in your niche and being active in the marketplace is important.

Check this article: I Rated 10 Popular Freelance Websites for Newbies, and their Pros and Cons.

#3 Email Outreach:

Email outreach is still one of the most powerful tools for building relationships, promoting products or services, and generating leads.

It allows you to directly target and communicate with potential customers or partners, provide valuable information, and establish yourself as a trustworthy and knowledgeable source in your industry.

You can do cold email outreach to potential contacts or create a landing page to attract customers.

Check this article: How to Write a Compelling Cold Email? Follow These 8 Tips!

#4 Go Local:

Similar to talking with the people you already know, you can also find work from local shops and businesses. You can reach out to companies and organizations in your local area that you think could benefit from your services and offer your services.

Moreover, attend local events and meetups related to your industry, talk to people you meet and let them know you’re looking for freelance work.

It is also helpful to join a professional association in your field that can provide you with access to job listings, networking opportunities, and other resources.

Photo by Tristan Colangelo on Unsplash

#5 LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform with over 700 million users, making it an effective tool for B2B marketing and networking. LinkedIn marketing allows you to:

  1. Reach a targeted audience: LinkedIn will enable you to target your ideal customer based on their job title, industry, and location.
  2. Establish thought leadership: Share content and engage with your audience to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
  3. Generate leads: Utilize LinkedIn’s advertising platform to reach a wider audience and generate leads for your business.
  4. Network and build relationships: LinkedIn is an excellent platform for connecting with other professionals and building relationships that can lead to new business opportunities.
  5. Enhance brand visibility: LinkedIn provides a professional platform to showcase your brand and increase visibility among your target audience.

#6 Agencies:

Marketing agencies offer various services, including market research, brand development, advertising and media planning, public relations, event marketing, and digital marketing.

Marketing agencies often employ a team of experts in different marketing disciplines and use data and research to inform their decisions and measure the results of their efforts. And they are likely collaborating with freelancers to assist with their work.

You can connect with agencies via LinkedIn or find them on the websites.

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash

#7 Social Media Platforms:

Social media platforms offer numerous benefits, such as increasing brand visibility, Engagement with customers, improving search engine rankings, improving customer loyalty and marketing at a low cost.

At the same time, keep in mind that those are not the quickest platforms to find work, but nurturing a relationship and creating value first.

#8 Use Google or Facebook Display Ads:

Usage the power of Google or Facebook Display Ads to reach a broad audience and drive engagement with your content. By targeting specific demographics and interests, you can increase visibility, attract potential customers, and boost your brand’s online presence efficiently.

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Lucia Pan
ILLUMINATION

Life-long learner / journey to ideal life -- Freelancing, Productivity and Lifestyle. You can work with me here: https://www.fiverr.com/luciapan