Build a content empire, and they will come.
I stopped looking for clients way, way back in March. I had a mountain of university work to get done and total burnout from doing a lot of searching but coming up short. It seemed like the smart choice.
So I stopped searching and did nothing. I sent no more emails, I cooled off on Twitter, and didn’t really push my services at any events I attended.
And guess what? No potential clients contacted me.
Now there’s a surprise.
I put in near no effort, and I got near nothing in return. That’s generally how it works in life, you see.
But as it turns out, having loads of university work wasn’t the issue. Burnout wasn’t the issue. Lack of enthusiasm or motivation for selling my services to others wasn’t the issue. No, no, no.
The issue was with how I was trying to find clients. It was completely flawed.
For a guy just starting out as a freelancer, approaching small/medium businesses through a cold email was giving measly returns. Not many staff in a fast-paced company have the time to reply to a newbie student freelancer with no portfolio of work and an unclear idea of what services he actually offers.
Constant dead end.
Talking to people face to face generally yielded better results. Again though, the fact I couldn’t quite sum up and explain exactly what I did as a freelancer left me struggling to attract much interest.
Better, but still not good enough.
The method was the issue, I just didn’t see it at the time.
Then I started these daily Chapters, and oh boy did I notice where I was going wrong.
I had no portfolio.
I had no experience.
I had no authority.
And to really push for what you’re expecting to get, you need authority. I needed authority. I needed to show the world what I could do.
So I pivoted.
I moved away from social media and towards digital content. In May I started writing daily. Then, in June, I got back in to making videos and vlogs.
I started creating content, and tried to give that content as much exposure as I could; Facebook shares and Twitter tweets and LinkedIn posts and Wakelet collections. Since May I’ve done as much as I possibly can to put my content in front of anyone and everyone.
And you know what? Since May I’ve become a Wakelet Ambassador, got myself a job, been offered a different job and I’ve been contacted by three potential clients who have expressed an interest in working with me.
I’m still not searching. I haven’t been searching since March. I’ve approached no one and yet I’m still being offered opportunities.
If you build a content empire, people will come.
People will notice your work, especially if you share it in the right places, and they will actively consume it. Even if you think your content is amateurish or low-quality, people will notice the effort you’re putting in.
The key is to not stop. Keep that momentum going, even in the days when doing or creating seems like the hardest part.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was your empire.
