You Must Understand The CAP To Become A Profitable Full-Time Freelancer

Optimizing Your Client Acquisition Strategy

Photo by Yang Deng on Unsplash

Marketplaces are the worst place you could look for freelance gigs. Almost all of the beginner freelancers I speak to assume the best way to begin their journey is to create a profile on platforms like Upwork, fiver, freelancer, etc. This couldn’t be further from the truth. These platforms may seem like they’re giving you a great deal: making clients easy to find for freelancers, and freelancers easy to find for clients. They are not. If you want to build a truly flourishing freelance business, you must understand the CAP.

CAP is an acronym short for Client Acquisition Pyramid — a concept I came across by fellow freelancer, Brennan Dunn. It’s essentially a pyramid divided into six different sections. Each level up the pyramid represents greater profitability and difficulty.

Note: See How and Why You Should Move out of Marketplaces by Brennan Dunn.

The Client Acquisition Pyramid (CAP); Image By Author

By understanding what each level entails, the benefits, and the disadvantages, you can optimize your client acquisition strategy to help you land more high-paying…