Getting Clients / Freelancing

[ravlondon]

What is the most effective way of getting clients for a Freelance business?

I have heard multiple suggestions, freelance sites, business networking, creating a website?

Currently considering LinkedIn messaging as the most serious option.

 

Anyone have any experience of this?

Any other advice on Freelancing?

[Lyubov]

I've made a living as a self employed person who was freelancing and supporting myself for 2 years doing this. Due to the current world situation and some relocating I am doing this less now (hope to start doing it again in 2021) and am back to working normal service jobs. The #1 thing when it comes to getting clients and freelancing as a self employed individual is that you have to obviously be offering something of value people want and that is in demand. That is literally 80-90% of it. The rest is just signing up to websites that match you with potential customers and then having them recommend you new ones so you aren't paying a commission to a website if they matched you. It really depends on what you are offering. Certain skills are in more demand that others. If you are a freelance web developer or graphic designer expect for it to take a while to find clients cause that field is super oversaturated. It basically all comes down to what you are offering. 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Lyubov

[Yarco]

Start on somewhere like Upwork if you need to. The money won't be the best, but it gets you a start and experience.

You absolutely need a website. Not as a way of getting clients. Your contact form will be 99% spam. But a website is proof of legitimacy and clients might not give you a chance without it. I would never hire some dude with a gmail address that doesn't even have a basic website with some examples of his work. If you can't invest $100/yr in a website and a few hours to set it up, I know you're not serious about your business.

A LinkedIn profile by itself won't get you jobs. I get about 10 people looking at my profile each week but only 2 or 3 have ever reached out. When I replied, they flaked and never responded to me again. However, messaging people might work as long as it doesn't come across as spammy. Make sure to personalize it to them a lot, not just one generic message you send everyone or you won't get anywhere.

Cold emailing is the most uncomfortable but also likely to get results. Try to brainstorm as many businesses as you can that you'd like to work with, then reach out and offer your services. Obviously try to stick to smaller companies and startups, not Microsoft or Pepsi.

[ravlondon]

Thanks for the responses.

@Lyubov I am in SEO, I currently am working with a WordPress developer and am getting work through him at the moment, although looking for more.

@Yarco I have signed up to Upwork and it currently looks far more promising than Fiverr.

I started a website, but I would have to make it rank well so that people know that I am a good SEO, but ranking takes time. Will continue with the website when I'm getting responses for my outreach, via email, LinkedIn, Upwork.