5 Keys Super Elements to Grow Freelance Business

Expanding your freelance business clientele can be a challenging endeavor in a competitive marketplace. With an estimated 57 million freelancers in the US alone, standing out takes strategy and perseverance. While building an initial client base often relies heavily on your personal and professional network, long-term success requires establishing your expertise, targeting ideal clients, and diversifying your outreach approaches.

This guide provides 5 proven tactics that freelancers around the world leverage to find new clients and grow their freelance business. Whether you just started freelancing or have been at it for years, a thoughtful and multi-pronged strategy is key to building a solid clientele base for sustainable success. With a mix of online and offline strategies from improving your online presence to networking events to cold outreach, I have covered actionable ways to get your services in front of your ideal clients.

While expanding your freelance business takes time and dedication, implementing even a few of these strategies can help attract quality clients aligned with your niche, rates, and work style preferences. Use this guide as an overview of potential avenues to focus your energy and identify the strategies that best fit your freelance business goals and strengths. Let’s dive in!

Define Your Freelance Business Niche

As a freelancer just starting out, it can be tempting to say “yes” to every project that comes your way. However, while you’re building your clientele, it’s important to define a niche so you can really master a specific skill set.

Specializing allows you to become an expert in a particular area. Rather than being a jack-of-all-trades, you become known as the person to hire for a specific type of project. This helps you stand out from the competition.

When defining your niche, consider:

• Your skills, interests, and experience
• Trends in your industry
• Types of projects you want to work on
• Services with high demand and low competition
• Clients or industries you’d like to serve

The more focused your niche, the easier it will be to market yourself and find your ideal clients. Over time, as you build expertise and relationships, you can expand your services. But starting out, aim to deeply specialize in one or two closely related areas.

Becoming known as an expert in a well-defined niche gives you credibility with clients. It shows you can consistently deliver excellent results in your specialty. This differentiation will help you build a solid freelance business.

Build an Online Portfolio

Your freelance business portfolio website is one of the most important tools for attracting new clients as a freelancer. An impressive portfolio showcases your skills, experience, and work samples all in one place. When potential clients visit your site, you want them to quickly see that you have the expertise to complete their project successfully.

Here are some tips for creating a portfolio site that converts visitors into clients:

• Pick a clean, professional design. Your site’s design should be attractive but avoid anything too flashy or distracting. You want the focus to be on your content.
• Make your services clear. List the types of projects you take on and services you offer so prospects know immediately if you’re a good fit.
• Showcase your best work. Curate your top 5-10 samples and explain each project briefly. Include glowing testimonials if you have them.
• Optimize for mobile. Many will view your site on mobile, so ensure it looks great on different devices. Simple, responsive themes work well.
• Add a clear call to action. You want visitors to contact you, so include an obvious email address, contact form, or booking link.
• Highlight client logos. Displaying recognizable companies you’ve worked with builds trust and credibility.
• Update frequently. Adding new work samples and content shows prospects your portfolio is active, and you’re eager for new business.

With a polished online portfolio that demonstrates your expertise and experience, you can attract clients more effectively as a freelancer. Keep your site updated, and be sure to share the link frequently when networking and marketing your services.

Network Both Online and Offline

Networking is crucial for freelancers to connect with potential clients. By expanding your professional network both online and offline, you increase your visibility and opportunities.

Reach Out on Social Media

Leverage your social media presence on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to connect with prospects. Share examples of your work, insights from your expertise, and thought leadership content. Follow relevant hashtags and engage with others in your industry. Don’t overly promote yourself, but participate in discussions and establish yourself as a subject matter expert.

Join targeted social media groups and contribute value to build relationships. Many groups dedicated to professions, skills, and interests have forums where you can showcase your knowledge. But avoid spamming groups with pitches for work. Social platforms are about community, so focus on helping others. You can include a link to your website or portfolio in your profile.

Join Relevant Freelance Job Boards

Sign up for popular freelance job boards like Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, and Guru. Your profile summarizes your skills, experience, portfolio, and rates. This helps prospective freelance business clients find you when searching for freelancers.

Proactively apply for interesting projects that fit your abilities. When submitting proposals, customize them to show you understand and can deliver on the client’s needs. Set alerts so you’re notified about new freelance business projects requiring your expertise.

Also, consider joining professional associations and networking groups relevant to your industry on platforms like Meetup and LinkedIn. Interact regularly to connect with members who may need your services.

Attend Industry Events

Attending relevant industry events is a great way to expand your freelance business clientele by connecting with potential clients in person. Conferences and meetups related to your niche allow you to network face-to-face and make a strong impression.

Look for both large and small events to attend. Large conferences may have hundreds or thousands of attendees and big-name speakers. While these can be worthwhile, smaller meetups of 20-50 people allow for more personal connections.

When attending events, come prepared to connect. Have a stack of business cards to hand out and an elevator pitch ready to briefly explain your services. Treat events as an opportunity to initiate conversations and follow up later, not necessarily land clients on the spot.

Look into speaking or volunteering at industry events as well. Giving a talk or workshop demonstrates your expertise. Volunteering gets you noticed and connected with organizers.

The goal is to meet people, start relationships, and become known. Conferences and meetups put you face-to-face with potential freelance business clients. Attend consistently and follow up to turn new connections into long-term clients.

Get Freelance Business Client Referrals

One of the most effective ways to expand your freelance business clientele is through referrals from existing, satisfied clients. While you can’t force clients to refer you, you can encourage referrals by consistently providing excellent work and nurturing your relationships.

• Make it clear to clients that you appreciate referrals. Remind them you are open to taking on new clients and let them know you would appreciate them passing your name along.
• Go above and beyond on projects to wow clients. Clients who are very satisfied with your work are most likely to refer you. Provide excellent customer service and deliver high-quality work on time and on budget.
• Ask clients if they know of any businesses or contacts that could benefit from your services. Make it easy for them to connect you with new leads.
• Maintain an ongoing relationship with past clients. Check-in periodically to ask how they are doing, and let them know you would be happy to work with them or their contacts again.
• Offer referral rewards or discounts. Consider providing a discount on future work or a gift card if an existing client refers new business to you.
• Get testimonials. Positive reviews and testimonials from past clients can give you credibility when prospecting new clients.
• Network with your clients and their professional contacts. Attend industry events or ask clients to make warm introductions to potential new clients.
• Stay top of mind by sending a newsletter or updates showcasing your latest work. This provides clients with news to pass along to contacts.
• Provide exceptional service, not just adequate work. Clients refer people they truly trust to provide an amazing experience.

By focusing on client relationships and satisfaction, you can earn freelance business referrals over time. These personal recommendations enable you to expand your reach and clientele.

Run Targeted Ads

Paid advertising is a great way for freelancers to get their services in front of potential new clients. With targeted ads, you can reach people who are specifically searching for the type of work you do.

Some effective strategies for using ads to expand your freelance business clientele include:

• Set up pay-per-click ads through Google Ads or Facebook Ads. You only pay when someone clicks your ad. Make sure to target relevant keywords related to your niche so your ads show for searches in your field.
• Create LinkedIn-sponsored posts and target them to your ideal client demographics like job title, industry, location, etc. LinkedIn ads let you tap into professional networks.
• Run Instagram and Facebook ads focused on your niche. You can target location, age, interests, job titles, and more. Use compelling images and copy in your ads to capture attention.
• Partner with relevant bloggers and sites to run sponsored post ads. This gets your service in front of engaged audiences who read sites related to your field.
• Retarget past website visitors through platforms like Facebook Pixel. This way, you can follow up with those who’ve shown interest.
• Track analytics to see which ads perform best. Double down on the highest converting placements, keywords, and creatives. Kill underperforming ads.
• Test different headlines, ad copy, images, keywords, and placements to optimize performance. Take learnings to improve future ads.

Running strategic, targeted ads is a proactive way for freelancers to put their services front and center before qualified prospects in their niche. With the right targeting and messaging, ads can be an invaluable client acquisition channel.

Send Cold Emails

Cold outreach via email can be an effective way to connect with potential new clients, but it requires thoughtfully crafted messaging to succeed. When doing cold outreach:

• Research your target clients and customize your messages to appeal directly to them. Generic emails will be ignored.
• Keep your emails concise and scannable, with a compelling subject line. Get to the point quickly about why you’d be a great fit to work together.
• Avoid sounding like sales person. Focus on introducing yourself and sparking interest in your services.
• Consider a 3-email drip campaign to follow up if you don’t hear back after the initial message. But avoid badgering clients if they don’t respond.
• Track your outreach efforts in a CRM so you can refine and improve your approach over time. Evaluate what works best for subject lines, messaging, timing, etc.
• Use an email tracking tool to see if your emails are opened and clicked. Adjust your approach if emails aren’t getting through.
• Personalize each email with the client’s name, company, and details that show you did your research on them.
• Offer something of value like a free sample or consultation to provide an incentive for a new client to reply.
• Suggest a quick 20-minute call to discuss their needs and see if you’re a potential fit to work together. Don’t send long proposals or content samples right away.

With persistence and continually optimized outreach, cold emails can become an excellent client acquisition strategy for freelancers looking to expand their business. But focus on quality over quantity and aim to build relationships, not just land gigs.

Guest Post Relevant Blogs

Guest posting on industry blogs is a great way to get your name and expertise in front of potential new clients. Start by identifying blogs that reach your target audience and align with your niche.

• Search Google for relevant blogs, look through blog directories like AllTop, or check influencers in your field and see what sites they contribute to.
• Make a list of blogs that seem like a good fit. Read through the sites to get a feel for the type of content they publish.
• Look at their guest post guidelines or contact page to see if they accept contributions. Many blogs openly state if they allow guest posts.
• Pitch the blog owners relevant post ideas that provide value for their audience. For example, provide tips from your experience, case studies, industry analysis, etc.
• If they agree to a post, provide a high-quality draft that aligns with their guidelines. Insert a short bio with a link back to your site.
• After publication, promote the post on your own social media and link to it from your website. This builds authority and shows you have been featured as an expert.
• Nurture relationships with blog owners by providing helpful comments on their site and sharing their content. This can lead to additional guest post opportunities.

Getting your expertise published on established industry blogs exposes you to new audiences and helps position you as a thought leader. Just make sure the content provides value for readers by sharing your knowledge and experience. This strategy takes persistence but can yield great results in expanding your freelance business clientele.

All-The-Best to Practice These Secrets to Get More Freelance Business Clients

Growing your freelance business clientele takes effort and persistence, but the payoff of steady work and a thriving business makes it all worthwhile. I have covered several key strategies to expand your client base as a freelancer:

• Define your niche so you can position yourself as an expert in a specific area and attract ideal clients. Create a portfolio, website, and marketing materials tailored to your niche.
• Build an impressive online portfolio that showcases your skills and past work. A portfolio helps establish credibility and gives potential clients a preview of what you can deliver.
• Network both online and offline to build relationships and connect with potential clients. Attend industry events, check freelance job boards, and leverage social media and LinkedIn.
• Get referrals from existing happy clients and contacts. Referrals are one of the best ways to generate new business since they come pre-qualified. Offer referrals in return.
• Run targeted online ads to reach clients looking for your freelance business services. Target key demographics, interests, and search terms aligned with your niche.
• Send cold emails and pitches to potential clients, tailoring your outreach and focusing on providing value. Follow up professionally.
• Guest posts on industry blogs read by your ideal clients. This helps showcase expertise and brings new traffic.

With persistence and dedication to these strategies, you can build a thriving base of freelance clients over time. Reach out to potential clients, consistently deliver great work, and exceed expectations to turn contacts into repeat business. The effort is well worth it for the freedom and fulfillment of freelancing success!