Freelancing has become increasingly popular, and this is a trend that looks set to grow in the future. If you’ve decided to go freelance, one of the most significant tasks is to find clients and expand your customer base. In this guide, we’ll explore innovative ways you can attract attention. 

Digital marketing

Most of us reach for our phones or laptops when we want to buy a product or research local services or businesses. Search engines have replaced phone directories and they provide us with a quick and easy means of finding everything from plumbers, hairdressers, dentists and hotels to business consultants, accountants and legal firms. If you’re a freelancer looking to add new clients, it’s wise to take steps to enhance your online presence and to utilise the web to create leads. Google alone processes over 40,000 searches per second. If you don’t have a website or your links are popping up on page 3 of the search results, you will struggle to be seen. If you don’t have expertise in search engine optimisation, social media marketing or web design, it’s a great idea to work with a digital marketing agency or a fellow freelancer with expertise in digital techniques to boost your business. A fabulous website will set the right tone, create positive impressions and provide valuable information for prospective clients while effective, targeted SEO and social media marketing will enable more people to discover your business. 

If you want to make sure your SEO is really doing the job, it is often best to hire someone – or a whole team – to help you. Given that you are trying to make your freelancing really work for you, it makes sense to put a little bit of an investment into SEO, as this is one of the major ways in which you can gain more and more clients. With that in mind, seek out a leading SEO agency and see what they might be able to do for you. You’ll probably find that you can simply leave the entire SEO process in their capable hands, and that will enable you to focus on other things – such as those we lay out below.

Reviews, recommendations and referrals

Did you know that over 80% of us trust online reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family? Reviews have become more commonplace in recent years, and they carry more weight than ever. A positive review can increase web traffic and boost lead conversion, while a negative review can put potential buyers off in an instant. If you’re looking to expand your client base, it’s beneficial to use feedback and testimonials to market your services and encourage prospective customers to choose you. Ask existing and previous clients to leave reviews and comments and share feedback on your website and social media channels. It can be reassuring for customers to see verified reviews and it can also enhance credibility and SEO ranking. 

Networking

When you switch from working for an employer to being your own boss, you assume responsibility for finding clients, deciding which projects and jobs to take and setting price points. Networking is an excellent way to meet new people, make contacts and discover opportunities. You can attend industry events, get involved in online networking or use existing contacts to meet prospective clients. If you’re new to networking, be confident, maintain eye contact, smile and try and preempt questions and talking points so that you can keep the conversation flowing. It’s useful to have business cards or materials like brochures with you and to make sure you swap contact details and follow up expressions of interest or job offers. 

Freelancing has become increasingly popular as more people look for flexible opportunities, which enable them to take control of their schedules and salaries. If you’re going freelance, or you’ve recently set up your own venture, it’s important to think about how you’re going to attract new customers and which kinds of clients you’re targeting.