How to Get the Best Clients for You as a Freelance Creative
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As a creative freelancer I find it difficult to know how to find clients. Establishing yourself with a solid group of paying clients takes time and a lot of work.
In this tutorial I share strategies I’ve learned that you can use to know how to find freelance work. Once you establish yourself, it’ll be easier to get clients.
In this article, we cover tips on how to get clients as a freelancer. I’ll also give you some red flags to look for so you can avoid bad clients.
Use these tips to find good clients:
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Watch out for these red flags:
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10 Tips on How to Get Clients as a Creative Freelancer
Are you a freelancer wanting to know how to get clients? Here are my top ten tips on how to get clients as a freelancer:
1. Get Creative on Social Media
There are ways you can use social media to find clients. So, do you know how to find clients on social media? Here are some pointers for a few major social media platforms:
- LinkedIn is a professional platform where you can use the “open to work” box and add #opentowork on your profile. You can also write articles about your field and post your latest projects on social media.
- Instagram can be used as a miniature portfolio where you can showcase your work. Make sure to add your best work and the proper hashtags. You can even directly message people you think would make good clients.
- Facebook is a good place to post links to articles, websites, and other long-form content. Post your projects and have friends and family share them to get more views. Have a business page where customers can leave positive reviews.
This tutorial has more tips on how to use social media for networking:
2. Create a Brand
Having an online presence is important. Develop a brand that shows your values and showcases your work. Creating a brand shows potential clients what you’re about. If they like what they see, then they may contact you. And that’s how to find freelance work through your brand.
This tutorial will help you design a brand for your creative business:
3. Keep Learning and Improving
If you’re wondering how to get freelance work, you may need to work hard to improve your work and your reputation. With each client, you’ll build a portfolio you can show others. You’ll need to get those clients first. Here are some ways you can learn or improve:
- Get certifications to hone your skills.
- Follow up with clients about projects.
- Don’t take on more clients than you can handle.
- Check job boards regularly and submit proposals.
- Have good communication with your clients.
- Be patient and persistent.
- Have the right tools for your work.
4. Ask Clients for Reviews
If you’re wondering where to find freelance work, you can get work from asking clients to give reviews. Good reviews can build a good reputation and get more clients. Reviews show potential clients that you can do the job and do it well.
Ask clients to post on sites such as Facebook, Yelp, or Google. These testimonies serve as proof of your abilities.
5. Identify and Target Your Ideal Client
Before I answer the question of how you get clients, consider who you want your ideal client to be. It could be difficult to find clients if you don’t target a specific client. Take some time to choose what projects you want to do and to find out if a specific industry is connected to them.
You can also choose whether you want to work with individuals, small businesses, or corporations. Targeting a specific client will help you develop your strategy to find clients.
6. Collaborate With Other Freelancers
Collaborating with other freelancers in your field is a unique way to get new clients. This can open your work up to their clients, who may like your work and hire you.
When you collaborate, you could set up a referral system, set up a subcontract where you share a project with a client and split the pay.
There are many different ways that you can work with another freelancer. Make sure you can work well with the other freelancers and plan your collaboration.
Many tools allow for collaboration. I do a lot of work in MS Office, so here are some tutorials on how to collaborate using Microsoft tools:
7. Use Email
Do you know how to get clients through email? Try emailing potential clients who you think will benefit from your services.
This is called a cold email. These emails are sent to potential clients that you’ve got no relationship with, so they can be both an introduction and a sales pitch. In a cold email, you should personalize it while still remaining professional.
Be careful to follow the email marketing laws in your area.
Since you’re running a business, your emails need to be professional. Use this tutorial as a guide:
8. Have a Website
To find clients, having a website is important. Your website can serve as your portfolio. Keep your portfolio up to date with your latest projects and achievements.
You can also link to your social media on your website. If you can, use analytics tools to determine your traffic to your website. Improve your site traffic to get more clients.
9. Find a Mentor
One method to find freelance work is to have a mentor who can help you. A mentor can give you tips on how to become more successful and how to attract clients.
You can gain a mentor through conversations with professionals who are more experienced than you. It’s best to learn from someone who has been through what you’re going through and can help you navigate problems.
This tutorial can help you find a mentor:
10. Network in Person
A good way to find freelance work is to network in person. (Image Source: Envato Elements)
If you’re a new freelancer and want to know how to get freelance work, start by talking to the people you already know. Use your existing network to reach out to people looking for a freelancer.
If you don’t know anyone who can use your creative services, you can use your network to help you get word-of-mouth recommendations.
7 Signs of a Bad Freelance Client
Before accepting new clients, look out for these signs of a bad client:
1. They Question Your Ability
When accepting new clients, be careful about clients who question your ability.
It’s okay for a client to ask for your portfolio and relevant experience. But if your client continues questioning your ability after you’ve shown them a lot of proof that you can do the job, consider not taking the job.
When looking into how you get clients, you want clients who will be confident that you can do the job.
2. They Try to Negotiate Your Fee
Bad clients may try to negotiate your fee so that it’s far below your normal rate. (Image Source: Envato Elements)
When looking for freelance work, have an established fee that you charge clients.
A little bit of negotiation is okay. But if a client wants you to go way below your set fee, they aren’t the client for you.
When a client wants you to take a lot less money for a job, it shows they don’t respect your work, you, or your process.
3. They Ask You to Work for Free
When accepting new clients, never work for free, even an unpaid test.
Most of the time, if a client asks you to do work for free, they don’t value your work and time. They’re more likely to take advantage of the situation and have you do all of the work for free, which means you may not get paid.
4. They’ve Got a Bad Attitude
If you’re like me, you don’t want to work with a client who has a bad attitude. (Image Source: Envato Elements)
When looking at how to find clients, be careful of clients with a bad attitude. If you’re like me, you want clients who respect you as a freelancer so that you can work in a positive environment. Working relationships should have mutual respect and communication so that the work can be done effectively.
Here are some red flags to look at in the interview:
- The client is overly negative.
- They talk badly about past freelancers.
- Speak in a condescending manner.
- They’re dismissive of your suggestions.
- They don’t listen when you talk.
If you accept working with a client and it becomes difficult, you may need to end your contract with the client. Make sure that you’re able to deal with the consequences of this. You could get a bad review for ending a contract early.
5. They Micromanage
When you consider how to get new clients, think about whether you would be okay with a client who micromanages. Clients who micromanage often overcommunicate with the freelancer. They would also expect you to always be available to answer questions when they have them.
When you work with clients, it’s best to have clear and concise communication that helps you set boundaries and remain professional. Let your client know what to expect during the interview process.
6. They Try to Add More Work
After you take on a client, some add work, adjust the timeline, or add new milestones. This can look like adding deliverables or asking for changes and revisions that weren’t previously agreed on when the project was accepted.
Before deciding to work with a client, ensure you’re clear on the full scope of the project and its requirements. Sometimes, small changes can be harmless, but if a client consistently asks for more work to be done, you’ll have to push back.
7. They’ve Got Unrealistic Expectations
Many bad clients have unrealistic expectations. (Image source: Envato Elements)
Some clients have unrealistic expectations for a project. Often, these clients want a project done in an unreasonable amount of time. These clients may want results that are different from what was discussed and then say it was their poor performance.
It can be stressful to deal with clients who have unrealistic expectations. The best way to prevent this is to meet with your client before choosing to work together and establish expectations. Also, keeping up with communication throughout working on the project and giving updates can help make sure that you and your client are on the same page.
Learn More About Freelancing
Want to learn more about freelancing? Here are some helpful articles:
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