Finding Your First Freelance Clients as a Work from Home Mom

Apr 03, 2024

Working as a Freelancer

Working as a freelancer is probably one of the most difficult yet rewarding things you’ll do. Getting clients is tough, especially in the beginning, but once you get a system down that works for you, it gets easier and easier. If you want to get into

the freelance world, now is the time to do it. Get out there and start finding your clients.

What is a Freelancer?

A Freelancer or sometimes called a gig worker is a professional who, instead of receiving a regular income, receives wages based on the one-time projects or gigs they complete.

Examples of Freelancing

Copywriter
Virtual Assistant
Social Media Manager
Graphic Designer

Any freelance business requires a lot of time and commitment to be successful. If you plan to go full-time, you’re going to be doing a lot of promoting, especially in the beginning.

Getting clients for your freelance business can become a full-time job in itself. While there are many ways to get started, here are some affordable ways to get the word out and get some clients.

Ask for Referrals

Ask our friends, and family, and social media network are great places to start. Ask them if they’re interested in the services that you provide or if they know anyone who might be.
You could also ask former colleagues and bosses.
Small businesses that you use in your daily life such as your hairdresser, dentist, doctor, etc.
Once you start getting clients, be sure to ask them for referrals.

Launch a Website or Blog

One of the simplest and least expensive ways to promote your business is by launching a website or blog. A blog is a great place to offer value to prospective clients by giving them information relevant to your niche.

Be sure to include social media sharing buttons because social media can be another great way to promote your business.

Your website should contain a portfolio of your best work. Be sure the portfolio is easily accessible through an online link or by pdf file.

Regularly update your portfolio with your most current work and be sure you can easily customize it for the client.

What to include in your portfolio:

A clear description of exactly what you do. Try to niche it down to fit the job you’re trying to get. For example, if you’re a freelance writer, try to get specific by saying you’re a content marketing writer or an email marketing writer.
Of course, be sure it’s tailored to meet the requirements of the specific client you’re sending it to.
Your best work. Include pieces that you feel represent your best work while also being relevant to the specific client.
Try to briefly describe the results your client was able to obtain with the work you did. If you’re just getting started and don’t have a lot in your portfolio yet, create something on your own that maybe isn’t for a specific client but still represents the kind of work you put out.
Testimonials from happy clients. Ask your clients to provide a 1-2 sentence review of the work you did for them. If you want them to comment about something specific, let them know that. Another idea is using now is video testimonials. These are powerful because the client can see and hear the authenticity in the video.
Your most recent resume, or even better, a great LinkedIn profile. Some businesses may require one before they hire a freelancer but regardless, a resume is a great way to give the client a snapshot of your background and qualifications. However, LinkedIn is becoming a more accepted way to let your experience shine.

Cold Emails

The dreaded cold email. Still, cold emails are one of the most effective, inexpensive ways to promote your business and get clients. The key is in writing them so they get opened and then get a response.

Here are some tips for getting a better response

1. Make it about the prospect. You may be tempted to try to sell yourself in your email but that would be a mistake. You see, prospects don’t really care about you, they care about themselves. So, your goal has to be to talk about them.

Tell them how you can make their business better, how you can alleviate some

stress for them, and always offer value.

2 . The subject line is the most important part of the email. The subject line alone is what will determine if your prospect opens the email or discards it. Luckily, you can easily track what works and what doesn’t, so try a couple of different subject lines out and see which one gets the best response. You can also use AI to help you write both the subject line and the body of the email.

3. Do some research on your target prospects and personalize the email. Just because there’s a screen between you and them doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still try to have a quality conversation. Do some basic research on the company you are prospecting and tailor the email accordingly.

If you’re sending the exact same email to 100 different prospects, your responses will not be very good because people who own businesses get hundreds of emails a day.

Yours needs to stand out. This may seem like a lot of extra work but the

results will be worth it.

4. Always provide value. If you can’t give the prospect immediate value or demonstrate what the possibilities could be in doing business together, it will be really hard to get to the next step. Cold emailing has been around for as long as email itself and it’s not going anywhere. Add some humanity into your emails, as well as tons of value, along with a snappy subject line.

Do these things and you’ll be on your way to great open rates and tons of new clients

Networking

Another really effective way of marketing your business is by networking. There are really two main types of networking:

● In-person networking

● Social media networking

In-person networking is exactly what it sounds like. You go to events, trade shows,

conferences, or even events put on by your local Chamber of Commerce. At these events, you meet people who might make good clients for you.

Just remember, this is not the time to ask for a meeting. However, be sure to exchange business cards so you can reach out to them later.

Social Media - The other form of networking is through social media. It doesn’t involve you posting to your social media account or trying to get a bunch of new followers. Social media networking is about you finding pages and groups where your clients might hang out.

Think groups about small businesses, women in small businesses, health coach forums, health and wellness pages, etc. The trick is to figure out where your target client hangs out and then join those groups or follow those pages.

Once you’ve done that, get in the groups and look at the comments. It’s almost guaranteed that people will be asking questions related to the services you provide.

Answer their questions, and maybe provide a link to an article on your blog about the subject they’re asking about.

Just keep giving value and eventually, people will start coming to you for help. That’s when you sit down to deliver your pitch. Always be honest in your answers. This is what giving value is all about and it does more than answer their question. It creates trust between you and your prospect. It creates a space where you are the expert in the field and they will come to you when they are ready to pay for services.

Now, what do you do when you get a lead?

The next step is Getting the Client to Say “Yes” to Your Pitch.

What is your pitch? It’s sometimes called an elevator pitch. A pitch is a concise and compelling message aimed at potential clients to sell your services. It typically includes an introduction highlighting your expertise and how it aligns with the client's needs, followed by a clear description of the services you offer and the value you can provide.

A successful pitch focuses on addressing the client's pain points and demonstrating how hiring you can solve their problems or achieve their goals. It's essential to tailor each pitch to the specific client and project, showcasing your unique strengths and understanding of their requirements to increase your chances of winning the job.

Focus on Selling the outcome, not the features. People pay for outcomes and transformations, not the features.

Make your pitch conversation and listen for the needs your potential client has.

Although getting clients is tough, especially in the beginning, once you get a system down that works for you, it gets easier to find freelancing clients. If you want to get into the freelance world, now is the time to do it. Get out there and start finding your clients.