There are so many options available to choose from when you are searching for clients as a freelancer. Unfortunately, many mainstream places to find clients are well-known and therefore competitive.
Using less obvious places to find clients can really help to take some of that frustration and hustle out of freelancing that often comes when using well-known client sources. To be a successful freelancer, you need to use ingenuity. It’s the key to expanding your client base and keeping your business flowing.
Below, we’ll talk you over our eight surprising places you might find your next freelancing client will have you expanding your business circle in no time at all. And, of course, if you’re new to freelancing, don’t forget to read over these eight tips for new freelancers. They’ll help you out a ton.
1. Your Own Circle
While you don’t want to annoy your family and friends constantly to get them to become clients, they should at least know that you’re available for paid freelance work. You want to build an environment amongst your personal circle in which your family and friends know they can come to you if they have certain jobs they need to be done.
It takes a bit of finesse, but it’s worth doing, as you’ll see these people fairly regularly. On top of that, they each have their own personal and professional circles, which can really help get your name out there. Your brother may not necessarily need website editing done, but the company he writes for might.
2. Your Day Job
Another great place to find clients that not everybody thinks about is through your day job. Before you start looking here, though, you’ll want to look over your workspace etiquette and company’s privacy policy and make sure your boss is in the loop.
Once you know everything is above board, go ahead and let your co-workers know that you’re available for freelance work. This is another group of people that you’ll see almost every day, so, again, it makes sense to network with them. Just ensure you set solid professional boundaries.
3. Your Local Community
You’re probably out in your community a lot as a freelancer, whether you’re at your local library or favorite coffee shop. If you’re out attending workshops or events for your freelance work, you should take the opportunity to network while you’re there.
You can take it one step further and head to other community events with your business card to network as you look for new potential clients. For example, you could head to your local farmer’s market and, if you design websites, hand your cards to small businesses that might be interested in having a website set up for them.
4. Where You Are a Client
Just because you’re somebody’s client doesn’t mean you can’t let them know that you’re also a freelancer. It just takes a bit of strategy to let them know at the appropriate time.
This is one that should happen more organically, like if you’re asked to leave behind your business card or about what you do in your spare time. This isn’t necessarily the greatest place to boast about your own freelancing career, but if the conversation strays to that topic, definitely let them know.
5. Other Freelancers
Chances are, if you’re an established freelancer, then you’ve met other freelancers along the way. Hopefully, you’ve kept their contact information or even kept in touch with them.
Other freelancers in your community and abroad are great ways to find potential clients. Say you are known for photo editing, and you meet someone who writes for blogs. Their client may soon need a photo editor for their blog, and hopefully, your freelance connection will reach out to you.
6. Partnerships You Have Made
This is very similar to the last place to look for new clients. When you meet other professionals, you should be building professional relationships and creating partnerships that are mutually beneficial.
In this case, if we use the above example, your blog writing friend and you will work together with clients. It’s a package deal that makes it easier for clients to get what they want to be done. You may not be getting 100 percent of the pay, but you also won’t have to do all of the work.
7. On Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool that many people take advantage of nowadays. Whether you’re using LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or even TikTok, make sure you’re subtly making it known that you’re available for freelance work.
If you’re a photo editor, share examples of photos that you’ve edited. Be proud of your work and put it out there. You can even just make a very blatant post that says you’re available for freelance work if anyone needs something. Chances are somebody will either need it for themselves or know someone who does.
8. Old Prospects You Never Closed
Sometimes getting a client doesn’t work out, and that’s okay. It happens. Whether you didn’t see eye-to-eye on something or they just didn’t feel you were a fit at the time, it makes sense to try and reach out to them again.
They may have more work, and it shows you’re truly interested in working with them. Also, there’s a chance that, while they might not have any new work for you, they know someone who does.
Conclusion
When you’re searching for your next freelancing client, it’s important to remember to look everywhere. Just because it’s not a freelancing website or LinkedIn doesn’t mean that you don’t have the potential to find a new client there.
Many places are just filled with potential clients. You just have to look there.
Hopefully, now that you know these eight surprising places, you might find your next freelancing client, and you’ll grow your client base in no time.
