We’ve all been there. The beginning of that freelance writing career. And no matter how far along we’ve come, not one of us forgets those first days. Like a newborn calf on shaky legs, we got our feet under us and started down this road.
Except for a lucky few who left jobs with clients waiting, most of us started with no clients. We struggled to figure out not only who we were and what we were doing, but also where the hell the money was coming from.
But we made it. We found our way to attracting clients actively, not just applying to one job listing after another.
That sprang to mind last month when I was checking out some Twitter links. One led me to a blog post about this very thing — locating clients. It started out with the usual promise: How I Made XXX in My First Month of Freelancing. Wow. Who wouldn’t want to know how to do that?
Those of us who have been down that road. That’s who.
In the name of research, I clicked. I’m pretty open-minded, even when my skepticism is on high alert. Let’s see what’s going on.
Oh my. Not that.
The post started out okay — the writer had been dropped on her ass by her employer (been there). So she sent out cold emails. Sounds great so far.
Then it came.
The sideways pitch for what I can only assume is an affiliate link. A lead provider that gave you a handful of leads per month for what I thought was a tad pricey — for freelancers, that is. And for an unproven entity. Sure, this company would provide leads, but how relevant? How fresh? How many other people were seeing the same leads?
And of course, the post ended with a link to the writer’s free report. So basically, this person was willing to share all the secrets with you in exchange for your email. Next comes the upsell, I’m sure.
Okay, so that wasn’t a helpful post. Besides, you can certainly do much better than three figures per month (yes, the boast was about an amount under $1K).
But you still need clients. So let’s find them.
Here are just a few ways to find clients to whom you will be pitching (yep, today’s the day you leave behind job listings and content mills):
Social Media. Come on, this is ready-made marketing right here. Search for exactly what you want, and you’ll find quite a number of possibilities. Let’s use Twitter for this example. You want to write about sports medicine (and no, you don’t have to make this your specialty: we’re just exploring for the first few years). In Twitter, you type #SportsMedicine. Wow. Look how many tweets are just about that! Then you go through them, looking for companies first, then consultants, marketing firms, and associations that focus on sports medicine. Put potential contacts on a list (I use Excel). Now you have names to research (and research is going to their website, finding the marketing contact or owner contact info, and learning about what they do). Instant client prospect list.
The Free Report. Yes, our writer mentioned above used this method to gather contact info. It’s a good method, though I question why any writer would want a report that sets the bar so low (and that’s not my business, so do what you want there). But if you put together a report that speaks to your target audience — again, let’s use sports medicine — you can gather contact info that your prospects willingly give you. Just make sure that free report gives them something actionable: 4 ways to improve your sports medicine marketing message comes to mind.
Associations. Here’s where some of the best leads exist. You can choose to purchase their attendee lists (for thousands of dollars), or you can opt to look at their forums, exhibitor lists, and social media followers to locate good prospects. Also, find those associations with publications. Pitch stories to them. Get your name in front of your intended audience as often as you can.
The Twitter Chat. Or the webinar or start that conversation on a LinkedIn group. Be seen talking about the issues and topics your prospects are interested in. Start a conversation by asking a question. Business people in particular love to talk shop. Harness that.
Networking Events. In my area, these things abound. I’m invited to at least one a month, and that’s of the few I’ve shown an interest in. Look on places like Meetup.com to locate a networking event near you. If there isn’t one, start one. If that’s not an option, consider becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce or other business organization.
SEO. People look for things using the same or similar keywords. Find out what your prospects use and work them into your website and blog. Find out the impact of your SEO words through tools like Moz, Google AdWords and Quick Sprout, which analyzes your website for SEO impact.
Website. Yes, get a website. They’re cheap, easy to put together, and they’re the best passive advertisement you can have for your business. You may not see clients come to you right away through it, but you will have clients you’ve targeted come to you after visiting your site.
Blog or Guest Blog. Hey, if the thought of maintaining a regular blog presence (and it must be regular) is daunting, don’t. Better to have no blog than an inactive one (who doesn’t hate the “Sorry I’ve been absent” post?). But that doesn’t mean you can’t guest blog. Those sports medicine blogs could probably use a post on how to write better client emails or a 4 Mistakes You’re Making in Your Advertising post.
What about you? How did you find your first clients?
Where would you suggest new writers go to locate quality clients?
More great advice, Lori. I’ve grown tired of LinkedIn and barely even visit the groups I manage. (They’re all private groups, and LinkedIn has made it impossible to vet applicants for a group limited to members of a certain social media site for yarny folks like Nikki and me. But I digress.)
But this year I’m trying to break into two new-to-me sub-specialities, so as soon as I hit “submit” I plan to seek out and join a few LinkedIn groups in those areas.
I saw you were on LinkedIn earlier. Thanks for sharing the Writers Worth news.
I get the same way sometimes. Instead of commenting if the topic isn’t something you want to discuss at that time, maybe hit “Like” and engage even that little bit. Recently a topic appeared that lent itself to just a “like” and not a comment. One of the thought pieces, I believe. Minutes after I liked it, someone reached out about doing work with me.
You just never know.
The recent re-design pretty much hides Groups from me. Cathy had to tell me where to find them! (Hidden under “Work” for some reason. After clicking that, you then have to click again to find your own groups.)
I’m thinking whoever redesigned LinkedIn does NOT have it listing in his or her LinkedIn profile.
Agreed, Paula. Groups, for me too, is so tough to find. It’s there, but every time I look for them, I have to spend too much time.
Go to your profile, then click on Work. It’s under there. Why is it under Work? It makes no sense.
I was also very gung-ho about LinkedIn early on but now not so much. Maybe if I had more time to invest in it again I’d see the value. I mean I did net a consulting client a few years back from LinkedIn but he’s been the only one. I like to call him a Unicorn.
So was I, Nikki. Never really saw the sense in it. But the last year or so, I’ve been getting a number of people reaching out to discuss working together. That’s all it took to convert me. 😉
I really enjoy your Writers’ Worth series, Lori. Another great start. Thank you.
Thanks, Sarah! And thanks for tweeting it out yesterday.
Another good post, Lori. You’re making me think I should reengage on LinkedIn, a platform I have found no value in so far. Hmmmm, always making me think.
That’s the weird part — I didn’t do anything differently at LinkedIn. Maybe shared one or two more posts and liked one or two more conversations. It’s as though LI had a slow-to-get-going ROI for me. 😉
Great tips, Lori. I’ve tried LinkedIn, with some success, but blogging on other sites probably works best. One particular gig has led to dozens of others, so blogging is a key marketing tool for me.