Freelance Game Plan: Finding Client Contact Info

There it was. Or rather, there it wasn’t.

Looking for contact info for prospects yesterday, I realized that my usual ways of finding that info weren’t working. There were several reasons for that, but the running theme seems to be poorly written websites that assume you know who’s running the company.

That’s right — nowhere on the site, even in the Contact Us section was there a single name. Well, with one incredibly odd situation where the former owners’ names were there, but the new owners were referred to as “Kathy and Steve.”

This is where most freelancers would give up and move on. And who would blame them?

But I say that info is still out there. And if you’re tenacious, you can get it.

Why would you want to? Simple. These people need your help. Desperately. How can they compete in their industry with people who are putting more effort into engaging with their customers?

Here’s where I turn when the website doesn’t offer contact information:

Call.

I suggest you start with a call to the general number. Ask for either the number or the email of the marketing person or, if it’s a small business, the owner. There’s a chance that they’ll ask for more info or block, but there’s also a chance, when you explain what you’d like to send, that you’ll get that contact info.

Advertise With Us page.

That’s right. Skip right past that weak About Us page and that Contact Us form that may never get an answer. The Advertise With Us page is going to have one or more of these things:

• Salesperson name
• Email
• Phone number
• Media Kit

That media kit may contain another little gem — the name of the publisher or editor. If so, you can take that info and find an email or phone number, even if the website doesn’t offer it. How? Keep reading.

Internet search.

I found one contact by typing in a name and a company. Suddenly, there was the email address. Online directories often charge to reveal emails, but if you can locate anyone in the company with a published email, you’re halfway to finding your marketing contact.

Association or conference websites.

You’d be surprised how many of these companies with bad websites will attend trade shows or belong to associations. While you might not get to the member lists of an association (they are highly guarded, expensive-to-rent lists), you might be able to locate info on their list of attendees. One conference I used to attend would publish a list of exhibitors and how to get in touch with their salesperson. There again is a published email.

Social media.

Facebook, Threads, Twitter, LinkedIn, you name it, they could be there. Look on the website again. Any icons and calls to follow them? It’s likely then that someone in their company has a LinkedIn listing, a Twitter account, an Instagram presence. Go on. Follow on Instagram. Engage them in LinkedIn forums. Direct contact on social media may be the only way you can reach them at this point.

Articles.

It’s amazing how many people who closely guard their company email address will tack it on to the end of that industry article they wrote. Browse through articles written by the company. You may have to search by company name in a generic search, but it’s worth a shot.

Editorial calendar.

Some publications lump this into the Advertise With Us section, but others will put it under the About Us or Our Company page. I’ve seen it in both areas. Often, there will be a name of an editor listed. If you’re lucky, there will be an email/phone number, as well.

Sometimes your best effort is still going to turn up nothing. That’s when I suggest you do this:

Write a letter.

Type something up, put it on your best paper, seal it in an envelope and send it to the company in care of the Marketing team. The novelty of an actual letter that came in the mail is a memorable way to introduce yourself to your potential client. It’s also a little hint that reaching them electronically isn’t working. But you can save that for the conversation you’ll have should they reach out.

Writers, how do you find that elusive contact info? What works best for you?