The 3 top ways I found clients as a newbie freelancer

Look for information on how to land freelance writing clients, and you’ll come across a lot of different methods, like:

Using SEO on your website to attract clients
Using inbound marketing
Writing guest blog posts that establish you as an industry expert

While these are all good options, they can take some time to produce results.

So, what happens when you’re brand spankin’ new to the world of freelance writing and you need figure out how to get freelance clients…. and fast?

Get Weekly Freelance Gigs via Email

Enter your freelancing address and we'll send you a FREE curated list of freelance jobs in your top category every week.

Well, one thing’s for sure:

You can’t afford to wait around and hope for the best.

Now, don’t get me wrong here.

When you’re a newbie, you should absolutely use tactics like SEO, inbound marketing, and guest posting to attract clients.

But while you’re doing those things, use these 3 faster methods for winning clients too.

1. Make the most of LinkedIn

I know, I know. You’re rolling your eyes right now and thinking:

Whaaaaaat!? I thought LinkedIn was dead.

Nope. Not even a little bit.

And I’m not just saying that.

I had a client reach out to me last week after saying she found my profile on LinkedIn – all because I’ve optimized it to attract a specific kind client based on my niche.

If you want to optimize your LinkedIn profile to attract clients too, start by:

Putting your niche in your headline and summary
Building credibility by sharing past results you’ve achieved
Using LinkedIn Publisher to write pieces related to your niche

Don’t just wait to be discovered though.

Send personalized connection requests to your target clients based on your niche, and start interacting with them. Once you’ve done that for a bit, simply reach out and introduce yourself.

Seriously – sometimes making a personal connection is all it takes to land a high-paying gig!

2. Reach out to your network

I get it. You’ve probably already read a ton of advice online about “reaching out to your network” to land clients.

SponsoredBecome a sponsor

And all you can think is:

Really? But I don’t know anyone who is going to want to pay me to write for them!

Don’t jump to that conclusion so quickly.

Really stop and think about your network, especially:

Places you’ve worked in the past – Do you have a good relationship with a former manager? They might be interested in hiring you to do some writing work.
Friends – One of my earliest gigs was writing for a friend who needed a one-page document for a non-profit event. You’d be surprised how much work you can get by simply letting your friends know what you do.
Family members – Do any of your family members run a business that could use content marketing? Or do any of them work somewhere that could benefit from a freelance writer? Find out, and let them know how you can help.

Make a list of anyone and everyone who could use your help, and start reaching out to them. Chances are, they’ll be happy to collaborate.

And even if they don’t need help right now, they might be able to refer you to someone who does.

SponsoredBecome a sponsor

3. Send cold emails

This is one of the best ways to win freelance writing clients – even if you’re a total newbie.

The first day I did it, I sent 17 cold emails. 2 of those converted to high-paying clients.

But you can’t just start shooting off hundreds of copied-and-pasted emails to all kinds of random businesses.

You have to approach cold emailing strategically if you want the best results.

That means:

Only cold emailing clients in your niche – For example, if you specialize in writing dental content, you need to make your niche super clear and only cold email potential clients in the dental industry.
“Warming up” every cold email – Find a way to make a genuine connection with the person on the receiving end of your email. They should know, without a doubt, that the email was meant for them
Following up a couple times – I recommend following up once in the same week you send your initial email and once the following week. Clients are often busy, and they’ll appreciate the reminder.

If you try cold emailing, prepare for a lot of rejection. And realize that rejection happens to everyone, so you can’t let it slow you down.