Freelancing gives you the freedom and flexibility to control your work and be your own boss.

But as an independent contractor, the onus is on you to actively market your services and find clients.

Whether you just ventured out on your own or have been freelancing for years, taking a strategic approach to marketing is essential to consistently securing work. 

This comprehensive guide provides practical tips to build your personal brand, network effectively, leverage social media, craft compelling pitches, and generate word-of-mouth referrals.

5 Fundamental Tips To Become A Successful Freelancer

1. Define your brand

As a solo freelancer, you and your business are practically one and the same. That’s why establishing a strong personal brand is so important for winning new clients. Start by clearly defining the core services you provide. 

Who is your ideal target audience or niche? What specific problems can you help solve for them? What makes your skills, expertise, and approach unique compared to competitors?

Summarize this positioning in a tagline or slogan. Come up with a distinct yet professional brand name and logo that conveys your identity. Create a polished online portfolio website to showcase your brand, services, work samples, client testimonials, and credentials. Write concise but compelling service pages that speak directly to each of your potential customer groups.

Be consistent in presenting your brand visually and verbally across all platforms. Promote your brand on business cards, email signatures, social media profiles, resumes, invoices, and any client communications. Aim for a cohesive, recognizable look.

2. Network locally and virtually

Networking is a prime way to build relationships, connect with prospects, demonstrate expertise, and uncover freelance job opportunities.  Identify relevant local professional associations, industry events, conferences, and in-person networking meetups to get involved in. Come prepared with business cards, a 30-second “elevator pitch” summary about your services, from content marketing to game art services, and ideas to help other attendees. Set a goal to make a certain number of new connections.

Follow up within a day or two by connecting on LinkedIn, referencing your conversation, and looking to continue the dialogue. Offer to make introductions to contacts who could help them. Avoid aggressive sales pitches and focus instead on relationship building. 

You can network virtually, too, on industry forums, Facebook groups, LinkedIn discussions, Twitter chats, and more. Share insights and resources that help others. Position yourself as a thought leader.

3. Leverage social media

An active social media presence allows you to promote your brand, connect with prospects, demonstrate expertise, and continually spark interest in your freelance services to drive leads. Focus your time and effort on just one or two primary platforms where your target audience and ideal clients are most active. 

For business services, this is often LinkedIn and Twitter. For creative fields, Instagram and Facebook may be better bets. There are also many guides to get more social media followers to read and learn. 

Post a mix of content that speaks to your ideal client’s pain points, interests, and goals. Share advice, how-to’s, case studies, behind-the-scenes looks, industry news, entertaining or inspirational content, and more. Respond to questions and comments quickly and thoughtfully.

Use relevant hashtags and keywords strategically in your posts, profiles, and content to get discovered by those searching for your types of services. Paid ads on social media can further expand your reach and find new potential clients. Social media is about building relationships first. Provide value that helps your audience get to know, like, and trust you before trying to actively sell your services.

4. Craft a compelling pitch

When it comes time to reach out to prospective clients, an introductory email or phone pitch can make or break whether you land the job. Before pitching, thoroughly research the prospect’s website, case studies, social media, press releases, and any other information you can find. Reference specifics to show your interest is genuine. 

Concisely explain who you are, what specialized services you offer, and the types of clients you serve. Provide a quick success story summarizing a similar project you assisted with to build credibility. Focus 80% of the pitch on their needs and interests and how you can deliver real value tailored to their goals. Close by suggesting the next steps, like a preliminary call to discuss their needs in more depth.

Keep emails short yet compelling. Use a clear, benefit-driven subject line. Follow up politely if you don’t receive a response. Offer something free, like a sample or consultation, to get your foot in the door.

5. Generate reviews 

Satisfied clients, incredible results, and values are always the recipe for success. Reviews from previous clients are one of the most effective ways to get more clients because they make a comfortable feeling. 

Reviews on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other sites give you huge credibility as a freelancer. Reach out to happy clients and ask if they would take 2 minutes to review your business online.

Conclusion 

As a freelancer, if you want to market your services, you have to stay organized with editorial calendars, social media schedules, and tasks to keep following up with prospects. After achieving a professional brand identity and strategic marketing approach, you can be discovered by your ideal freelance clients again and again.

The growing process of your freelance services is based on the combination of brand building, networking, social media, targeted pitching, referrals, and reviews. Try to deliver perfect work to your current clients and keep them while continuing to expand them.