So you launched a website and are ready to say hello to the flexibility and freedom of running your remote business? Great! Now it’s time to land the most important client: your FIRST one:)
Freelancing is one of the most romanticized career paths, but starting fresh can be daunting. I was so nervous to launch my website, wondering If I could do this or if it was a mistake… but then I landed my first client and that is the BEST feeling! So here’s some Socially Kailee tips on how to score that fresh first client:
1) The Gab That Matters
I’m here to remind you of your most important marketing tool: YOUR MOUTH. Once you decide to freelance, start sharing your story and telling people what you do, whenever you get the chance. My sister is an automotive consultant and I always giggle when I see her at the bar whipping out her business card. She uses confidence and humour to start a conversation about what she does, “Oh you like beer, would you like a car with that?”. It sounds ridiculous but it works.
2)Service Exchange and Portfolios
It’s hard to get hired for a job that wants experience when you don’t have it yet…and it’s hard to get that experience when they won’t give you a job. I call it the circle of experience politics, and let’s get real, it sucks. A great way to gain experience is to offer your services in exchange for testimonials or services they can provide for your business. I understand nobody wants to work for free, but this is a great way to start building your portfolio and having physical evidence and testimony to your abilities.
3) Start small and go LOCAL
I’m always a little nervous when I do something for the first time, so I chose to prove myself in a low risk way. I offered to manage a friend’s businesses on instagram. This instagram page, (not even at 500 followers) attracted the attention of a local business who really liked my work and offered me a job. I was lucky in that respect, I wasn’t actively searching and a job came to me. (That’s the BEST!). Another approach is to make cold DMs, emails, or even visits to local businesses you believe your services could benefit. You could also offer a locals only or family/friends DISCOUNT which is a word we all know sells:)
4) Facebook Groups are your Friends
I’d spend hours applying to jobs on Indeed or upwork and have ZERO luck. It’s so discouraging when you don’t seem to be getting anywhere. Job sites just don’t have the added advantage of showcasing yourself and networking like FB groups do. If you’re a freelancer I highly recommend joining multiple fb groups in your niche and connecting with members/commenting on posts. These groups are not only a great source of support and resources, but there’s usually several #GetHired posts seeking out like minded employees. As a video editor I’m on groups like “I need a fixer” and “Film Local”. For Social Media Managers, Virtual Assistants, Graphic Designers etc. I recommend “The Social Salad”, “Society Gals”, and “Bucket-List Bombshells”. These are great places to ask questions and collaborate!
5) Social Media Presence Matters
Instagram is a great place to get exposure and more importantly engage with potential clients. The same principles apply to Pinterest which is an excellent tool to draw traffic to your website and instagram as well. Tik tok has also become an great source for marketing yourself as it’s popularity skyrocketed this year. All of these fun apps that you use for personal recreation are in fact, the best apps for businesses.
And this section would be incomplete if I did not stress the importance of a perfect website. Your website is the final place to lock in sales, get subscriptions for long term clients, and show your portfolio. If your website is poorly designed or runs slowly, this is a big red flag to potential clients. If you are not tech savvy enough to design a professional website I would absolutely suggest hiring someone to do it for you. Websites are your online Resumes!
6)Be Consistent not Persistent!
Building a virtual relationship with prospective clients is a sometimes awkward but necessary task. You absolutely should be sending emails and sliding into DMS, but I’m a firm believer that it pays to be genuine.
There is nothing that makes me cringe more than when a salesperson slides into my DMs only when a service or package goes on sale and says something like “I feel like we’re friends…would you be interested in hearing about/purchasing _____”. Hey KAREN, bold of you to assume we are friends and we’ve spoken once. Look, I respect the hustle and I always respond politely, but let’s be real…it drives me nuts, how about you?
Instead, you should build a genuine connection. Start with a compliment on their instagram story straight to their DMs. This not only will cause you to show up on their feeds, but it also shows that you just want to say ‘Hello’ and aren’t trying to push something. The next time you slide in you could ask how their day is going, or start a genuine conversation. I know this is definitely not the fastest method, but this builds a connection so when they do decide to purchase, they’re more likely to reach out to someone they know and have built trust with (which with enough consistency should be you!). Hope you found some of these tips helpful, and please feel free to share your first client stories! I would love to hear what method worked best for you:)
