If you’re like most freelance writers, you love writing… but finding and landing clients? That’s a bit tougher.
Maybe you’re still learning the ropes of marketing your one-person business, sending pitches or cold emails, networking on LinkedIn, publishing content for your business, conducting sales calls, picking invoice and contract templates, and so much more.
You’re overwhelmed by everything you have to figure out and confused by all the advice you read on the web.
In my six years of freelance writing, I’ve spoken to hundreds of freelance writers and learned how they got their first writing clients. Combined with my own experience transitioning from a Salesforce developer to a freelance tech writer, I’m sharing my best tips with you to get started in this business.
3 Things to Do to Land Your First 3 Writing Clients
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Tap into your current network
The easiest and smartest way to find your first writing client is to leverage your existing connections — previous employers, colleagues, friends, and acquaintances — people who already know and trust you.
Did you do a writing internship three years ago? Reach out to your contacts there and ask for referrals.
Advised a friend on their website’s content/SEO? Ask them for a referral.
Helped a local bakery with their sales pamphlet? Ask for a testimonial and referral.
Is your cousin running a small local business? Get in touch and let them know what services you’re offering.
Your network is always an asset, but it’s especially so when you’re trying something new. People who already know and trust you will give you a chance and help you get the ball rolling.
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Set up a LinkedIn profile instead of a website
One of the most common questions I get from new freelance writers is whether they should set up a website before they start reaching out to clients.
Here’s the thing. A website can quickly turn into a way to procrastinate on finding clients.
Also, if you’re just starting out, you may not have clarity about your positioning, messaging, and services… all the things that help you determine your website content. Instead of trying to figure out your niche, services, and industry right out of the gate (which you need to do when you’re setting up a website), you may want to dabble in different niches and offer various types of writing until you get a feel for what you really enjoy doing.
Heck, you may even be unsure whether you’d prefer to be a copywriter or a content writer. A website takes time, effort, and money to get set up. So, you want to have some certainty about where you’re going before you make that investment.
What to do instead?
Build a LinkedIn profile. There’s so much you can do with a simple LI profile that it can act as your website until you’re ready to build one of your own.
Here are six easy steps to create your LinkedIn profile:
- Add a recent profile picture, a headline that clearly conveys whom you work with and what services you offer, and an About section that talks about your skills, past experience, clients, and testimonials.
- Complete your Experience section by adding your work history and a brief description of each work experience. You can use storytelling to your benefit here.
- Add your industry and location to your profile.
- Update your Education.
- Add Skills relevant to your business and get endorsements from peers, clients, and mentors. LinkedIn makes it easy to send requests for those.
- Add samples of your work. Your portfolio can be a simple Google Doc. Link your Google Doc portfolio to the Featured section on your LI profile.
Once you have your LinkedIn profile set up, start connecting with potential clients and other freelance writers.
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Join communities and gig newsletters
It can get lonely when you’re starting out as a freelance writer. You’re figuring out a lot of things.
It helps to be in communities with other people on a similar path who will understand your journey and support you. Join free and paid communities, such as Superpath and the All Things Freelance Writing newsletter, and follow peers on LinkedIn who openly share the ups and downs, ins and outs of running a freelance-copywriting business.
Also, apply to the opportunities posted in these communities. You might just find your first client this way!
Assume that it’s going to be challenging to lift your business off the ground. No one said it was going to be easy. But, when you set reasonable expectations and take consistent action over time, good things happen. Drop me a note in the comments or write to me on LinkedIn when you find your first client using one of these methods. I’d love to cheer you on!
