How To: get new customers and gigs as a freelancer

Now there is always a way :0 )

From the time when Freelance sites have launched, many people have asked  the same question. How can freelancers make new customers to obtain extra jobs?

So to help freelancers find more work and get new customers, we have composed a list of tips to help you. There are many things that you can try and we assure you that the tips will be of a great help for a freelancer.

Market what you do through word of mouth

To spread the word about the services you offer, you can tell it to your friends and family. You can also send e-mails to everyone in your contacts about what you can offer them and how they can reach you. Also request your past and present customers to refer you to companies or business that is looking for what you offer. For the new customers that you get, you can offer them complimentary consultations. Also for those that have referred you to these new clients, you can give them a finder’s fee.

Take care of your customers

If you get new costumers, be sure that you are still in touch with your past and recent customers. You should always let them know if you will have a new service that you can suggest to them. It is a good idea to start a newsletter. With this you can send e-mails to your customers about new services and promotions for them to grab. You can also send e-mails asking suggestions of what services that you still not have that they have in mind. You can send those calendars or posters that contain the names of your customers which they can hang in their office walls. This will serve as a reminder that if they want something that you can offer, they will contact you.

Talk the language

To further endorse what you offer to prospect clients, you can go to different events. You can go to conferences, organization convention, and seminars. You can also support an event of your customers. You should always entertain possible customers and have your calling card ready to give to them. You can also offer to provide seminars for a local business group. You should always have a speech practiced so that if you get the chance to let them know what you do, you can deliver it in a speech. Also, join online forums and blog sites and leave a comment about what you offer so that they will look into your freelance website.

Let yourself be known

To successfully get new customers and jobs, you should try methods that will promote your business. You can try to get car signage and shirts that have the URL of your freelance site. Advertise yourself through magazines, yellow pages, or business directories. You can advertise online by buying ad space on the sites that your customers usually look into. You can also put an ad into your local newspaper so that everyone in the town will know what you do. You can participate in events such as trade shows and conferences. You can give them promotional products or offer them that the first consultation is free.

Be a business specialist

You can also try to promote yourself by using articles. You can send articles about what you do to business magazines. You can also start a blog where you can put the things that the customers or future customers want to know about you. Offer to give speech on business events. Promote yourself through the radio. You can write articles about your objectives and endorse it online. Try to enter your articles on contest and win so that you will be known.

Make use of the media

Have a press release regarding the services you could offer. Also try to get it into your local magazines and newspapers. You can also try to conduct a competition which will involve your services.

Job boards search

If you are still looking for additional jobs then you must always look into online job boards. Also check the available jobs on your city. You must also look into offline job boards and put little advert in your local district.

Your prospect customers will experience cold

Try to look for ways in how you may improve a business and their profits. Once you came up with a plan, you can cold call them about the possible ways that you can do to improve their business. You can also mail them with promotional items which you think that can help them improve their business.

Aid your future customers to hit upon you

To make prospect clients to easily find you, you can optimize your freelance site so that you will be at the top searches on search engines. If you find possible customers, you should always have follow up conversation with them. Also make sure that you are listed in the business section of the White Pages and Yellow Pages.

Have a connection with the local businesses

To have more possible jobs, you can look into local businesses if they can offer you jobs. You can get in touch with the local printing house or local internet provider. You can offer them referral fees if they refer work. You must establish contacts with larger companies that can possibly refer you their excess work. Always have contacts with other freelancers that might offer customers free service. This way you can give each other works.

Try to create local business directory which you can use to become acquainted with other local company that might need the services you offer at a later time. You can also suggest other business that you will promote their business while they promote yours. Rent out an office space that is shared with other company so that you can offer them your services. You can also try to ask local stores to give out your business cards.

Tips for particular jobs

The following will give tips for particular jobs:

Photographers

To promote your work, you can try different methods such as entering your works into an exhibit or a gallery. To attract attention, you can offer your works on stock agencies. To make your name known, try to send your camera work to business magazines. You can also create and online photo journal and do new run of work so that you can show old clients your portfolio. Take photographs on event and send it to magazines.

Programmers and Developers

Most of the companies need developers. You can promote yourself to them as a developer that has knowledge of web designers. You might get several recognitions by writing a small web application. By contributing to open source efforts and joining programming competitions, you can also be recognized. Also, by answering technical queries on forums, you can also offer your freelance coding services through your signature.

Illustrator / Animators

Start a blog and create a comic strip which will show them your works. You can also create products out of the characters that you draw. You can create products such as badges, figurines, and t-shirts which contain the logo of your character. Create animations that you can enter in some contests which might take your illustrations to famed places and can also earn you fame. You can also stock your illustration work to some sites and offer your custom illustrations on your site. Sending your illustrations to magazines will also make you famous. You can send your works on card publishers. You may also make promo of illustrations and get it known.

Journalists, Writers, Bloggers

You can get yourself as a copywriter to agencies or companies that offer advertisement, design, and web design. Create some ad captions for some photos on the internet and send it to different companies. Create articles about certain websites and sell it to them. You can also write opinionated articles and get them publicized and include there about the services that you can offer. Try to send your articles to editors offline or online. You can also write a book and have it published.

Designer

To get your designs to be well known, you can submit your designs to books and magazines. You can also get your designs on some sites on the internet. You can submit your website designs to design galleries. Create a portfolio that you can send in some sites and design portals. You may also create a magazine, blog, or design portal.

So here you have lots of tips which may help you find jobs and new customers. If you have more tips that you can share, you can add them in the comments and we will add them to this list.