As a freelance writer you know how important it is to market your services at all times. By understanding how companies find freelance writers you should be able to properly position yourself for marketing success. As you can imagine, not every company searches for freelancers the same way. That being said there are a few ways you should be aware of:
1. Online ads. Some companies will place an online ad searching for freelance writers. Sites such as freelancewriting.com, Craigslist, and ProBlogger feature many of these ads, and in turn attract freelance writers who are searching for work. Through my experience you can find clients through online ads, but many of the bigger companies do not work this way.
2. Referrals. Some of my biggest clients have found me through other clients. For instance, a few months back a travel industry client passed my name along to several of their clients. In turn, I picked up a few projects that I was not expecting. For more information on gaining clients through referrals check out my post “Increase your Workload, Ask Clients to pass your name around.â€
3. Search online. Believe it or not, many of my clients found me through the search engines. This is one of the quickest ways for a company to begin their search for a freelance writer. Although I have several sites that bring in new clients, this blog is the frontrunner thanks to its reach and above average search engine rankings.
Of course, this is not the end all. Every company has its own way of finding freelancers, whether they are searching for writers, web designers, etc. By being aware of how companies search for freelance writers you should be able to better position yourself when searching for gigs and marketing your services.Â
Most freelance writers struggle to find new clients; this is not a secret. That being said, there are many effective ways to increase your workload. If you have a good marketing plan in place, and you have been achieving the desired results, you are moving in the right direction. But remember, there is always room for improvement. And for most freelance writers there is always room for more quality clients. One of the best ways to secure more work without having to market too much is to ask current clients to pass your name around. If they like you and what you offer they will be more than happy to do so.
How can I do this without coming across as pushy? This question is what holds so many people back. Believe it or not, this is easier than you may think. You could send your clients a simple email reading:
To client:
I wanted to send you a brief note to express how much I enjoy working with you. I am in the process of expanding my business, and was hoping you could forward my name to any contacts you have who may be interested in my writing services. If you get the chance any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
While this is only the barebones it should give you a good idea of what you can say. All you have to do is fill in the blanks and add a few personalized details. Â
Through my experience it is easiest to find new clients through current contacts. Not only does this make it easier to secure a job but you can also be rest assured, for the most part, that the new client is trustworthy. I have found that most quality clients associate with other companies and individuals of the same caliber.
By asking current clients to pass your name along to others you will find your freelance writing business expanding quicker than you ever thought possible. And remember, the more clients you have the more people there are who can spread your name around. Â
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could trust everybody? If this was the case your career as a freelance writer would be much less stressful. But of course, you know that this is not the case and never will be. No matter what industry you work in there are always going to be people who you cannot trust. And as a freelance writer you need to beware of bad clients who are lurking around every corner. I don’t want to sound paranoid, but there are people out there who will take you for all you are worth if you let them.
There are two types of bad clients that you may face as a freelance writer:
1. Those that don’t pay. I have worked with clients who say they will pay, but then receive the content and run. Of course, this does not happen nearly as much now that I ask for at least 50 percent pay upfront. By doing this you will quickly scare away anybody who is thinking about scamming you.
2. Clients that treat you with no respect. What is worse, a client who doesn’t pay or one who treats your poorly? In my book they are about the same, but I will say one thing: clients who are disrespectful can be difficult to get along with. I am lucky that all my current clients are easy going and professional no matter what they are up against. That being said, there have been clients in the past who wanted nothing more than to argue, day in and day out. These people are not worth your time when there are so many high quality clients in need of top notch freelance writers.
This is one topic that has been beaten to death; I am well aware of that. In fact, I have talked about this very subject many times on this blog. But even though every freelance writer knows there are bad clients many of them still fall prey to them. The more you think about this topic the less chance there is that you will get mixed up with the wrong people. Don’t be paranoid, but be smart about which clients you choose to work with.Â
