Most people in 2024 have a general idea about what it looks like to work remotely as an employee. But, one area of remote working that is still a complete mystery to many is how to be your own boss and become a freelancer. Not knowing enough about freelancing can make people avoid this excellent opportunity for a very stimulating and cost-effective career. So, in this article, we'll clean up the misunderstanding about how and where to find Freelance work, so you can look into the freelancing marketplace and decide if you would like to try it too.
If you aren't sure what freelancing is and how it works, take a look at What are Remote, Freelance, Part-Time, Hybrid, and Flexible Jobs? before reading on.
The Best Places for Freelance Work Online
It won't surprise you to hear that the best places to look for freelance work are online, but where exactly? There are a few options available, and we'll look at how each works here:
Online Freelance Marketplaces
The first places you should look for projects and clients are freelance marketplaces. These platforms are designed specifically for freelancers to offer their services, and for service users to post adverts looking for freelancers. The three most popular freelancing platforms are Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.
Upwork and Freelancer
Upwork and Freelancer are client-focused platforms. Clients post adverts detailing the work they need, the project length, the price they expect to pay, and the kind of freelancer they need. Freelancers can then apply for the project with a message, like a cover letter, explaining their experience, skills, and expectations, and setting a price for that project. Prices are negotiated in Upwork and Freelancer, and are part of the selection process when a client shortlists possible freelancers. Freelancers can also create detailed profiles to promote their skills and services, encouraging some clients to contact them directly.
Fiverr
Fiverr is a freelancer-focused platform where freelance service providers create 'gigs' advertising their skills and expertise, set fixed rates for specific services, and create attractive profiles to get clients interested. Clients will contact freelancers and request specific services, or negotiate a more personalized service, which the freelancer can accept or refuse.
Specialized Freelance Marketplaces
If you work in a specialized field, you might want to look for a freelance marketplace specific to your industry. You are more likely to work with professionals experienced in working with freelancers, who understand how the process works. You are also more likely to find longer-term and most specialist work on these platforms but they do tend to have less adverts posted in general.
There are many specialized marketplaces but the most commonly used are listed here:
Toptal - a platform for fully vetted and approved freelancers in the top 3% of their fields of tech, design, or finance.
99designs - a platform for freelance designers to offer their services to clients around the world.
ProBlogger - a platform for freelance writers, with a healthy jobs section for clients looking for bloggers and copywriters.
It might look like online freelance marketplaces are only designed for short-term projects, but it's extremely common for freelancers to impress clients so much they decide to work with them long-term.
Social Media
A freelance marketplace will always be the best place to find individual projects, but social media and personal websites can be good extra ways to increase your chances of making longer-term client relationships. You can use your social network to advertise around the world, and a personal website is your opportunity for no-limits self-promotion.
As the leading social network for professionals, LinkedIn is the best social network for freelancers to find new clients. Freelancers can apply for traditional job postings and optimize their profiles, using keywords and joining cutting-edge industry discussions to attract the right people. You can also reach out directly to other users and connect through your mutual contacts.
Take a look at our guides to using LinkedIn professionally:
Over the years, Facebook has become a strange mix of social media and interest groups for a truly amazing variety of things, from pet rats to Hotpoint washing machines. Freelancers can usually find multiple Facebook groups for freelancers globally, and more locally, as well as industry interest groups. A freelance editor could, for example, join groups for editors, authors, and publishers, to join in with conversations and offer their services. To take advantage of this approach it's important to have an attractive Facebook portfolio you can direct potential clients to.
Personal Websites
There are few limits to what you can do with your own website, and services like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress can help you quickly and easily set up professional-looking portfolios. You can create contact pages to encourage clients to contact you, add detailed information and examples of your work, show off your online reviews, and even accept payment through a personal website. Your website is a great way to demonstrate your skills but you do need to think about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and update your website with blog articles to encourage new visitors.
Cold Outreach
Emails
You might have thought about writing the perfect email to potential clients and contacting them 'cold' (without any established relationship) to increase your chances of finding freelance work. It's true that each company contacted could be a future client but the percentage of people who respond to cold emails has always been low, and it's getting lower every year. Personalizing your message to every contact a significant amount of time, and buying lists of contact details to send generic automated emails to random people is not usually productive.
How potential clients will view cold outreach through email may vary depending on the country and culture your target clients are in, but in general, there is a low percentage of responses globally when compared to other techniques.
Social Media
Cold outreach through social media is significantly more likely to lead to a working relationship with a client, or being referred to another potential client. Many freelancers find success by contacting potential clients through instant messages on Instagram or Facebook for example. This is particularly true if you find your contacts through interest groups related to your services. Cold outreach through social media generally feels less intrusive than a cold email, and a personal and friendly tone can make a big difference when messaging a potential client directly. Aim for the personal touch to avoid looking like your message is untargeted spam.
Offline Strategies for Finding Freelance Work
There is still plenty of room in real life for finding freelance work, and some of it is as effective or better than some online options.
Word of Mouth
Word of Mouth is the top way to build a loyal client base who hire you for project after project. People always talk about freelancers who provide excellent quality and customer service. Here are some ways you can improve your chances of finding clients through word of mouth:
Promise good quality and deliver excellent quality.
Give realistic deadlines and deliver early.
Only accept work you are certain you can complete in the time available.
Communicate any problems quickly and openly, and offer solutions.
Personalize your work for each client's specific needs.
Offer discounts for referring friends and colleagues.
Name your website something that is easy to say, spell, and remember.
Conferences and Coworking Spaces
Naturally social people, with great charisma, often find freelancing work by meeting other professionals in shared spaces. Industry conferences are great ways to make new contacts and put a friendly face to your name. It's also an opportunity to hand interested people a simple and effective business card. Not everyone has a great memory!
Coworking spaces for remote workers are excellent opportunities to find freelance clients because of the wide variety of professionals they support, and because the users regularly change over time. There's usually just enough time to build a trusting relationship you can continue outside of the coworking space, and new contacts will normally be introduced every few weeks. Even if your coworking connections don't need your services directly, they can recommend you to their clients and other professionals they know.
Wrap Up
While attending conferences, and creating personal websites can be good ways of finding freelancing opportunities, it's always recommended that you begin with, and regularly use online freelance marketplaces. And don't forget to look for specialist marketplaces in your industry for the opportunity to work with more experienced clients.
You can 'cold contact' potential clients through emails but most freelancers find more success in direct messaging through social media like Instagram and Facebook. Wherever you contact potential clients, invest in building up an excellent reputation by providing world-class service, and encouraging your clients to refer friends and colleagues to you. Word of mouth is free, and it's the best form of advertising there is for a freelancer.
The truth is that the best way of finding clients will be slightly different for each freelancer. And even though freelance marketplaces are the best place to start, the most success is found through trying and using more than one method.
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