A few authentic connections are all you need...As an introvert, asking people to hire me isn't exactly my forte. Here's how I landed my first clients without getting too far outside my comfort zone.
One of the toughest and daunting parts of being a freelance writer is finding work. As an introvert with a touch of social awkwardness, asking people to hire me isn’t exactly my forte.
However, I’m 3 months into my freelance writing journey and so far, getting clients hasn’t been too much of a headache. Here’s how I landed my first clients without getting too far outside my comfort zone.
Found the right network to make meaningful connections
When I first created my blog in 2017, it really was just a hobby. I had no idea what I was doing so I joined Facebook groups that supported bloggers.
At first, I joined some that were all about blog promotion and social media challenges where you like or share a bunch of people’s posts and they do the same for you. The group admin would check to see if everyone did it by a certain deadline and you’d get kicked out if you didn’t meet it. I tried it for a while and although I got more likes and followers, they didn’t seem meaningful so I looked for other groups to join.
I write quite a bit about my Asian culture and identity so I joined the well-known Subtle Asian Traits group. This was where I met a bunch of folks who were really in it to support one another. There were graphic designers, podcasters, lifestyle coaches, restaurant owners, small business investors, writers like myself and everyone in between.
As an introvert, I’d rather connect with a few than know a lot of people. So I made a couple of good friends from that group and we even met up in person. We kept in touch and by the time I decided to freelance 4 years later, all I had to do was mention my decision and they were happy to hire or refer me to their friends.
Interviewed potential clients for free and published them on my blog
I’d rather connect with people one-on-one than attend a huge networking event and get overwhelmed by the sea of people. I realized what makes me stand out amongst the crowd is my ability to help business owners write their stories.
Whenever I met someone who was a potential client, I would ask if I could interview them for free. They could promote their business while I showed off my writing skills. Plus, it was great content for my blog (more about content creation later). It was a win-win.
When they shared the piece with their community, folks would comment how great the interview was written. It was social proof that I could help them with their business.
So by the time I started freelancing, I already knew a bit about their company and they knew my style aligned with their audience; it was easy for them to think of me for their writing services. A couple of folks even included the link to the interview that I wrote for them in their LinkedIn profile.
Used my books and courses to sell my services
Having published books and courses shows that I have the ability to create these types of products. Although I don’t make tons of money selling them, I use these as a way to sell my writing services.
What I did was offer these for free to people who were interested. Then when I mentioned that I was freelancing, they were familiar with how I write and knew I had the skills to create these types of products for them. It’s about walking the talk.
Consistently created content and shared it
When I became a blogger, I created social media accounts and an email subscription list that was specific to my blog. I knew it was important to consistently share what I was writing to draw traffic to my website.
The benefit of consistently creating and sharing content is that I am at the top of people’s minds. You know, in sight and in mind, out of sight and out of mind.
In addition, it demonstrates my strong work ethic. We’ve all seen content creators go hard for a few months and then after a while, they kinda disappear. People won’t want to hire someone who doesn’t appear to have the discipline to do the work. It doesn’t mean you need to post 10 times a day and write 20 articles a week. It means posting at a frequency that you can realistically meet without burning out.
One of my clients actually told me,
“I see you posting so consistently that I know you’ll do the same for me.”
Got random referrals
One of my clients was actually referred to me by a complete stranger. When I asked them who it was, they said that it was their colleague who had been following my blog regularly and thought I would be a good fit for the company they work at. The universe works in mysterious ways.
Although it’s only been three months and I’m still doing this on the side, I’m feeling more comfortable about my decision to leave my 9–5.
Ultimately, it’s about being consistent and connecting with people authentically instead of focusing on finding clients. When you do good work for someone, you’ll get rewarded with more work. It’s a snowball effect.
So readers and fellow writers, have you landed your first freelance writing client? How did you guys find each other?
