Freelance Confidential - Amanda Hackwith [14]
Most of the challenges new (and even seasoned) freelancers face can be solved with one thing: smarter and more consistent self-promotion, even when you're booked solid. Think about it. If your project pipeline is drying up, better marketing will solve that. If your current clients are a nightmare or they're not paying you on time, better marketing can help you find better clients. If you want more free time to pursue outside interests, here again, a smart and sustained marketing effort will bring you more clients, some of which are willing to pay the fees you deserve. Those higher fees can then free up the time you need.
So commit to smart and consistent marketing of your solo business, even when you don't need the additional work. It can make all the difference in your income and your level of happiness.
But what is "smart and consistent marketing"? What efforts are really worth the time and what brings in the leads?
… But Do Less Marketing, More Engaging
In the Big Questions chapter, we discovered the top reported sources of new clients for freelancers. Of the 3,200 freelancers surveyed, almost 2,900 reported that they received most job leads through client referrals and word of mouth.
Where do you find work?
The majority (and often the most valuable) of new leads will come from happy, satisfied clients referring your services to their friends. Recommendations from trusted friends and colleagues easily carries the most credibility and is the best kind of "targeted marketing campaign" you can hope for.
Yet client word-of-mouth can be the holy grail of freelancing: much espoused and idealized, but sometimes unreliable. Sometimes, a happy client will know ten more businesses to refer you to; sometimes, they will love your work but never be heard from again. Stay in touch with happy clients to increase the likelihood that they'll remember you. Some techniques for staying in touch include:
Email newsletters (if your client has indicated they are open to email correspondence).
Postal mailers for discounts on future services.
Refer-a-friend incentives.
Thank-you notes and seasonal cards (which can also include any of the above mentioned incentives).
If referrals don't materialize despite your best efforts (and best work), don't despair at fickle clients. The second two leading sources for work are much more within your control: your portfolio and social media. In fact, social media in particular underwent a major growth spurt in the last three years.
Where do you find work? (top four answers in both surveys)
You can see that, outside of personal referrals, your online presence and engagement with others is increasingly important for gathering new leads. We'll take a look at ways to engage new clients via both online portfolios and social sites.
Improve Your Portfolio
John Lasseter, director and chief creative officer at Pixar, summed it up beautifully: "In any creative industry, quality is the sole business plan that prevails in the long run."[2]The quality of your current and former work is what will turn new and returning clients into a reliable stream of work and success.
Like it or not, clients and hiring people always, always, "judge a book by its cover." Allow me to switch hats for a minute. When I'm not editing for FreelanceSwitch, I also manage a graphic design stock marketplace called GraphicRiver. GraphicRiver employs a team of highly skilled, freelance designers that review incoming file submissions for quality control.
Whenever I need to hire a new designer, I announce an opening and am inevitably deluged by applications from our design community. I have to narrow down the list of candidates to a manageable level quickly. First, I cull anyone who can't write a professionally worded (or, if not professional, very engaging)