Freelancing is not an “overnight success” because it takes a lot of hard work. The same with landing your first client, it takes time. It is because you need to show how excellent and outstanding a freelancer you are. But, how can you do it, when you don’t have any training and experience?

6 tips in landing your first client in freelancing.

1. Focus and be patient

2. Gather your work samples and create your portfolio

Freelancing today is a portfolio-based industry and so, clients always look for a portfolio. Your portfolio is a document where you put all your work samples. It must present the services that you can do and your expertise in fulfilling such tasks. In landing your first client, you need to present your portfolio during application time.

If you have too much to show, don’t display everything, instead, pick at least 5 of the best samples that you have. And if you have less, you can find the previous outputs that you had relating to your niche. An example of this is the designs and graphics you created during your college days, that is if your niche is graphic designing.

Or, if you’re an aspiring social media manager, you can just optimize your own accounts and experiment. This is an effective avenue to show that you know the job well, and you have the experience.

3. Be professional

In landing your first client, you need to treat your career as a business. During application, you need to have a professional cover letter and resume. As they say “the first impression lasts,” so, you need to give a professional impression to the client, especially during interviews. Choose a decent photo for your social media accounts, freelancing platforms, and even your resume.

4. Optimize your digital presence

Over the years, online traffic is massive and so, you must boost to reach your targets. One way of reaching your targets is through optimizing your website and social media account. Optimizing your digital presence is a way of marketing your business as a freelancer. You optimized to have a “call to action” where clients will notice you. Aside from updating your social media accounts, you must incorporate relevant keywords. To do this effectively, you need to conduct keyword research. And the good thing is that there are tools where you can use them for free.

Below are seven key effective ways to optimize your online presence:

• Build Your Personal Brand
• Create Trust and Credibility
• Get Visible and Attract Clients
• Scale Your Business
• Build a Website That Appeals to Your Customers
• Keep to a Maximum of 3 Social Media Platforms

5. Start with local businesses

Considering you just started freelancing and no one hires you. It is normal because clients only hire those with experience. But, how can you get experience when no one will hire you? There are two ways to get experience, first is you will look for local businesses and offer your services to them. You can either serve them at a minimal cost or even for FREE for a month. And the other one is through apprenticeship, online academies have these apprenticeship programs where you will experience freelancing. All you need to do is to pay a small cost to get the actual experience.

6. Don’t give up. 

Freelancing attitudes are pivotal to the success of a freelancer. Bear in mind that your new career takes time and so, the right time will come where all of your efforts will pay off. And, every time you feel hopeless, think of your deepest whys, the reasons why you pursue freelancing. And, it will motivate you to stand up and fight again.

One of the important factors to land your first client is to have experience. These tips mentioned are collected from successful freelancers based on their own experiences as a freelancer. I hope this article helps.

Feel free to visit our website for more tips.


Please check this blog for more tips: How I Started My Own Freelancing Journey

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

Start your Freelancing Career with the FVA Family Today!

FVA’s Apprenticeship Guidelines For Colleges and Universities

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