You've launched as a freelancer, but prospecting turns out to be more complicated than you thought? Don't worry, you're not alone, far from it. Nowadays, many people want to start an online business. And for good reason... traveling while working, choosing your workload, better balancing private and professional life makes more than one person dream. However, going self-employed is good, but finding clients is another story. For many, prospecting is no small matter and despite weeks, even months of prospecting again and again, they struggle to land contracts. Result, they get discouraged and return just as quickly to employment. Fortunately, the Flexina team has decided to support you in this new adventure. So, what are these 8 golden rules for finding your first clients as a freelancer? Let's see.

1. Create a website to find your first clients as a freelancer

Your website should not be taken lightly, because it constitutes your showcase. It will be visible at any time and by anyone. It's therefore an effective tool that can help you find your first clients as a freelancer. On it, don't hesitate to indicate your contact details, but also what you offer.

So, having a website is good, but making it known is even better. To do this, we invite you to have at least some SEO basics (search engine optimization). Writing articles optimized for natural referencing will allow you to differentiate yourself from the masses and find clients in droves. Of course, this won't happen overnight, but with patience and perseverance, this method will allow you to sustain your business and increase your income.

To start off on the right foot and not get discouraged along the way, also think about sharing your site and articles on your various social networks. This way, you can start making yourself known.

2. Offer a free service to land a first contract

To get the ball rolling, you'll first need to start by building a solid portfolio. To do this, offering free services is an ideal solution. Yes, it's important to gain experience and aim for the long term. Otherwise, in your prospecting email, don't hesitate to offer a test. Thus, your client will pay you if and only if the content suits them.

You must give your future clients the opportunity to discover your potential. And if one of them is satisfied with your work, take the initiative and don't hesitate to ask them for a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile, for example (we'll talk about this a little later in the article).

3. Build your online presence to get noticed as a freelancer

As a freelancer, you must absolutely strengthen your online presence and be active on various social networks. So, if you haven't already done so, think about creating a Facebook page and a LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn is really on the rise and understanding its workings can help you land your first clients quite easily. In your posts, also make sure to provide value so that your potential clients see you as an expert in your field. The same goes when you decide to comment on a publication. Be strategic and don't take LinkedIn for Facebook, as they are two totally different platforms. In short, developing your online presence when you're a freelancer should not be an option, but rather an obligation.

We're talking about LinkedIn, but above all ask yourself the following question: "Where are most of my potential clients?" Depending on your activity, they may even be on Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest.

4. Create quality content to land more clients

On the Internet, understand that quality content is king! To ensure maximum visibility, you'll have little choice. The more you go in this direction, the more you can make yourself known. So make sure to provide value so that your content is "shareable". Videos, podcasts, blog articles, infographics... don't hesitate to adopt different formats to stand out more and increase your visibility.

5. Think about registering on freelancing platforms

To find your first clients as a freelancer, you can also think about registering on platforms specially dedicated to freelancers. These are numerous and you have plenty of choice:

• Malt;
• Upwork;
• Fiverr;

So think about applying on different sites and creating an attractive profile. In the beginning, don't be too demanding and take what you're given. It's precisely all these small missions that will allow you to gain experience. Regarding your rates, don't immediately charge at ridiculous amounts.

As soon as you land your first mission, give it your all. You must show this first client that you're the right person for the job. Thus, when they need help for this or that project, they'll know who to turn to.

It's also possible to improve your positioning on search engines. In fact, the more reviews and positive feedback you have, the better positioned you'll be. If you've just registered, we advise you to stay as active as possible on one or more platforms to rise in the results. With this method, you can, in a way, trick the algorithm, because it will think you're constantly in demand.

6. Be in contact with other freelancers

To hide nothing from you, competition in freelancing is increasingly present. However, don't take all your colleagues as enemies, quite the contrary. Yes, some can become real allies. They can give you valuable advice that will help you launch your activity and find your first clients. To start building a network, you can think about contacting them via social networks or participating in trade shows for freelancers.

7. Request recommendations to increase your perceived value

Here's a fundamental element if you want to have a good reputation and thus, land more clients. Once your mission is completed, don't be afraid to ask your client to leave you a positive review on your LinkedIn profile or others. If you've done excellent work, even gone beyond their expectations, why would they refuse? Sure, they can absolutely decline your proposal, so what? What do you have to lose? In most cases, if one of your clients is satisfied, they'll be happy to give you a little boost.

8. Think about your network to find your first client as a freelancer

To find your first client as a freelancer, it's also important to turn to your loved ones, former colleagues, etc. After all, they may know someone who needs help for a future project. Moreover, if they hear of someone looking for a service provider in your area of expertise, they'll know to recommend you.

Adopt the right tools to develop your activity

Developing your activity must be your absolute priority. And to do this, you must use effective tools to optimize your time. At Flexina, we offer you an easy-to-use online invoicing software. Thus, you can easily create quotes or invoices. Moreover, this will truly allow you to have better management of your activity. To tell you everything, we've specially designed our invoicing software for small businesses.

And what if we offered you to come test it for 15 days free and without commitment, what would you say? This will allow you to discover it and get a more precise idea of its multiple features and very low price.

We hope these 8 tips will help you find your first clients as soon as possible. And if you want to go further, discover now how to invoice and set your rates. This way, you'll further increase your chances of landing new contracts.