Let’s face it, you wouldn’t have a freelance business if you didn’t have any clients. They’re kind of the glue that holds it all together. Without them you’d have no work, no money, and therefore no reason to continue down the freelancer path.

I get asked a lot about how I find clients and how I landed my very first freelance client just over a year ago.

As part of the “how to start freelancing” mini-series, I want to show you the four main steps in starting out as a freelancer. And learning how to land your first freelance client is one of the most important things you can do.

It would be easy for me to get all generic up in here and just list the same advice that’s been regurgitated time and time again (you know, sign up for content mills, work for pennies, work for free whilst you build up your portfolio, yaddah yaddah), but I want to really help you.

Because, you see, when you land your first freelance client, that’s setting the tone for the rest of your business.

The work you do for them will be the first work you add to your portfolio (so it better be awesome!). They might be able to refer you to other clients. The work you do for them will give you experience and oomph when applying for similar jobs.

You see how there’s a kind of knock-on effect?

So, without getting all serious, your first client is pretty important.

Let me tell you about how I landed my first freelance client.

When I decided to go freelance in 2014 I literally had one month to get my stuff together before I moved to Spain and went all out on my own.

I had one month to land my first freelance client. So what did I do? I devoured post after post after post about how I could do this. I spent so much time reading that I wasn’t spending any time actually doing.

It can be so easy to freeze in the face of freelancing and not want to do anything but read about how to do it. That’s the first stumbling block. If you don’t put yourself out there, you don’t get any clients. And do I need to remind you what happens then?!

The absolute best bit of advice I can give you is to jump in and start making connections right away. Who cares if you don’t have a single piece of work to your name? Who cares if you haven’t nailed down your contracts or finances? Those can all be figured out later on. The most important thing is that you’re getting out there, getting yourself in front of potential clients, and getting work.

The rest comes after.

Anyway, I was in the middle of the month before I left to go to Spain and I didn’t have a single client. Not a sausage.

At this point I was freaking out like a pro, but I persevered because what the heck else could I have done?!

I was reaching out to clients by email, I was applying for jobs left, right, and centre on jobs boards, I was tweeting and Facebooking and all sorts.

Surely something had to stick, right?

In the last week before I moved to Spain, someone finally bit. It was a job I’d applied for in the first week of searching on Craigslist of all places.

I wrote a trial piece for them, they loved it, and the rest was history. I actually worked for this client right up until August this year, so not only were they my first client, but they were my longest running client, too.

Basically my point here is that you can find your first freelance client anywhere. Don’t veer away from verticals just because someone turns their nose up at it (I got my first client from Craigslist, remember? The devil of all jobs boards).

And secondly, you never know where it’ll lead. The most important thing is to keep your options open and you’ll be way more likely to land your first freelance client.

Okay, NOW we can get to the nitty gritty. You’re all fired up and ready to go, right?

Easy but effective ways to land your first freelance client

1. Shout Out on Social Media

I’m not talking about spamming your Twitter feed with desperate attempts to land work.

I’m talking about utilising the social media platforms you have to let people know about your new adventure into the world of freelancing.

Prime your friends and family

How many friends do you have on Facebook? What are the chances that one of them works for a company that might just need a freelancer?

Often we overlook the most obvious places because, well, it just doesn’t cross our mind, but if one of your 300 friends on Facebook sees your post you’re golden, because you already have that connection with them.

Update your profile

I’ve mentioned before how many freelancers I know who don’t actually state they’re a freelancer in their social media profiles. This is SUCH a wasted opportunity.

On Twitter, your profile is easily searchable with the keywords you use in it. On Facebook, when you hover over your name you want people to know what it is you do.

2. Tap into your pre-built network

I’m guessing you’ve been employed before? Sent out emails before to business-y people or just people who work for brands?

If it doesn’t go against any contracts you’ve had in the past, you can send out a warm, friendly email blast to your email list just updating them with your new job title and the kind of work you’ll be doing.

At this point you don’t want to be selling any of your services. Just a quick hello and an update will absolutely do. This puts you and your services at the front of your contacts’ minds and, yup, you already have that connection which is a massive bonus.

3. Create bespoke portfolio pieces

I get emails every day asking how to land your first freelance client if you don’t have any previous portfolio work to show for it.

This is a perfectly legit question because, let’s face it, why would someone hire you if they don’t know what you’re capable of?

My answer to this is the same for everyone.

One of the absolute best ways you can put yourself in the face of a brand is to really get to know their business and their problems and offer them a cracking solution that they just can’t refuse.

For example, if you’re a freelance writer you could find 3-5 brands you’d love to work with and create bespoke content to share with them that fits their goals, their audience, and answers one of their major problems.

Not only will this make you stand out, but you’ll have a collection of pieces to add to your portfolio in no time at all – and they’re all geared towards your ideal first freelance client.

4. Jobs Sites

I’m aware there’s a massive dose of controversy surrounding jobs sites (a.k.a. content mills) like UpWork and Elance (soon to join together with UpWork), but as a freelancer starting out in can be a great place to find your first freelance client and start building your portfolio.

I started landing work on jobs sites immediately. Sure, I charged a reduced rate to begin with, but as soon as I started building up my portfolio and had something of value to offer potential clients, I whacked up my prices to a premium level.

When you’re first starting out on jobs sites, make sure you throw the net wide and see each listing as a potential opportunity. There are literally thousands of jobs advertised on these sites every single day, so there’s bound to be something that fits your niche, your skills, and your desired price range.

Spend an hour or so every day browsing through your selected lists and whizzing off a few bespoke applications to the ones that seem like a good fit.

5. Good old Google search

Google is your friend. It’s not just the place where you can find crazy cat videos or find a recipe for the mishmash of ingredients you have left in your fridge. It’s a wealth of businesses, brands, and potential clients.

When you’re on the hunt for your first freelance client it’s worth having a browse of the kinds of brands and companies in the niche you want to work in. Find out how they present themselves and tap into some of the problems they might have.

When you’ve established what’s out there, you can put together a brief Letter of Introduction (LOI), which literally just says who you are, what you do, and how you can help.

I’d suggest sending it out to about 5 or so relevant brands every day. Any more and you’ll struggle to make a personal connection, any less and, well, there’s less chance of something sticking.

6. Offer a discounted package

People love deals and discounts. As a new freelancer your main concern isn’t how much money you can make, but how you can build up a solid collection of clients that will, in turn, lead to you making money.

I’m in no way suggesting you work for free (in fact, I’d advise against this as you can sometimes gets caught in a free-for-all loop), but there’s definitely room for discounts for your first few clients.

Perhaps you could offer your first 3 clients a 50% discount. This gives brands and incentive to reach out quickly so they don’t miss the opening, and it gives you a chance to get more clients in a speedy manner.

Where would you advertise this? Well, aside from your website, you could prime your friends and family on Facebook, run an ad or two on social media, or simply reach out via email to a selection of brands you’d like to be your first freelance client.

Your turn!

If you’re already immersed in the world of freelancing, how did you land your first freelance client? If not, do any of these methods jump out at you? Fancy giving a couple of them a try?!

The how to start freelancing mini-series aims to show you the four major steps in kickstarting your freelance business. It’ll be back next week with a post about how you can manage your time freelancing whilst you still work a full-time job. For more freelancing goodness, check out the other posts in the series:

• How to Start Freelancing: 116 Things to Know Before You Begin