Are you aiming for a monthly income target? Just want to add a couple more clients to your roster? Looking for inspiration about new ways to find potential leads?

I got you.

Sometimes we just want to land a few more contracts to hit our goals, whether they’re personal goals, monetary goals, or business-related.

But finding freelance leads is the hard bit.

I mean, where do you even begin to look? The internet is such a huge place, right?!

One of the most popular questions I receive from my students is where can I find freelance leads? Is there a special, magical place where they all hang out waiting for freelancers to come along and sweep them off their feet?

Well, no.

No such magical place exists, but there are a few quick and simple ways I’ve discovered that can help you find a few more freelance leads this week, month, or even today.

Before I get stuck in, open up a blank document of your choice – a spreadsheet, a Google Doc, a good old-fashioned notebook – whatever you like! By the end of this post you’ll have populated this with a list of potential freelance leads.

How do freelancers get clients?

If you want to dig into this further and learn the 4-step strategy for landing consistent client work every month, you’re going to want to watch my totally free training, The Consistent Client Flow. Grab your spot below:

How can I find freelance work?

If this question is playing on your lips, you are not alone! Without freelance work, us freelancers don’t have a business, so it’s a pretty vital cog in the machine.

Here, I’m going to show you six easy ways you can pull together a list of prospective client leads in no time at all using tools you have access to right now.

1. Google Search

Good old Google is always the best place to start. There are two ways you can leverage this totally free and totally limitless search engine:

Search “List of [your niche brands]”

For example, if you write for finance companies, simply search for “list of finance companies”. This will bring back pages of “listicles” featuring 5+ different companies all listed in one place – super handy for populating your empty document.

In the top two results alone there are 400 different companies listed.

Simply search “[Your Niche] company”

Let’s use the finance example again. By entering a more specific search term that doesn’t warrant any listicle results, you’ll get served a selection of stand-alone brands.

Click through into their websites and see if you like the sound of them and what they’re offering.

If you do, add them to your document.

2. YouTube Search

YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world and thoroughly under-utilised as a place to find freelance leads.

Just like you did on Google, type in “[your niche]”.

Say, for example, you write for ecommerce plugins (niche, I know, but niche is good – and a tech niche is even better).

Type “ecommerce plugins” into the YouTube search bar and you’ll be greeted with videos that list a whole load of plugins (a.k.a. a whole load of potential leads).

Top tip: also check out who’s publishing the videos, as there’s likely to be a few brands hidden away there, too.

3. Twitter

Twitter is another valuable tool for unearthing potential freelance leads – this is one of my favourite methods to use as a writer because you can find companies that aren’t so hot on SEO (hence why they don’t rank high on Google or YouTube) and therefore may be in dire need of a writer.

Again, there are two ways you can tap into Twitter’s mammoth pool of potential leads:

Search “People”

Type in your niche in the search bar and filter it so the results only show “people” (simply click the “people” tab at the top).

Use the Generic Search

Alternatively (or additionally), you can use the generic search function to find brands that are posting about your niche – there’s a high chance they’re going to be in your niche, too.

Like this example that popped up when I searched for “ecommerce plugin”:

4. Ask For a Referral

If you’ve already got a few clients under your belt, there’s probably a great untapped opportunity just waiting for you to strike.

Your clients are people that know, like, and trust you, and are therefore more willing to refer their colleagues, peers, and friends to you.

Sometimes they just need a nudge in the right direction.

This script works well:

Hi [Client],

I hope you’re good!

I really loved working on X project together. If you know any other brands that are in need of a writer/designer/marketer, please feel free to pass my details along to them. Let me know if there’s anything I can do in return.

Thanks!

It’s simple but can be so effective. Most of the time, you won’t have to go through the rigorous pitching process with these types of leads because they’re already warmed up.

5. Reach Out to Past Clients

On the subject of past clients, have you tried reaching out to them to see if they’re in need of any more work?

I regularly reach out to clients I’ve worked with in the past to see if they have any new content needs.

A really simple email does the trick and keeps you front of mind. They might not need your services right now, but by popping up every now and again, you’ll be the first person they turn to should that change.

Here’s a template of the email I send to past clients:

Hey [Client].

How are you? I hope you’re doing well.

I just wanted to check in with you quickly to see how you’re getting on and to ask where your content strategy is at right now. Do you have any projects on the horizon that you might need a writer for?

Thanks!

Over the years, this technique has landed me a ton of new projects from clients that I’ve worked with before, which brings with it a couple of benefits:

• The work is easier and less stressful because I already know this client
• It can lead to long-term work
• You can build lasting relationships which is vital for a successful business

6. Local Business Directory

If you’re just starting out, I highly recommend reaching out to local businesses as you already have something in common: where you live!

Having that instant connection makes potential leads a lot warmer and it can be a great way to step into freelancing.

It can also be a great way to pick up a couple of new leads quickly if you’re an experienced freelancer and can lead to great relationships with brands that will refer you in the future.

I don’t recommend trawling the Yellow Pages, though.

Instead, simply search “business directory [your location]” into Google and have a look through those to see if any brands jump out and catch your eye.

Ready to Get a Couple More Freelance Leads This Week?

These methods are so easy to execute and can populate your list of potential freelance leads in no time at all. It’s worth going back through the brands you’ve listed to check that they’re the kind of company you want to work for but, once you’ve done that, it’s time to reach out and pitch them your services.

If you’re ready and raring to get pitching, my signature program Pitch & Prosper will walk you through exactly how you can do that successfully with a powerful but simple framework.

In the meantime, drop me a comment below and let me know what method you like best for finding freelance leads.

Don’t forget to watch the totally free training that will take this one step further and show you a simple 4-step strategy to pitch and sign the leads you find through these methods: