Finding new clients and promoting your services is easier than you think.

Marketing my services is really just connecting with people.

Whether it’s with a potential client I'd like to work with, friends in different industries, or other writers who are on a career path that resonates with me, I reach out to people incessantly. I don’t always connect with people to pitch my services, but rather pitch the idea of just having a conversation.

For instance, I reached out to a very established writer on LinkedIn a couple weeks ago, I'd never met him in person but we had a few mutual connections and his writing background was like every gig I could possibly dream of.

He was great enough to jump on a call with me and we talked about all sorts of things BUT I did not directly market my writing services or ask him to help me find work.

I just asked him questions.

What does your routine look like?

How did you get into the writing world?

When did you find your first dream client?

What does your dream client look like?

How was it working for this company or so and so?

What advice would you give someone like myself in this stage of my freelance career? etc etc.

By the end of the call, he basically said he would be free to chat or give advice anytime, pass off work he wasn't able to do, or even help me with some introductions for brands he had worked with in the past because he simply enjoyed our conversation (and he could tell I had good intentions).

I never once asked him for work or to help me find work because the point of the call for me was to simply meet another writer.

Word of mouth references go the longest way!

My main piece of advice if you’re looking for new clients is don't hesitate to reach out to other writers or specific companies in an industry you want to work in and just offer up a quick discovery call because you are genuinely interested in what they are up to.

Having a LinkedIn profile or portfolio website is a huge plus at this stage as you have somewhere to point these people, but it's not always a requirement.

Keep in mind, often people don't answer me! But those that do always offer something bigger and better than what I was expecting once the get on a call.

Whether it's simply a piece of good advice, practice using your Zoom call skills for a your next interview, or setting up an introduction with a new client, always networking in-person and/or online is key.

Making connections IS promoting your services.

If you need help building your LinkedIn profile or portfolio website, please feel free to get in touch.