Are you a freelancer confused and planning to change paths because you don’t know how to find clients as a freelance social media manager?
Well, that excuse is no longer valid because we have the solutions to your dilemma and are here to broaden your perspectives to help you shine in your field of work.
There is no doubt that freelancers face numerous obstacles when looking for clients to serve, but there are basic strategies that must be followed so that clients appoint you for work.
Read How to Get Potential Leads through Strategic Connections
10 Tips On How To Find Clients As A Freelance Social Media Manager
Tip 1:Educate yourself and master your skills
You are probably wondering why it is so important to know the ins and outs of your work, as there are plenty of clients, and you are bound to get hired.
Well, this misconception of yours is exactly the reason you have come here to solve your dilemma of whether or not to give up on freelancing. Clients will not pay someone who is not sufficiently skilled and lacks knowledge.
First and foremost, being a social media manager doesn’t necessarily indicate that you must learn every skill required for this field.
But whatever you want to specialize in, you must have in-depth knowledge of it, meaning you should study all the A-Zs of the skills so that when it comes to facing clients, they will not have any doubt regarding your level of expertise.
Worried about how and where to train yourself? In case you didn’t notice, we live in the digital age where learning is at the tip of your fingers. All you have to do is decide on the skills you want to educate yourself on and search for them on Google and YouTube, where you will find heaps of video tutorials,
e- books, and blogs that provide step-by-step guides to help you learn.
Besides that, there are plenty of apps and websites where you can complete courses and receive certificates to show to your clients, proving you are qualified for the job.
Not to mention you can always opt for physical training sessions where professionals will interact and guide you to help you learn how to find clients as a social media manager.
List Of Sources For Self-Education On Social Media Marketing
| Name | Category | Cost | Link |
| Hubspot Academy | Online Certification Course | Free | https://academy.hubspCourseracourses |
| Coursera | Online Certification Course | Starts from $9.99 | https://www.coursera.org/courses |
| Alison | Online Diploma Certification Course | Starts from $21 | https://alison.com/tag/social-media |
| Social Media Examiner | Online Blog | Free | https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com |
| MOZ | Online Blog | Free | https://moz.com/blog/category/social-media |
| Social Media: Become A Social Media Marketing Master | eBook | Free | https://www.pdfdrive.com/social-media-become- |
| Neil Patel: Learn Marketing | YouTube Tutorials | Free | https://youtube.com/@neilpatel |
| Become A Social Media Manager With Tyler Denae | YouTube Tutorials | Free | https://youtube.com/@TylerDenae |
| The B2B Social Media Book | Hardcover book | $24.95 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006PW2 |
| How To Become A Social Media Manager | Hardcover book | $3.69 | https://www.amazon.com/HOW-BECOME-SOCIAL-MEDIA-MANAGER/ |
Tip 2: Get In Touch With Your Personal Network
Finding work can be quite a challenge as a freelancer. You would have to make strenuous efforts to get noticed by clients.
That’s why we suggest emphasizing on your personal network, which includes your friends and family, to whom you can show off your skills. This is a primary option to find work and gain experience before you set foot in the outside world.
First, you have to spread the news to everyone about your line of work and let them know how you can help them out. For example, it could be a friend who is having trouble ranking their content on search engines, or it could be a family member who runs a business page but is unable to reach a wide audience.
Start off by making a list of 15-20 contacts that you communicate with on a regular basis. Next, add the phone number, office location, and email address next to their names.
Now send them a brief message mentioning you specialize in social media services and also include your website link to give people a more vivid outlook on what you offer. But don’t mention anything about your rates, as it may create a negative impression on your behalf, driving away your first clients. Be sure to ask your contacts for a few names which may be interested in your services.
Whatever the case, the most powerful tool of advertising is word of mouth. Once you can show your potential and assist people in solving their issues, they are bound to refer you to others who require services you can provide.
Tip 3: Build A Portfolio
If you are losing sleep over how to find clients as a freelance social media manager, then your ultimate tool is a well-built portfolio that is bound to get you some work.
But how will you do so with a lack of experience? Well, we are pretty sure that a handful of your close contacts hired you or referred you to work for others. Whatever services you rendered to them can be added to your portfolio, along with reviews.
To make your portfolio stand out more, another option would be to prepare samples in a manner that they will be sent to clients. Give your work that touch of professionalism to gain the attention of potential clients.
Tip 4: Make Yourself Visible On Social Media
The world we live in forces us to keep up with the latest trends and technology. Social media has become an essential part of the lives of people of all ages, starting from primary school goers to those who have retired.
Nonetheless, social media platforms are the best way to connect with people to let them know about what you have in store to offer.
There are millions of business owners all over the world on Facebook who struggle to flourish due to a lack of social media marketing skills. And yes, these are the people you need to target as clients.
Try to follow the pages of a few business owners if you see them struggling or seeking help, then dive in and show them your competencies.
Be sure to join groups that are based on freelancing related to your industry. This way, you can meet both clients and observe how other freelancers do business.
If you do have an existing Instagram account full of pictures that are not appropriate for clients to see, then it is better to open a second account where professionalism must be maintained. The next step is to create a bio that could possibly be the link to your portfolio.
Start to follow businesses and companies that you want to work for as a freelancer. If
you see that they are in need of a social media manager, then do not hesitate to send them a message with your website link, which could reach you to your client
A Twitter account allows you to connect with other people who are working in the same industry as you. You can follow them, leave positive remarks on their Tweets and also join Twitter chats.
Since you are a social media manager, when looking for job opportunities, use hashtags like ‘#Freelance social media manager’ or keywords like ‘Social media manager required.’ By doing so, all the related posts will be easily visible to you.
The best social media platform to come in contact with other professionals is LinkedIn which will be of great benefit to you as a freelancer. Make sure the profile you create has a professional photo and a link to your website. This way, potential clients will find it much easier to review your details.
Or you can always surf through LinkedIn Jobs, which will help you to get clients without much effort. All you have to do is find jobs that you can perform well and get good reviews from clients.
Tip 5: Look For Clients On Freelance Job Sites
How to find clients as a freelance social media manager? The easiest option would be to search for clients through various online job sites that employ thousands of people every day.
Simply upload your portfolio or fill up all the details for a new profile and start seeking clients that offer work suitable for you.Once you find something appropriate,talk to them and find out the requirements, and to play it safe, bid a lower price than what the client has to offer this will increase your chances of cracking the deal amongst other competitors.
On the other hand, if your profile stands out, clients may hunt you down to work for them, possibly with an attractive remuneration.
Here is a list of online job sites that will aid you in finding clients.
| Name of Job Site | Description | Link |
| Upwork | A wide range of opportunities are available for all category freelancers on Upwork. | https://www.upwork.com/ |
| Fiverr | Self-marketing is the key to finding a job on Fiverr. If you are willing to provide top-notch services at a low rate, then clients will be asking for you very soon. | https://www.fiverr.com/ |
| PeoplePerHour | With over 2 million members on PeoplePerHour, the probability of you finding work is very likely, provided you include all your previous projects in the portfolio for clients to view. | https://www.peopleperhour.com/ |
| FlexJobs | There is significantly less possibility of getting scammed as all the jobs are screened before being posted on the FlexJobs. | https://www.flexjobs.com/ |
| Solidgig | The site Solidgigs offers jobs to freelancers as well as a library full of tools and resources for the purpose of self-learning. | https://solidgigs.com/?via=adk34 |
| Freelancer.com | If you are looking for big projects, then Freelancer.com is the site for you. | https://www.freelancer.com/ |
| We Work Remotely | The platfo rm Work Remotely, posts over 100 jobs per week, opening up big opportunities for freelancers to find work. | https://weworkremotely.com/ |
| Toptal | If you want to get involved in top-level projects that pay well, then sign up and join as a freelancer on Toptal. | https://www.toptal.com/i |
| SimplyHired | Amongst hiring posts, many job-seeking tools such as resume builder and salary estimator are available on SimplyHired. | https://www.simplyhired.com/ |
| Truelancer | Truelancer benefits you from paying lower service fees as your membership is upgraded. | https://www.truelancer.com/ |
Tip 6:Contact Agencies
Although the idea of contacting agencies sounds very contradictory in relation to working as a freelancer. But when you are not finding any clients to work for then agencies are as the saying goes,’a friend in need is a friend indeed.’
Agencies are always on the lookout for newbies in hopes of paying lower rates. Nonetheless, partnering up with them will assist you in getting work, gaining experience, and also earning a few dollars.
And it’s pretty obvious that agencies are linked to a large number of clients, which will help you in getting regular projects completed.
To be honest, being an independent freelancer doesn’t guarantee a fixed income every month. It’s always a good idea to have a backup source of earnings so you do not hit a dead end.
Here are a few steps on how to make yourself known to agencies:
- Find out agencies that are looking for someone with the skills and knowledge that you have inherited.
- Make a list of these agencies, along with noting down their contact information.
- Now it’s time to kick off by messaging or mailing them with your portfolio. If possible, give them a call and let them know that you have sent it.
- Once they get back to you, arrange a one-to-one conversation in person or via video call. This way, you will get the initial idea of what is expected from you, and according to work, you can drop hints about the rate and payment policy.
- If you manage to finalize a deal, then you are good to go. Otherwise, reach out to them for an update on whether you will be hired any time soon.
Tip 7:Create Your Website
Although it may sound like hard work, creating your own website will allow you to send the link to potential clients so that they can assess all your details.
Besides that, when you want to create a positive impression on someone, it’s always a good idea to go about it professionally without any shortcomings to portray your expertise.
Although this may sound like an idea you want to brush off, consider hiring a graphic designer to make your website look dynamic and easy to access for clients.
By creating a website, you can display your portfolio, contact information, pay rates, qualifications, and everything clients would be curious to know about you. After that, they can decide whether to take you to work for them.
Tip 8: Rate Yourself At A Reasonable Price
In the beginning, it can be quite a challenge to get clients, especially if you are new and without any experience. To make yourself stand out amongst other competitors, you can offer your services at a discounted price or even for free.
Let’s be honest. The words ‘free’ and ‘discount’ always grab our attention, creating curiosity about what is offered. As a freelance social media manager, you can offer discounts on various SEO services.
Taking this step will assist you in meeting people in the same industry and also build your portfolio, making it easier to convince future clients that you are capable of working for them.
However, once you work for a client or even come across a potential one who hasn’t yet hired you, make sure to maintain regular communication with them and follow up on whether you can be of further assistance as a social media manager.
Tip 9: Meet People Through Networking
Still worried about how to find clients as a freelance social media manager? Keep on reading to see what advice we have waiting for you.
While it’s strange to suddenly approach people and talk about your skills as a freelance social media manager, you can always try to find clients through the many ways of networking, as mentioned below.
- Cafes, gyms, and clubs are a great way to interact with people whom you come across regularly. Simply sit down and have a regular chat and while you get to know one another, there will always be the scope of letting them know about your social media services. And who knows maybe you will find clients to work for; if not, they can always refer you to others.
- If you live in a small neighborhood, then there are strong possibilities that you always bump into the same people when attending local gatherings or sporting events. It could be bingo night or even a local football match where you have a general chat and gradually distribute your business card in the hope of getting clients.
- Join company events where the press and general people are invited to participate in. By attending these, you will have the opportunity to make endless contacts and seek for potential clients to render your
services to.
- Now if you are an introvert and start having panic attacks at the thought of meeting new people upfront, well, don’t worry. The solution is to join online forums where you can promote yourself and make connections with those who are on the same page as you.
Tip10: How to Deal With Rejection
Rejection is something we all fear, and it’s no different when clients refuse our work. Sometimes the results are worse than anticipated, as some freelancers may face continuous rejection.
Whatever you do, make sure to accept the rejection politely from clients. Otherwise, unprofessional behavior may decrease the chances of you receiving any work in the future.And while you are at it, try to ask why your proposal got rejected. If by any chance, it’s because of the pay rate, then you always have the opportunity to lower it instantly and make another deal with the client.
Nonetheless, don’t let rejection put you down. It’s not the end of the world, as there are plenty of options out there to help you. This includes learning more skills, trying out different techniques on self-branding, and being more active on social media by showing interest and connecting on job offers by potential clients.
Final Word
The key to finding work as a freelancer is presentation and interaction. First, study and learn effectively, then get out there and meet people, not just professionals and business people. Talk to your friends, neighbors, and even the person next to you in the coffee shop.
You never know who requires what you have to offer. But one valuable piece of advice would be to gain as much experience as possible, even if it means working with an agency for a short while. Because clients often hesitate to hire freshers, fearing their time and money would go to waste.
Before signing off, we sincerely hope that our tips on how to find clients as a freelance social media manager help you build your career.