Freelance Marketing 101: How to pitch your services to dream clients
Freelancers and service providers just want to book new clients consistently, but keeping up with social media trends can be exhausting… and if you’re just getting started you might not have the budget for ads or the time to wait for a long-term marketing strategy to start working.
This inevitably leads to a phenomenon I lovingly refer to as the “guru-doom-spiral”. If you’re an online business owner I’m guessing you know exactly what I’m talking about. It goes something like this:
You have an idea – you’re good at something and you want to monetize it. You get brave and start a business. Yay you!
You’re excited, but also inexperienced, so you start listening to podcasts for inspiration. And that’s when you find it – The Golden Guru. You binge several episodes, which leads you to a blog, where you download a freebie of some sort…
You try to implement the mini training (but it’s wildly incomplete). So you try your best, but it just doesn’t work. You panic, because it seems like EVERYONE is making 6 figures with this 3 step plan. Maybe you’re a failure?
But, no. You’re not a failure – You’re resilient! You find a new podcast, with a different freebie, and a new promise of $10k months. Etc, etc, etc.
Nodding your head? Feeling anxious and sweaty from reading that? Here’s the good news: It doesn’t have to be this way!
Marketing basics: What is outreach marketing and why do you need it?
Hey, I’m Ashley by the way. I’m an extrovert and a natural connector, so networking and meeting new clients has always been my favorite part of growing an online marketing business. I just didn’t realize, until recently, that I’m the minority.
I was chatting with a friend (who also happens to be a mentor for design freelancers) and she asked how I was growing my marketing business so quickly. When I told her my leads were almost 100% from cold emails (messages sent to strangers) she couldn’t believe it! She said finding clients is the #1 struggle she hears about from her students.
This genuinely surprised me, so I started asking my clients about it. Sure enough, most of them were feeling stuck around this issue too. I’ve found that many freelancers and service providers have negative feelings about the word marketing.
So let’s talk marketing 101 for a second – Marketing is simply the act of promoting and selling products or services. That means if you have a business and you need more clients… you need to work on your marketing! It doesn’t have to be intimidating or overwhelming though. The “act of promoting or selling” can be anything from a social media post to a massive corporate campaign. OR it can be a personalized email inviting someone to work with you and sharing how your services could make their life a little easier.
Outreach marketing is an action-based marketing strategy. Websites and social media are obviously important, but they are passive tools. When we spend all of our budgets and energy on passive strategy it can take much longer to get a steady flow of income. Outreach marketing gives you the opportunity to intentionally connect with (and serve) your target audience on an individual basis.
Common marketing struggles for small business owners and entrepreneurs
Does any of this sound familiar?
You’re sick of the social media cycle, or you just don’t have time to wait for a solid content strategy to gain momentum.
You dream of being fully booked, or expanding your agency, but you can’t quite crack the code on finding new clients consistently.
You have a marketing budget of $0.00 and you need clients ASAP.
You’re a creative freelancer or service provider who knows you could use your skills to make a consistent income… but no one is finding your awesome website!
You feel exhausted by reels and tiktoks and whatever else new trends keep popping up.
If this sounds like you, don’t stress. You’re not alone! But, it’s time to stop hiding behind a passive social media strategy. It’s time to take action.
10 Ways to Book Clients FAST
Download the free guide and start booking more dream clients asap!
Outreach marketing for entrepreneurs and freelancers
Passive social media marketing means posting organically on your accounts and waiting for clients to find you. Can this work? Sure. But is it a reliable way to book new clients on a regular basis? Usually not.
If your goal is to create a steady income each month to support yourself and your family, you need to be able to book new clients with an actionable strategy. Direct outreach marketing is all about taking action instead of waiting around (which essentially puts the burden on the client).
Here is my simple plan and #1 marketing strategy for solopreneurs, service providers, and even small agencies who need to book clients faster:
Set a very clear (and time sensitive) goal – When you are thinking about your goals, remember that the best goals are specific, measurable, and achievable. Use this formula: I will [insert action] by [specific date].
Here’s an example: I will send 5 emails to business owners I know by March 1st. Notice how the goal is something you can control… you don’t know if they will say yes, but you still accomplished your goal of reaching out!
Make a big list of dream clients. Be sure to include:
People you would absolutely love to work with. Don’t limit yourself here. Even if it seems lofty, write down their name! You can always edit your list later, but don’t limit yourself.
Family, friends, and other personal connections who could be a good fit.
Past clients who may need more of your service. (Previous clients and coworkers make great referrals.)
Do your research – Don’t skip this, I know it’s tempting! The key to this strategy is to focus on making connections, not just sales. Don’t start reaching out to your contacts until you’ve taken the time to get to know more about them. Browse their website and social media channels (and notice how they interact with others). What do you genuinely love about the ways they present themselves and their business? Take note of these things and don’t be afraid to pay them a compliment. We all love to hear what we’re doing well!
Now for the good part: Personally email each person on your list. I know this feels sketchy, but stick with me! Remember that the worst thing that can possibly happen is… they say no. That’s it. All you can do is offer your services and let them decide if it’s a good fit. (Look at you! You’re promoting and selling your products or services. The definition of marketing, remember?)
What if you’re nervous about exactly what to say? That’s fair. I have a lot of practice with this, and that’s why I created a set of email templates that solve that exact problem. Just remember to keep it personal. Templates are a great starting point, but they only work if you personalize.
I personally doubled my monthly revenue in one summer using my Booking Magic email templates. I had the long-term social media strategies in place, but I needed to bump up my client base asap… so I went with what I knew: direct emails. I started reaching out to strangers, creating connections, and inviting them to book my services. That’s how I was able to double my monthly revenue in just 30 days!
Now, don’t stop. Repeat the process until your roster is full and your clients are thanking you for reaching out because they “knew they needed help but they were too busy to go out and find anyone”. That’s based on a true story, by the way! I have several clients who were drowning in marketing tasks and they later told me that my email was like a lifeboat.
Outreach marketing doesn’t have to be spammy or weird… it’s a service when done well. Once you figure out the process your future clients will feel like you’re a mind reader. You’ll pop up in their inbox with exactly the service they need, and they’ll be thrilled to work with you. Now go out there and find your dream clients!
Next steps for scaling
Once you get the hang of direct outreach, it can be a serious game changer! But it’s not exactly scalable. This is where passive marketing comes in handy. Once you have a solid base of dream clients, you can start building a lead generation strategy on social media (or even better, an SEO-based platform like Pinterest). This will help you attract more clients without having to reach out to them individually.
It’s helpful to remember that you can’t scale something that isn’t working already. Just say “no” to the guru-doom-spiral and start taking action instead! You’ll be on your way to a scalable marketing plan in no time.
Free Pinterest Profile Checklist
If you’re ready for this step, checkout this Pinterest Profile Checklist that helps you optimize your account to convert viewers to buyers.
