6 Ways to Find New Clients
For service-based entrepreneurs, a major part of your job is drumming up new business. This is especially true if you are just getting started and don’t yet have a steady stream of client work coming in. But even the most established entrepreneurs can go through a slow season or have room to take on new clients, so knowing how to land new clients is an essential part of being a business owner.
Whether you’ve just launched your business or you’ve been self-employed for a while, this question is bound to come up: “Where the heck do I find new clients?!”
In an ideal world, your dream clients will find YOU, whether through referrals, a lead-generating website, consistent marketing, or all of the above. While this is the ultimate goal for any service-based entrepreneur or freelancer, it takes some time and effort to get to that point.
We could write an entire blog post on how to attract your dream client, but for this post, we’ll focus on the first step of bringing in new clients: where to find them.
PRO TIP: If you’re not sure who your dream client is yet, start with our free Define Your Dream Client Worksheet. This worksheet will help you get clear on exactly who your target client is so you can stop wasting your marketing efforts and increase sales.
6 Ways to Find New Clients
1. Reach Out To Your Network
Sometimes the best place to get new clients is the one right in front of you. Start where you are and reach out to your network. This could include former coworkers, friends, family members, or volunteer or social organizations you belong to. Let them know that you’ve recently launched your business or started taking on freelance work. Ask them to keep you in mind for relevant work or send people your way. You’ve got to start somewhere, so it might as well be with people who already know and like you.
Even if you’ve been in business for a while, it doesn’t hurt to remind your network what you do. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in your client work that you forget to promote yourself. If you’re going through a slow season or just finished up with your current client projects, it’s always a good idea to let those closest to you know that you’re taking on new clients. Plus, this is a great way to increase your word of mouth marketing. You never know where your next lead could come from!
2. Be A Helpful Resource In Facebook Groups
As a business owner, social media is an invaluable marketing tool, but there’s also a lot of time and energy that goes into content creation and managing your social presence. However, there’s one way to get social that doesn’t require any content creation or planning. Yep, you read that right! One method for finding new clients through social media is by joining a Facebook Group.
There are entire groups on Facebook dedicated to things like freelancing, entrepreneurship, and even more niche topics like female writers. These groups are meant to be a place to connect with others with similar interests or occupations in order to share resources, ask for advice, and yes, help each other find new clients. Many people post in these groups when they have a client that they can’t take on, or if they have a project themselves that they’re hiring for. These groups are like communities, and by simply joining the group you’re already inherently connected to an entire community.
The key to getting the most out of a community group is by giving more than you take. Engage in conversations, share your genuine tips, and dedicate yourself to being a resource. That way, once an opportunity comes up, you’ll be a natural fit as you’re already someone that has built trust and credibility in the group.
3. Focus In On Local Clients
In our online world, it’s easier than ever to connect with clients from anywhere in the world. But sometimes it’s helpful to zoom back in and look for new clients a little closer to home.
Connect with local businesses either in person or by reaching out to them on social or through email. It’s important to mention the fact that you’re local as that automatically builds connection and gives you something in common.
You can also look for local networking events to attend, either virtual or in-person. To find these groups, just do a quick Google search for “Your City Name” + “Your Service”+ group. So, that could be “Los Angeles photography group” or “Nashville graphic designer group.” These groups usually host regular meet-ups or have an online forum (maybe even a Facebook Group) that allows members to connect and build their local network.
4. Ask For Referrals
Current clients are your best advocates. They know exactly what it’s like to work with you and can attest to the stellar services you provide. If they’re happy with your work, they should have no problem letting others know how great you are to work with, too!
When it comes to getting referrals, it’s best to just directly ask for them rather than assuming your clients will refer you on their own. Your clients likely don’t know what your workload is like and they may not even know you’re taking on new clients. If you want a referral, let your current clients know that you’re taking on new clients or have upcoming availability and to keep you in mind if they know anyone who’s in need of your service. They may refer you to someone right away, but if not, you’ll be top of mind if an opportunity comes up. Either way, you can’t get what you don’t ask for so don’t be shy about getting referrals.
5. Try Out Cold Emails Or Messaging
If the thought of reaching out to a total stranger to promote your services makes you cringe or want to hide behind your laptop, you’re not alone. But hear us out: there are plenty of non-cringey ways to use cold emails to get new clients.
The first step is to do your research. Find out who the best person to contact is and figure out a way to personalize your email to them. Whatever you do, don’t send a canned email — that is the quickest way to end up in someone’s trash folder.
In your email, reference any sort of connection you may have whether that’s the service you provide or the niche you’re both in. If this is truly cold and you don’t have any sort of connection to this person, let them know that you did your research on their business and make the connection to how you can help.
The cold email approach isn’t for everybody, but it’s worth giving it a shot if you’re looking for new ways to find clients.
6. Follow Up With Past Clients
Just like your current clients, past clients also know exactly what it’s like to work with you so the know, like, trust factor is already there. This makes it even easier to land new projects without the added pressure of pitching yourself and your services.
If you did a one-off project with someone — like a logo design, for example — follow up to see if there’s anything else you can help them with. The key is to be specific when checking in. Don’t just follow up with a quick, “do you need anything else?” and leave it at that. Be intentional with your ask. Remind them of the work you completed together and make a couple suggestions on a follow up service you can provide and how they could benefit from it. This demonstrates that you care about your client’s success and that you’re thinking of the big picture.
The Wrap-Up
These are just some of our tried and true methods and places to find new clients. But there are plenty of creative ways to land more clients! Experiment and put yourself out there. Once you have a steady stream of client work coming in, you’ll have a solid base to work from and can build your business from there. Eventually, your work will speak for itself so you can stop searching and maybe even have a waitlist of clients who found YOU because of the great work you’ve produced.
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