Freelancers, Are You Working for Your Ideal Clients?
As a freelance writer, designer, or dev, are you working for your ideal clients?
Have you thought about who your ideal clients would be?
Here’s a hint: Look at your current client list. You’ll like some of them better than others.
Imagine if all of your clients were similar to your best clients. Would that be ideal?
Let’s get started.
How I Define Ideal Clients
Have you ever defined your ideal clients? It doesn’t have to be formal, just a quick bullet list.
Here are some criteria for ideal clients:
The subject matter interests you. It fits within your defined niche.
Or perhaps it falls outside your niche, but it’s interesting. In other words, you enjoy the work as a change from your niche.
Ideal clients give you good briefings and have reasonable timelines and budgets.
They pay according to whatever terms you agreed to at the beginning. That might include deposits, progress payments on bigger jobs, or retainers. You can count on them to stick to those terms.
They give you a steady flow of work. Soon after you finish a project, they have another one for you. As you work for them, you become a subject matter expert, and the work gets easier.
They’re clients you like as people, not just clients. Communication is easy. There’s a smooth back and forth. When you have questions, they answer quickly. They see you as a valuable partner.
These points define ideal clients for me. What does your list look like? Make one so you can refer back to it.
Where Do You Start Defining Your Ideal Clients?
You can start anywhere, but I’d begin with the subject matter. Working on something you enjoy is generally easier.
This might not be as obvious as it sounds. You might not know you enjoy it until you’ve tried it.
For example, in my case, I did a lot of writing about energy-efficient upgrades in all types of buildings (houses, offices, factories) and equipment (lighting, motors, pumps).
If you’d asked me before I did my first project in that niche, I would have shrugged. I’d have no feeling for it.
But once I started, I liked it a lot. What appealed to me? Energy efficiency was logical and made sense. It helped the environment. Having an energy-efficient building lowered costs which was good for the owners.
So, think about your interests. Maybe you have some clients in those areas already.
Start by making a list. What subject matter would you find interesting?
What Services Would You Offer Ideal Clients?
If a prospective client came to your website or social media, would they know that you might be an ideal fit for them?
Do your messages, portfolio samples, or case studies help them decide?
You want a prospect to think, “Hey, I’m the marketing guy for a fintech company, and this copywriter has a portfolio of websites and blog posts that he’s written for fintech companies. Maybe I should contact him.”
Make it quick, make it obvious.
What Size of Companies Do You Like Best?
Would you ideally work for small local businesses, national or international companies, or somewhere in between?
Let prospects know. You can spell it out or demonstrate it by the samples you show in your portfolio.
Personally, I liked bigger companies/organizations, and that’s what I showed in my portfolio. Yes, I did work for smaller companies, but I didn’t include those because I didn’t want to attract them.
How Can You Indicate Pricing Range?
This is a tough one, but the best example I saw was this site that shows pricing as a minimum for different types of projects, such as web copy, blog posts, and case studies. (Scroll down)
Showing your pricing as “From $” weeds out the tire-kickers. If your minimum for writing a blog post is $500, you don’t want to talk to prospects with $100 budgets.
Where to Start, What to Do Next
Start with your existing clients. Can you define a niche from the clients you like best? If so, make sure you’re featuring them in your portfolio.
Speaking of portfolios, is yours up to date? Do you have projects you should add to it? Don’t hide your great work, get it up there.
Have you asked your ideal clients for testimonials? Strong testimonials make valuable content for your site and social, and help you put the focus where you want it.
Also, ask your ideal clients for referrals. Many freelancers and small agencies live on referrals. But often, you have to ask.
Make a Second List—Your Ideal Client Prospects
With social media, especially LinkedIn, it’s never been easier to find people, follow them, and engage.
Start searching for companies and prospects on social. Find their websites. Connect. Engage through emails and DMs.
Here are some tips when you’re warming up prospects:
Spend time on their website. Then do more extensive searches to find articles or mentions in other media.
Once you have a specific person in mind, do more searches on that person. Do you have any shared connections? That could give you interesting topics for discussion.
Take your time establishing a relationship with the prospect on social. Don’t pitch them as soon as you connect.
Create a special page on your website with a selected portfolio and any testimonials aimed at their company/organization.
Once you’ve done that, rather than ask directly whether they might work with you, ask them who you should contact. It takes the pressure off. Include the link to your site so they can have a look.
You’ll get one of three answers: we’re happy with what we have and aren’t looking for new vendors, I’m the person and I’d like to talk, or contact Jane Smith.
Repeat the process. It’s a numbers game.
In Summary: The Ball is in Your Court
Think about who you want as clients
Start looking for them
Research companies and individuals
Prepare your media for them
Engage
Repeat
More thoughts on choosing the right clients
Take control of your freelance business
There’s much more about finding your ideal clients in my book, How to Start a Successful Creative Agency. It’s the essential business guide for graphic designers, copywriters, filmmakers, photographers, and programmers.
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