How to Find Clients Using Passive and Active Tactics

by Andy Strote

As a freelancer, how will you find new clients? This is a popular discussion on social media.

Freelancers talk about getting inquiries through LinkedIn, Instagram, and other socials. Potential clients find their accounts and contact them.

More experienced freelancers get a lot of their clients through referrals. Over the years, they’ve built networks that lead to new clients and a steady stream of projects.

Many freelancers have websites, and some get leads through them. A well-optimized site that highlights a portfolio of solid work will generate inquiries.

All of these are passive ways of attracting clients. You put yourself out there and wait for someone to respond.

Build the Foundation to Make Passive Client Acquisition Work For You

You might think that “passive” means you don’t have to do anything. Not so, not even close.

There’s plenty to do if you want to find clients using passive tactics.

For example, to make social media work, you have to build a credible presence there.

Look at your social. Is it designed to attract clients? Will potential clients see you on LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky (or wherever) and say to themselves, “We’ve got to contact this person. This is who we need on our team / for this job.”

If not, fix it if you hope to make social work for you.

If you want your network to refer you, you have to keep it alive. Periodically get in touch, and let them know what you’re doing. If you’re in the same city, meet for a coffee or lunch.

Networks are like gardens; they need nurturing.

The important thing is that your network knows what services you offer so that they can refer you appropriately.

Where should you look to build the strongest network? For me, it was my clients. They knew other people like themselves who could use my services. They had experience working with me, so they had a lot of information to pass along.

How can you strengthen your client relationships? I wrote about how to make business friends to grow your client base here.

Here’s another post on networking. These are secrets from a very successful 80-year-old businessman. His advice? Treat new people as friends as soon as you meet them. Radical? Maybe, but it works.

What Forms of Active Client Acquisition Could Work for You?

As the name suggests, active client acquisition involves pursuing clients you want.

Traditionally, that could mean:

• Answering ads

• Contacting prospects through email, either one at a time or using a list

• Contacting them on social media

• Phone (I know, old school, but if you’ve got the number, you can make it work)

• Pursuing prospects on platforms such as Upwork

You have to make a decision here, though. Do you go after prospects one at a time or in groups?

For me, it was one at a time. I avoided anyone who wanted to sell me email lists or other forms of mass communication. I wasn’t interested in spamming random people.

Also, I didn’t respond to the promise of finding “dozens of clients” overnight. No thanks.

At any given time, I was looking for just one more great client.

You Have to Know What Clients You Want

Before you start randomly looking for new business, think about who you want to work with. Do you have a niche that’s working for you? Then, you’ll likely want more clients like the ones you have.

I wrote about finding new clients based on your existing clients here. This is one of the best ways to build on strength.

For example, imagine if some of your clients were in the organic food business. Doesn’t it make sense to find more in the same vertical? You already know the industry. At some level, you’re an expert. Make the most of it and look for others in the same category.

Where could you find more clients like that? Industry websites, associations… just do a search.

Even if you don’t have a niche yet, think seriously about who you want as your next client. How will you find them? How will you go after them?

Narrow it down to who you really want to work with. It’s not just “anybody with money”.

Spearfishing With Social Media

Here’s one way to find that next client. Rather than go after many clients, try to find them one at a time. In other words, instead of using a net, go spearfishing.

Continuing with the organic food sector, let’s say you made a list of companies in that vertical. Now what?

Here’s where social media, especially LinkedIn, can be your friend. Use the search feature to find those companies.

You’ll get a list of companies. Take some time to review them. Then, find the people working for your most likely prospects. Pay attention to the titles.

If you see titles such as Marketing Specialist, Brand and Product Marketer, and Marketing Director you’ve found the people who are likely to hire freelancers. Connect and follow. Review their posts. At an appropriate time, reach out to them and ask whether they’re hiring freelancers.

Here’s the detailed step-by-step version of how to find freelance work on LinkedIn and other social platforms.

Build Your Passive Foundation First

If you’re actively looking for clients, build your passive platform first. That means a social media presence focusing on your work and a website.

When you contact people, they’ll want to look you up. Ideally, they’ll find your portfolio, client testimonials, and a detailed explanation of your services.

Build the foundation for your credibility first. Then go looking for clients.

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 Testimonial: “You Can Charge More”

“I took a lot from your book around proposals. Show them everything that is involved in delivering a quality product, all the steps you take.

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Want a Free Taste First?

Sure! Sign up in the footer below for a free PDF of Chapter 14, Working With Clients.

This chapter covers essential areas such as Clients vs. Projects, Corporate Clients vs. Small Business Clients, How to Create an Opportunity Document, Benefits of Finding a Niche… and much more.

Questions? On Bluesky I’m @Strotebook. On Twitter, I’m @StroteBook. D.M.s are always open for both. On LinkedIn, I’m Andy Strote. Ask away.