5 ways to find freelance work  

Speaking as someone who currently has the availability to take on some new clients, I know how tricky it can be pulling in freelance work. 

Side note: If you need help with your content right now, don’t hesitate to get in touch! 

In fact, I would say it is one of the biggest challenges facing all freelancers, ensuring that you have a constant flow of work coming in. 

I’ll admit, I’ve been pretty lucky up until now and I’ve had a strong stream of work coming in and often, the client has come to me, not the other way around. 

But now, I find myself with a space to fill and I am looking to work with some exciting new brands this year. So I’m going to share what I’ve learned over the last six to seven years when it comes to finding new clients. 

It’s worth saying at this point, not all of these techniques are made equally and some will be more effective. You’ll also find that you prefer using some techniques more than others and that’s OK. 

Just go with what feels natural and what brings you the best results. 

Here are five ways to find freelance work. 

1. Let people know you’re looking

One of the biggest and simplest steps you can take is to let people know that you’re looking for work and are available to take on new projects. 

And there are several ways you can do this. You can share your availability on your website or on social media (more on this next). But one of the top ways to do this is on LinkedIn, setting your profile as ‘open to work’. 

After all, if you don’t let people know you're available, how are they going to know they can employ your services?

2. Promote yourself on social media 

Now, this one can be a little more uncomfortable depending on how you feel about social media and self-promotion, but it can also be a really great way to find work. 

By continuing to promote yourself across different social media platforms, you can get your name out there and let people know you are available to hire. 

It’s best to choose the platforms that are most popular within your industry or the platforms where your target audience tends to hang out more. 

And yes, it can feel a little cringey at first, but it’s important to try and push past that. Once you master self-promotion on social media, you can increase your chances of clients coming to you and having a steady flow of work. 

3. Use traditional job sites 

Traditional job sites can be a little trickier to navigate when you’re looking for freelance work, especially if you work remotely. 

That’s because most employers that use job boards are looking for full-time employees and usually, those that come into the office, even on a hybrid basis. 

However, you shouldn’t rule these sites out as some companies will post freelance or short-term positions on job boards too. So it’s always worth signing up for alerts or browsing job boards to find your next project. 

4. Make use of freelance platforms 

As well as traditional job sites, there are also several great sites out there that are dedicated to freelance workers and as a result, these can often be more fruitful when looking for work. 

It’s worth saying, some of these freelance platforms can advertise low-paid work and some are worse than others, so it’s a good idea to choose some of the more trusted platforms. 

Conduct some research into the platforms available for your industry and these can be a great way to get started and find clients. Some of the better sites (in my opinion) include:

• Upwork 

• People Per Hour 

• Fiverr

• Freelancer.com

• FlexJobs 

There are other, more industry-specific, job sites out there that can also be beneficial, so do make sure you conduct some research and read reviews to find the right platforms for your business. 

5. Cold pitching 

The final suggestion on my list is cold pitching, which I’ll admit, can be a tough one, especially if you've not done this before. But if you are successful, this can land you some really great clients that you’re genuinely passionate about. 

If you’re not familiar with this concept, cold pitching means reaching out to a company and letting them know about your services and how you can help them. 

You do this without a job being advertised, which is why it can be harder to see results. But if you sell yourself effectively, you might persuade them that they can’t go on without your services. 

The good news is, there are lots of great resources online to help you write a good cold pitch, like this one here. 

It’s time to go out there and find freelance work

These are some of the best ways I’ve found to find freelance work, no matter what industry you work in. 

Sure, you may prefer some techniques to others and some may be more beneficial, but it’s a good idea to have a few options on the go. This can help you to find regular work. 

There are also some great ways you can help bring clients to you, such as creating an impressive website, but that’s an article for another day. 

If you know of any other good ways to secure freelance work, drop them in the comments below!