Why freelance marketing isn’t optional (and how to make it work for you)
A major difference between struggling and thriving freelancers
Hi friend,
You know those freelancers who always seem to have great clients and steady work? It’s not luck. It’s not magic. It’s marketing.
Too many freelancers only market themselves when work slows down—then panic when the projects dry up. But marketing isn’t a one-time thing. It’s not something you do when you have time. It’s what keeps your business running. And if you do it when you’re panicking, you’ll feel more desperate and you’ll get more disheartened if you don’t hear back right away.
Think of it this way:
📉 Hobbyist freelancers wait for work to come to them.
📈 Freelance business owners market consistently, so they always have leads coming in.
I think a lot of us (myself included at the start of my career) think of ourselves as business owners but approach marketing like hobbyists. That’s how we wind up in volatile feast-or-famine cycles.
So, how do you market yourself like a business instead of hoping for the best? Start here:
1. Get clear on your audience
Not every potential client is the right client. The more specific you are about who you help and how, the easier it is to attract high-quality work. That doesn’t mean you have to turn down clients who approach you who aren’t in your niche—it just means your marketing is more focused on your target audience.
I focus my marketing on legal, financial, and healthcare—but I’ve done plenty of writing for marketing agencies, clothing retailers, construction companies, and non-profits. I just don’t market specifically for them.
Ask yourself:
🔹 Who benefits most from my services? (Tech startups, finance firms, small business owners?)
🔹 What problems do I solve for them? (Better content, more conversions, legal compliance?)
🔹 What industries do I understand well? (Your past work experience could be a goldmine.)
When you’re clear on your audience, your marketing becomes so much easier.
2. Make it easy for clients to find you
Even if you’re great at what you do, clients need a way to discover you. They shouldn’t have to dig to figure out how to hire you.
Start with:
🔹 A strong LinkedIn profile (or whatever social media your clients are on)– Optimize your headline and about section with keywords your clients are searching for. (Need help? My LinkedIn guide walks you through this. Using the steps I outline in this guide, I’ve earned more than $100,000 since 2020 just from people who found me on LinkedIn. While that isn’t “retire immediately” money, it’s significantly boosted my income.)
🔹 A simple website or portfolio – Nothing fancy, just a clear breakdown of what you offer, who you help, and a way to contact you. If you’re like me, too fancy a website becomes a major headache.
🔹 Testimonials, case studies, and referrals – Show clients why you’re worth hiring. Even short social proof makes a difference. If happy clients tell you they’re thrilled with your work, ask if you can use that as a testimonial. When projects are completed, ask if they’ll share their feedback or give you a referral.
3. Follow up and stay visible
Clients don’t always hire right away, but that doesn’t mean they won’t hire you later. Your job is to stay on their radar, so they can find you when they need you.
Try this:
🔹 Follow up with past clients to check in. A simple “Hey, I loved working on [X project]! Let me know if you need anything. I’m accepting clients for next month” can bring in more work.
🔹 Stay active on social media (you can do it!). Post useful insights, comment on industry discussions, and keep your profile fresh.
🔹 Send a newsletter (even a short one). If potential clients regularly hear from you, they’ll think of you when they need help.
4. Build relationships, not just a client list
The best marketing isn’t about convincing strangers to hire you—it’s about building genuine connections so they want to work with you.
🔹 Network with intention. Join conversations in your industry, comment on posts, and build relationships with potential clients before they need you.
🔹 Stay in touch with past clients. Many freelancers miss out on repeat work simply because they don’t check-in. A friendly email can bring in another project.
🔹 Be helpful, not pushy. Marketing isn’t about selling every second—it’s about showing up, sharing value, and being the obvious choice when a client needs help.
I know, it takes a bit longer to do this. if you’re at the start of your career or desperate for income, relationship-building alone won’t bring in clients fast enough. You need a strategy that combines long-term marketing with immediate client outreach.
If you need work now, try:
🔹 Direct outreach to businesses. Research companies that might need your services and send a short, friendly email offering to help.
🔹 Pitch past employers or colleagues. If you’ve worked in an industry before, reach out to contacts who already know your skills. Let your fellow writers and editors know you’re available and what you’re looking for (that last part is important—I have many people reach out to ask me to send work their way, but I almost always only think of those who give me a specific industry or document type they want to work with)
🔹 Use warm prospecting. Engage with potential clients’ content on LinkedIn, leave thoughtful comments, and then reach out with a message offering your services.
5. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back right away
Freelance marketing is a long game. Just because a potential client doesn’t respond today doesn’t mean they won’t need you next month—or even next year.
It’s easy to take silence personally, but in reality:
🔹 Clients are busy. Your email or LinkedIn message might have landed at the wrong time.
🔹 They might not need you yet—but if you stay visible, they’ll think of you when they do. A follow-up (or two) can make all the difference. Many freelancers give up too soon. I can’t tell you how many clients weren’t ready to work with me when I wanted to work with them, but three months later, they were ready for me.
🔹 Instead of assuming a “no,” think of it as a “not right now.” Keep building relationships, stay visible, and trust that consistent marketing will pay off.
The freelancers who stay visible are the ones who get hired
Marketing yourself consistently isn’t just about avoiding feast-or-famine cycles (though it helps with that). It’s about your mindset. The more consistent you are with your marketing, the less attention you’ll pay when one or two (or five) people don’t respond to your outreach. And the more seriously you take your marketing, the more likely you are to succeed.
If you’ve fallen off of it, that’s okay. Don’t panic. Just pick up again and keep going.
If you want to make marketing easier—and build a freelance business that doesn’t feel like a constant grind—my Freelance Success Toolkit can help. It’s packed with guidance on pricing, client outreach, and setting yourself up for steady, high-paying work. And it’s completely free.
Here’s to your ongoing freelance success,
Heidi