Getting your first freelance social media client

Freelance social media is a modern way of creating your own business. Whether you’re starting a side hustle or creating a career, it all begins with getting your first client. Starting up as a freelancer can feel overwhelming, but with this blog, you’ll feel more at ease about how to land your first client.

Where do you get your first client?

Set your eyes on the small business, especially ones who don’t have much of a social media presence. Don’t go for big brands straight off the bat. Focus on companies that will have time for you. You can focus on a niche if you want to go into a specific sector:

• Sports = look at local sports clubs.
• Arts and Crafts = look on Etsy.
• Fashion = look on Depop.
• Food = look in farmers markets.

You might plan to get as many clients as possible, but I would have at least 3-4 weeks with just one client so you can get a feel for the workload/life balance.

You’ve found a brand you’d like to work for, what next?

Check out their social media channels/website. What platforms are they on? Is their message consistent? What are their engagement levels? Report on their social media channels and/or website like you already work there.  Put all your findings into a 2/3 page engaging PDF proposal – this is going to be their first impression of you – make sure it visually appealing and use their brand colours. You can add anything you like into the document, but remember, this is about the company and what you can do for them – not about you and your experience. A few things you can include:

• How much you can grow their following
• Increased sales
• PR packages
• Media outlets: webinars, podcasts, youtube etc
• Brand awareness
• Competition
• Timeline
• Your rate of pay.

PITCH YOURSELF – Capture a company’s attention effectively by saying “Here is an example of what I can do for you” rather than “Here’s a copy of my CV”.  Tip: To make a good connection with a potential employer, provide a small bit of free content that highlight your skills. For example, if you’re into content creation, use their videos/pictures they have already published and make a promo video or some nice graphics etc. Make them want more.  Once you have a foot in the door, you will find it so much easier to grow a client list or workload at the same company.

How to develop a relationship with potential clients

LinkedIn is the first place everyone will go, which is a great place to learn from people outside your bubble. When sending out emails to people you want to network with, remember for every 40 emails you send out, you’ll hopefully receive one reply. Don’t take it personally when you don’t hear back from people. Look at your own social media presence. You’ve already gained personal relationships with others, so put up a story on Instagram or a Facebook saying you’re looking for clients. Show off your work! It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

Should you create a professional social media account?

Like I mentioned above, social media is a gold mine to find clients. Having a professional account will boost your chances to gain clients. Once you’ve networked with someone of LinkedIn or found an Etsy shop you’d like to work for, follow them on Instagram with your savvy social media account and send them a message. The most important factor is to keep in a potential clients life, personally and professionally. Don’t let them forget you.

What should my rate of pay be?

You’ll soon discover there are several ways to agree on payment:

• Pay per hour.
• Pay per project.
• Set pay per week/month.

This will depend on your personality, your client and the work that needs to be done. Next, you and your client need to agree your prices. If you’ve had a job working in a similar field full time or part-time, find out what your pay per hour was and add between 15-20% to it. So if you used to work for £11 an hour, your minimum payment should be £12.65. Hopefully, this helps answer a few questions and provide you with a place to start with getting your first freelance social media client. You’ve got this.  Written by Alice Mutch