One of the most common questions I receive is:
“Where do I get clients?”
The biggest concern is:
“I have no idea where to find clients?”
First thing I would recommend is heading over to our FREE Resource Library and downloading “Identifying Your Ideal Client/ Target Market” These fillable/printable PDFs will help you key in on who your target market is, and who your ideal clients are.
Once you know who your ideal client is, it is much easier to begin the journey in researching things such as your ideal clients needs, or where they are hanging out.
There is no one key answer for this question of “Where do I get clients?” because it depends on what services you offer and what opportunities you have open for yourself. If you’re reading this, you likely have access the internet and social media. Social Media is a great way to search for potential clients.
You might find your ideal client on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or maybe you might not even find them online. You might find them at a local networking group or businesses within your community.
Start with Warm Leads
First, I recommend starting with your warm leads. Warm leads include your family, friends, coworkers, ex-coworkers, acquaintances. Let them know you’re in business and what services you offer and key in on how it benefits them. If they are not interested or they are not your ideal client, just let them know about your business anyway, because they may know someone they can refer to you that is your ideal client.
Attending local networking groups if you have one in your area is also a great way to make great connections. Make sure to take business cards so that they can know how to reach you. It’s very important not to just mention your business but be intentional about asking for referrals.
Making genuine connections is key and so is adding value.
Facebook Groups
So you’re probably thinking, okay, I figured out my ideal clients are on FB, now what?
There are plenty of opportunities in Facebook groups to interact with the community. If you see potential clients, then get VISIBLE. This means, introduce yourself, your business, your services and benefits without trying to sound salesy. The key is, add value. Also know where to post. Do not post in just any Facebook group. Post in groups that are relevant to your target market and your business.
Find something that your ideal client needs and offer it to them in the group. Chances are you will receive great feedback, and these could be potential leads. Before you choose to message them, it’s etiquette to ask them if they would like to be messaged, or for you to leave your contact information if they are interested in working with you.
Please be advised that every FB group has different rules and many do not allow promotions of your business. So be careful to follow the rules If the group you are in does not allow promotions, then do not post your links, simply add value and soon you will see that you will attract your ideal clients. Not everyone that is attracted to the content you offer will be your ideal client, so make sure you are not settling.
What about Instagram?
Same thing applies to all social media or even face-to-face interactions. You want to add value. So, on Instagram you should be following your ideal clients. Your instagram should reflect value to your ideal clients. You should also be actively interacting in the comments of your post and also in the post of your ideal clients. Using relevant hashtags can also draw your ideal client to your page.
On instagram they allow one link which if you are looking to add more than one, then I recommend something like link.tree but you should be linking to a page that tells what you offer, what the benefits are to them, and who you are. So this could be a link to your website, to your social media, to your portfolio. You should also add in a way for them to contact you, so when you have an Instagram business page, you can add in your email for them to contact you with one click!
The same ideas would apply to Twitter, and Pinterest.
What about LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a great place to make business connections. You can do a quick search if you’re looking for someone in a particular field and connect with them, even shoot them a cold message.
What about cold emailing?
Another strategy is cold emailing. You can send your ideal clients cold emails. They might not have ever heard of you but you have been following them and are super excited to work with them. Let them know in the email who you are, what you offer, how you can benefit them and their business, how they can reach you, and provide testimonials along with your portfolio. But definitely do not make this all about you. Let them know what you love about them, their business, and why you’d love to work with them. Make sure that each email is personalized to each client and not a general templated one. Personal email always work best. This is definitely hit or miss when reaching out to a complete stranger who may not even know you, but you don’t get anywhere without trying and who knows maybe they will absolutely love you and refer someone to you too! The key is always follow up, even if you’re hearing crickets. Keep in mind silence is not rejection, because they might just be busy or may have overlooked your email. But follow up, and continue to add value and connect.
What about Freelancing Websites?
This is a good start, although, I would not use this as a primary source for finding clients because websites such as Upwork, Freelancer and Fiverr take a portion of your profits. Then you have consider that you still need to pay taxes, so how much are you really making?
What about local listings?
Local listings like Craigslist are a great place to get visible in your community. You could post a newsletter with you business information and be intentional about what type of client you are looking to attract. When receiving emails from craigslist, please be aware of spam and if you find it fishy, don’t take the bait. Same goes for any client that comes your way, especially on Freelancing websites.
Do not get discouraged when your ideal client does not want to work with you. Take it as a learning experience and an opportunity for growth.
If you’ve tried all of this, and are still struggling, let me know. I want to help you succeed. Connect with me and other successful virtual assistants and powerful female entrepreneurs at the Business Savvy Virtual Assistants Facebook Group!
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