When you work as a freelancer, you effectively create a brand for yourself, and as you become more and more established you should, in theory, be able to decrease your efforts in finding work as potential clients may be searching for you and requesting your services without you having to approach them. It is a good idea to have a strong online presence and a programme of promotion so that you can advertise your services and so potential clients can see your work and find your contact details online.
One form of self promotion is your work itself; if you do a good job for your client they are likely to recommend your services to friends and other businesses within their professional circles. If your physical presence is required in the work, or if you meet with your clients, or indeed if you post any material to them, it may be a good idea to send or to take a few business cards with you that they would be able to pass on to other contacts. If you don't meet with your client, make sure your clients have all your contact details, and perhaps provide a link at the bottom of your email signature that leads to a contact page or to an email reply as this will ensure that anybody can easily find a way to speak to you about potential work.
As well as word of mouth, there are other ways you can promote yourself. Before you start an advertising campaign, consider your target audience. Also consider just how remote your work is, as if you are working, for example, as a freelance photographer, you probably do not want to send your advertising too far away from your point zero as you will also have to travel that distance to successfully complete your work. If your work is quite restricted to a small distance, creating posters that you can display in cafes and on noticeboards is quite an effective method. Printed media doesn't tend to stray too far from your base, and gives potential clients something physical they can hold and keep.
If your work is completely remote, you can look more into using the internet as your main advertising space. For designers and visual freelancers, using a visual platform is a fantastic way to connect with potential clients as you can let your visual speak more than your words can. Having a bright and attractive Instagram page with links to your contact details is a good idea, and you can even pay for advertising through the platform so that examples of your work shows to any number of people scrolling through their picture feed. This can be personalised so that you can target a specific audience, minimising your spending and maximising the advertising effect.
You can also set up a Facebook business page to promote your work. This is a good way to connect with potential clients through mutual contacts who can show your page to their friends and contacts with ease through their smartphone or laptop. It also allows you to use words and writing more effectively than Instagram will as it is a mixed platform, and also has a larger space for you to provide contact details. From Facebook, you can also target specific audiences through paid advertising.
LinkedIn is a much more professional platform which allows clients to seek out freelancers and to create professional circles. For anybody taking their freelance work seriously, it is a good idea to have a strong LinkedIn profile and to check it regularly. Here you can also provide details on the kind of work you are looking for, references from previous clients and employers, and links to your portfolio.
It is important to have a strong portfolio somewhere online that you can send to your potential clients which you can also link to from your social networks. This is perhaps your strongest advertising tool as it shows your best examples and provides clients with a snapshot of the style and quality of the work they can expect to receive from you. Make sure your portfolio is clean, polished, and easy to navigate and is reflective of your best work and your preferred style.