“Successful job seekers know that even in tough economic times, there are opportunities. You just have to dig a bit deeper.”
– Roberta Chinsky Matuson, President of Northampton, Massachusetts based Human Resource Solutions.
The current financial storm has adversely affected the economies of almost all the countries across the world. Freelancing has emerged as a good option for many, who wish to play smart in current financial crisis.
The biggest challenge that you may face in freelancing is to find new clients at this hour. As this financial disquiet will take some more time to subside, you must have a well-devised strategy for attracting new clients and orders.
We have listed here some tips that can help you find clients even in today’s economic scenario:
Use social networking tools for marketing
How you choose to market yourself will directly impact how long it will take to find a new job.” — J.T. O’Donnell, a nationally syndicated workplace columnist.
In the existent recession, marketing has to be focused and cost effective. Web gives you adequate social networking tools to market your skill set effectively. 
You can make a good professional profile on leading social networking websites like LinkedIn, Twitter etc, and collaborate with clients from all parts of the world. This might bring you in contact with a potential client, who may be in look out for a dedicated and competent freelancer like you.
Also, you can register yourself and create an effective portfolio on any online services marketplace like ours. You can get real-time access to projects matching your skill set and get started with making great profits.
Use Word-of-Mouth business strategy
“Customers set up a hierarchy of values, wants, and needs based on empirical data, opinions, word-of-mouth references, and previous experiences with products and services. They use that information to make purchasing decisions.” — Regis McKenna, a well-known marketing guru & Chairman of the Board of the Santa Clara University Center for Science, Technology and Society.
Clients value the feedback that freelancers receive for the quality-backed services they render. Ask the clients, who you have worked with, to post their testimonials and feedback for your work on different forums so that you gain word-of-mouth publicity (a powerful public relations weapon) and gain access to new clients and orders.
The feedback given by the clients that you have already worked with would serve as an index for gaining access to new business opportunities as the work done by you will be recognized by the employers themselves.
Add credibility of your portfolio
If you wish to attract new clients towards your portfolio, you must concentrate on adding credibility to your profile by supporting it with complete description of your skill sets. We would also advise you to prove your credentials to the business community. The best way you can do it is by taking Online Skill Tests and getting a certified seal on your profile.
This strategy can help you reposition yourself in the highly competitive job environment of current times. Further, you can also strengthen your portfolio by getting your credentials verified by an authenticated investigation agency (like Justifacts on LimeExchange). This will serve as a hallmark of trust on your profile and bring you in the front of the queue of bidders.
Stretch your professional limits and competences
Companies have resorted to cost cutting and are on a serious look out for freelancers with multidimensional creative and technical abilities. Pushing your limits can really act as effective ‘gap fillers’ and improve your portfolio. If you’re a freelancer, you need to have more flexibility as compared to full-time employees. Look out for roles that you can play outside your work preferences. 
“New skills can come from a small part of your job that you most enjoy doing.” – Diane Morgan, Director of Career Services at London Business School.
For example if you are a content writer, you can opt for less-specialized role such as that of a proofreader or an editor. This way you can price your less-specialized role too which you can’t do as a full-time employee as it would fall into your kitty as a part of your overall service.
You may take some time to stretch your professional limits. However, this is not impossible and you should always attempt to learn something new every day to broaden your comfort zone.
Keep in touch with your clients
Always make an effort to remain at the forefront in the minds of clients you’ve worked with so that in future if there comes up an opportunity, it’s your name that certainly comes in the frame instantly. You can stay in touch with your clients and contacts through different means such as emails, calls, social networking tools etc.
You can even post a blog on any theme and send it to your former and future business associates. This can be an effective way to reach out to your clients and keep them interested in your portfolio. You can impress your future clients by sending them updates and latest industry events pertaining to their business domain.
You can further attract your clients by giving them some value-added suggestions regarding their products & services and also recommending them some new features integrating which their business can flourish.
We hope that the above-mentioned practices will help you strengthen your profile as a freelancer and fetch you lucrative projects even in such rough times.
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