7 proven ways to easily find Facebook leads as a freelancer

May 13, 2021

So you’ve put all of your career eggs in one giant, terrifying, anxiety-inducing basket by choosing to become a freelancer. But now that you’ve spread your freelancer wings — expecting to soar off into the sunset and leave the corporate life behind — you’ve discovered there’s a bit of a problem. The clients just aren’t pouring in the way you thought they would!

Before you throw up your hands and slink back to your boss to ask for your job back, ask yourself if you’ve used all the freelancer tools you have at your disposal! To get you started, here are 7 proven methods to snag some serious facebook leads for your freelance business:

Pro-Tip #1: Join the conversation in freelancer social media groups

One of the major reasons so many professionals are making the switch to freelancing full time is because it’s so… freeing! You choose when and where you work, which projects you take on, and the kind of clients you decide to partner with. And best of all, no toxic office politics to navigate!

But as freeing as freelancing can be, it can also be a bit lonely. For starters, there are no coworkers to vent to or bounce ideas off of. Luckily, that’s why freelancing groups exist! Forums like these provide a safe space to ask for advice on pricing for a project, brainstorm ideas for where to find clients, or just vent about a client who just doesn’t understand boundaries!

In addition to providing much-needed support, these groups can also be a fantastic place to score leads! Depending on the type of group and its rules, clients may come in and ask for help with a new project. Freelancers who are active in these groups get to know each other’s niches and specialties, and can help you snag a gig that’s not for them, but a great fit for you! Same goes with freelancers with too much work — they’re more than happy to share the love with their fellow freelancers!

Can’t decide what freelancing group to join? We’d be thrilled to have you join Xolo’s very own Freelancer Xchange — a borderless community of friendly, free-spirited freelancers. Come join the party!

Pro-Tip #2: Establish your expertise to gain Facebook leads

When you think of a specific product or service, you can probably think of several companies and their associated logos off the top of your head. Their brand recognition is all thanks to their clever marketing (more on that next!). If you establish yourself as the go-to expert in your product or service, that’s precisely how your customers will remember you, too.

Posting on Facebook is a fantastic opportunity to share insightful content consistently. Before long you’ll have an army of online followers convinced that you’re calling shots as a certified thought leader at the centre of your industry’s universe.

And the news gets even better! You don’t necessarily have to be that all-knowing, thought-leading guru — or even come up with the content yourself! It’s all about consistently curating the perfect amount of thoughtful content. This will allow you to establish expertise and hey — you may even learn a thing or two!

The essential takeaway is that this is a relatively low-impact way to remain top of mind, so next time someone who is connected to one of the long fingers of your network is in need of your services — you’ll be ranked right up there on the first page of relevant candidates. A few likes and shares and the freelancer social media leads will be rolling into your messenger inbox!

Pro-Tip #3: Make Mark Zuckerberg do the grunt work for you

Let’s face it; marketing is a must if you want to stand out from your competition and get more clients. Thankfully, social media platforms make business marketing easier than ever. You can share articles, blog posts, videos, and stories for your audience on any Facebook business page. The best part? You can do all of that for free, which will help you get the most bang for your marketing buck!

But if you’re looking to scale your business quickly, a little investment can go a long way. Whether or not more should be done to regulate the Facebook behemoth is a topic for minds much smarter than ours! The fact is that when it comes to reach on a social media platform, no one can even come close to Facebook and Instagram (which, as you likely know, is owned by Facebook.)

Things like the type of ad and audience targeting will need to be decided once you’ve landed on a goal. And while people might not always click on your ads, they’ll be much more likely to engage with your business when they see your message! And your reach will ultimately be affected by factors like your bid, budget, and targeting. If you’re looking to learn how to harness Facebook’s ad platform as one of the ultimate freelancer tools to help you grow your business, they’ve created a handy guide right here.

Pro-Tip #4: Stay on top of your online reputation

Even in this digital age we find ourselves in, word of mouth is still the best marketing strategy. Not only do other consumers trust word of mouth advertising the most, but it won’t cost you a dime!

That’s all well and good for companies with pages of glowing reviews from happy customers. But what if your reviews aren’t so great? Some companies just ignore reviews altogether, but it’s to their detriment. Too many bad reviews can absolutely destroy a business’ prospects long term.

So what should you do if you get a negative review? Should you ignore it and pretend it’s not there? Cuss out the reviewer? Time and experience have overwhelmingly showed that the best way to respond to a negative review is with kindness and understanding.

The first step is to thank the reviewer for taking the time and energy to write about their experience. This might sound about as palatable as drinking a tabasco and horseradish flavoured smoothie, but these negative reviews are, at their core, an opportunity to improve your business. So keep an open mind and consider whether the reviewer has a point. If it’s a misunderstanding or mistake, try to make it right. If they’ve highlighted a larger issue, say you’re working to fix it — and then follow through.

And if it’s clear it’s just a grumpy person having a bad day, be gracious — but try your best not to take it personally and just move on.

Pro-Tip #5: Create a freelance portfolio that converts

If your freelance business is getting off the ground, you’ll need a freelance portfolio to reach cruising altitude. A portfolio will enable you to highlight your work to pull in significantly more Facebook leads.

If you have an existing portfolio, make it spiffy by sourcing new images, refreshing and optimising the content, or changing the layout. If you don’t have the budget for this, there are loads of free and paid options to help you out in this area.

Pro-Tip #6: Engage your audience into a long-term commitment

There’s a reason why companies hire entire teams to manage and respond to their social media comments and messages. The longest-standing companies fully understand this concept.

Think of the relationship between you and your future clients like a traditional engagement — just without putting a ring on it! Take one cog out of any relationship’s communication wheel, and the gears no longer function. If you want to accelerate your business growth and keep the best freelance clients, solid communication is essential. So even though you’re busy, taking time to ‘like’ comments and respond to questions shows potential customers that you’re long-term relationship material!

Pro-Tip #7: Use freelancer tools like Xolo Go

We’re going to make an assumption that you didn’t decide to become a solopreneur or a full-time freelancer just so you could learn all about compliance or bookkeeping. Exactly the opposite, right?

Luckily there are tools like Xolo Go that make all those annoying yet essential admin tasks disappear like magic. Presto, change-o! Polished, professional invoices are created and sent! Complex VAT figures for that cross-border client are automatically calculated! Scary topics like compliance and tax time are streamlined to the point where they’re completely painless! And if you’re feeling a little confused or overwhelmed, one of Xolo’s super-supportive support professionals is there to provide you with knowledge and an understanding ear.

Best of all, it’s a pay-as-you go, flat rate so there’s no commitments, no hidden fees, and no games. Sign up with Xolo Go and send your first invoice in 10 minutes or less!