I've been freelancing for around 12 years. I usually say I find work through sheer luck, but that's not really true. While often opportunities appear to come from nowhere, I do have a simple formula = consistency + showing up.
Let me explain this in some more detail:
Consistency — always offer great service & communication. This doesn't mean always being available to clients, but setting clear boundaries & expectations from the start & enforcing them. I'm always upfront and expect clients to be too, that way we create a good relationship and obtain mutually beneficial results.
Showing up — it's easy to feel you are invisible, particularly when you work from home. Showing up is about reminding people that you exist, not necessarily in a "salesy" way.
Okay, let's get to the whole reason you're reading this! Where do you find work? It's going to vary depending on what industry you work in and services you offer, so here are some ideas that work for most people, plus some more specific to digital marketing, as that's where my skill set resides.
Networking — like it or not, the old adage of "people buy from people" holds true. Traditional networking can be as simple as arranging a meetup with other local business owners, to chamber of commerce breakfast meetings, local women's business groups to national organisations such as BNI and 4N. These events can be daunting, but with the right mindset (not a sales mindset — that's a major turn off for most people) and testing a few different groups to find the right fit, they can be a great source of support, friendships and referrals.
LinkedIn — this can be a great source of enquiries but you really need to make sure: your profile is optimised, you start posting content, you interact with other people's posts, and you make meaningful connections — research the kinds of people you want to connect with and why it's mutually beneficial. It's basically "networking" again, taking the conversation online.
Facebook — it's only in the past year that I realised Facebook is an awesome source for referrals, but not in the way you may think. The gems are hidden in Facebook groups, not your own business page. Seek and find your tribe of other freelancers on relevant groups, connect, share, network.
Twitter — this is about knowing your hashtags. Search out the freelance ones relevant for you, add them to your profile and set up an alert.
Other freelancers — they are your allies, not your competitors. Connect with other freelancers in the same field as you and complementary fields. The majority of my work comes from my freelance network.
Collectives — a growing area. A group of freelancers get together and pitch themselves as a single business entity. The advantage is you can usually go after bigger pitches. The disadvantage is it takes time to build a team you trust.
Agencies — it's worth contacting agencies within your sector, local or further afield, to see if they have a list of preferred freelancers and would add you to it. I get chunks of work this way, usually to cover holiday or peak seasons.
Online job boards — worth researching which sites advertise freelance roles. I don't personally find much work from them mainly because I only want to work from home — if you're happy to commute, there tend to be more roles available.
Mentoring/mastermind groups — if you go to networking groups or join freelance Facebook/LinkedIn groups, you'll come across a lot of business coaches. One-to-one coaching isn't right for me or how I run my business — my goal isn't to grow my business by X amount, it's to sustain it, which still requires generating new business. That's why I looked into online mentoring — I'm part of an online community called Atomic, with ongoing training, an annual conference (Atomicon), and a supportive community where members share knowledge and help each other.
Most people try these when they first start out freelancing. It's an easy option, you don't have to look too hard for work. The hourly pay rates are abysmal. My advice: don't waste your time. You do get the odd person who builds up their work portfolio and commands a decent hourly rate eventually, but you can be sure they've worked for peanuts for a long time before they got there. Do yourself, and the whole freelance community, a favour and work for a decent hourly rate. Accepting low-paid jobs sets a precedent that companies think it's okay to pay way below average rates, and it has a terrible impact on your own self-worth.
Networking — I highly recommend Andy Bounds. He's great at helping you approach networking in the right way — his weekly email or his book, The Jelly Effect, are both excellent.
LinkedIn — John Espirian is actually a copywriter by trade, but his LinkedIn content is really helpful.
Facebook — there's loads of freelance FB groups — Freelance Heroes and Being Freelance are two of my favourites.
Collectives — The Hoxby Collective is one of the main ones, with a recruitment process that helps ensure quality and a shared team ethos.
Job boards — apart from local ones, Indeed advertise freelance roles quite regularly.