₦airaland Forum

Thanks OP for this wonderful thread. This seems like a great place to share this.

I’m currently doing a training on how to get more clients as a freelancer in 2024 here on Nairaland.

Check it out here:

https://www.nairaland.com/8168075/how-make-1000-month-freelancer

It’s free!

For Beginners

Building a portfolio can be challenging if you’re just getting started because no one is willing to take a chance on you. You need work to build a portfolio, and you need a portfolio to get work.

If this is you, read on, I will show you how to go about this at the end of this guide.

For everyone else, here’s an exercise.

Drop a link to your portfolio below 👇.

I’ll share my thoughts and ideas on how to improve it.

So, if you’ve worked on projects but haven’t compiled your work into a portfolio yet, do it now.

Here are some more in-depth guides on creating stunning portfolios that showcase your work in the best possible light.


https://www.flux-academy.com/blog/how-to-create-an-outstanding-freelance-portfolio

https://knowadays.com/blog/how-to-create-an-impressive-freelance-portfolio/


Also, check out these standard portfolio builders.

https://knowadays.com/blog/7-of-the-best-portfolio-hosting-sites-for-freelancers/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KJqEPVfoDs

If you cannot afford a portfolio website now, check out https://www.behance.net/, it’s a free portfolio builder.

1. Build a Strong Portfolio

A portfolio is a carefully curated collection of the work done by a freelance professional. It highlights your best work, experience, and expertise to potential clients. I laugh when I hear freelancers complain of scarcity of gigs when they haven’t even taken the time to compile samples of their work into a portfolio.

Your portfolio gives your prospective clients a first impression of your abilities, it is the perfect opportunity to stand out.

You want to build a strong portfolio that communicates, excellence, creativity, and attention to detail. Portfolio-building is a massive topic in its own right, but I’ll touch on it lightly and give you some actionable steps to create one that compels your prospective clients to work with you.

A standout portfolio should:

- Be relevant to your niche:

If you are a graphics designer, your portfolio should contain compelling and creative designs that catch the eyes of your prospective employers.

If you’re a UI/UX designer, then your portfolio should feature intuitive designs that convince prospective clients that you have what it takes to get the job done.

- Showcase your best work, preferably with prestigious brands

The purpose of your portfolio is to sell your services. So, it should showcase your best work. Not all the projects you’ve worked on will make it to your portfolio, only the best.

Another way to make your portfolio stand out is by working with well-known brands. If your portfolio features projects for brands like Mercedes, Toyota, Amazon, Meta, etc, you instantly stand out from the multitude.

To do this, look for potential brands (you have some around you like Domino's Pizza), and offer to do some work for them for free in exchange for a review – if they approve of the work.

Not everyone will agree, but if you reach out to enough people offline and online, you are bound to get lucky. Who no like free work? 😊

How to Get New Clients as a Freelancer in 2024

If you’re struggling as a freelancer, it’s likely due to one of two reasons:

1. Lack of new clients: Not enough new clients are coming in to sustain your business.

2. High churn rate: You can’t retain old clients.

To succeed, you need to address both of these lapses. In this guide, however, we’ll focus on the first: getting new clients. The second will be covered in a later guide.

So, how do you get new clients today? Here's how I do it:

Mindset Mindset Mindset!

Before we get into the details of getting new clients, let’s talk about mindset. To thrive as a freelancer today, you must treat freelancing as a career, not a side hustle. You cannot half-ass it — your customers will notice.

If you want to grow to the level where you earn thousands of dollars monthly from your services, then you need to stop seeing yourself as just another freelancer and as a business. You are a BUSINESS offering copywriting, digital marketing, web development... services.

You must see yourself that way to succeed in today’s competitive landscape. In the past, it was easier to set up a profile on Fiverr or Upwork and get clients without much effort.

However, today’s market is more competitive, and to thrive, you need a long-term, intentional approach.


I want to jump into the guide but I had to state this because it takes a certain type of Nigerian to do well in today's market. If you do not have the right mindset, you WILL fail. It is guaranteed.

Now that we're clear on the mindset, let's dive in the details.

Happy New Month Everyone 🎉

Hello everyone and welcome to the month of August. I have been occupied with work the last couple of days, but now I’m back and ready to continue the thread.

To start this guide, I will begin with the areas most freelancers find challenging — signing new clients.

I will teach you how to find new clients in today’s market and how to keep your old clients coming back.

Stay tuned.

Lots of crazy stories here.

Well, for anyone who may be interested, I’ve just created a thread where I teach how to earn up to $1000 per month as a freelancer.

https://www.nairaland.com/8168075/how-make-1000-month-freelancer#131206732

You can make money and maintain your dignity.

PS: The knowledge is free.

engrgordon:
Abeg let me book a space here, am interested. I left freelancing with anger, after all strategies cast. I bought my first car with freelancing about 7 years ago, when fiverr was fiverr, when we were enjoying working with USA profile on fiverr. Please bros, show us the way, let me go back again. God go bless you.

Welcome chief. Hopefully, we can bring you back 😊

Dowenship:
I'm interested!! I'm the area of Graphic Design,

Welcome, what areas do you need the most guidance in?

Is it:

- Signing new clients?
- Charging more for your services?
- Payment problems?

Specifics will give us a proper bearing.

First things first

I want to start with some ground rules.

Firstly, all interactions here must be cordial and respectful.

Secondly, all posts should be on topic – FREELANCING, no distractions.

Lastly, before I commence, I want to be sure that enough people are interested in this thread. So, if you are a freelancer interested in what this series could offer, I would like you to indicate your interest and suggest areas where you need the most improvement in your career so we can start there.

I will continue the thread when there are enough interested parties.

Thank you.

Why am I doing this?

When I started freelancing, one of the main places we would get tips and guidance was Nairaland. These two threads specifically:

https://www.nairaland.com/2947212/exclusive-how-make-level-2
https://www.nairaland.com/3344257/journey-make-1000-fiverr-article

In the spirit of paying it forward, I have decided to share some of my accumulated knowledge with freelancers looking for guidance here on Nairaland.

Without further ado, let's dive in.

For proof,

Here is an overview of my earnings so far this year:

As you can see, this is no fiction, I know it is possible to make $1000 a month, because that's what I've been averaging in payments so far.

Still, despite these hurdles,

some continue to make a killing in their freelance careers. They won’t tell you how they do it, they just cash out silently because Nigerians do not like to share their cash cows.

But I mean it when I say you can make more than $1000 per month as a freelancer in Nigeria today.

Being a Nigerian hasn’t made things any easier.

I hate to say it, but we still have a negative image out there, platforms continue to blacklist USA, making an already difficult situation worse.

I started freelancing in 2017 at the suggestion of my friend, Louis. A decision that changed my life in many ways. As a student at the time, I could stop depending on my parents for allowances and earn some money while I continued my studies.

Plus, I was earning in dollars, meaning I was getting paid more than what I would earn if I was working a local job

Fast forward seven years and freelancing continues to open doors for me. It has afforded me the things I wanted as a young adult, to pay my rent, and provided me with the capital to fund my businesses.

But the freelance landscape has changed. It’s more competitive now, and many of the strategies that got us paid in the past are now obsolete.


For one, the marketplaces are oversaturated, and it is almost impossible to get a job as a newbie. Even the OGs are having a hard time landing clients.

Here's what some Redditors have to say about the platforms today.

Here

9. Increase your reach

To do well as a freelancer, you will then need to start seeing your job as a career. Searching for a client shouldn't end when you log out of Fiverr. The internet is a huge arena with potential clients everywhere. If you want new clients, you'll need to cast a wider net than Fiverr and Upwork. There are lots of freelance platforms out there, some do not accept Nigerians, others do.

Check them all out.

Explore before you say there are no jobs.

I compiled a list of platforms where you can bid for jobs. I'll attach the list of platforms that accept Nigerians somewhere under this post, if you guys are interested.

Note: Increasing your reach goes beyond freelance marketplaces. Check out communities where people who require your services interact. Forums like Facebook groups, Quora spaces, Twitter comment sections, etc.

Spread your tentacles. There are people who require your services, who are not on Fiverr yet, find them.

You've come to the end of my TED talk. It's been a pleasure. Drop any questions you have here, I'll do the best I can to answer them.

7. Keep the Clients you Get

On becoming a successful freelancer, keeping the clients that come your way is more important than getting new ones - because, it cost less resources to retain a client than to get a new one.

As a freelancer in Nigeria, you MUST keep your clients at all costs. Render quality service, communicate effectively, do whatever it takes to keep the clients you get.

This way, you won't be stranded in times of drought and if your service is good enough, your clients may even refer you to other people who need your services. Talk about organic growth.

You can get all the clients in the world, but what good is that going to do you if you can't keep them?


8. Learn how to Convert

It'll be difficult to unpack conversion in this article. But here are some steps I used to increase my conversion rates back then.

* Prompt them to tell you about their business:

"Hey ClientName, nice to meet you. Can you kindly tell me about your business"?

If possible, ask them for a link to their site/business so you can review it for yourself. This makes you come off as genuinely interested in their business and give you an edge over other potential bidders out there.


* Next, ask them to tell you precisely what they want from you.

"Okay... If I understand clearly, you do ..., so what exactly do you want me to do for you? I need you to be as precise as possible so I can give you exactly what you want".

* When you're sure that you've understood them, you tell them that you would like to do some research to generate ideas for the project. This will give you an air of professionality

This way, the prospect gets the perception that you're a competent professional who is genuinely interested in their business. And that's something you really want.

5. Build a portfolio of your work

A portfolio can come in handy when you're trying to convert prospective clients. People want to be sure that you can do what you say you do.

What better to reassure them of this than to present evidence of previous jobs?

Your portfolio is the equivalent of your CV. If you wouldn't go job hunting without a CV, why should you look for freelance clients without a well-optimized portfolio.

Your portfolio makes it easy for your past jobs to speak for you. Those things make your experience apparent to a customer who has never met you. If you don't have a portfolio yet, leverage upon your friends' portfolios.


6. Be Original as you can be
By now, you've probably heard the gist, "Nigerian accounts no dey get order". So, most people create foreign accounts using VPNs and foreign numbers.

This is understandable, as foreign accounts have an edge over local ones. Especially if you're in niches like writing, social media management, etc. This however comes with a cost. You lose your originality and the possibility of connecting with your client on a deeper level.

Clients want to talk to you on the phone. They want to do more than text, they want to video chat with you and see your face and call your name and make jokes with you. I don't know whey they are that way. But that's how they are.

The tip is, try to be as original as you can be - it'll make your life easy, trust me. If you change your nationality, try to retain your name. If possible have a 'legit' Nigerian account on the side.

This way you get some wiggle room

I'm just saying this so you don't miss out on potential opportunities to connect with your clients at deeper levels and earn more money

4. Don't give your clients payment issues

This is for those that are in the process of moving their clients from Fiverr/Upwork to private chat, WhatsApp, or email to avoid the Fiverr 20% tax.

The thing is, people are very careful when it comes to money. Fiverr gives them the security that their money is safe, which is why they would prefer to carry out transactions there.

However, when moving them from Fiverr, you deprive them of this security. That's the first strike. Then you're probably using a foreign account. So, they probably can't call you, or video chat with you. That's another strike.

You can see that you've already put the client on the edge. If you start getting clumsy with payment. That'll be the third strike and then you lose the funds, the client and potential future earnings.

If you intend to move your client from Fiverr, then you
need to be organized. If the payment procedure is not straightforward enough. You'll mostly likely lose that client. They'll probably not work with you anymore - not even on Fiverr.

So, get someone competent to handle your payment needs for your out-of-platform clients.

Ps: Check out uconsult.services receive payment from your clients. They'll assist you to generate Paypal and stripe invoices to be sent to your client.

3. Choose your Niche wisely

This tip is based on the law of supply and demand. When the supply of a particular service is more than the demand, there is bound to be a drought.

Imagine 1000 graphics designers offering their services to 50 clients. You can almost predict that there'll be a limited number of jobs available for everyone.

And the few that eventually get the jobs would have to settle for scraps because the supply is too much.

The solution to this is to:

A. Specialize in your skills: Take more courses, go for training, and get certified. This way you can signal to the clients that you are more competent than the rest of the lot.

B. Find a niche with less supply: Find a niche where the demand is higher than the supply and render those services.

Do A and B: That is, find a niche where the demand is higher than supply and specialize there. If you do this, then you'll be running from clients by the end of the month.

I have a friend who made up to 7 thousand dollars this last month from Fiverr. What did he do?

He found a niche where the demand was high and the supply was low and he sharpened his skills to meet the demand. And bruh, he's doing well.

Don't ask me what his niche is, I won't tell you . The gist is, find your own niche.

2. Communicate Effectively

So, this is another tip that took me about 2 years and thousands of dollars worth of gigs to learn. It is imperative that you communicate effectively with your clients

When you work remotely, your clients cannot see you physically. They cannot assess you the way they'd assess an employee working in a physical office.

So, they have to communicate with you all the time because they're worried if you can do a good job. They're worried if you understand the nature of the job you've been given. They are not sure if they've hired a fraud.

As a professional, you have to communicate properly to soothe these worries. However, lots of freelancers don't seem to get this - I know I didn't when I first started.

Sometimes you find yourself late for delivery and you just avoid the client altogether, because you do not want to have that awkward conversation about why you're late.

However, not responding to your clients when he/she contacts you is a sure way to make a bad situation worse. You don't want to go down that road.

Even if you're late for a job. Talk to your client. Communicate with them. Let them know that they are talking to a human being who understands them, reassure them of your competence. They'll thank you for it.

If you don't believe me on this, here's an assignment for you. Go on Fiverr and read through the positive reviews on some seller's profiles. You'll most likely always find

"He/she was very responsive", "S/he answered all my questions promptly, highly recommend"...

1. Deliver Quality Services

This should be a no-brainer. But some people don't seem to get the gist. As a freelancer, you're

rewarded for the quality of work you deliver. If you do good work, you'll be rewarded with positive reviews, higher pay and a larger client base. If you deliver low-quality work, you'll gain a tonne of negative reviews and lose the few clients you've gotten.

This is called Matthew's law - read it up.

I see lots of freelancers deliver low-quality services and then complain that they're not getting enough clients. The truth is, no one wants to promote a mediocre product. Not Fiverr, not Upwork, not even an office boss.

So, before venturing into the corporate world, sharpen your skills, take courses, watch tutorials, learn!

Make sure you've got a good product to sell.

In summary, if you want more clients, deliver quality services.

Tips on Getting more Freelance Clients

A couple of months ago, I polled freelancers on the Smart money Empire group on Facebook
where I asked freelancers about the most pressing issues they had in their careers (the areas where they needed the most help in their freelance career).

And the responses were clear. The most pressing issue for Freelancers in Nigeria
was...

You guessed it, getting more clients.

And, from the kindness of my heart , I've decided to share a few of these strategies here today. If

Then you should grab a chair because I am going to be sharing some tips I've garnered over the years.

This is going to be an informative read and it'll be worth your time. Let's dive in!

Hello there, you are welcome to my thread.

I am Onyekachi Ofoefule and I created this thread to share some freelance knowledge I've garnered over the years.

In the course of this thread, I'll be sharing some freelance tips that will definitely help you up your earnings as a freelancer.

Please keep interactions cordial and be kind to other contributors on the thread.

Welcome once again.

What is wrong with you?

What do you mean another nonsense...

zeuss:
another nonsense to distract from RUGA....idiots are already blowing up the issue.

I want to transact with @laredojohn should I proceed?

I don't think so... She needed to make the decision now. I don't think it waa indecisiveness. The strategy is simple. Make enough noise and direct the attention to someone else. We can't all be president, but we all can make a difference

sinaj:
She would have at least fought to the end or was she threatened




She just ruined her presidential ambition coz no one would want to campaign for an indecisive person next time.