A few weeks ago, we talked about using value to develop consistent leads, aka farming leads.
Farming leads takes time to get up and going, but is worth it in the long run, and should be a part of every freelancer’s lead generation strategy.
But you don’t want to have all your lead generation eggs in one basket…
That’s why today we are going to be talking about making the most out of job marketplaces, like Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn Jobs, etc.
By tapping into job markets, you gain access to a pool of warm leads where potential clients are already primed to collaborate.
With the right approach, they can become a solid part of your lead generation strategy →
The problem:
It’s hard to stand out on job markets, especially when you are new.
So you’re always either getting underbid or not even getting an interview despite being the perfect candidate.
The benefit of solving it:
You gain access to a pool of warm leads where potential clients are looking for someone to solve their problem.
So you can acquire new clients relatively quickly when you need them.
Why what you’ve tried has failed:
You’ve been hoping job markets will be a short cut to work, but you haven’t been using the right strategy on job market platforms AND you haven’t been showing up as consistently as you need to.
Here’s how to solve it:
When you arrive on a job marketplace, start by focusing on 2 things:
Your Profile: Create a compelling profile that showcases your expertise and the specific end result of working with you.
Social Proof: This is the most important part to have to build your credibility on the platform. Reviews build confidence in the client (and the platform’s algorithm) that you can get the job done well and on time.
Spend the first two weeks or so focused on getting that social proof.
This is one of the few times I will ever tell you to compete on price…
Think of it as a marketing expense.
Tell leads that you’re happy to underbid their lowest quote for the chance to earn their business.
Now, they likely won’t become long term clients but that’s not the point.
The point is to take the lower pay gigs for a week or so and knock them out of the park so you get a bank of amazing reviews.
Then you can price yourself wherever you want.
Once you have a solid profile and social proof, the game becomes about targeting and messaging.
In my own freelance business, we use Upwork as a place to find and target our “hub and spoke” clients.
While there will always be the “race to the bottom” mindset on job markets, we’ve found there are also many agencies seeking freelancers to fill gaps in their projects, and they’d rather have a trustworthy partner than the cheap option.
We bid on the opportunity to establish a long-term relationship.
Once we’ve proven we’re a good fit, we pitch doing something together for all of their clients.
Throughout all your lead generation efforts, make sure to let the data be your guide.
Continuously experiment with different messaging to optimize your chances of winning projects.
Craft a few persuasive proposals, send them out, and see which ones work best in landing you the job.
Take what’s working and improve on it.
Even as you face rejections, view each experience as an opportunity to learn and refine your strategies.
That, my friends, is how you win the job marketplace game.
Best,
Jamie
Resources to help you escape the feast-or-famine freelance cycle:
→ Build a $10K+/month freelancing business with my proven 3-pillar system inside The Freelancing Program ($59/month).
→ Get the competitive edge with daily templates, frameworks, and freelance market intel from Workforce 3.0 ($4.99/month).
→ Hit your freelancing goals this year with a customized, step-by-step game plan that we’ll create during a focused 1:1 coaching session ($750) with me.
