Offering a service to others in exchange for pay is a great way to work at home. That’s how I got started, and that’s how countless other work-at-home people got started, too. Regardless of the service you provide, the truth is that you are surrounded by potential leads online and in your everyday life. All you have to do is figure out how to capture them!
One of the best places to find great leads for your freelance business is on Facebook, and especially in Facebook groups Here’s the thing about working in Facebook groups, though: You absolutely can’t be spammy. All of these groups have a lot of spammy people — you’ve probably seen them if you spend a lot of time in any of the groups. You don’t want to be like them, trust me!
The great news is that it’s totally possible to build your new freelance business by finding clients in Facebook groups. You can do this without being spammy, and you might even make some great connections along the way! One of the things I love about the method I’m going to lay out for you is that it means you’re not cold-pitching, bothering all your contacts, or being annoying.
Here’s my idea of how to get freelance clients in Facebook groups: You focus on helping people solve their problems. The more you can implement from the plan I’m going to lay out for you, the better off you’ll be next month!
Step 1: Optimize your online presence
Before you start working on Facebook groups, you need to get your digital self in order. First things first: your personal profile. You should set up your personal profile to refer people to your freelance business.
Make sure your profile picture is a nice, clear headshot. It doesn’t have to be a glossy studio image, but it should be nice and clean. This is your first impression in these groups, so keep it neutral. No photos of dogs, kids, clowns or anyone else’s shoulders that are cut in half. Boring? May be. The right decision for your business? Definitely.
Your header image is up to you. I want to have a headline that promotes my business, but that’s not how a good headshot “should” be done. If you’re serious about drumming up work, however, I’d recommend a professional-looking header that includes your business name and/or services.
Next, you need to set up a business page on Facebook. If you haven’t created a website yet, this can be your “home base”. Make sure you have a few posts on your page so it doesn’t look like a ghost town and try to keep the content moving. I won’t ask you to post every day, but try to post something at least once a week, if not 3-4 times a week.
Step 2: Join the relevant Facebook group
There are tons of Facebook groups for all kinds of people. Find out where your ideal clients hang out and talk about their needs, and then go there. For example, if you specialize in working with small local businesses, you may want to join business owners in your area, nearby chamber of commerce groups, and even some parenting groups. Small business owners are often parents, after all! If you want to focus on being a VA for bloggers, check out groups designed for bloggers.
Join as many groups as possible. I would aim for at least 20, maybe 40 people. Make a list of all the groups you’ve joined, and once you’re accepted into a new group, add to the list. Be on the lookout for more groups and feel free to drop any “dead” or useless groups. Once you’ve been accepted into a group, scan recent posts to see what kinds of conversations are happening
Another thing you can do to find great Facebook groups is to search for lists of “Best Facebook Groups for XYZ”, where XYZ is your ideal client and/or service provider like you. For example, if you want to be a VA who works with wedding photographers, look for groups for VAs and groups for wedding photographers. (People looking to hire VAs often go to VA groups and post job openings. Also, it’s always a good idea to plug in your own scene.)
Finally, make sure you join some groups specifically for online entrepreneurs. You’ll get a great idea of what’s going on in the internet-based business world, you’ll get support for your own business and make some really valuable connections, and you’ll find all kinds of people who need your help. Offers include some great general groups for entrepreneurs boss mother, Living the laptop lifeAnd Savvy business owners.
Step 3: Start troubleshooting
Once you’ve joined some relevant groups, start looking for opportunities to help people That’s your ultimate goal here – to find people with problems and help them solve them.
It’s best if you can solve someone’s problem in their post — it gives you visibility while being really helpful to that person. If you don’t know the answer, see if you can find a blog post or tutorial that answers the question or provides a solution. The goal is to be as helpful as possible and make sure you know what you’re talking about.
If and when it makes sense, you can also offer to go “offline” to chat via Skype, Zoom, or private message or email. This can be helpful if someone needs a walk through or something like that. Connecting one-on-one with the right person could mean a new client for you!
Read your list to make sure you’re hitting as many of your groups as possible. Set a goal for yourself to answer at least 5 questions per day. It’s better if you can make 10! If you can do this, you’ll have some new clients on your hands in no time.
Step 4: Use the promotion thread
Many of the groups you join will have a designated self-promotion thread, usually once a week. You’ll even find it in community groups and things like that. It’s an often-used method of self-promotion and containing spam, and it’s a great way to advertise yourself without annoying people. Make a note on your calendar of what days each group has their promotion threads and post them consistently
Make the most of these self-promotion threads by working on a great pitch for your services Keep it short and emphasize what you have to offer and why it will benefit your potential client. I’m starting to see the familiar graphics that go with posts like this. They are like a type of colorful digital business card that includes a photo of you.
Read these promo posts to see which offers strike you as particularly well-written and study them to see why they’re so great. Keep improving your own templates and be sure to keep a “master copy” handy to make copying and pasting easier.
Step 5: Follow up with the lead
There’s a saying in sales – luck follows up – and it’s absolutely true when it comes to service provider leadership. The #1 rule of landing jobs is: Be responsive. Being responsive is especially important when you’re running your business online, with people you can’t meet face-to-face.
Respond to leads and inquiries as quickly as possible. The same goes for your clients – don’t let them wonder if you got their message. View and respond to every email!
Responsiveness is assured. It lets your leads and clients know you’re still there, you’re doing the work, and (ultimately) you’re legit. You’re not just up and disappearing, leaving someone on the hook and probably out of all the money they paid you. It builds confidence and trust, which are two important things your clients need to feel towards you. So don’t put it off!
Give it a try!
Have you ever searched for jobs in Facebook groups? Whether you have or not, give this method a try and see how it goes for you. Come back here and let me know your results!
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