10 Simple Steps to Landing More Gigs

We know all about the rewards of working as a freelancer. Flexible schedules, a variety of projects, little or even no commuting. But this lifestyle doesnt come easy. Finding success as a freelancer requires a steady stream of paying gigs. Obtaining new business through referrals is great, but referrals alone wont keep your schedule packed with paying jobs, especially when youre just starting out. Online classifieds such as Craigslist and the FreelanceSwitch job board are great places to generate new business leads. In this economy, the competition for work is fierce. To stay ahead, you must combine two key elements in your approach: Quantity: The more jobs you respond to, the more potential leads you create. Quality: Present yourself well and stand out from the crowd. Here are some tools and tips to help you land more freelance gigs: 1. Keep a Polished Resume & Portfolio Make sure your resume is up to date and in tip-top shape. Create a PDF version to attach to your email cover letters (more on this below). If you have a website (which you should), make sure its updated and presentable. Show off your attention to detail by creating a well-designed and professional web presence. 2. Write Effective Emails Take the time to craft a well written and concise email cover letter to use as your response to online job postings. It should include a short pitch about you (similar to your elevator pitch), along with a link to your website or online portfolio. Try out various approaches and phrasings. See which emails generate the most responses. Once you have perfected your email cover letter, use it as a template for future emails. That brings us to the next tip. 3. Use Gmails Canned Responses Feature If you use the Gmail, turn on the Canned Responses feature. In Gmail, go to Settings > Labs > Canned Responses, and click Enable. Canned Responses allow you to save the body of an email as a template so you can quickly insert your message in future emails. If you dont use Gmail, you can simply save your email in a text file for easy cut and paste. Do not send the same generic email response to job postings. The job poster will sense this immediately and trash it. Heres what to do next: 4. Personalize and Tailor Your Message for Each Job Read each job post in its entirety to gain as much information as you can. Extract as much information about the job and employer as you can. Then use this information to enhance your email cover letter. Modify or add to your email template with a note about why you are a perfect fit for their specific need. For example, if the job post is for a t-shirt retailer in need of a website, you might mention that you specialize in e-commerce web development. You could also provide a few links to online stores you built for other clients. But dont stop there. 5. The Importance of Email Subject Lines A single post in a popular job board can generate hundreds of responses in just a matter of days or even hours! Its easy for your email to get lost in the mix. It might not even get opened. Stand out from the crowd by crafting a subject line thats relevant and speaks to their specific need. If the job calls for a copywriter who can work on-site in New York City, you might use the subject line: New York-based Copywriter. If its a blogger seeking a web designer to create a custom WordPress theme, you could try the subject line: Web Designer (WordPress Expert!). 6. Maximize Your Job Search With RSS Many online job boards offer RSS Feeds for job search results. This can be a powerful tool in your job hunting arsenal. Search for a keyword that applies to you, such as composer, HTML, or designer. Then add the RSS feed for that search to your feed reader of choice. Mine is Google Reader. With Google Reader, you can view multiple feeds at once by grouping them in a folder. Doing so allows you to search several job boards simultaneously. This is the best way to stay on top of the most recent job postings from across the Internet, giving you a head start against the competition. 7. Extend Your Reach Beyond Local Jobs Lots of freelancers have the ability to work remotely via email and over the web. So why limit your job search to your local city? Expand your reach by going after jobs in other markets, even internationally. RSS feeds are very useful here, especially for Craigslist job hunting. On Craigslist, you cant search across multiple cities in a single search. But you can combine Craigslist search feeds using your RSS reader. Choose 10 major cities and visit the Craigslist sub-site for each city. Search the Gigs or Jobs section for your keyword or field. Then grab the RSS feed for each of the 10 city searches. Group these 10 feeds in a folder in Google Reader. Now you can view Craigslist job postings from all 10 cities at once! Heres a look at my nation-wide Craigslist job search: 8. Persistent, but Respectful Follow-up Emails Once you are in a dialogue with your potential client, you want to keep the discussion alive in hopes of closing the deal. If they dont respond to you in a few days or a week, send a short follow-up email as a reminder that youre available to address any questions or concerns they might have. New clients often need a little extra motivation to get them to pull the trigger. Hopefully your extra effort will result in their business. If you still dont hear back from them, dont sweat it. Move on. Do not send additional emails. Do not add them to your newsletter without their permission. This will only annoy them and ensure that they wont consider you for future projects. Its also a waste of your valuable time. 9. Dont Stop Hunting For Your Next Gig The key to remaining busy for the long-term is to continuously be on the hunt for your next gig. That means keeping up your job search efforts even when your current plate of work is full. Dont put off your job search just because youre swamped this month. If you do, you could quickly find yourself in a slow period. Avoid this by always keeping new business leads active and moving forward. Remember, it often takes a few weeks (if not months) to close on a lead. You need to balance your time between working on actual projects, and pursuing new business. 10. Professionalism, Honesty, and Confidence Professionalism - Communicate clearly. Return every email and phone call promptly. Compose emails with proper spelling and grammar. Always offer a positive and constructive attitude. Honesty - Dont make promises you cant keep. Display your expertise where applicable. If you dont know the answer to a question, dont make something up. Assure them you will look into it and get back to them. Then do it. Be yourself, and earn their trust. Confidence - Speak clearly and definitively when conversing with potential clients. Draw on your past experience, and address each of their questions with straightforward and informative answers. Show them that you have what it takes to meet all of their needs. Then exceed their expectations. Brian Casel is a freelance web designer and music composer. He writes at Serve The Song, a blog about songwriting, music production, and online promotion. Follow him on Twitter @CasJam.