Core Concepts
Consistent outreach through Google and LinkedIn can help freelance technical writers find clients without relying on platforms like Upwork.
Abstract
The author is a freelance technical writer who has been working with 3 clients on a retainer basis for the past 2 years. He did not find these clients through Upwork, but rather through proactive outreach on Google and LinkedIn.
On Google, the author searches for startups in his target industry, visits their websites, and sends them cold emails. On LinkedIn, he follows a similar process, searching for businesses, viewing their company pages, and sending cold direct messages to employees. He recommends doing this 2-3 times a day for a month, which he believes will result in at least a couple of responses and one lead.
The author acknowledges that this lead generation process can be boring, but emphasizes the importance of consistency and treating freelancing as a real business. He notes that the majority of freelancers fail to make money because they are not willing to put in the consistent effort required.
Quotes
"Finding clients is simple. But the problem is YOU. Not everyone is consistent with that kind of stuff and I'm pretty sure you will not be consistent."
"This is business, so you have to treat it like a business."