How To Find Clients As A Freelancer

As a freelance _______ (enter your role here), how do you find clients?

I would say ‘win’ clients, but that sounds unnecessarily competitive when we freelancers are all about collaboration. So, how do you find clients as a freelancer? Or do they find you? Either way, it can often be a source of worry. Well, maybe ‘worry’ is the wrong word. But it can often be challenging, let’s put it that way.

A big – and vital – part of freelance life is finding clients. And clients are what you need to make money, hone your skills, and do your thing. But where you’ll find clients as a freelancer often has a big question mark hanging over it. The truth is, they can come to you through a whole variety of unusual ways.

Some obvious. Some not so much. And some are down to chance, coincidence, or just pure dumb luck. Or just playing the long game.

How To Find Clients As A Freelancer in 2026

So apart from recommendations/word of mouth and clients finding me through an organic web search as a freelance copywriter, here’s how I managed to find a few of my chance, coincidence, dumb luck, or long-game clients over the years.

✅ I got in touch with a former client (I wrote their website copy back in early 2020) after I saw that he liked a post on LinkedIn. Being six years after that first project, it was no more than a hello/catch-up message, but they replied and said they wanted their new website reviewed and rewritten.
🔥 Hot tip: Former clients often don’t make the first move, so keep checking in with them.

✅ A contact of mine introduced me to a potential new client over email. We got on, but pricing was a sticking point. Two years after that initial email conversation, they’re now onboard as a long-term client.
🔥 Hot tip: Sometimes the client needs to go down the wrong path before realising they already had the right answer all along.

✅ I met a small agency client at a networking event, but I didn’t complete my first project with them until 3 years later, and I still work with them on and off.
🔥 Hot tip: To network is to play the long game.

✅ Over on LinkedIn, I speculatively reached out to an indie company I wanted to work with. We connected, and we’ve worked on some nice projects together.
🔥 Hot tip: If you want to work with someone, just speak to them.

✅ In 2017, I sent a web audit request to an SEO expert 165 miles away. When he replied, he said he was looking for a copywriter. He’s now one of my longest-standing clients.
🔥 Hot tip: Blind opportunities are everywhere.

✅ Before I even went freelance, in my previous role, I interviewed a candidate for a graphic design position. During the interview, I clocked the name of where they currently worked. Made a mental note of the agency and emailed them, saying how I could help them. Turned out to be a long and fruitful pairing.
🔥 Hot tip: A bit of predatory thinking can work wonders.

So, just six examples of how I managed to find clients as a freelancer – and how you can find them too.

They may not be quick or easy wins, so don’t stop networking, talking, and helping people, assuming it will just ‘happen’ instantly.

But: never give up.

If you’re new to freelancing, find out more about how to start freelancing with no experience or check out my pick of the best books for freelancers and/or copywriters.