OOPS, I almost missed out on a new client! 😬

If you’ve been hanging out in this space for a while, you may know that for me, LinkedIn is my go-to spot for finding new clients.

But over the last year or so, the posts with calls for freelance writers blow up really quickly! So I tend to scout for leads daily and reach out asap when I’m in major marketing mode.

That’s why last week, I almost didn’t reach out to a lead whose post was two days old.

Timing isn’t always everything

Even though two days seems “outdated” on LinkedIn these days, the client needs seemed right up my alley and I was familiar with the company and had feeling the pay would be competitive.

So despite my inner critic telling myself not to bother, I sent a letter of introduction with curated clips. It took a few days and some negotiating, but I actually heard back and got a paid trial piece!

Algorithms aren’t perfect

While part of this win felt like a lucky break, there were two reasons why I think I was successful.

1. I knew I had the specific expertise the prospect was looking for and sent very relevant writing samples. No cutting and pasting old pitches here!

2. Honestly, I think the LinkedIn algorithm didn’t pick this one up as much as other job calls I’ve seen that get 100s of comments.

The takeaway: Don’t feel deflated if LI (or any other platform doesn’t always work out for you. Keep pushing and growing your bylines and experience to move the needle little by little!

And if something feels like a good fit, send your pitch anyway - no matter how old the post may be! You may catch a client just as they need a new writer.

New on the blog: Time tracking for freelancers

If you haven’t seen it already, Joana Ferreira wrote an amazing guest post on the Write with Lauren blog.

Learn how she tracks her time to identify her best and worst clients, plus help with pricing strategies.

Read it here!

Until next week - happy freelancing!

Lauren

When you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you with your freelance business:

1. Organize your business with my income tracker or pitch tracker.

2. Read The Fully Booked Freelance Writer to follow my exact process for keeping a full schedule (whatever that looks like for you).