Getting your first freelance client feels impossible, right? I was in the same boat. But then, I discovered a simple strategy that changed everything!
How My Freelancing Journey Began (And Why It Wasn’t Easy!)
Three years ago, I started my freelancing journey as a WordPress web designer. It was during the COVID-19 lockdown—when I had absolutely nothing to do and was buried under lakhs of debt.
I had full faith in myself that one day, I would do something big. But let me be brutally honest—
When you are broke and drowning in debt, no motivation works. That’s the harsh reality!
During the second wave of COVID lockdown, my daily routine was simple—just lying at home and watching videos on my phone all day. I knew I had to start something soon, but I ended up wasting over six months just overthinking.
My mind was constantly flooded with hundreds of business ideas, but instead of taking action, I became a victim of overthinking paralysis. I kept asking myself:
——- What should I start?
——- Which business will actually work?
For months, I kept watching videos on YouTube—
📌 “How to make money online?”
📌 “How to start freelancing?”
📌 “Easiest way to earn from home?”
I was desperately searching for answers, but deep down, I knew that just watching videos wouldn’t change my life.
The Harsh Reality I Learned The Hard Way
Looking back, I don’t regret spending those six months watching videos. Because those months taught me a brutal truth about life:
——— If you don’t have money, you have NO value in this world!
——— No one cares about you—not society, not relatives, not even friends!
This realization hit me hard.
After months of consuming content, I finally made up my mind—I decided to become a freelance web designer. But trust me, it wasn’t as easy as those YouTube videos made it look.
Most creators only talk about how to make money from freelancing, but they never discuss the challenges and struggles that come with it.
Who Am I & Why Should You Read This?
Hey there, friends! My name is Prashant Tiwari, and I am a professional freelancer.
If you’re struggling to land your first freelance client, then this article is just for you. Today, I will share some of the best strategies that helped me get my first freelancing job. And let me be clear—
Everything I share here is based on my personal experience.
How I Got My First Freelance Clients Without Any Experience!
Learning WordPress & The First Step Towards Freelancing
As a beginner, the first thing I did was learn how to design websites using WordPress. I spent 15 days practicing, and once I felt confident, I thought—
“Now, I should start looking for clients!”
Like any beginner, I turned to YouTube Baba for guidance. I started searching for:
———— “How to get the first client in freelancing?”
———— “Where to find clients for web design services?”
There were tons of suggestions—
- Create a Fiverr & Upwork profile
- Cold email potential clients
- Pitch clients through direct calling
- Promote work on social media
- Join Facebook groups
But there was one major problem—
👉 All these methods would take too long!
And I didn’t have time. I needed to start earning ASAP.
I had already wasted 6-7 months just overthinking, and I couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
The Idea That Changed Everything! (A ₹350 Facebook Ad)
In the middle of all this confusion, an idea clicked in my mind—
💡 “What if I run an ad that says – Get a Free Website Designed?”
But before I could launch an ad, I needed to set up my own website first. And for that, I needed a domain & hosting.
I started researching hosting plans and found out that a one-year plan cost around ₹3000. The problem?
👉 I had exactly ₹0 in my pocket.
I spent two days thinking about how to arrange the money. On the third day, I asked a friend for ₹3000, but he could only send me ₹1700. I told myself—
💡 “Something is better than nothing!”
So, I bought a domain & a one-month shared hosting plan from Hostinger for ₹588. This plan allowed me to host multiple websites, and the monthly cost was ₹750.
That night, I quickly set up my website and used the remaining ₹350 to run a Facebook ad.
The Ad That Got Me My First Clients
💡 Ad Title: “Get a FREE Website Designed for Your Business!”
That ₹350 Facebook ad brought me 3-4 interested clients who wanted a free website. I told them—
🗣️ “I will design your website for free, but you need to pay for the domain & hosting.”
I charged ₹1000 per client for domain & hosting.
—– Total clients = 3
—– Total earning = ₹3000
—– Profit after hosting cost = ₹600-700
It wasn’t a huge amount, but trust me—
👉 “The moment you start making money, your brain starts working faster!”
Scaling Up – From 3 Clients to 7 Clients
I was thrilled! Now, I had a portfolio with 3 live websites in different business categories.
But I had a new challenge—
My hosting plan was monthly, meaning I had a ₹750 recurring expense now.
I had to find more clients to cover this cost.
So, I reinvested my earnings and launched another ad—
“Get a Business Website for Just ₹999 + Free Hosting & SSL for 1 Year!”
This time, my ad was even catchier and the price was attractive. The results?
✔ Generated multiple leads
✔ Secured 4 new client orders
✔ Now had 7 live websites in my portfolio
Freelancing’s Harsh Reality – The Challenges I Faced
Running these ads taught me two big lessons about freelancing:
1- Most clients asked – “Where is your office?”
- I replied, “Sir, I am a freelancer and work from home.”
- But I noticed that clients preferred agencies over individual freelancers.
2- Clients always asked for a demo or previous work samples.
- If they wanted an NGO website, they asked for NGO-specific demos.
- If you didn’t have a relevant demo, convincing them became difficult.
At this point, I realized—
“If I want to get high-paying clients, I need a strong portfolio!”
The Biggest Challenge in Freelancing – Why Clients Ask for Demos?
As we all know, freelancing has hundreds of categories—and for a web designer, it’s nearly impossible to have a demo for every niche.
This was one of the biggest challenges I faced.
For example, if a client wanted a website for an NGO, they would ask for an NGO-related demo. But since I had never designed an NGO website before, it was difficult to convince them.
Even if I showed them my other category projects, their mind was already fixated on seeing an NGO-specific website. And if I couldn’t provide that, they would lose interest.
This is where I learned my first major freelancing lesson—
Clients don’t just want a website; they want a website that matches their vision!
So, I needed to fix this.
How I Cracked the Code & Got More Clients!
By now, I had already run two Facebook ads:
—— ₹350 Ad → 3 Clients
—— ₹1000 Ad → 4 Clients
—— Total = 7 projects & 50+ leads
Through this process, I learned a few powerful insights that can help any freelancer get their first client:
1- Always Target a Specific Niche in Your Ads
If you’re running paid ads to get leads, don’t target everyone. Instead, focus on a single category.
For example:
—- If you have already designed 5-10 websites for “Tour & Travel” businesses, then only target travel-related businesses in your ad.
—- This way, when a client asks for a demo, you can immediately show 10+ websites in the same niche—which increases your chances of closing the deal.
What If You Don’t Have a Demo?
If you haven’t worked in a category before, then create multiple demo websites on subdomains.
—- Every demo should be completely unique—so that you’re prepared for different client needs.
2- Register Yourself on Google My Business (GMB) & Maintain Your Online Presence
Many clients Google your business before hiring you. So, make sure you:
✔ Register your business on Google My Business (GMB)
✔ Keep your website updated
✔ Stay active on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
✔ Regularly update your portfolio
If you’re just starting and don’t have clients yet, build multiple demo websites to showcase your skills.
📌 Pro Tip:
Use your main website’s subdomains to create demo websites in different categories.
3- Focus on ONE Niche & Create At Least 25+ Demos
If you want to get consistent clients, then don’t create random demos. Instead, pick one industry & master it!
For example, if you’re targeting “Real Estate” clients, then:
✔ Design at least 25 unique demo websites in that category.
✔ When a client asks for a demo, show them 10-15 ready-made designs
This works for all freelance fields:
1- Social Media Marketing: Keep sample posts, reels & designs ready.
2- Content Writing: Publish your work on LinkedIn & Medium.
3- SEO Services: Show case studies of how you ranked content on Google.
Rule to Remember:
The more strong your portfolio, the easier it is to get clients!
4- Use Canva for Social Media Content & Build Your Personal Brand
Releted Article – How to earn 10k $ by using Canva
If you’re offering social media services, then:
✔ Use Canva to design banners, reels, and posts.
✔ Create different Facebook & Instagram pages for various business categories.
✔ Upload your work regularly so that potential clients can see your skills.
For content writing, start publishing articles on:
— Your own website
— LinkedIn & Medium
— Check if Google ranks your content & analyze what works.
Why This Matters?
Because when you reach out to clients, they will first check your previous work. If you don’t have a strong portfolio, they won’t take you seriously!
5- Moral of the Story – Why Clients Choose Some Freelancers Over Others?
Freelancing is all about trust.
If a client doesn’t see relevant work, they won’t hire you.
— If you’re new, focus on building your portfolio first.
— Demos & previous work samples are the biggest factors in landing clients.
— Clients don’t care about what you say—they care about what you can SHOW them!
Final Thought:
Getting your first client is easy—if you’re well-prepared.
How to Get Your First Client as a Freelancer (Proven Tricks!)
For any freelancer, the first year or let’s say the first 50 projects are the toughest. But today, I am going to share some secret tricks that will help you land your first client super easily!
1- Run Catchy Ads on Facebook & Instagram
🔹 Use attractive thumbnails & catchy titles to grab attention.
🔹 Keep your pricing low because right now, your priority should be to build a strong portfolio.
🔹 Forget about Fiverr & Upwork—I’m not saying don’t create a profile there, go ahead! But don’t just sit and wait for jobs, because those listings already have hundreds of applicants.
Instead, find your own way to get clients consistently! In my experience, running paid ads is the BEST strategy to attract potential clients.
2- No Money for Ads? Try This Strategy!
I get it—not everyone has money to run ads. No problem! Here’s a zero-cost trick to get clients without spending a single rupee:
👉 Step outside your house! Walk around your city and approach business owners directly.
Tell them:
“I’m a freelancer, and I can design a website for your business at a super affordable price!”
“I will also give you 2-3 months of FREE social media content—banners, posters, flyers, reels, etc.”
Combo offers always work in marketing!
Go out and pitch to 100+ shopkeepers in your city, and I can guarantee you’ll land at least 10 orders!
But remember one thing—before approaching clients, make sure your demos are ready!
3- Don’t Know Web Design? No Problem! Use Social Media Services
If you don’t know how to design websites yet, you can still earn by creating social media content!
✔ First, create 500+ posts & designs and upload them on your own social media pages.
✔ When clients ask for work samples, just share your page link!
✔ Start by targeting medium-sized businesses that are already on Google Maps or have a website.
💡 Business owners don’t have time to handle their social media—this is where you step in!
4- Content Writers – Build Your Portfolio First!
If you are a content writer, my first advice is—TEST your own writing skills first!
✔ Start by publishing high-quality, human-written content on your own website.
✔ Use LinkedIn & Medium to publish articles consistently.
✔ If your content is good, Google will automatically start ranking it!
✔ Once your content starts ranking, reach out to potential clients and show them your work.
💡 How to Get Clients for Content Writing?
Trick #1: Use Google!
1- Search for a keyword in any category where you can write the best content.
2- Check the top 50 websites ranking for that keyword.
3- Email them or use their contact form to send a proposal for content writing.
4-Mention your own ranking content as proof of your skills!
Trick #2: Use Google My Business Data!
- Extract business data from Google My Business (GMB).
- Filter out businesses that already have a website.
- Pitch them content writing services for their website.
Start with a lower price—you need experience first, not just high-paying clients. Any project is better than no project!
5- Zero Experience? Do This! (Social Media Management for Businesses)
What if you don’t know web design, don’t know content writing, and have zero experience?
No problem! You can still make money by managing social media for businesses.
– Most business owners don’t have time to manage their social media pages.
– Offer them daily content creation & posting services.
– As businesses continue to move online, this demand will only grow!
In my opinion, Social Media Management is the best freelance job for beginners.
6- Join Multiple Facebook Groups (Hidden Goldmine!)
One of my all-time favorite strategies—
✔ Join 200+ Facebook groups where posts don’t require admin approval.
✔ Spend just 30 minutes daily sharing promotional & educational content in those groups.
✔ Use catchy titles—people always click on engaging content.
Consistency is key—make this a daily habit!
7- The Easiest Way to Get Local Clients – Google Maps Strategy
— Every business needs to be registered on Google Maps (Google My Business – GMB).
— But many shopkeepers don’t know how to do it!
Offer this as a service and charge ₹99 per registration.
💡 The best part? Once you help a business get online, they might later hire you for:
✔ Social Media Management
✔ Content Creation
✔ Website Design
✔ SEO Services
✔ Paid Ads
You can easily find hundreds of clients in your city with this simple method!
Final Thoughts – The Exact Strategies I Use to Get Clients!
These are the exact strategies I’ve been using for the past 3 years.
📌 100+ websites designed
📌 1000+ blogs & articles written
📌 Social media content delivered for multiple businesses
And honestly, I’ve never struggled to find clients!
If you have any questions, feel free to email me!
If you want to become a professional freelancer, make sure you read my latest article!