#freelance-talk
Thread
Anyone have thoughts on the outlook for 2024? There don't seem to be any jobs available and no one's getting freelance work. Are things going to pick up or get worse?
Hey Matt, we are In same situation, I hope from January/February 2024 thing will be a little better, for now there Is holidays, and everyone delays until next years
yeah the holiday dead zone is real
Been more than a holiday dead zone. I haven't had regular work since May.
I had an encouraging conversation with an old mentor today that affirmed the power of doubling down on outreach.
He highly recommended the book The Well-Fed Writer and suggested looking in the local area for web designers, graphic designers, etc. and reaching out to ask if they work with freelancers. Cold call them if you're comfortable with that.
Broadening scope across industries was another good suggestion he gave. That helps recession-proof your writing business (to use the tired phrase!) because some industries always need copywriting or writing help. He reminded me not to overlook industries that may seem boring or projects that aren't "ideal" but could lead to good, long-term work.
In short -- don't despair. Look locally, get creative about the industries you reach out to, and don't be afraid to make connections via channels that other freelancers aren't using (like cold calls).
Hope his advice helps! 😄
Love The Well-Fed Writer!
The key is to market, market, market. If you think it's dead, that's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Good luck!
I read The Well-Fed Writer earlier this year. I wasn't too impressed, mainly because I'm a content writer, not a copywriter
Finding clients is finding clients. The approaches are the same.
+1 what @Jen Phillips April said. 🙂
Another key element is building relationships. Not generic networking, but reaching out to people who work at the types of companies you want to write for, who edit publications or blogs you want bylines in, etc.
All he talks about is cold pitching, which I'm already doing a lot of.
@Matt Robare Would you be open to sharing your methods and outreach copy? Happy to give input or feedback if you want it. 🙂
Sure. That's be great! I was looking for companies in the 50 to 100 employee range, but the other day someone suggested companies with second stage funding are more likely to need content, so I'm looking for companies in the B round. Then I look for a content marketing manager or similar title and use Clearbit Connect to find emails.
@Matt Robare What tool(s) and site(s) do you use to find those companies? And do you prospect locally?
I was using Climate Base, Climate Tech List and , but only Climate Tech List has funding round data
Have you tried Crunchbase or the various sites that list VC investment news?
And do you have any other niches that you want to write for or know a lot about?
I can't afford Crunchbase. I'm not familiar with other VC investment sites.
I was doing some work in the digital twins niche, but wasn't finding a lot of companies, so I don't have anything else at the moment. I'm open to suggestions, though.
Interesting thing I discovered: If you try the Crunchbase trial and cancel, they offer you a monthly payment option.
It's $30ish/month.