How To Use LinkedIn To Grow Your Freelancing Business

Tired of the ups and downs of finding freelance gigs? 🤔

I know how it feels…

Scrolling through job posts for hours, sending proposals into the void 

…and still hearing crickets. 

It's exhausting to say the least.

Imagine if this doesn't change. 

More hours lost, more opportunities missed, and growing frustration. 😓

But what if there was a way to cut through the noise and attract consistent, quality leads directly on LinkedIn? 

Imagine landing clients who see the real value you bring—effortlessly.

Well, no need to imagine for long - because that’s what we’ll be discussing today!

Here are 5 steps you need to take to turn LinkedIn into your lead generation powerhouse. 🚀

1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Your Target Audience

Your LinkedIn profile is your professional storefront, so make it count by tailoring it to attract your ideal client. 

Here’s the basic stuff you need to sort out:

1. Profile Picture 

This one is fairly simple, find a good headshot of you looking directly in the camera. Don’t worry about the background, you can use tools like pfpmaker.com to get a nice colourful background edit that matches your vibe!

1. Tagline

Your headline and summary showcase your expertise in areas most sought after by your target market. Think of keywords your potential clients might use to find services like yours and integrate these into your profile sections strategically.

Here’s a template you can use to implement this change right away:

[What you do + Who do you do it for + How do you do it] | [Insert keywords here] 

Example:

I help creators generate 3X more leads through FB Ads within 30 days | Media buying specialist, Facebook and Google Ads for early-stage startups and SMEs 

The 1st half helps you attract the right potential buyer to your services, and the 2nd half is mainly for SEO, so anyone who searches ‘Google Ads’ or ‘Facebook Ads’ or anything similar, will see YOUR profile!

1. About Section

There are 2 ways to go about this:

Way 1: Showcase your years of experience, major achievements, credentials, and a general background story of who you are and how you entered this space. This way works well if you’re in the corporate world (not that much for freelancing)

Way 2: You consider the About section as a separate sales letter, taking your profile visitor (or potential client) throughout their whole objections, and giving them a reason to work with you – this works better for freelancing!

Here’s an example of Dina Town , who runs a LinkedIn ghostwriting and copywriting business: ⬇️

See how she builds up a whole story and creates a Call To Action in the end?

The thing is, you need to treat your profile like a landing page, and the ‘About’ section is there to create a compelling story that persuades your audience to work with you.

Pro-tip: Use the PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution) formula to draft an About Section like Dina! 

1. Featured Section

Your featured section is where all your offers should be. Weekly Newsletters, Digital Products, High-Ticket Offers, everything!

A common mistake many freelancers make is put their most engaged post(s) in the featured section, along with cluttering it with too many options. The main strategy is to keep it lowkey and simple, and help your potential prospect make a decision to work with you!

That’s all about the profile optimization part for now. There’s more to explore (like the Experience Section, Courses/Certifications, etc.) but let’s keep it practical and focus on the top 80% for now. 💪

Action Step: Block 15-20 minutes of your day and optimize your LinkedIn profile based on the above recommendations I’ve shared.

2. Create and Share Content That Resonates with Your Ideal Customer

If there’s anything I’ve learned by posting on LinkedIn for the past 1-2 years, it’s that consistency is key.

If you post regularly for 2 weeks and then doze off for the rest of the month, then your account is bound to drop off. 

So make sure to regularly post insights, articles, and quick tips that address the common pain points or aspirations of your ideal clients. This not only helps in establishing your authority but also keeps you relevant and top of mind.

Typically, a good starting point would be to start posting ONCE a week. That’s not hard, right? Once you get the hang of it, push yourself to 2 times a week, and slowly go to 3-5 times a week.

3-5X should be your North Star. I'm not going to lie, it’s difficult to get yourself to that point and MAINTAIN it. But it’s not impossible.

The more you post, the more your clients see you, and the more chances you have of being hired.

Action Step: Write a 200-word post about a typical challenge in your field and how you tackle it. Try writing a post as if you’re guiding your past self 2 years ago.

3. Engage Daily with Connections to Build Meaningful Relationships

Dedicate time each day to interact authentically with your LinkedIn connections. 

As the days proceed, LinkedIn’s algorithm is getting as picky as ever. You need to put in more hours to see the same results.

But with or without algo changes, one thing has never changed: Community. 

Comment on, like, and share their content thoughtfully. This engagement should go beyond surface-level interactions; and aim to add value through insightful comments and relevant discussions.

Pro-tip: Consistently engage with your ideal clients or similar creators. The more you engage, the more you enter their small community bubble, which will lead to more trust and better opportunities!

Action Step: Create a list of 10 similar creators and ideal clients on LinkedIn who actively post online. Set a daily timer for five minutes to engage with them and prioritize interactions on posts where you can provide meaningful insights or support.

4. Clearly Define and Communicate Your Offer

Your LinkedIn profile should clearly state what services you offer. 

This clarity helps potential clients understand immediately how you can help them. 

This part goes with 2 of the other steps we’ve mentioned: Content and Profile Optimization.

You need to be consistent in showcasing your offer in your content strategy and positioning in your profile. Think about it – if you ideal client doesn’t even know what you offer to the market, would they ever decide to work with you? 

That said, to make a quality offer you need to make sure it tackles one of the other issues:

1. It saves time
2. It makes money
3. It generates quick results
4. It requires little-to-no effort from the client
5. Building an all-in-one solution

These are a few examples of creating high-quality offers that people say yes to. If you’re selling a service, make sure to centre your offer around one of these main leverages.

In short, make an offer they can’t refuse. 😉 

Action Step: Sit down and review the services you offer. Position your offer in a way that makes your ideal client pull their credit card out to pay you! And yes, make sure your offer is straightforward and clearly communicates what you do and for whom.

5. Set Up Your Services Page to Attract Client Inquiries

This is a new feature LinkedIn launched a while ago.

LinkedIn now allows freelancers/service providers to set up a dedicated Services Page where they can list the services they offer. This feature helps you showcase your expertise, list the specific services you provide, and get verified reviews from your past clients there directly on your LinkedIn profile.

It’s a separate page where people can request a proposal from you based on their needs, and you can offer a quote based on that request. It’s simple, asynchronous, and can help you land clients within 24-48 hours if you’re lucky!

In my opinion, it’s a much-needed service (especially for freelancers) - the only downside is that it’s not available for everyone, and people are still learning to get used to it.

But again, there’s no con to getting this page set up. I’ve seen some of my peers get qualified leads through this feature, so it’s best to get started early on! 

Action Step: Spend 10-15 minutes setting up your Services Page on LinkedIn. List all the services you offer, with clear, concise descriptions. Make sure to include any unique selling points or specific expertise you bring to each service.

TLDR:

• Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile: Tailor your profile with a professional photo, compelling tagline, and a robust About section that acts like a sales letter. Use the PAS formula to create an engaging narrative. Keep your Featured Section simple and focused on your key offers.
• Create and Share Content Regularly: Post insights, articles, and tips that resonate with your ideal clients at least once a week. Gradually increase your posting frequency to build authority and stay top of mind.
• Engage Daily with Connections: Build a community by engaging authentically with connections’ content. Create a list of 10 creators and clients to interact with daily to foster relationships and trust.
• Clearly Define and Communicate Your Offer: Ensure your LinkedIn profile clearly states your services. Tailor your offer to highlight benefits like saving time, making money, or providing quick results.
• Set Up Your Services Page: Utilize LinkedIn’s Services Page feature to list your services and attract client inquiries. This page acts like a direct proposal request hub, boosting your visibility and potential for quick client engagement.

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