Ask five freelancers how they find new clients and you’ll get five different answers.  Ask five marketers how a freelancer can get new clients and they’ll have only one answer: marketing.

Like it or not, no matter what business you’re in, marketing is going to be a part of it.  The problem is that there are so many different types of marketing out there that it’s impossible for anyone to do all of them, let alone do them well.  Depending on your business, your marketing approach will decide how effective you are at finding new clients (or getting them to find you).

Ask yourself these questions and it will get you started.

“Where do your potential clients spend their time?”  If they spend their time on Facebook, then that’s where you need to be.  If they are reading Vanity Fair Magazine, then that’s where you need to be.  If your market is local and these clients spend their time in specific places, then that’s where you need to be.  Your marketing needs to be where the people you are marketing to are.  Otherwise, you’re just wasting time and money.

“What do my potential clients want to hear?”  Note that the question isn’t “what do you THINK they want to hear,” but rather it’s “what do they want to hear?”  That’s important because a lot of freelancers go about their marketing thinking in terms of a freelancer wanting to get a client.  You need to aim your marketing at your client, so it needs to appeal to them, not appeal to you appealing to them.

“What marketing am I doing now that is working well?”  You’ve likely done some kind of marketing up to this point and some of it has probably paid off.  What was it?  Why did it pay off?  Can you repeat it?  Once you find what works, stick with it.  Feel free to explore new things, but do that exploration after you’ve maintained the fundamentals that are proven to be working.

In fact, that last one is the most commonly overlooked aspect of freelancer marketing.  Once you’ve found a way to find some freelance clients, stick with that plan and keep it working for you.

One thing everyone wants is more money.  There are a lot of ways that freelancers can boost their incomes in between jobs or working on the side from their usual clients.  Here are five of the best ones we’ve seen.

SEO Websites and Blogs – Creating a new website or blog is simple.  Especially if you do it not with the idea of making a site with a lot of professional design aspects and good looks, but instead as a site or blog focused on search engine optimization (SEO).  These are called various things, but the good ones are called AdSense-powered sites or SEO-based websites.  Far from being a scam, they are a legitimate way to make a steady income.  Best of all, it’s a lot easier than you might think, especially with the easy to use tools that are out there now.  A simple website can be built in a few hours using WordPress, free templates, and some time setting up menu-based configuration and a $10 domain name.

Start Your Own Blog – If SEO blogging isn’t for you, why not set up a blog for your own business?  These have a lot of advantages, most of them being the long-term marketing they produce.  Not only can a well-made blog increase traffic to your site (especially if you know anything about SEO), but it can build clientele for your main business over time.  Readers get an idea of your expertise and over the long term, they will often become clients when they need someone with your knowledge.  Blogging is also a good way to stretch yourself professionally as you look into aspects of your business that you might not have spent the time delving into before.

Experiment with Advertising – Try something you haven’t tried before and see if it helps your bottom line.  There are thousands of ways to advertise.  One of them might be the gold mind you’ve been looking for.

Do Short-Term and Charity Projects – If you find yourself with a little time on your hands, why not put it towards a good cause?  Set up short term projects with interns or school kids or whomever or offer your services to a charity.  No matter what your profession, there is always a worthy charity looking for your help.

Plan Personal Projects – Why not do something for yourself?  Maybe you’ve been working on a personal project that always gets put off.  Or maybe you’ve always wanted to write a novel or a few short stories and try to get published?  Well, now’s as good a time as any!