How to Get Writing Clients on LinkedIn (No More Content Mills!)

Guest post by Giada Nizzoli  

If someone had shown me how to get writing clients on LinkedIn when I started my copywriting years ago, one thing’s for sure: I wouldn’t have wasted time on content mills like Fiverr and Upwork!

Unfortunately, I can’t go back to explain it to my previous self (not until I perfect my time machine). Still, I can stop you from making my same mistake.

That way, you’ll get to start or develop your freelance writing journey with a stronger presence on the platform that’s responsible for 80% of all social media B2B leads.

Not bad, huh?

Why you should focus on finding writing clients on LinkedIn instead of platforms like Fiverr and Upwork

Let me be clear: you don’t want to put all your eggs in the LinkedIn basket. You should also diversify your lead-generation strategy. For example, I recommend being on at least another social media platform, sending cold emails, and blogging on your own website.

Still, learning how to get clients on LinkedIn is a rewarding long-term strategy that will bring you a ton of benefits, especially when compared to content mills:

• A professional LinkedIn profile allows you to reinforce your personal brand, helping you avoid feast and famine as a freelance writer

• You can position yourself as an expert in your niche instead of competing against thousands of writers for every single project

• You’ll no longer waste time bidding for jobs

• Unlike most of those platforms, you won’t have to part with a 20% commission fee when finding clients on LinkedIn

• You’ll find higher-paying clients than those looking for the cheapest price per word on content mills

• In most cases, it’ll actually be them finding you

Once I started posting consistently on LinkedIn, I’ve begun to unlock lots of exciting opportunities… some of which I hadn’t even thought about myself!

An example? Even though I had never advertised it as a service, I was approached by a client asking me to write their own LinkedIn summary. I obviously created a proper website page to advertise this new offer after that.

9 actionable tips on how to get writing clients on LinkedIn as a freelance writer

Oh, and before we begin: forget about how you used this platform—if you were even using it at all—when looking for a job in traditional employment! 

Linkedin for freelance writers is a different game.

1. Clarify your niche and/or target audience

This is the freelance writer equivalent of Shakespeare’s question: to niche or not to niche?

While there are quite a few generalist writers smashing it on LinkedIn, this entire strategy will be easier to execute if you have a niche or, at least, know what type of dream clients you want to attract.

Niching can be done:

• By industry, meaning that you’ll mainly be posting content in relation to this sector

• By type of copy or content, so you should probably focus on how you solve your clients’ pain points with your services

• By type of audience (e.g. for middle-aged female entrepreneurs), which makes it even easier to speak to them directly

Either way, you need to know who you’ll be talking to. And, when you do…

2. Optimize your freelance writer Linkedin profile accordingly

The number of times I’ve heard people say “LiNkEdIn DoEsN’t WoRk”... and then realized that their profile looked like that of a desperate job seeker!

Nuh-uh.

If you want to learn how to get writing clients on LinkedIn, you must use your profile to position yourself as a professional writer and an expert in your field:

• Upload a high-quality profile picture

• Create a cover photo, or commission it to a graphic designer

• Write a headline that clearly showcases what you do, who for, and how this benefits them. You also want to have your main keyword in there (e.g. ‘B2B copywriter’ or ‘fashion content writer’ so that your audience can find you more easily. A tip? Start with this good old formula: “I help X achieve Y by doing Z”, and then find a way of making it quirkier, more memorable, and showcasing what makes you unique

• Same with your summary: we don’t want a CV written in the third person! Talk to your target clients directly and show them how your services and/or LinkedIn content will benefit them. Once again, you want to include your main keywords

• If you’ve written your Experience and Skills section when you were still in the corporate world, edit them with a business owner mentality. Fewer buzzwords (actually, change that to zero), more benefits

3. Ask Your Clients for Linkedin Testimonials

Instead of asking them for a testimonial that you can copy and paste on your website, request an actual LinkedIn recommendation.

It’ll add credibility to your profile, impressing your new prospects right from the start.

And guess what? You can still paste it on your website, too.

4. Connect with fellow writers and your target audience (but no cold pitches!)

Before quitting my corporate job, I thought that other freelance writers would have been ‘my competitors’. But I was wrong: they’re my virtual colleagues. For real.

We support and even refer each other when we haven’t got enough capacity for a job or if we genuinely think that the other person would be a better fit.

So, go on, and connect with them!

At the same time, you want to find your ideal clients, too (see why it’s important to figure that out before you get started?).

I tend to send personalized messages whenever I can. Never a cold pitch, though!

Sure, you’re here to learn how to get clients on LinkedIn, but don’t forget that it’s still a social media platform. You should be on it to build relationships. 

I know that it sounds cliche, but that’s where your opportunities will come from. Not from an impersonal pitch copied and pasted into dozens of chats. 

The latter? It’ll only succeed in annoying them.

5. Post valuable content with your dream clients in mind

When you open this app, don’t focus on how to get writing clients on LinkedIn. Focus on giving value: the right clients will come to you.

Obviously, this won’t happen overnight as we’re talking about a long-term strategy, but the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see some results.

What you post will really depend on what you do and who you work with. Overall, however, I recommend posting:

• About your client’s pain points, positioning your services as the most logical solution

• Relevant tips that don’t give everything away but still help your connections solve smaller problems

• Posts that showcase your industry knowledge and help you come across as an expert

You can do text-only posts, include relevant images (especially your own, to help your connections remember you), carousel posts, videos… In fact, try and alternate them to ensure some variety!

And remember: consistency and quality over quantity. Always.

If you’re not sure you can commit to one a day, do yourself a favor and only publish two or three high-quality posts a week instead of a crappy daily message.

6. Comment on other people’s posts

Your strategy shouldn’t be all about you. If you’re serious about how to get writing clients on LinkedIn, you must really put yourself out there.

So, comment on:

• Your connections’ posts (especially your ideal clients’)

• Bigger accounts within your niche or industry

• Posts that show up in relevant hashtags’ feeds (e.g. #copywriting or #SaaS)

I especially recommend doing it before and after posting: people will be more likely to check out your own content, too.

Oh, and when you do comment, don’t leave it at ‘great post’ or meaningless stuff like that. Give advice, solve problems, showcase your expertise, and—why not—have fun.

7. Showcase your personality: don’t try to be someone you’re not

I’m well aware that we’re talking about a business platform, but leave the suit and tie in your wardrobe (we both know you work in your pajamas most of the time).

Seriously, though: be yourself when you post and show up on LinkedIn! Don’t use the same corporate and professional-sounding sentences that end up becoming white noise.

Be quirky, talk like you speak, and inject some actual personality into your posts. 

Occasionally, you can even post about less businessy topics to show the person behind the brand.

Yes, you might upset the this-is-not-Facebook squad, but I doubt you’d want to work with someone as boring as that anyway, right?

8. You can actively look for clients on LinkedIn…

Now, you still want to know how to get writing clients on LinkedIn by looking for them or for jobs, right?

Here are the most popular and effective tactics:

• Type relevant keywords (e.g. ‘freelance writer’ or ‘SaaS copywriter’ in the Job section of the main LinkedIn search bar. Yes, this platform is mainly for traditional employment, but you can occasionally find some Linkedin freelance writing jobs, too

• Turn those keywords into hashtags, and check the most recent posts: you’ll probably find other businesses looking for a #SaasCopywriter. Fire up your best pitch! 

• This isn’t a strategy that I’ve used myself because I’ve turned this feature off, but some writers like to check who’s viewed their profile and then start a conversation with them. Just keep in mind that, if you want to use this feature, it’ll mean that other users will see that you’ve viewed their own profile, too

• If you’ve been connected with a dream client for a while, you can eventually send them a pitch if you feel that they could do with your services and you’ve actually been engaging with each other’s content. This is definitely not the same as bombarding everyone with cold pitches as soon as you connect!…

9. … but, if you do all this, they will find you!

The truth about Linkedin for freelance writers? I’ve mainly included the previous section for the sake of completeness. And to help you if you were looking to start getting your first freelance jobs through LinkedIn sooner rather than later, of course.

In reality, I can’t remember the last time I’ve done any of those things. 

Since optimising my freelance writer LinkedIn profile and posting high-quality content consistently, I’ve been relying on inbound leads.

Yes, connections approaching me after consuming my audience-oriented content.

This is because, by posting the right stuff, you can position yourself as the go-to expert in your field and smoothen the sales funnel.

That way, once your dream clients actually need your services and are finally ready to invest, guess whose name will pop up in their minds? Yes (spoiler alert), yours.

Now that you know how to get writing clients on LinkedIn, forget about wasting time bidding for low-paying jobs. Instead, use it to build your personal brand and create a sustainable inbound marketing system. It’ll be oh-so-worth-it!

Are you interested in creating a sustainable freelance writing business without the hustle? Check out my freelance writing course with a step-by-step process of exactly what you need.

Bio: Giada Nizzoli is a copywriter making ambitious female entrepreneurs generate more leads and sales while positioning their badass brand as THE go-to solution in their niche. You can find her at Crafty Copy and LinkedIn or receive weekly tips from her.