How Circle Members Find New Clients
As a creative professional, you may have found that finding new clients doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. From social media marketing to cold calling and emailing, the search for business can feel like a never-ending ride.
As you build connections and try new approaches, you may be required to step outside your comfort zone from time to time. To uncover effective and proven solutions to the ever-present and pertinent goal of acquiring new clients, we interviewed several successful members of Circle, Squarespace’s partner program and professional community of web designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and other freelance creatives. In addition to their roles as Circle members, they are Community Leaders, an opportunity that exists to honor members who have made significant contributions to the community.
Chris Schwartz-Edmisten, Kerstin Martin, and Sophia Ojha all have different years, skills, and experiences under their belts, but they have one thing in common: they know what works when it comes to finding clients.
As a creative professional, finding a niche is often essential for acquiring clients and targeting your marketing efforts. What tips do you have for picking a client niche?
Chris Schwartz-Edmisten: First and foremost, pick a niche you love. Don’t do something solely because you think it will make lots of money. Running a business takes so much time and effort, so you have to pick a niche you will be excited to work within or you may burn out. Second, don’t worry if the niche is crowded. Everyone has a unique story, perspective, or approach they can bring. Ultimately you are the thing that makes you stand out, and people who identify with your perspective or approach will want to work with you. Just know that it will be harder to stand out in the beginning, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.
Kerstin Martin: If you are familiar with an industry, and especially if you know people in it, then I would definitely say to start there. Contact these people, tell them what you are doing, and offer your services. If you are not already connected to a niche, I would consider becoming a generalist who focuses on small businesses, both local and remote. You can find a lot of customers in these more general groups and your style will become what sets you apart and attracts potential clients to you. In a sense, your style becomes your niche!
There are many avenues and approaches to marketing your services. Throughout your career, what has been the most effective marketing strategy to find clients?
Chris: 100% content marketing! The reason I created my YouTube channel was because when I started my business, I had zero clients and nothing else to do. I was just sitting there refreshing an empty inbox and knew if I didn’t do something soon, I was going to have to go back to a 9–5…The lesson I learned there was that if you can show people you are an expert at something, they will be much more likely to hire you. I am a big fan of content marketing and recommend it to everyone.
Sophia Ojha: Getting on a platform such as Squarespace Marketplace* has been a game changer for me. It has brought so many wonderful clients to my virtual door. I highly recommend finding a platform where clients go in order to find web designers. Just like you’d go to the mall or a bazaar to find all kinds of businesses offering their wares, you need to show up in the virtual bazaar or marketplace where clients are coming to buy your wares, a.k.a. web design services.
*Only Circle members can become eligible to join Squarespace Marketplace. Learn more about membership perks.
Referrals and testimonials are an important way to establish expertise and build trust with potential clients. When it comes to gaining word-of-mouth marketing, what tactics would you recommend to a professional who is just starting to grow their business?
Chris: You don’t get what you don’t ask for. So first, provide a great service. Then when the project is done, mention that if your client has anyone in their network that could use your services, you would appreciate a referral and love to work with them.
Sophia: Ask every client that hires you for a project whether they know anyone who also needs a website. They may not know anyone right away, but this question will sow a seed in their mind and let them know that you are open for more business. You can also create a simple “Ambassador Program” for your clients. I have one in which I offer my clients 10% commission on projects they help me acquire. I let them know that if they recommend me to someone and they hire me for a $6,000 project, that’s $600 that I’d transfer to their account, or send to them as a gift card. It works!
What is your biggest advice for someone who is looking for their first client?
Chris: Be active in circles where your target clients are. In addition to starting my YouTube channel, I also joined several Squarespace [social media] groups where I knew people would be looking for help. I would help them for free and at the end ask for a donation for my time if they were willing. Some would donate and some wouldn’t, which is totally fine as the help was free, but those who did kick-started my “paid” work.
Kerstin: Getting started is all about getting the word out about your services. If you don’t have clients yet, make sure your own website is gorgeous and be honest about being a new designer. Then kickstart your portfolio.
Creative professionals have many tools in their belt to help manage projects and time. How do you use Acuity Scheduling for your business?
Chris: I love Acuity Scheduling! I no longer have to spend time trying to coordinate schedules with clients over email. I also don’t have to worry about converting time zones as Acuity Scheduling handles that as well.
To reduce my time spent further, I have a canned response saved in [email] that includes the link to my scheduler, so I don’t even have to spend time writing the entire email! I just reply with my canned email, tweaking the message as needed, and my clients can schedule a day and time that works for them. Even more awesome is that I integrated Acuity Scheduling with Zoom so that when they book a time, they automatically get sent the link to our Zoom call in the invitation. I don’t even have to go into Zoom and set up the meeting anymore! Acuity Scheduling saves me a massive amount of time.
Sophia: I use Acuity Scheduling for everything in my web design business. From booking the complimentary consult calls, the first design consult, training calls to collab calls, mastermind calls, and everything in between, Acuity Scheduling is what my business runs on. Easy integration with Zoom means I don’t have to worry about creating Zoom meeting links. Plus, the email reminders to my clients before our call means I have an almost 100% show-up rate.
A special thanks to our interviewees for sharing their expertise.
Chris Schwartz-Edmisten is a Squarespace developer who primarily helps clients customize their Squarespace websites with CSS. He has been doing Squarespace CSS customization full-time for more than five years. Chris’ business has evolved to building out full sites, 1:1 training, and selling Squarespace plug-ins and courses.
Kerstin Martin has been a Squarespace user since 2008. She began building websites professionally in 2014 and has built 80+ websites for small businesses and online entrepreneurs. She has since moved into training and is now fully devoted to teaching all things Squarespace, including how to build a profitable business as a Squarespace designer.
Sophia Ojha designs websites for online entrepreneurs such as authors, coaches and artists. She also has an online course and a coaching program designed to help web designers build and grow a thriving design business. She sends out tips on how to earn $10K/month with web design in her email newsletter, which you can sign up for at sophiaojha.com/newsletter.
Want more?
Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional designers. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from all across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.
