When I started out, I was a solo consultant doing everything manually and relying on referrals that "might" come in. What changed everything? I repositioned myself and my content. Instead of trying to speak to everyone, I narrowed in on the people who were already showing interest in working with me. I studied my inbound leads and reshaped my content to speak directly to them. This helped me go from solo consultant to agency. I started showing up with: Educational content (so people could trust I knew what I was doing) Personal content (to build connection and relatability) Promotional content (to remind them I'm available for hire) Social proof (so they could see results from others like them) That shift was the turning point. Within months, I went from solopreneur to agency owner. And the best part? I did it by using LinkedIn as my primary marketing funnel for the last 3.5+ years I have been in business. It's still where 98% of my client leads come from. Most freelancers make the mistake of only posting when they need clients or talking like marketers instead of humans. But when your content speaks to the person who's already halfway sold, you don't need to chase leads. You just need to show up. If you're quoting, happy to be included as Melanie Borden, Founder of The Borden Group www.humantobrand.com
Cold outreach changed everything for me. I used to wait around for brands to find me on platforms, but it was too slow. Once I built a simple Notion portfolio and started reaching out to brands I already loved, things moved fast. I'd send short, honest emails with a sample video idea and explain how it could help them. Brands liked that it was about them, not me. That's how I got my first UGC client that turned into a retainer deal. Too many freelancers focus only on looking polished. Fancy profiles and perfect feeds are fine, but they don't replace real conversations. People hire people who show up, follow up, and actually care about their product. If I had to start today, I'd skip the fluff and focus on building 5-10 strong connections instead of trying to reach hundreds.