Not all clients are created equal today. Some clients are cutting back on marketing, while others are doubling down. How can you ensure you’re always promoting your writing business to the right kinds of clients to keep your freelance pipeline full?
It’s all about understanding client psychology rather than economic headlines. Let’s take a closer look at the three client types that are always hiring freelancers: the problem-solvers in crisis mode, the funded and growing rapidly, and the long-term thinkers who analyze everything before changing tack.
Client Type 1: The Problem-Solvers in Crisis Mode
These clients face an urgent and expensive problem that your work addresses. They understand that their inaction costs their company more than any expenses for hiring you. A few examples of these clients include:
- They might miss a product launch because their messaging isn’t ready.
- The sales team is missing quotas because their collateral doesn’t convert.
- They’ve got high customer churn rates that better onboarding copy could fix.
To find these clients: Look for companies with visible problems such as hiring freezes but open revenue streams, recent leadership changes, and product launches that were announced but not yet rolled out.
What they buy and how to position yourself: These clients will want fast solutions to their urgent problems, not “nice to have” things, so position yourself as the freelancer who solves those problems.
Client Type 2: The Funded and Growing Clients
These clients are entering new markets, acquiring a competitor, or recently raising capital. They’ve allotted money for growth, marketing, and sales, and are aware that not spending it looks unfavorable to senior management and investors. Companies in these situations include those:
- Expanding into new markets or countries.
- Who just acquired another business and need to unify messaging and other collateral.
- With recent investor funding and needing to show traction to investors.
To find these clients: Look for job posting surges, expansion announcements on press release sites like Newswire and investor sites like AngelList.
What they buy and how to position yourself: These clients are looking for strategic work like messaging/position projects and competitive differentiation checklists, so position yourself as the expert who helps them capture market share quickly and effectively.
Client Type 3: The Long-Term Thinkers
These clients take a long view of their business and work, seeing downturns as opportunities. They know their competitors are pulling back and see an opportunity to gain ground in the market. Companies that do this are often:
- Established businesses that view marketing as an investment, not an expense.
- Bootstrapped profitable SaaS companies that have weathered cycles before.
- Growing companies looking to grow market share quickly.
To find these clients: Research companies with long histories, stable leadership, and public-facing statements about investing or growing through downturns.
What they buy and how to position yourself: These clients are seeking long-term, high-quality work and relationships that align with their strategy, offer ongoing support, and generally prioritize premium quality over quick fixes. Freelancers can get these clients by positioning themselves as a long-term partner who helps them win while others come and go.
The Common Thread to These Clients
These three client types continue to invest in freelance writing, marketing, and more because they view this work as a revenue-generating activity, not an expense. You become a trusted partner helping them achieve their goals, not a line item on an invoice or budget.
The key insight? These three client types share a fundamental mindset shift: they view freelance work as an investment that generates revenue, rather than a cost to be minimized. This changes everything about how they hire, what they value, and why they continue to spend when others freeze budgets.
Your Action Plan: Finding Revenue-Ready Clients
Budget cuts are real, but they’re not universal. Your marketing job with potential clients isn’t to convince the skeptical ones, but to find “ready” buyers. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new-to-you client or an existing one with new projects.
These three client types exist everywhere, all the time. When you focus on these client types, you’ll find recession- and AI-resistant revenue. Take a moment to look at your existing client roster to see which ones fall into these categories; and if they don’t, they may not have regular work for you but you can analyze them to see if you can transform them into one of these types.
