How to Build an Ideal Clients List for Freelance Writing

Publication Date

February 11, 2022

Summary

We’re going in depth on: what Ideal Clients List is, how it works, and how to make your own to get clients for your freelance digital marketing business.

What Is an Ideal Client?

Your ideal client — or “dream client” — is the type of client you’d love to work with because they:

Can pay you the rates you deserve
Fit your niche and expertise
Offer valuable bylines, big exposure, or steady income

Your ideal client could be a major brand, a growing startup, or a cool indie publication — the important part is that they’re a good fit for you and your goals.

What Is an Ideal Clients List?

An Ideal Clients List (sometimes called a leads list) is a simple tool for tracking your dream clients — and your outreach to them.

Think of it like your own personal sales pipeline. It helps you:

Keep track of who you want to pitch
Note who your main contact is at each company once you’ve made contact
Track where they are in your funnel (intro, pitched, following up, booked, etc.)
And follow up at the right times

⭐️ Example:

Inside Pop Club, member April uses her Ideal Clients List to:

Know who to reach out to when she’s networking
Keep track of who she’s pitched already
Send follow-ups without losing track
See where her warmest leads are when she needs clients

A simple list can make a huge difference!

How to Make Your Own Ideal Clients List

1️⃣ Step 1 — Follow the Money

Start with your niche. Then brainstorm all the ways money flows in that space. Think in categories:

Products
Brands
Services
Places
Activities
Publications

Write down as many ideas as you can. Don’t overthink it — cast a wide net.

2️⃣ Step 2 — Dive Deeper

Now expand your ideas:

What other products does your audience use?
Where do they get information?
What do they read, watch, or listen to?
Who influences them?
Where do they spend time, online or in person?

You’ll probably discover more potential clients than you expect!

3️⃣ Step 3 — Refine & Track

Refine your brainstorm into specific brands, companies, or people you’d like to work with.

Then, create a tracker — or grab the template — to keep tabs on:

Who you’ve researched
Who you’ve pitched
Who needs a follow-up
Who you’ve booked

Pop your list into the “Ideal Clients” section of your tracker so you always know who’s next.

⚡

Want a faster way to make your ideal clients list? I’ve got a whole collection of databases you can use to make your ideal clients list even faster.

It’s in the Freelance Resource Library →

FAQs About Ideal Clients Lists

What’s the main benefit of an Ideal Clients List / Leads List for Freelancers?

It keeps you focused. Instead of cold pitching random companies, you’re targeting clients who fit you best — and tracking your efforts so your outreach doesn’t disappear into the void.

How many clients should be on my list?

Start with 10–50 names. If you want it to last longer so you don’t have to keep adding to it, you should actually aim for ~200. Add more as you discover new brands or expand your niche.

How often should I update my list?

You only need to update it when you run out of potential businesses to reach out to! But I like to add to it as I’m going through outreach if I see a a business that’s not on my list. Your tracker, though? You should be in there at least once a month sending new connection requests or email cold pitches, following up with previous outreach, and keeping track of everything you do to get clients.

Where should I keep my list?

I like to use Notion. You can get my Ideal Clients Tracker template for free right here →

If you don’t like Notion, you can use a spreadsheet, a simple Google Doc, a task management app, or a CRM if you prefer fancy automations. The tool doesn’t matter — using it does.

Do I need exact contact names and email addresses and websites on my Ideal Clients List?

No! I actually recommend just making a list of the names of revenue generating businesses (or nonprofits if that’s your jam). Then, when you actually go to do the outreach, do whatever reasearch you need like:

finding the right people to connect with on LinkedIn
grabbing emails from a tool like Hunter.io
checking out their website if you need more info

Doing the research before reaching out can be a waste of time because things change so quickly in business these days and you’ll find a lot of the research you do upfront is outdated by the time you get to the actual outreach.

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