As a freelance transcriptionist, I worked for transcription companies for two years. The pay was low, the audio was difficult and turnaround times were demanding. The worst part was that I had no control over any of it! Getting my own transcription clients was the best career move I’ve ever made. If you’d like to start getting your own clients instead of working for a transcription company, keep reading. I’m going to share several ways you can find transcription clients and ensure that potential clients find you.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I get a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my links. Please read my Disclaimers for more information.
Table of Contents
Networking & Word of Mouth
Start attending events, conferences, or seminars in your niche market where you can network with professionals who need transcription services. Exchange contact information and follow up with potential clients after the event. Some of these events might require joining an association, but an association will benefit you in other ways as well. Read my article Boost Your Transcription Career by Joining a Transcription Association to learn more about how an association membership can help fast-track your career. Also, be sure to let everyone you speak to know that you are looking for clients. Spread the word every chance you get because you never know who might be able to connect you with a good lead.
Cold Calls & Emails
This requires some upfront work. You’ll need to research potential clients in your niche, create a list of good leads, gather contact information, and draft your sales pitch. To create professional sales emails that you can send to a list of potential clients, use a free service like BeePro, a no-code email and page design suite. BeePro offers professional templates that will save you a ton of time and help you keep track of your leads. I like to follow up my first email with a phone call. I’ll send a second email thanking my potential client for the phone call. And if I still don’t have a contract signed, I’ll send one last email to remind the potential client why they need to hire me.
Social Media
For transcription services, I find LinkedIn and Facebook to be the most beneficial. Create business pages that profile your services. Be sure to post regularly, participate in groups that allow you to share your business page, and consider paid advertising. Both platforms allow you to schedule your posts in advance, which is a huge time saver. I recommend that you create social media content with a free platform like Canva. Canva provides professional-looking templates with stock photos and videos that will stand out to your potential clients.
Add your business to Google Search and Maps for free by creating a Business Profile. Your profile should include a brief description of your services, answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), and of course your contact information. Anytime someone does a Google search for a local transcription service, your services will be listed. Potential clients will be able to call, message, or leave reviews directly from your business profile. Read more about the Google Business Profile for transcriptionists here: The Free Online Marketing Tool That Every Transcriptionist Must Have.
To really stand out as a professional, go one step further and get a business email like you@yourcompany.com with Google Workspace. You’ll get a custom email with your own domain name and a suite of tools that will allow you to grow your transcription business quickly. Google Workspace is offering a 14-day trial. Sign up using my link and if you decide to subscribe, use discount code MCQNEYXCQTYX4HM for 10% off Business Starter. (If you’re outside the U.S. email me to request a discount code for your country!)
Direct Mail
I know this sounds old school but believe me, direct mail still works! Mailings are best used in conjunction with cold calls and emails, but you’ll be making good use of the research you’ve done to create a list of potential clients with contact information. Use a free platform like Canva to create professional postcards or flyers. About two weeks after mailing them out, begin following up with emails and phone calls. Consider a second mailing as well if you think it will help.
Websites
As a freelance transcriptionist, you’re probably already familiar with gig work sites like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, and Guru. These are great for getting your foot in the door and gaining experience, but the pay is often low because these sites are so overcrowded with freelancers. I recommend building your own website. A simple landing page is all you need at first. You can start to build a more complete website as you take on more clients. I recommend you use Dreamhost because they offer an affordable all-in-one solution. Dreamhost offers professional domain names, website hosting, and templates for landing pages that are simple to set up and can easily grow into a bigger website as your transcription company grows.
For the best success, combine all six methods for finding your own transcription clients. You can also get ideas from the Transcription Essentials board Obtaining and Working with Private Clients. Since getting my own clients, I’m in control of the workflow and how much I make. And when it comes to poor audio, I can work with my clients to get better-quality recordings or charge them extra when I have to remove background noises. I’ll never go back to working for a transcription company again! Try the methods I’ve suggested and comment below which ones worked best for you.
