How to Get Referrals
(Bringing Clients to You Part I)

· June 18th, 2025 ·

Hey friend 👋,

This week we’ve got a highly requested topic: how to generate referrals that bring clients to you.

This is a huge part of my freelance business. About 90% of my income comes from clients that were referred my way at some point in the past.

I’ve built a system for referrals that I’m quite proud of, and now I’m happy to share it. Since it’s pretty nuanced, I’m breaking this topic up into a few parts.

This week’s focus is on getting referrals from existing clients with the “surprise and delight” method.

Hope you enjoy!

Best,

🐦‍⬛ Cody – Founder @ Ravenwood Writing Academy

P.S. I want to start bringing freelance job opportunities back to the newsletter, but rounding these up takes a lot of time. So I’m thinking of adding them as a perk for premium subscribers.

I’d love to know, what price point do you think is fair for 10-15 high-quality job leads every week? $1? $5? $0? Hit the reply button and let me know! Thanks 🙂

🧛 Freelance Bites:

News and Resources in 2 Minutes

• Are your freelance rates in line with what others are charging? Underselling yourself? Check it out against the benchmarks in this free report (Content Connect).
• Google’s AI Overviews have changed the search game. Here are 34 insights to help you write content that puts your clients on top of the new SERP (WordStream).
• A single viral post on LinkedIn can bring in thousands of dollars in new business. This simple, four-part strategy will help you go viral (Hubspot).
• Tired of feeling like a fraud? Use my T.H.R.I.V.E. System to overcome imposter syndrome and be a more confident writer (Ravenwood Writing Academy Blog).

📬 Letters From My Desk

How to Build a Referral-Based Freelance Business: Part I

Imagine a business where leads show up in your inbox without cold outreach, wasting hours on job boards, or constantly self promoting. It’s the dream for freelancers.

Luckily, with a bit of intentional planning, you can make it a reality for your writing business.

Most freelancers have heard they should “just ask for referrals.” Although it’s true, the advice usually stops there.

But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. High-quality client referrals don’t come from wishful thinking.

In this three-part series, I’ll show you how to create a system to attract referrals naturally that you don’t have to feel awkward about.

1️⃣ Rethink What Triggers Referrals

Clients don’t refer you to their peers just because you did a great job. They’re busy running their own business. Yes, if you have a great relationship, you can just ask.

But clients will get excited about referring you when:

• They’re surprised by the value you deliver
• You give them a reason to talk about you
• They know exactly who would benefit from your work

Pro Tip: At the end of every project, find a “surprise and delight” opportunity. Maybe it’s an unexpected deliverable (e.g. a content calendar for the next quarter or an infographic to accompany your article).

2️⃣ Build a Signature Offboarding Process

You hear a lot about onboarding new clients. It’s crucial to job success. However, most referrals come after a project is done when your name pops into your client’s head.

An offboarding process wraps up your work, highlights the client’s results, and makes it easy to pass your name along.

Here are a few can’t-miss includes for your offboarding toolkit:

• A recap email of what you did. Be sure to include before/after snapshots or ROI results if you have them.
• A “looking forward” note that outlines next steps if they want to work with you again (this plants the seed of how others can hire you, too).
• A short (1-2 minute) Loom video thanking the client, highlighting a big win or insight, and inviting them to stay connected. This is much more memorable than an email.
• A referral bonus for successful referrals. Consider offering discounts on future services or a free strategy session.
• Invite them to leave a testimonial. You can even offer to write the draft to make it easier if they’re busy.
• If they show interest, have a one-pager ready. It should be a simple PDF that explains what you do, who you help (your niche / client avatar), what problems you solve, and how to get in touch.

I like using a pre-saved email template to systemize this. It makes it quick and easy to offboard a client after a project without it becoming a time sink.

3️⃣ Keep the Feedback Funnel Flowing

After you finish a project, the work might not stop there. You’ll hopefully keep working with the client on other projects. Either way, it’s important to keep pushing for referrals long after the original work is done.

Getting referrals is all about timing. If the client doesn’t know someone who could benefit from your services right then, that’s okay. You just need to stay top-of-mind when the opportunity arises.

I use a multi-layered follow-up system that’s earned me referrals worth thousands of dollars. Here’s how it works:

• Week 2-3: Send a “How’s it Landing?” check-in email. Ask if they’ve used the content and what results they’re seeing. This reinforces your impact and gathers social proof all at once.
• Month 1-2: Invite them to contribute to a “Client Spotlight” series on your blog or in a case study. This flatters the client, gives them visibility, and lets you showcase your work with their name on it.
• Quarterly: Share a relevant content strategy tip via email. The goal is to deliver free value and boost your “wow factor.” With it, add a P.S. like “If you know someone who could benefit from this, feel free to introduce us.”

The goal here isn’t a hard ask. You just need to stay present and continue delivering value. Trust me, clients notice this and it puts you above and beyond other freelancers who disappear after submitting their work.

The Takeaway

Early in my freelance career, I assumed doing great work was enough. It brought clients back for more, but it didn’t fill my pipeline of new leads. When I started building referral moments into my process, my clients now brought others with them.

Referrals happen when you give people a reason to talk.

In part two, we’ll explore how to turn your network (non-clients) into a referral engine that lets you stop chasing leads.

Cody’s Top Picks

This is the part where I share some of the content I’ve been enjoying lately. Hope you enjoy!

(This section may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I’ll earn a small percentage, which helps support this free newsletter at no extra cost to you.)

• 📖 I’m Reading… “Chokepoint Capitalism” by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow. Corporations have taken over the creative labor market, funneling wealth away from workers to shareholders. This book explores how big firms have dominated various industries and strategies we can use to win them back.
• 🌍 I’m Doing… Hiking the PNW! Last weekend we visited an awesome alpine lake an hour outside of Seattle (Lake 22) for a 7-mile roundtrip hike. Next, we’re going to Olympic National Park to explore a bucket list location for the weekend.

• 🧠 You Should Remember:

👕 Merch Corner

Want some sick freelance-related merch? Want to support Ravenwood at the same time? Check out one of our latest designs!

The Freelance Personality Hire Tee

Love our content? Share it and get free stuff! Know a freelance writer in your network who would love Write Your Story? Now you can share the newsletter and get rewarded! 2 referrals = a $5 gift card as a thank-you. 6 referrals = a free Ravenwood tee Sharing the word helps our human-first writing community grow. 🌱 Just share your unique referral link (below) and we’ll get in touch with your reward once they subscribe. P.S. Please don’t sign up with your dog’s email or create fake accounts—we’ve got surprisingly good spidey senses for that kind of thing 🕵️‍♀️ (and they won’t count). [RH_REFLINK_2 GOES HERE] Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email So far you’ve referred: [RH_TOTREF_2 GOES HERE] people (keep going!) Visit Your Personalized Referral Hub ​

​