@tracourt  I assume you’re a social media marketing agency in which case you execute your own social media marketing strategy and potential clients will start calling you.

Calling potential customers is traditional outbound marketing. Execute your own in-bound marketing strategy.

@tracourt

it’s a really valid question. and some of the clients who need your expertise most are not using social media, so inbound strategies will be lost on them. and it doesn’t happen in a week, that’s for sure. like every other solopreneur biz, it takes time to network, grow your leads and build that trust.
cold-calling can be a good place to start… researching local businesses who you think may have an advertising budget (which can be translated to social media marketing investment); contact them with some immediate sure fire tips to boost their social media presence – and a proposal with prices attached – whether via email or walking in the door. 
give some free or very low-cost intro seminars and target invites to those in your area who you think may be interested. this could help you grow a lead base.
friends? do you have any who own businesses who could use your services?
marketing agencies in your region? they may need some side help with social media clients. let them know you’re available.
also, definitely need to build out your website or Page so people have a place to find you, check you out, assess your skills and refer to others. 

i’m sure if there IS a magical sure-fire way to find clients (who pay enough to pay the bills!), that person will not share it for free. that being said, i hope some other social media marketers join in and share (without giving away proprietary info) some additional strategies for finding clients when just getting started – in addition to: network, network, network, and network again. 

I suggest you reach out to local web developers and graphic designers and seo experts and pitch yourself to them. Even printers, sign makers, PR companies. These are services their clients need and once they trust you, they may be willing to give you work, or to hire you as a sub to try it out.

I am a web developer and my clients need social media coaching. I have asked myself whether I want to make it my full time focus and my answer is no – I just can’t stay away from the coding. But I do need to understand it and I do need to trust anyone I refer my clients to. I will do it myself until / unless I find that other person – I have trusted partners for SEO, Photography  and graphic design. Still looking for that special someone for social media – a few false starts but no long term relationship yet… And it is not just about having one person as a referral partner – personalities come in to it so I will match each client with the provider I consider best for them.

When I say ‘reach out’ ; call them up, meet for an hour for coffee, Or lunch. Spend most of the time asking about their business and how you can help them – ask about their prices, ask what kind of clients they are looking for to see if you can refer to them. Give them a brief overview of what you think you can do for their clients. Offer to do the first project as a closely controlled sub so they can see whether your work and learn to trust you. Do not expect a biz deal at the end of one meeting, but do expect that if you meet with 20 of them over the next few weeks, some work will come out of it. Have you heard of BNI? Look it up and join a local chapter.

@abigailgorton
these are excellent networking ideas – esp web developer angle. thanks for taking the time to post.

@scottprock ~ awesome idea!  If you were next to me I’d give you a huge hug right now!  LOL!

Jay, some great ideas here. Also there is a BNI group that meets at the Amoco FCU building right there in Friendswood. You might check them out. Since you sort of asked, and please take my comments with a grain of salt..shouldn’t be hard for an old car guy, to follow up on another suggestion…I would very quickly, like this weekend, really work on fleshing out your website. You have the link listed on your SM profiles but there is nothing on there except for boilerplate Wordpress theme stuff. also no way to contact you on the website. I might suggest finding another profile pic as well. Something a little more friendly looking (that’s where the grain of salt thing comes in). You also must work on your Facebook fan page. It’s not necessary to have a thousand likes..I only have slightly over 100, but they are all potential prospects or current clients and they are all local to me. You really should consider doing something else with your FB profile image..something that at least tells me what you do, and then add a custom welcome tab with enough info on it to tell me why I should LIKE your page. My mantra is “go ugly early” You’ve done that and I commend you for it..but time to tighten this all up and create a consistent brand for yourself. I’m just down the road. Would be happy to buy you a cup of coffee sometime.

Yep, in the midst of a big re-do on the website. Trying to spin a lot of plates right now but you are correct on your advice. Took 200 pics Jim and that was the best LOL.

Where are you located in this area?

i know  facebook is  great  for so many  businesses…like mine!!!  { all about women, fun,house and   shopping]  but  really  for  marketers i  dont see it working  very well…. look around   , how many is it working  for?..imho its just not a good  fit   on facebook..and  thats  not  your  fault……  facebook would  work so well for a  boat  place on a lake…you  could talk about all kinds of  fun  things….but   marketing  just isnt a subject like that….i  dont think  your  target audience is on  facebook looking  for you, or would  want to hear  marketing  theories  day after day….  … ..i have  acess to  dozens and  dozens of  marketers already and i only   look at  2 or  3…you  could  reach  your  target  audience  in a lot of  other ways….  .

if i had  that kind of  company i would  try  something   very different… a facebook page with  35  likes  just  wouldnt   look  good…especially if  you are trying to sell  facebook advice…  ..and how  could  most  marketers  get into the high numbers?  just a thought…