So my niche, not really a niche since it's kinda saturated but still it's something ig, is AI integration and HIGH PERFORMANCE backend engineering. I've tried facebook (got rate limited for 24h after 5 messages and all my posts are in pending), tiktok, dming people on discord (ran out of people to manually dm), applying on Upwork, creating a fiverr gig, dming startups on insta, cold calling restaurants and pharmacies, but to no avail. I'm confident in my abilities but I don't know what to do atp
How do I actually get clients from freelancing with a niche?
- Thread starter Seekehr
- Start date
Johnvictor
BANNED
- Mar 22, 2026
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Picking a niche is a good start, but getting clients usually comes down to how clearly you present what you do and who you help. Most freelancers stay too general, so they blend in with everyone else. It’s easier to get attention when your service is specific. Something like “I help local businesses recover lost Google rankings” sounds more focused than just calling yourself an SEO expert. Showing real examples also helps a lot. Even small case studies, screenshots, or results can build trust faster than long descriptions. Consistent posting and being active in the right communities can bring in more clients
You’re too broad and too scattered.
Clients don’t buy skills — they buy results.
- Niche down: don’t say “AI/backend” → say “I help X get Y result” (e.g. speed up SaaS APIs, automate support with AI).
- Show proof: 2–3 real demos or case studies > talking about skills.
- Stop spam DM: send personalized audits instead.
- Focus 1 platform (LinkedIn/Twitter) and post consistently.
- Offer low-risk entry (free audit / small fix).
Clients don’t buy skills — they buy results.
Both of these responses seem AI generated...?
- Mar 20, 2026
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Getting clients from a niche is usually less about “being available” and more about becoming the obvious choice for one specific problem.
xmastox
BANNED
- Jan 13, 2013
- 69
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You’re selling “skills” instead of a clear outcome. Nobody cares about “AI integration” or “high performance backend” unless it makes/saves money. Pick one painful problem + one niche and spam case studies/content around it. Example: “I help restaurants automate phone orders with AI” is 10x stronger than “AI engineer available”. Also stop mass DMing random people — warm inbound + proof works way better now.
- May 17, 2018
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- 1,317
What does your pitch look like, and are you contacting the right people?
For most small business owners, "AI" and "backend engineering" are just technobabble buzzwords, you need to sell meaningful solutions to problems they already know they have. And if you're cold calling and cold DMing, are you actually reaching the decision-maker (owner/COO/IT manager) and trying to get in-person appointments, or are you just giving your pitch to the gatekeeper?
This is the first detailed and probably non-AI response, thank you very much. Honestly I'm not a business owner so IDRK what solution I can even sell. I guess implementing AI for SaaS? But idk honestly. Also yeah I usually call the managers (by taking their no from the cashier or whatever)
- May 17, 2018
- 934
- 1,317
Think like your clients.
The restaurant owner isn't thinking "I need a chatbot to run my cash register", they're looking at empty tables, missed calls, and thin margins. Try selling "fewer missed reservations", "lower costs", etc.
Also, the manager on duty is almost never a decision maker. You need to go after warm leads and reach the owner, not whatever cashier has the keys that day.
The restaurant owner isn't thinking "I need a chatbot to run my cash register", they're looking at empty tables, missed calls, and thin margins. Try selling "fewer missed reservations", "lower costs", etc.
Also, the manager on duty is almost never a decision maker. You need to go after warm leads and reach the owner, not whatever cashier has the keys that day.
At this point it’s less about finding more platforms and more about tightening your signal so people immediately understand what you do and why it matters, because right now your outreach sounds like scattered side quests instead of a clear productized offer. Instead of cold messaging everywhere, I’d focus on building 2–3 strong proof assets like a demo project, case study, or performance breakdown, then use them to target a very specific buyer segment instead of “anyone who might need backend work.” When you shift from “I do AI integration and backend engineering” to “I solve this exact expensive problem for this exact type of company,” inbound and replies usually start behaving differently.
Thanks for all the responses. And yeah but like, I don't know which niche to target which meets my genre of coding. How do I explore niches? I'm not a business owner so IDK what problems occur for them. Thanks for all the responses
