The largest freelance platforms and gig economy marketplaces sell the idea of being able to work from anywhere and earn money quickly. But after a few months, the initial enthusiasm often turns into disillusionment. The algorithm decides who gets seen, the platform takes up to 20% of revenue as a fee, and the price war drags even the best designers and copywriters into a downward spiral.
True independence feels different. The only way to escape this hamster wheel is through direct contact with customers.
Orders placed via platforms – but how independent are you really?
Many freelancers use platforms as a springboard – which is understandable. They handle marketing and provide a ready-made infrastructure for payment processing. Creating a new profile only takes a few minutes. However, the dependency is enormous. Even an unjustified negative review from a dissatisfied customer can ruin your ranking.
Freelancers compete on price and speed of response, not on quality. Posts from creatives complaining about the constant pressure are piling up in Reddit threads like r/freelance. Those Fiverr or Upwork are building their homes on someone else's land. If the provider changes the terms of service or increases the fees for Connects (application credits), the business model can be seriously jeopardized overnight. Therefore, building your own channels is not just a way to generate revenue, but also a business necessity to diversify risk.
Competition on Fiverr is intense – here using “UX Design” as an example
Freelancer platforms: What options are available in Germany?
The market for project placement services in German-speaking countries is fragmented. On the one hand, there are global gig economy giants like Fiverr and Upwork. They dominate the low to mid-price segment. In contrast, there are portals like freelancermap, twago, and freelance.de. They have repositioned themselves around IT, consulting, and high-priced professionals.
According to the Freelancer Compass 2026 by freelancermap , 78 percent of freelancers surveyed said they love managing their own time and making their own decisions. But this very freedom is often restricted on gig platforms. These platforms are helpful in the early stages of self-employment, as they allow freelancers to gather work samples and learn how to complete assignments.
But the ultimate point at which they reach their limits is when the freelancer wants to build a sustainable business with predictable income and genuine client relationships. There's a natural incentive for platforms to keep communication and payment flows on their side; direct interaction or even outsourcing client relations is often technically prohibited or contractually mandated.
Finding freelance jobs: How self-employed people acquire their own clients
Beyond Fiverr and similar platforms – together with our expertise partner Bitrix24, we show how freelancers can find and retain direct clients long-term. Photo by Getty Images @gettyimages, via Unsplash
How do freelancers in Germany find projects outside of established platforms? The answer is: proactive selling and strategic positioning. Those who can't be found need to make themselves visible.
01 Use your own website and portfolio to directly target customers
An Instagram profile is no substitute for a website. Freelancers have complete control over their online presence. A portfolio isn't just about showcasing talent; it should solve the target audience's problems. A UX designer doesn't sell wireframes; they increase the conversion rates of online stores. Their website should communicate this benefit and include a clear call to action for an initial consultation.
02 Professional Networks & LinkedIn
LinkedIn has evolved from a digital resume platform to the leading B2B platform. Successful freelancers use the network to document their daily work, not as a billboard for blatant self-promotion. They discuss current projects, share their observations on industry trends, and connect with CEOs or marketing managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Getting noticed comes from maintaining a consistent, professional presence, not from coldly appealing to the masses.
3 recommendations from satisfied customers
The best sales technique remains customer referrals. Satisfied customers often know other business owners who have similar problems. This process can be actively managed. A simple comment at the end of a successful project, such as, "If you know anyone who could use my help with brand building, I would greatly appreciate a referral," usually works wonders.
Collecting reviews via Google, ProvenExpert , and similar platforms should be on every freelancer's agenda from the very beginning.
A well-maintained ProvenExpert profile is invaluable – here is my own profile as an example.
04 Direct approach to potential customers
It requires overcoming obstacles, but the fastest results come from cold calling. Agencies can contact creative service providers to avoid heavy workloads. The pitch has to be right. People don't read long introductory emails. A brief statement about your experience, a link to three relevant reference projects, and a request for a short introductory call are sufficient.
05 Collaboration with other freelancers and creative service providers
Web designers need copywriters. SEO professionals need web developers. We collaborate with freelancers in related fields. They recommend each other to clients or work together as a virtual team to complete larger projects that they couldn't handle alone.
From first order to regular customer
How does a single order become a long-term customer relationship? Acquiring new customers is costly and time-consuming. The key to profit lies in retaining your existing customers. We need to shift our mindset: A completed project is not the end, but the beginning of a customer relationship.
Document client contacts and projects meticulously. Answering calls is a passive activity. Successful freelancers learn their clients' preferences, schedules, and idiosyncrasies. What are the client's preferred communication channels? When does your new fiscal year begin? And what about budgeting? These figures lay the foundation for future proposals.
1. Gather feedback at the end of the project. Offboarding separates the professionals from the beginners.
Then, after the final invoice, a brief feedback call. What went well? Where were the problems? This dialogue not only confirms the freelancer's quality but also promotes them as a responsible business partner. At the same time, now is an ideal opportunity to request a review of your Google My Business or LinkedIn profile
02 Find relevant follow-up projects
Companies that understand their consumers' needs can be proactive in their offerings. A photographer who has taken photos for a new online shop can return in six months to see if they need more material for the next Christmas campaign. The offer isn't simply made; it's based on information about the client's business context.
03 Follow up with previous customers at the right time
Out of sight, out of mind. A structured follow-up approach prevents contacts from cooling off. A short note with an article relevant to their industry, or a congratulatory message on their company's anniversary, keeps the relationship warm without being intrusive.
How freelancers can win repeat business with CRM and AI
Systematization is the key to independence. Excel spreadsheets quickly become unwieldy. This is where CRM systems into play. A simple CRM like Bitrix24 (or Pipedrive, Notion , or HubSpot) documents master data and simultaneously tracks the entire sales process.
A freelancer notes the time they contact a potential client and creates automatic reminders. Three months later, the CRM gently reminds them to follow up on a rejected offer.
Artificial intelligence completes the circle. Acquisition assistants with AI tools are increasingly being used in the background. Freelancers can also use language models to customize cold calling templates instead of generic mass emails. They feed the AI the latest LinkedIn posts or press releases from the target organization and let it develop a personalized opening line.
Automation also helps retain customers. If the CRM indicates that a customer hasn't ordered anything in six months, an automated workflow can be initiated and a task assigned to the freelancer: "Call customer X and ask about the current status of their website." It's this technical support that ensures no communication gets lost while the freelancer focuses on their actual creative work.
The decisive step towards true independence
These platforms have truly lowered the barriers to entry for freelancing. They remain a reliable way to gain initial experience or fill skills gaps. However, relying solely on their algorithms and pricing models is the antithesis of the independence most freelancers initially seek.
It takes more effort to acquire direct clients at the beginning. It requires knowledge of marketing, sales, and price negotiation. But investing in your own network, clear positioning, and a well-maintained CRM system pays off in terms of respect, higher margins, and reliable income. True independence means that the freelancer controls their own sales and doesn't need an app to tell them what the next job will be.
THE FUTURE-PROOF FREELANCER — powered by Bitrix24
The order is complete. The customer relationship is not.
Freelancers looking to build their own client base shouldn't just focus on acquiring new clients, but also systematically nurturing existing relationships. A CRM system helps keep track of contacts, projects, and potential follow-up work. Bitrix24 allows you to automate and optimize various processes using AI.
Bitrix24's features offer a clear and effective toolkit for customer retention.
Five examples from the everyday life of creative freelancers:
1. Automatically collect customer reviews
After a design project is completed, Bitrix24 a message at the scheduled time with a link to the feedback form. This ensures that the request for a review isn't forgotten and the freelancer can gather valuable references for their portfolio.
2. Targeted initiation of follow-up orders
Thirty days after a completed branding project, the client receives a personalized CRM email. Perhaps they also need social media templates, presentation designs, or other materials for their brand presence by then?
3. Recognize renewed customer interest
A former client clicks on a link to an updated portfolio in a CRM email. A trigger moves the deal to a different CRM phase and informs the freelancer. The freelancer can then re-establish contact personally.
4. Detecting repeat purchases with AI
Bitrix24 's AI analyzes past sales and provides recommendations for potential repeat purchases. This allows creative freelancers to identify and strategically leverage additional sales opportunities within their existing customer base – without constantly having to acquire new clients.
5. Process contracts faster
Once a customer has confirmed the offer and the deal has been moved to the appropriate phase, Bitrix24 create a document from a template and send it for electronic signature.
This is how individual projects develop into long-term customer relationships. Automation and AI support recurring processes, while freelancers gain more time for creative work and personal customer support.
Conclusion: Platforms as an entry point, direct customers as a long-term perspective
In conclusion, we could say that freelancers don't have to completely abandon platforms. What's crucial is to distribute their customer acquisition efforts across multiple channels and build direct customer relationships.
This will lead to greater long-term independence from individual intermediary platforms.
Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor, and passionate blogger in the fields of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Graduated with a degree in web design from university (2008). Further developed creative techniques through courses in freehand drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market gained through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with key players and institutions in the arts and culture sector.
A fundamental need for every artistically creative person is likely to be the ability to live off their art.
To secure one's livelihood, earning money through art is essential . In fact, contrary to popular belief, many artists today can make a good living from their creative work. Nevertheless, the vast majority of freelance artists still rely on additional sources of income (e.g., teaching courses, commissions, side jobs, etc.).
Recognition as an artist often does not bring immediate financial security. Therefore, artists are often also life artists.
The opportunities to make a living from one's own art have, however, grown significantly due to the internet and social media. As an artist, however, you must be versatile and flexible to succeed. A certain degree of perseverance is also essential.
Customer relations and self-marketing are also important pillars for success as an artist.
In this section, we compile numerous articles, information, tips, and advice to help you make a living from your art.
Freelancing
Regardless of your field of activity as a web designer, graphic designer, game developer, photographer, programmer, product designer, journalist, content creator or influencer, as a self-employed person you have a wide range of tasks to manage.
From customer acquisition and successful project implementation to time management and financial administration – including the often unpopular tax matters.
Good information and the right online tools are crucial for a successful career as a freelancer or content creator.
In this section you will find helpful articles and valuable advice with tips specifically for freelancers.
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