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Welcome to the 29th edition of Expert•ish Freelancer, a newsletter that helps you grow your freelance business. Every other Friday, get tips, tools, and insights to help you save time, make money, gain confidence, and work smarter—based on my 35⁺ years as a freelance writer.

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Hi, Friend!

It’s almost Memorial Day, and I hope you’ve got some fun travel plans this summer! ☀️

I’m excited about a family road trip 🚘 that will take me and the fam (hubby and two 20-something sons) up the U.S. East Coast. We’ll be hitting Savannah, GA, and three South Carolina gems: Hilton Head, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach. We so need a getaway! How about you? Headed anywhere fun?

Today’s newsletter highlights how to build a marketing outreach system.

🔍 Key Takeaways: 

✅ Consistency builds client pipeline.
✅ Personalization boosts response rates.
✅ Systems simplify follow-up.

Today’s issue is brought to you by Authory. Sponsors help keep the newsletter free, so please click on their link to check out their offer! ⬇️ 

Looking for the last newsletter? Find it here: EF #28: 🤹‍♀️ Juggling New Services with Confidence—Even as the Market Shifts.

How to Build a Marketing Outreach System

When I first started freelancing, I’ll admit that I did not have an organized prospecting system in place. I did a terrible job of keeping track of my outreach efforts. I’d send an email, maybe put a reminder on my calendar 📆 to follow up a few weeks later, and then….it usually ended there.

I forgot to follow up promptly. I didn’t remember who I’d reached out to. I lost track of leads. I stopped reaching out after the second follow-up. And, not surprisingly, my efforts didn’t pan out very well. 🫤

But over the years, I’ve learned that tracking my client acquisition efforts is the secret sauce to my ongoing success.

I finally realized that landing new clients isn’t about sending one “perfect” pitch and waiting for the confetti 🎊 to fall. It’s about showing up, staying organized, and following up—over and over (and over!).

That’s where a simple system for tracking your marketing outreach comes in. If you’ve ever lost track of who you emailed, when to follow up, or what you said last time (🙋‍♀️), this issue is for you.

Let’s break down how to build 🛠️ a marketing outreach system that helps you track and nurture your leads with confidence, consistency, and organization.

Why Bother With a System?

Think of your freelance marketing like the Harry Potter movie franchise: the magic 🪄isn’t in a single blockbuster but in the sequels and the long game.

Winging it might feel spontaneous, but it usually leads to missed follow-ups, forgotten prospects, and opportunities slipping through the cracks. A system gives you clarity, confidence, and a clear path to more “yeses.”

Step-by-Step: Build Your Outreach Tracker

Over the years, I’ve toyed with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, like the one HubSpot offers. Even their free version is pretty robust. But for my needs, it felt too complicated, and I didn’t need overkill in my process.

I wanted to keep things simple. (You, too?) So, after adapting bits and pieces from tools, apps, and various products I’ve purchased over the years, I found that creating my own system with a simple Excel sheet works best for me.

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of my system.

Step 1: Set Up a Simple Spreadsheet

No need for fancy software or expensive tools! I use Excel, but you could just as easily set this up in Google Sheets. Include columns to capture the information you need.

Here’s what I include:

• Prospect Info: Name, title, company, email.

• Outreach Details: Initial contact method (LinkedIn, phone call, Zoom meeting, in-person event). I typically start with a LinkedIn connection request with a personalized message. Then I note the result. Initially, I use color-coding to keep it simple.

  • Green means positive response and keep moving forward with outreach.

  • No color means I wasn’t able to get in touch directly with this initial outreach method, so I move to email.

  • Red means person/company never works with freelancers and stop contacting.

• Follow-Up Actions: Column headers include Intro Email #1, Result, Follow-Up (FU) Email #2, Result, FU Email #3, Result, FU Email #4, Result, Added to Newsletter. Once I start following up, I add more detailed notes to the Results columns.

Here’s a screenshot so you can get a feel for how this looks:

This is your mission control! It keeps all your outreach efforts in one place, so you never wonder, “Did I already email that content marketing manager at Salesforce?”

👉Spoiler alert! I’ll be sending out a Bonus Item next Friday with this Marketing Outreach Tracker template that you can customize to your needs. No need to build it from scratch, right? Look for the email in your inbox on May 23.

Step 2: Start Small, Stay Consistent

Don’t try to do too much too soon or you likely won’t stick with it. For now, commit to a manageable daily goal—say, 2-3 outreach emails each day for 30 days. Consistency beats intensity every time. Track your efforts daily, even if you’re just updating your sheet with “no reply.”

Step 3: Celebrate Small Wins

Did you send your daily outreach? That’s a win! Mark it down. Keep a little journal 📓or notes section in your tracker for these mini victories. Building confidence is about honoring the process, not just the results.

Remember, you have zero control of the outcome. But you have total control of your efforts. Do what you can and let go of expectations.

Step 4: Follow Up Without Feeling Pushy

Here’s the secret: most prospects won’t remember your first email. Following up isn’t annoying—it’s necessary! Try this rhythm:

• Send your initial outreach.

• If there’s no reply to your intro email, follow up one to two weeks later.

• Continue with a few more follow-ups (depending on the prospect and your desire to work with them). Spread them about a month apart.

• Still nothing? You can follow up quarterly or give up on them entirely and look for another contact at the company. Then rinse and repeat.

• If you’re still hearing crickets, try again in 60-90 days if you really want to work with this person/company. Prospects rarely remember previous messages, so persistence pays off. (I like to include the entire email thread so people can see my previous outreach or remind them of our previous discussions.)

• At a certain point, you can determine if it’s a dead-end lead and not worth pursuing after X number of follow-ups.

Keep your follow-ups short, friendly, and helpful.

Examples: “Just checking in to see if your budget has changed” or “Wanted to share some new portfolio pieces with you.” Each touchpoint is a chance to show you’re reliable, not desperate.

Step 5: Nurture Leads for the Long Game

Not everyone’s ready to hire you today—and that’s okay. For prospects who say “not now,” keep in touch periodically (quarterly is a good rhythm).

Add them to your newsletter (with their permission!) or send occasional check-in emails. Simply make a note on your calendar 🗓️ who to follow up with and when.

Tip: Batch your outreach and follow-ups to save time and mental energy. (This is where establishing a marketing habit comes in handy.)

👉Staying top-of-mind means you’ll be the first call when they’re ready for help.

• Share Your Success Story. I would LOVE to hear how you’ve implemented any of the ideas in Expert•ish Freelancer and found success. I might even include your win in a future newsletter. You can always reach me at Lisa@ExpertishFreelancer.com. 

• Turn to Expert•ish Freelancer’s Tools & Resources page, highlighting valuable resources to help you successfully run your freelance business. You’ll find recommendations for apps, tools, training, services, websites, blogs, podcasts, books, videos, and more! If you’ve got a resource you love, let me know about it.

• Follow me on LinkedIn. I share more freelance tips/insights most weekdays.

Thanks for allowing me into your inbox!

I look forward to sharing my freelance journey with you, and I look forward to hearing about yours. I’m just here as your guide. Take what works for you, and tweak it to your needs. Rinse. Repeat.

I’ll be back in two Fridays with another edition of Expert•ish Freelancer.

In the meantime….

Be kind. Do good. Give thanks. 😊

With gratitude,
Lisa Beach

FYI: In yoga, the instructor often closes the session by saying “namaste” as a way of acknowledging and honoring the light, spirit, or goodness within each person in the class. 🧘‍♀️ It’s often used as a closing to convey unity (we’re all interconnected), gratitude (thank you for this shared experience), respect (I respect you and your journey), and peace (may you find peace within yourself). Essentially, it's a way to acknowledge the shared experience and to leave with a sense of peace and connection. 😊