There are various ways to gain and connect with clients.  Ask 100 people and you’ll get 100 answers.  Words like Marketing Plan, Strategy, Social Media are often used.

Here’s where I admit something pretty terrible.  I don’t have a written marketing strategy.  I have nothing to track.  I simply haven’t gotten around to thinking/planning my marketing in a linear fashion.  But what I’m doing works for me at the moment.

I have both project clients (one-offs I’ve done without ongoing support) as well as ongoing daily/weekly/monthly clients.  The four main areas I connected with them are:

• Friends – Make sure you connect to your friends via the usual ways (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)  If they know you’re in business, they’re likely to work with you if they need your services because they already know what kind of person you are.  A word of caution, though.  Keep your best practices in place.  That means you still need a contract, you still need to stick to your rates, you still need to have due dates for your fees.
• oDesk – This is  a site that connects contractors with companies.  It works along the same lines as eLance with the contractor bidding for jobs.  When you’re working with one of these clients, you use their Timekeeping interface.  The client pays you through oDesk.  As a contractor, there is no fee to list with them or bid on jobs, however, they do take a cut of your fee.  I have definitely gotten ongoing clients through this platform.  The bidding/culling process can be pretty tedious, though, as there are many Indian and Philipino contractors bidding at $1 an hour or less.
• Solvate – Solvate is another company that connects contractors with companies.  They, however, are not a bidding site.  It is free to contractors, but they don’t accept everybody.  You agree to a particular hourly rate for each project, and they add a certain percentage to that, which they recoup from the client when they’re billed.  Either clients can browse through the “talent” (contractors), or Solvate will take their project information and match it up to a contractor.  The contractor and client hash out the details and the work, but Solvate stays involved.  If you’re having trouble with a client, they’re happy to mediate.  I’ve been with them from the beginning, and I really enjoy working with them.  Contractors keep track of their own time and then enter it into the Solvate interface.  The contractor invoices Solvate one a month.  I have several regular clients through them.
• Hire My Mom – It may be a corny title, but it works.  This is basically a directory/RFP system.  The contractor pays an annual fee ($100 the last time I paid).  They then receive all the new RFPs each day, and they can then respond directly to the potential client.  I normally don’t like to pay for listings (too close to Work at Home Scam material) but this is a real site.  They have quality clients who are serious.  These are not people who are asking for the contractor to “speak English and don’t bid over $1 an hour.”  I highly recommend their clientele, I was very impressed with the quality of clients.  While I’m not currently on the list, I highly recommend them.  They are worth the money.