How to Get Your First AI Client (What Actually Works)

The most common thing I hear from talented creatives is not that they cannot make the work. It is that they cannot find anyone to pay for it. Good skills, no pipeline, and the frustration that follows kills more careers in this space than any lack of talent does.

So here is how people are actually getting their first AI client right now, including the exact move Billy Boman made in 2024 that put Media Monks and Secret Level in his inbox.

Start with spec ads, and know where the line is

You do not need a client to build a portfolio. You need a brand you admire and a weekend.

A spec ad is an advert you make for a brand that did not commission it. Billy built his entire early reputation on them: McDonald's, Acne Studios, All Saints, Red Bull, Snickers. Those pieces are what got him hired, and they were all self initiated.

One thing you have to understand before you post one. You do not own that brand's IP. If you monetise a spec ad, put it behind ads, or run it as revenue generating content on YouTube, the brand can come after the money, because it is their product and their trademark. Spec work is for building a portfolio, not for earning from directly. Keep it on that side of the line and it is one of the most powerful tools you have.

Post the work, then post how you made it

When I released my Grammarly spec ad on LinkedIn it performed well. The behind the scenes video showing how I made it got twice the engagement of the ad itself.

That surprises people and it should not. The finished piece impresses other creatives. The process is what makes a marketing director think "I could commission that." It is a free second piece of content from work you already did, and it is the one that generates the DMs.

So every time you release something, make two posts. The piece, and the making of it.

LinkedIn is where the buyers are

I know a lot of creatives would rather be anywhere else. But as of September 2026, LinkedIn is the goldmine for creative AI, both for client work and for jobs.

It is where the decision makers sit, and it is nowhere near saturated with good AI work. Billy's primary funnel has been LinkedIn since 2024, and mine is too. I have about 3,000 followers there, which is small, and it still brings in consulting work, because I am posting educational content aimed squarely at the companies I want to hear from.

That is the trick worth stealing. Post the thing that attracts the client you want. I want consultation work, so I post education. If you want to make ads, post ads and post the process behind them.

The outreach that actually converts

Cold outreach in this industry works, and it works better than it should, because almost nobody does it well.

Here is the shape of it. Find decision makers at small and medium sized businesses. Before you contact them, make four or five images in their brand tone and brand style. Then send a short message that says you make AI adverts, here is something we made in your world, and here is a link to book a call.

Attach a Calendly link so they can book without a single back and forth email. It looks professional, it wastes none of their time, and it removes the one bit of friction that kills most conversations.

The reason this works is the reason PJ Ace gives, and I have never heard it put better: people pay you to do work they have already seen you do, but for them. Clients have no imagination about your capability. They cannot look at your beautiful pharmaceutical spot and picture their camera brand. So show them their brand. Do the imagining for them.

What not to do

Do not DM strangers asking them to like your post, comment on it, or share it. It is spammy, it is transparent, and it will alienate exactly the people you were trying to reach.

Billy's version of the alternative is simple: provide value first. Ask a genuinely interesting question. Engage with their content properly. If you are doing real work, other creators start coming to you, and a surprising amount of client work arrives through other creators who are too busy to take it.

Referrals and warm introductions are the highest converting channel there is. Build relationships with the people already doing this and take the overflow.

Be prepared to get on camera

You will not close an advertising job over LinkedIn messages alone. At some point you have to show up on a call, answer their questions and face the music.

They are putting your work on their company's name. They need to trust you, and trust does not transmit through text. It goes the other way too. You should want to understand their business before you attach your name to it.

Generalist or specialist

Both work, and you should pick deliberately rather than drift.

I run a generalist portfolio. Automotive one week, fashion the next, coffee the week after. In an industry changing this fast I want my fingers in a lot of pies, and I like the variety.

PJ Ace runs a specialist portfolio, all AI advertising, and he is in the top fraction of a percent of this industry because of that focus. Rory Flynn has built his around education for marketing teams and works with companies like Meta.

Neither is more correct. Pick the one that matches what you want your days to look like, then be consistent about it long enough for people to associate you with it.

Make yourself easy to hire

Billy's phrase for this is become undeniable, and the practical version is: do not make people hunt for your work.

Be present on the socials that matter for your niche. Have a place people can see everything you have made. On LinkedIn specifically, use the featured section, because it appears at the top of your profile before anyone reaches your posts. Billy's featured section is a wall of spec ads and it is doing more selling than his messages ever will.

Then make the work exceptional, because standing out gets harder every month.

Common questions

How do I get my first AI client with no experience?

Build a portfolio of spec ads for brands you admire, post each one with a behind the scenes breakdown, and do targeted cold outreach to small and medium businesses with sample work already made in their brand style.

Are spec ads legal?

They are fine as portfolio pieces. You do not own the brand's intellectual property, so you cannot monetise them directly or run them as revenue generating content. Keep them as demonstrations of your capability and you are on safe ground.

Where do AI creatives find clients?

LinkedIn is the strongest channel as of September 2026, followed by referrals from other creators. Inbound from public work outperforms outbound for most people once they have a body of work worth finding.

Should I niche down or stay a generalist?

Both work. Specialists build authority faster in one lane. Generalists get more variety and more resilience while the industry is still forming. Choose on purpose and stay consistent.

Do I need a website?

Not to start. A well built LinkedIn profile with a featured section full of work does the same job and puts you where the buyers already are.

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