Freelancersโ feelings about social media are all over the map. Take the quick quiz below and the read what your answers say about your relationship with social mediaโฆ
Issue #3: ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ: Magnet or Madness?
ย๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐: ๐ ๐ค๐๐ถ๐
Which of these statements best describes your relationship with social media?
1- I love it.
2- I thought this was supposed to help my business – nothingโs happening.
3- Itโs been great for reconnecting with people I know.
4- Iโm not sure itโs for me.
5- Iโm just starting to learn about it.
๐ค๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐:
๐ญ- ๐๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐. Youโre off and running with social media. But do you have a plan for using it as a professional? How do you want to influence others?
๐ฎ- ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. You understand how social media can help your business, but building trust takes time and focussed effort.
๐ฏ- ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ. Youโve mastered the relationship side of social media. Now add a professional focus: Where can you do the most good and be the most successful?
๐ฐ- ๐จ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ.You havenโt decided whether social media is for you. Is there any social media space where youโd feel comfortable at some level of engagement?
๐ฑ- ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ. Maybe youโve been reading about it and talking to other freelancers about their social media practices.
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Where you fit on this spectrum might depend on where you are in your freelance career, your comfort level with technology – maybe even what day youโre asked. Some have abandoned blogging for the speed and agility of social media. Many use it as an amplifier for their other online marketing.
This article will help you figure out an approach that works for you.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ด๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ: LinkedIn – You can post your profile, contact info, links to your website, blog, and other social media, and testimonials about your work, and you can join discussion groups. If you donโt have a website, itโs a way to be findable online.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด & ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ด๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ: Wishu – You can post your profile, services (that can be on-demand booked), post portfolio posts, connect with clients, and like-minded peers. Itโs perfect to find work, network, and if you donโt want to put time in social media.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ด๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ: Instagram – You can post your profile, contact info, links to your website, and sportfolio posts. Connecting with like-minded people (not so client acquisition based).
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ?
Since social media marketing costs so little and can reach so many, it has potential for freelancers. Although, it takes time and there are no guarantees of success. Social media does fit freelancing because itโs based on personal connection – somethoning freelancers have in spades that bug companies struggle to emulate. The keys are being authentic and being in control of the process, from choosing the tools to using them.
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๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ
1- Do have a policy and set goals.
2- Do find your markets, and build slowly.
3- Do share the best, and learn from early adopters.
4- Do ask questions.
5- Do give, but help people commit or buy.
6- Do make a schedule.
7- Do regular review results.
