Why Social Media is a Freelancers Best Friend

Social media is transforming virtually every kind of business, and freelancing hasn’t been left out of the mix. While freelancers once struggled to successfully and consistently publicize their talents to prospective clients, today those same freelancers can take advantage of the leading social networks to reach out to clients, network with clients and fellow freelancers, and put their capabilities on display through targeted posts and even affordable methods of advertising. Like larger businesses, individual freelancers need to embrace social media or lose out to the competition. For freelancers still in doubt, consider the three biggest ways that social media can be an effective marketing tool for winning new clients.

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1. Networking and Talent Demonstration

In the “old days” of online freelancing, freelancers were only as notable as their profiles on major content websites or freelancing portals like oDesk and eLance. Thankfully, those days are long gone. Today, social media allows freelancers to create a public page where they routinely post status updates, examples of their work, and highlights from their recent consultation with a client. This allows the freelancer to show how they work, when they work, and how much they value accessible communication with the people who enlist their services. It’s fertile ground for networking.

In fact, networking goes hand-in-hand with being able to demonstrate talents on social media. By simply beginning a social networking presence, freelancers’ names and content will be freely searchable on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; freelancers’ posts will also be made available to Google search results. Clients can easily click the “share” button next to a freelancer’s page or posts, and send it to their industry contacts as a recommendation. Winning new work has probably never been easier than it currently is with the power of social media sites. This post highlights specifically how important social media is to freelancing celebrants, but the rules followed within can be generally applied to most freelancing professions.

2. Keep Clients Engaged, Interested, and Aware

It used to be pretty hard to keep a client interested enough to return for new work after a few weeks or months. This meant that turnover for freelancers was very high, and the potential for future income was always in a state of significant doubt. With social media, freelancers essentially broadcast their talents and availability to all of their clients at a time of their choosing. All it takes is simply guiding clients toward the Facebook page, Twitter account, or LinkedIn profile. If they opt to like, follow, or connect with those profiles, they’ll instantly see a freelancer’s posts in their news feeds.

Because most people trust social media posts and associate these accounts with their own friends and interests, the occasional broadcast from a freelancer breeds both familiarity and awareness. To this end, a social media presence can help the freelancer build better and longer-lasting client relationships that benefit them monetarily over the long-term.

3. Build a Reputation Appreciated by New Clients

Social media makes it easy to find new clients, with advanced search filters that can break down interested parties by their industry, popularity, and other features. It is also, however, a very effective way to show prospective clients that a freelancer means business. Every “like” on a freelancer’s page is a sort of inherent endorsement, as is every follower or LinkedIn connection.

By showing prospective clients that they’ve succeeded before, and have the industry connections on social media to prove it, new clients are more likely to feel that they can trust the freelancer to work with them, produce the products and results they desire, and establish a long-term relationship that actually helps them bring down their costs while driving up their positive outcomes.

Social Media is a Key Part of the Successful Freelancer’s Daily Life

It may have been possible to avoid social media in the past, but that’s no longer the case. Freelancers who wish to succeed in the endeavors over the long-term need to be present, available, and communicative, and that requires social media. These sites also make it easy to maintain long-term clients, seek new ones, and prove the quality and staying power of a freelancer’s products and services.