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a.k.a writer

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Leveraging LinkedIn When You’re Freelancing on the DL

March 9, 2010 — 5 Comments

Freelancing on the DL. Original image courtesy of stock.xchng®Many of my favorite marketing tactics include using social media (also called social networks). As I’ve written before, LinkedIn is an incredibly valuable marketing tool for entrepreneurs and freelancers.

But what if you’re freelancing or starting up a business on the side? A friend recently asked me how she could leverage LinkedIn for freelancing even though she’s still working a full-time job.

It’s a good question and one that should be carefully considered. When I worked for a large company, a co-worker’s LinkedIn profile could be grounds for gossip: a heavily updated profile could be signs that someone was looking for a new job; connections with new companies were viewed with suspicion. I’m not saying it was right; it was just fact in my competitive department.

However, you can still use LinkedIn effectively—and without raising eyebrows—even if you’re freelancing on the side. While not every tip may work for your specific situation, this should help you get started.

  • First, make sure your freelancing doesn’t conflict with your day job. My friend is the perfect example: she’s published several essays and that freelancing work doesn’t have anything to do with her full-time job or the company where she works. Many companies have non-compete agreements—are more are enforcing them—so it pays to stay within the rules.
  • With that said, share your extracurricular achievements with your boss. As long as your manager knows you’re doing your best for him or her, you have nothing to worry about. And keeping your boss informed will keep her happy if someone sees your new LinkedIn profile addition and mentions it.
  • When adding your freelance work, be specific with your title. You’ll essentially be adding a position (to use LinkedIn language), so being specific will (1) avoid confusion at work and (2) help you be found in key word searches. For example, don’t just list yourself as a “freelance writer.” As in my friend’s case, she could list herself as a “freelance essay writer” or as a “freelance writer, creative non-fiction.”
  • Show off your accomplishments. While you should be careful with the title you use, don’t be shy about listing your credits in the “description” section. Of course, if you’ve freelanced for a competitor, by all means keep that to yourself. If you have been published, include links to your work.
  • Be smart about your groups. If you are a full-time designer at an advertising agency, joining a LinkedIn group called “Freelance Advertising Creatives” will immediately send up red flags. Even if you hide the logo on your profile, LinkedIn could still publish it in their weekly Network Updates. And if your boss is a member of your network, that news will go straight to his inbox.
  • As your new LinkedIn addition ages, you can grow bolder. Over time, you can begin moving your freelance work closer to center stage, especially if it’s your plan to be a full-time freelancer or open your own business. You can highlight your side projects in the “specialty” section of your profile as well as in areas like position descriptions. Always keep in mind that LinkedIn is not shy about announcing changes you make to your profile.

Before I took the leap to full-fledged freelancer, I had added elements of freelancing to my profile. Since I was open with my boss and direct teammates about taking writing classes, it didn’t raise any eyebrows. Only after I announced my cubicle-abandoning plans, did I completely overhaul my LinkedIn profile, putting my a.k.a writer business front and center.

Your turn. Do you have LinkedIn tips you can share with readers who are balancing full-time jobs with freelancing? Do you think it’s risky to add freelancing or a start-up business if you’re also gainfully employed? Is there a LinkedIn group that you’ve found to be helpful for freelancers? Please share in the comments below.

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Entrepreneurial Marketing: Part 2 of 3

August 5, 2009 — 4 Comments

Target Apple. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®In Monday’s post, I focused on making the most of LinkedIn to market your business. If you’ve mastered those tips and are looking for something more advanced, you may be ready to build your own company profile. Interested? Check out this how to post from Mashable.

Moving beyond LinkedIn, other social networking sites can play significant roles in your marketing strategy.

Part Two: Social Media Marketing: Facebook and Beyond

Facebook

Facebook is widely considered one of the most popular social networks. One exception, if you’re a musician around age 29 (or targeting that age range), you may want to focus on MySpace. Otherwise, Facebook can be an easy way to keep in touch with your network, customers and prospective customers. It’s one of my favorites, largely because it’s helped me stay connected with a large number of colleagues even though we’re no longer in the same city. People tell me that they look to Facebook to keep up with me professionally and personally.

facabook logoAnd there’s the catch. If you’re going to use Facebook for professional marketing, you have to be careful. While I like that I can show my personality a bit more than on LinkedIn, I still edit what I post in my status updates. Unfortunately, I also have to edit my “wall” and have even had to delete a few inappropriate comments posted by well-meaning friends.

So how do you strike that personal-professional balance?

  • Check your tone. While everyone relates to a rant about severe weather, make sure that overall your tone is positive. If your status updates lean towards complaints, you’ll find yourself labeled “negative” all too quickly.
  • Interact beyond the “happy birthday” wish. Stay in front of people by writing on their walls or sending brief private messages beyond special occasions. I once posted a “thinking of you” note on a former co-worker’s wall and minutes later received a message saying “call me, I have a referral for you.”
  • Mix your messages. Think about the LinkedIn status updates you’re doing (or are about to do). You can use some of those on Facebook, too. For example, I may write something about a movie I loved and the next day, I may mention a client project that’s keeping me busy. Of course, I don’t name the client, but it works. A new client once called with a specific direct marketing project – she knew I did that type of work because of a status update I posted.
  • Link Up. Do you have a blog? Do you have a website where you post news? Share those links on Facebook, too. It’s a great way to spread the word and get views to visit your site.

You can also create group pages and fan pages, which is another fantastic and easy way to market your company. The “help” section on Facebook has excellent instructions on how to create these pages. Mashable also has a collection of posts about Facebook you might find helpful.

Two quick tips if you go this route:

  • Be sure to keep your business page updated regularly.
  • Spread the word. If you create a fan page, invite all your friends to become fans – and their friends, too. It won’t do you any good if you don’t use this page to grow your fans (a.k.a prospective customers).

Okay, so what about other social networking sites?

Be sure to research where you’re target audience is spending their time. Part 1 of this trilogy lists a few sites to get you started. One site I’m curious about is Bebo. I just recently learned about it. Word is that it helps you connect all your social networks in one place. I know some people do this with Facebook and Twitter – and there’s lots of opinions about this. While I like the efficiency of using one program (like TweetDeck) to automate my updates, it doesn’t feel quite right to me. When I see a Facebook update that uses Twitter-specific language, it just doesn’t read “real” to me.

Twitter

Twitter LogoSpeaking of Twitter, you can make incredible connections there. The key is to interact with people, as I’ve shared in an earlier post. I love using Twitter because it connects me to people in a way that feels like it breaks the ice. For example, I have connected with several editors, PR gurus, and advertising gurus that I can network with and learn from. Without Twitter, I don’t know how I would have developed connections with them. The hard part about Twitter is that it can feel overwhelming to get started. A great place for tips and tricks (and help in getting your toe in the water) is TwiTip.

One more tip on social networking: The Dash

It can seem overwhelming, but it’s easy to accomplish your goals, especially if you take things in bite-size chunks. A great resource to help you break things down – but not slack off – is The Dash. This weekly newsletter features one social networking action for you to complete each week. Laura Roeder, the entrepreneur behind The Dash, will show you in step-by-step instructions (including video) how to get yourself out there.

Do you have Twitter-spefic questions? Or do you want more information about other sites mentioned here? Share them in the comments. I’d be happy to write future posts answering your questions.

Part three of this series will focus on marketing yourself locally – including pounding the pavement.

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Entrepreneurial Marketing: A Trilogy

August 3, 2009 — 7 Comments

One of the reasons I love to interview entrepreneurs here is because I so strongly relate to them. I consider myself an entrepreneur just as much as I consider myself a freelance writer. Target Apple. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®My grandparents loved to promote their wares (antiques and jewelry) at flea markets and they owned a few companies at various points in their lives. They were definitely the first entrepreneurs in my life!

What’s the one challenge that all entrepreneurs face? Marketing. Whether you love marketing yourself or consider it your biggest struggle, it’s key to your survival. This isn’t something that only writers must do – every business owner and creative freelancer must master getting in front of potential customers.

With that in mind, I’m doing a special three-part post, geared at marketing for non-writers. Of course, that doesn’t mean writers can’t use these tips. If you’re reading these posts and have tips to share, please do so in the comments!

Part One: Social Media Marketing: LinkedIn

LinkedIn_LogoThe key to successfully leveraging social networking is to know where your customers – and prospective customers – are. For example, it’s a fairly widespread opinion that teenagers are not on Twitter. If teens are your target market, then you’ll be wasting your time trying to connect with them there. Here are a few sites to help you research: socialmeditoday.com, emarketer.com, and socialenginewatch.com.

Since LinkedIn and Facebook are two of the most popular sites, I’ll provide marketing tips for them both. From the seminars I’ve taken and the research I’ve read, it’s fairly likely that at least some of your customers are on one or both of these sites. Today, let’s focus on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn

Strictly professional, LinkedIn is an excellent resource for building your network and staying in front of them. Make sure your take time to fully create your profile and secure recommendations. Those are the basics. If you need help getting started, go directly to Help.

What most people don’t realize is that LinkedIn can help you market yourself on a weekly basis through the “Network Update” email that most members opt into. Are you subscribed?

To check:

  • Go to “Account & Settings” (upper right hand corner)
  • Choose “Receiving Messages” (under Email Notifications)
  • Under “General” look for “Network Updates” and make sure you have clicked on the option for “Weekly Digest Email.”

Okay, so now you’re subscribed. How do you market yourself with LinkedIn’s own email? Easy.

At least once a week, answer the question “What are you working on now?” It’s located on your home page, directly below Network Updates. (See the screen shot below.)

LinkedIn-Screenshot_What-Are-You-Working-On

These updates are included in the weekly Network Update distributed by LinkedIn each week. If you need help remembering to do this, set a weekly reminder on your calendar.

Tips for making the most of your LinkedIn updates

  • Keep it positive. Having a really bad week? Force yourself to find something good to share. For example, a project I was really inspired by was postponed indefinitely because of the client’s budget. It was a big disappointment. My update that week? “Jesaka has an unexpected opening in her schedule for next month. Let’s talk about that revamped website copy you keep meaning to do.” Someone did contact me to do just that.
  • Be specific, but don’t name names. While some clients may love being in your spotlight, others may prefer you keep their projects confidential – even if they don’t spell it out. Being specific is a great way to show potential clients the kind of work you’re doing. Example: “[Your name] just booked four weddings in June as the photographer. Brides-to-be say they love my use of outdoor lighting.”
  • Share your accomplishments. Were you just mentioned in a magazine article or interviewed for a website? Share the link in your update. Maybe you weren’t named, but your work is featured somewhere (e.g. you took a couple’s engagement photo or did the hair for a local designers revamped website design). Share those links, too. No links? Still share. Example: “[Your name] just finished creating a table setting and menu design for a women’s business networking luncheon.”

Groups on LinkedIn

Joining groups on LinkedIn is another way to expand your network. It’s also a great way to position yourself as an expert in your field. Here’s how to make the most of your involvement with groups.

  • Be sure to join a local group. I’m a member of two Denver-based groups and I find them both extremely valuable. It helps me stay up on business trends in Colorado and hear about networking events close to home.
  • Look beyond your industry. If you design dog collars and you only join LinkedIn groups for dog collar designers, you aren’t going to expand your customer base. Sure, it’s a good way to network with your peers, but are they going to buy your dog collars? Probably not. In this case, joining group for veterinarians and retailers would be a fantastic way meet potential new business contacts.
  • Show your expertise. You can do this by participating in group discussions and answering questions posed by other members. You can also post your own questions – just do so with caution. For example, if you ask something basic, such as “how much do I charge for my service?” that could brand you as a newbie. A better approach would be to post a short item about industry trends you’ve spotted and invite others to share their observations.

What has worked for you on LinkedIn? What’s your favorite tip for this professional networking site?

Part Two of this post will feature other social networking sites, including Facebook.

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