As a freelancer or contractor, drumming up new work isn’t always easy - but social media channels open up a world of networking opportunities, as well as being completely free. From creating a strong LinkedIn profile to finding industry connections on Twitter, harnessing the power of social media can have immeasurable rewards when it comes to your career.
In today’s post, the experts from Intouch Accounting are taking a look at some of the most profitable social media platforms for the self-employed population - helping you to enjoy an exciting and successful future in contracting.
Prospects
When it comes to finding job prospects, Twitter opens up a world of possibilities. From allowing you to find like-minded connections to jumping on relevant industry hashtags and engaging in interesting debates, Twitter has any number of uses. Local networking hours are also a great way to interact with other professionals, grow your client pool and maximise your reach.
Start conversations
Sparking up engaging and timely conversations on Twitter helps you not only to establish yourself as a credible source of industry information, but also to grow a strong online presence. If you’re new to Twitter, start with simple tweets asking questions. This will encourage people to interact with you - and by tagging other businesses in your tweets, you can supersize the reach of each post.
Boost your business
Facebook is often overlooked as a profitable platform for freelancers - which is exactly why you should set one up at the earliest opportunity. As a freelancer, ensuring clients are aware of your availability is everything - and setting up a business page guarantees an active online presence at all times. From private messages to posting queries on your wall, Facebook provides users with a personal approach to enquiries, which can often be preferable to a formal email.
Check out the competition
While Facebook might not be the most popular online channel with freelancers, it allows you to see how other people in your industry are operating. From tips on how to market your services to joining groups, any opportunity to expand your contacts should be seized - and it’s not always about trying to out-perform your competitors. By establishing strong connections with other people in your industry, you can benefit from their experience - and potentially pass along details of work which would be more suited to them.
Let people find you
LinkedIn allows people to discover your skills, view your connections and read any relevant articles you might have posted - and this all starts with a 100% complete profile. You can use your bio line to list your credentials, giving potential clients a chance to see what you have to offer before they contact you. These key terms can be searched by other LinkedIn users to help them find specific businesses, so be as concise as possible about what you do - and make sure current clients recommend and endorse you for your skills, as this will boost your credibility.
Seek out work
Unlike other social media platforms, LinkedIn focuses solely on business - meaning your news feed won’t be flooded with irrelevant posts. As a contractor or freelancer, actively seeking out potential work is integral to the success of your career - so when it comes to networking, a proactive approach is key. The ‘Who’s Viewed My Profile’ feature allows you to find out exactly that - and if any of these users haven’t contacted you, it’s worth reaching out to them to offer your assistance.
From managing your accounts and invoices to drumming up new work and meeting deadlines, working alone can be a challenge - but with your social media strategy in place, you can set about promoting your brand online and working towards a bright and busy future.
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Paul Gough is the Managing Director of Intouch Accounting, which is a specialist provider of accounting and tax solutions to UK contractors and freelancers trading through Personal Service Companies.
The post How to Harness the Power of Social Media appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.
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