Love it or hate it social connections are a key to success to every business. By social connections, we mean both physical and online social connections. Online social connections are popularly known as social media connections.
Even the person that you befriend on the train ride becomes the part of your social connection. Social connections are a part of your everyday life. As an established or starting freelancer, you can easily utilize you social connections to get great jobs. In this article, we will take a brief look at the type of people you should connect with how you can use those connections for your benefit.
Family: Your family can help you further a career by putting in a good word about your freelancing career. It is always a good idea to keep your family in loop with your freelancing work. They will be able to give you their honest and true opinion.
Friends: The kind of support and recommendation that your friend can provide you is something, which you will not get anywhere. Friends of your friends are more likely to trust you if they know that you have a common connection.
Current and former co-workers: Your co-workers already know your work and therefore they can give you a good recommendation based on their experience. Many of them may move to a position where they might require your freelancing skills. Networking with current freelancer gives you a platform to share your doubts and feelings with people who are or have been in the same situation. You can discuss projects with your co-workers and even join forces for new projects.
Clients: If your current and former clients are happy with your work they will always consider you for the new jobs you have. My last two freelancing jobs were originally intended to be two months projects but the client extended the projects for one year because my work was good. Keeping in social touch with your former and current clients will help you make a solid base for future projects.
Teachers and Professors: Open your old class yearbook and get in touch with your schoolteachers and college professors. It will be interesting to learn what they have been up to. Most of them might have some kind of freelancing jobs that might suit you.
Local Businesses: Every local business is always looking for ways to increase their business and your freelancing skills can be of their help. But you have to go to them and interact on various social levels to get them to send some business your way. You can also learn a lot from them in way how they run their business.
Prospective clients: You cannot sit hand on hand waiting for jobs to come to you. You might know the prospective clients today but in the future you can develop long term connects with them. It is always a good idea to initiate a conversation either physically or through social media. You can strike up conversations by commenting on their posts, blogs etc. and following them on twitter.
The more you network, the more are the chances of you being able to make your presence known. You must make a dedicated effort to join forums that appeal to your interest. Make it known that you are interested in taking new jobs. Don’t be afraid to let your skills be known to the world. People tend to hire those freelancers you have confidence in their work and skills.
However, there are some points, which you must keep in mind when interacting over social media. Be careful about how much information you are giving out. Do not be too persistent. Remember you want to make your presence known but do now want to overwhelm everybody.
About K Saravana Kumar
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