Finding work as a freelancer on Craigslist or large job boards seems like Lucy Van Pelt hanging out her psychiatrist sign, only yours reads “freelancer for hire.” Instead of hanging your sign and hoping for the best, being proactive on social networks using twitter tactics and creating Facebook content can yield much more productive dividends.

An Alternative to Cold Calling

In the past, a blind e-mail to a name in a large directory was the standard way to source new work. With Twitter, it’s now easier to gain direct access to those same people without a filter. Responding to their tweets through @ replying and re-tweeting is your in, and building your own informative feed that blends your current work with your unique voice is your sell. It shows your work and unique personality, something lost in a one-shot e-mail.

Build Your Sources/Employers

Sharing your current work through your twitter feed serves a two-fold purpose. It shows that you’re busy (and reliable), and showcases the topics you cover. If you’ve done your due diligence connecting with editors, content managers and marketers in position to hire freelancers, they know you’re out there and more importantly, know how to connect with you. As well, connecting with other freelancers in your industry is a great way to gather new sources and information for your current projects by asking pointed questions and responding in kind.

Utilizing a few minutes of your time a day building a network in 140 characters or less could yield work and sources down the road.

Lou Perseghin is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments. WriterAccess is powered by ideaLaunch, a full service content marketing agency serving hundreds of clients and thousands of writers since 2000.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 24th, 2010 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.