Ever since it’s inception in LinkedIn has turned into one of most important employment resources online. As of this writing, it’s the twelfth most popular site in the United States, with 28 percent of American adult Internet users visiting the site regularly.
If you’re a freelancer, LinkedIn can be hugely helpful when it comes to finding new opportunities, meeting other people in your industry, and maybe even landing a full-time job (if that’s something you’re looking for). Here are a few things to try on LinkedIn if you’re a freelancer.
Perfect Your Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is the cornerstone of your LinkedIn experience, so make sure it’s strong and shows off your unique skills as a freelancer. Be sure to list all of your experience—from creative ideation to billing and database management—in terms of how it relates to your freelancing work.
You might also want to make sure to make clear distinctions between your freelance work and any full-time work you’ve done. This will depend on your industry and work history, but generally you’ll want everyone who visits your profile to know that you do freelance work.
Join Groups
If you aren’t using LinkedIn Groups, you aren’t using LinkedIn properly. LinkedIn groups connect you with likeminded professionals, and offer you a platform to show your value. If you’re a freelancer looking for work, showing off your expertise in your field or even just your personality in LinkedIn Groups can help. So if you’re a graphic designer looking for freelance work, you might show off interesting articles about your industry or even just some really great design you’ve come across. You never know who might strike up a conversation with you.
Don’t be afraid to start your own LinkedIn Group as well. Are you a freelance web developer in Maine? Start a LinkedIn Group for people like you! Even if your group only has a handful of people, it’s always important to have a community where you can exchange ideas and maybe find some work.
Reach Out
LinkedIn is a great resource for getting in touch with people at different companies. If you’re a freelance copywriter, you might be able to use LinkedIn to track down that staffing manager for that job you saw listened somewhere else online.
Also, like groups, reaching out to people can be a great way to network and get to know people.
Show Off What You Can Do
LinkedIn profiles now offer options for displaying work you’ve done. So whether you’re a talented logo designer or a freelance wedding photographer, load up your work here to show your contacts what you can do. Also be sure to get recommendations from people you’ve worked with the past.
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