Freelance writers who want successful writing careers must be on LinkedIn. I know some of you reading this are already there, but even if you are, do you take full advantage of the site?
How LinkedIn Helps Freelance Writers
I’ve gotten assignments from editors and companies that have found me on LinkedIn, and I know of many others who’ve had the same experience, including freelancers using LinkedIn Profinder. And LinkedIn allows you to showcase your entire career and all your skills, which makes it a great place to send potential clients so they can check you out. I have my LinkedIn profile in my e-mail signature, and several new clients have said that they looked at my profile and were very impressed by it.
Here’s a great vid that explains why LinkedIn is important and how it can help you…
Recommended Books
I strongly recommend LinkedIn for Dummies (Joel Elad, March 2011) and The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success (Wayne Breitbarth, also March 2011). Both published recently, these two books have been my bibles, especially LinkedIn for Dummies.
Your Take
Are you on LinkedIn? If so, what are your results? If you’re not, why not?
I’m pretty sure we’re already connected on LinkedIn John, but I’ll double check. My favourite LinkedIn feature is that you can spy on those folks who are viewing your profile. By clicking on “Your profile has been viewed by XX people this week”, you can see some of the people who have been stalking you. I’ve actually reached out and landed jobs that way! I know that I still have a lot to learn about how to leverage LinkedIn’s full value, so I’ll check out those books. Thanks for the post.
I also check on people who are checking on me, and it’s definitely smart to contact them.
There is so much to LinkedIn that it really does take a good book to explain it all. Still, it’s possible to get a profile up and start making quality connections with just a couple hours’ work.
I’ve already made several new LinkedIn connections today with high-quality writers. Keep ’em coming!
Love the way your profile looks John. And the recommendations.Not surprised folks are impressed.
Thank you Anne. I’ve put a significant time into making my profile look professional.
I like the discussion groups and job listings. One thing I tell new writers is to join groups in your niche. If you’re just interacting with other writers, you’re preaching to the choir.
Allena, I really like your suggestion about joining groups in your niche. I’m a member of several LinkedIn groups about textbook and educational publishing, but I bet there’s more I could join if I put in more effort.
Hi John,
Wow, the editors are right to be impressed about your profile, and this reminded me that mine needs an update:)
I use Linkedin, but I am afraid I’m also quilty of not taking advantage of it fully. I need to make it a regular habit to connect with other writers there as well. I am a member of some writing-related forums, and have participated in several discussions but it is just not as internalized as my blog commenting. Thanks again for another hugely useful post. Shared via a lot of social media;)
I’ve found that just spending 15-20 minutes a week on sprucing up my profile and making new connections can have great long-term benefits. It really becomes apparent when you get your first good writing job from someone who found you on LinkedIn.
Hi John,
Thanks for the video! I love how they referred Linkedin as the “best investment we can ever make in our careers” , especially for freelancers. It’s the place where all the important people are, that alone is a great start for anyone looking for a job. Definitely one of the top 3 networks to be in. 🙂
Linked In is great. I think I have only scratched the surface over there and it’s because I finally filled out all my profile. If you join many groups related to your field you can have more opportunities than you can handle.
Thanks John for the book recommendations. I think I will check those out as I can always improve my Linked In networking skills.
Your profile is so impressive! Do you use the free version or the paid version of LinkedIn? Do you think it’s worth it to jump up to the paid version or can you do practically the same things with the free version?
I use the free version, and I think that’s fine for most freelance writers. You can do a lot to market yourself, and I and many other writers who use the free version are getting assignments from clients who find us on LinkedIn.
Good to know! You inspired me to update my LinkedIn page tonight, so hopefully I’ll start to see more action on there. Thank you for the information!
Good for you Felicia! I review my profile and edit/update it at least once a month, and usually more often than that.
Very professional looking profile John. I guess I’ll need to spend sometime working on my mine.