If you've been looking to develop your skills as a freelancer, or to find remote work, you might have heard that Linkedin is a good place to start looking.
Many freelancers start working on sites like Upwork and Fiverr, and quickly outgrow them. The problem is that you're not in control of your work, or your clients, in quite the same way as if you find a client yourself.
I mean, Fiverr and Upwork are fine, to a point. I myself started out there... But soon enough you'll get frustrated with the fees, the arbitrary banning and the annoying rules. And thats where Linkedin comes in.
But, how can you actually find work on Linkedin? Or, if you're a self employed freelancer, how can you find clients?
Well my friend, this is how.
1. Optimise your profile
Your Linkedin profile needs to represent you in a professional manner. So, you will need a good image of yourself, ideally recent and clear.
Make sure to create a good subheading that tells people what you do, don't worry about making it 'stand out'. At least to start. Just make sure it clearly says what you do professionally...
"Expert content writer"
"Video and photography professional"
"Remote Personal Assistant"
You can also add an optional 'Looking For Work' to the end of your subheading.
Oh, and then make sure that you complete the bio with at least a short bit of blurb about what you do. Again, it doesn't have to be lengthy, but it does help to have at least a couple of hundred words talking about what you do, why you're awesome and what you've done lately.
2. Build your network
After you've optimised your profile on Linkedin, you can start to build your network. Remember that Linkedin is a professional networking site, not some place to spam people, flirt with girls or air your views about something controversial.
What you want to do is reach out to people you know at first, and include a little note in the connection about the fact that you're building your network. And thats it. Don't pitch for work, don't ask them for anything - just let people know you're building your connections.
You should then start to make connections with second or third level connections, sometimes based on recommendations, sometimes on your own search.
Make sure to always include a friendly note explaining why you're connecting, "We have some connections in common", "I'm hoping to grow my network in industry/area etc".
Again. Do. NOT. Pitch. For. Work.
Connection requests are to build bridges, not to ask for work.
3. Post and share
The most successful people on Linkedin tend to share relevant content regularly. You don't need to post six times a day, but once or twice a week should be sufficient.
What to share?
Your own take or advice on your industry.
Articles, videos, memes, whatever you like - so long as it rings with your potential client base.
As an example, if you're a web developer, you might want to share an article about the pain of finding a good web developer.
If you're a writer, maybe share some of your content from an external website.
Share other peoples content too on your timeline. Be consistent, but not spammy and then engage with people who engage with your posts.
4. Search hashtags and 'hiring'
When looking for work or clients on Linkedin, the trick is to be active and to keep on looking. You are unlikely to find your ten thousand dollar client on day one. But, by building connections and being consistent, you might just find your next big client without even knowing.
Myself, I have netted about four or five consistent, long term and high paying clients on Linkedin, just be keeping an eye on posts in the feed.
How?
Search for your keyword and hiring - so for example 'writer' + 'hiring'. Or 'video editor'+ hiring.
Also try and keep an eye out for hashtags in your niche. #contentwriter #marketing #videographer etc etc.
If people are hiring, send them a message or a connection request and let them know you saw they were hiring. Be friendly, be professional. Don't be afraid to follow up a few days later, but if you hear nothing after one or two messages, leave it be.
It's also a good idea to keep an eye on jobs in your industry on Linkedin and apply for them as often as you can.
5. Be friendly, don't be spammy
Although Linkedin is a social network, make sure not to treat it like Facebook or Instagram. Conduct yourself on Linkedin as if you were at a business conference or jobs fair.
It's probably the best social media platform to use to find a job (read more about using social media for jobs hunting here).
Engage with people, be friendly and be useful. Don't approach and start asking for work in your first breath. Would you do this in the real world?
Also. For the love of all that is good. DO NOT FLIRT WITH PEOPLE. This isn't Tinder and your approaches will not be appreciated. In fact, you could get blocked and have your account frozen.
And that is how you find freelance work and clients on Linkedin.
Drop me a comment and let me know if you thought this was useful, or ask me anything.
Good luck!
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