Social Media Basics

The simple truth of the matter is that social media is a very powerful tool for freelancers. Some people have doubled, tripled, or even created their entire business using social media. But it isn’t all good news — social media has a number of downfalls as well. Here are a few tips to find the right social media websites for your freelancing business:

• Look at what you are already using.
• Look at what your clients and colleagues are using.
• Look at what your industry trendsetters are using.

We freelancers are used to wearing many hats, however, and most of us can learn to be our own social media specialists and develop a presence without much outside help.

Here are some tips to get a maximum social media impact for a minimum social time investment:

• Focus your presence on two or three social media sites.
• Schedule time for social media interaction each day.
• Don’t just promote yourself. Many business owners make the mistake of thinking that social media is all about them. Their social media participation seems almost like advertisements. Social media is actually about interaction. Think of what your target audience (clients and colleagues) would find helpful and share that type of information even if it doesn’t directly relate to your company.
• Use the right tools. The tools you use to manage your different social media accounts can make a big difference in how easy it is, and how much time it takes. Check out this article for 35 social media tools that make life easier.