The Value of LinkedIn for Freelance Writers

Yesterday someone in my online writers group inquired about LinkedIn. She asked other writer members of the group, “What do you think? Is it worth it?”

A lot of freelance writers are wary about becoming too involved with social networking. We don’t need anything that takes away from time spent working on our precious projects. Many are learning about the promotional value of sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – when used in moderation.

Most of us have no trouble finding our way around Twitter and Facebook, but consider LinkedIn a whole other animal. I knew Linkedin was worth it when I began receiving inquiries about my services by people who had come across my free profile. Freelance writer Yolander Prinzel reportedly received over $6000 worth of work within four months from LinkedIn, so you tell me if you think that it’s worth it.

If you’re new to LinkedIn, or have no idea what to do with the account you have, here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Present your best foot forward. Create a profile that will impress prospects. They should know exactly what you do and what you can do for them. Make sure to provide links to your website, blog or portfolio.

2. Optimize Your Profile. Optimizing certain keywords (e.g. your name/name of your business, writer, marketing, copywriting, etc.) can give you good search engine results making it easier for prospects to find you online. Even better if you are the top result on LinkedIn when your specialty is searched on the site.


3. Get Recommendations. A recommendation on LinkedIn is like having a testimonial. Anyone who finds your profile will see that you come highly recommended. Make sure they’re relevant and reflect the services you provide.

4. Use Applications to Your Advantage. If you have a Twitter account, you can allow your Tweets to show up on your LinkedIn profile. If you have a Wordpress blog, you can set up the application on your profile to show your most recent blog posts.

5. Contribute to Group Discussions. This is where you can really stand out and reveal your expertise. Linked in has hundreds of groups you can join. It’s a good idea to choose groups that reflect your specialty. For instance if your specialty is in the legal field you can join groups within that industry. Sometimes group members will post questions related to copywriting or marketing. Providing the right answers can get you new clients in no time.

Working Your LinkedIn Account

It's not unusual for freelance writers to go round and round about whether or not social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are worth joining. But I've noticed that writers using LinkedIn are usually quite happy. I hesitate to say unanimously because I'm sure there's someone out there with a bone to pick, but for the most part the experience is a good one.

Potential clients find you

One thing I like about Linked in is that prospects go there looking for YOU. A refreshing change considering the amount of time we spend marketing our services and trolling job boards, don't you think? I've only had my profile up for a few months, but I've had several inquiries from prospects who have reviewed my LinkedIn account. Local and international.

You get to position yourself as an expert

Here's a little tip I was completely unaware of until recently. I have never paid much attention to the groups I'd joined on LinkedIn. I found out from a fellow writer that I was told that I was missing out on a golden opportunity to find clients. Every so often someone from a group posts a question related to writing or marketing. My writer friend explained that she takes the time to answer these questions because it not only helps someone out, but it also helps others view her as an expert and brings attention to her writing services. She has gotten a few gigs this way.

Are you a LinkedIn member? What is your experience with this and other social networking sites?