Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to DevelopYour Business Online

Chapter 52. Social Media Starter Moves for Freelancers

Opportunities for entrepreneurial spirits, freelancers, and consultants are on the rise. A weak economy (such as we're experiencing in the United States right now) is one reason, but another is the flexibility such employees offer companies who might not have the resources (or want the overhead) related to taking on full-time staff for certain roles. And yet, with so much competition for attention, how can you rise above the fray to be not only seen but selected for the opportunities you seek? Here are some thoughts on the matter.

FIRST: PROFESSIONALISM, OR NOT

Before you even start in on this whole thing, determine whether you're a fun-loving soul looking to make a few extra bucks on the side or someone seeking to build a sustainable stream of revenue to support yourself and possibly a family. If the former, skip pretty much everything I'm about to tell you. If the latter, read on.

YOUR BLOG, YOUR STOREFRONT

If you're in the business of delivering a service (coding skills, design, marketing expertise, sales, etc.), there's a whole lot of factory work that you do that's not easily displayed. Yet you need a storefront to "productize" what you do (tip of the hat to my friend, Liz Strauss,^[202] for talking with me about her passion for turning what someone does into a product).

ADS, SIDEBARS, AND WIDGETS

Before we get down to brass tacks, let's do some cleanup work:

• Kill random ads. If you're a successful freelancer, why are you trying ...