7 Common Social Media Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Freelance Business
You finally broke free from the cubicle and are now a freelancer. But don’t be too quick to give yourself a pat on the back yet.
Saud Aqel, the vice-president of PIXERF who had over 17 years of experience as a freelancer, recently gave a talk on leveraging social media for your freelance business and shared some common mistakes freelancers make that can ruin their business.
Have you made at least one of them?
1. Post before you think
Too many of us post whatever is on our mind and hope that someone out there will see it. However, without a strategy in place, chances of your post getting noticed in a sea of competition is slim. Keep your target audience in mind and plan ahead on what you will post because not every piece of work may be relevant to your audience, which brings us to the next point.
2. Improper and inconsistent curation of portfolio without a niche
You may be a photographer who can do architectural shots, but also minor in other kinds of shots. While it is not entirely wrong to showcase your skills, a portfolio that features your major skills along with your weaker ones can convey a confusing message on your specialism and rub your potential clients the wrong way. Ensure that your portfolio is curated with consistency and direction for the best results.
3. Never checking your portfolio
One small error - be it a spelling mistake or the wrong colours - can lose you a potential client within seconds, so it is vital to check your portfolio thoroughly before posting it online.
4. Not matching your niche to the right social media
Are you a writer who specialises in finance? Or a photographer who focuses on portraiture? Your portfolio should be broadcasted on the relevant social media for effective outreach. For examples, photographers should utilise Instagram, writers can share their articles on LinkedIn and Behance should be a graphic designer’s main go-to. It is best to focus on a single platform, and treat other branches of social media that you have as connecting supports.
5. Getting too comfortable with a like
Simply by having likes on your content is insufficient to garner any real result. Your content engages the best when it receives shares or comments. Make sure to maximise your content for effective engagement.
6. Not responding to online enquiries
A sure way to lose a potential business deal is to be unresponsive on social media. Headhunters and clients are busy searching for the right fit and any freelancer who does not respond quick will be skipped for the next. Don’t treat your social media solely as a platform. Be engaging on it too!
7. You received a negative review
Have you done something inappropriate online or had a customer complain about you on a forum? Always keep an eye on how you behave professionally or privately, and resolve any issue you have with an unhappy customer, because one negative word can destroy your reputation in seconds.
Is your freelance business strategy effective in reaching out to more people? How can you position yourself as a top-rate freelancer? Join our 3rd edition of Freelancing 101 Bootcamp from 19th - 20th April 2018 as we address your concerns and more! To find out more, you can visit us at our website or visit CreativesAtWork's Facebook page.
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