Whoa, we’re over halfway through 2021. That’s crazy. Funny how the time speeds by when you’re trying to reach your freelance earnings goals, right?
At this point, you have six Freelance Game Plan posts to consider to help you make more money freelancing. This is number seven.
Despite the title of this post, what I’m about to share with you isn’t hard. At all. In fact, on some level, we all network daily. We just don’t recognize it.
Since July is usually a slower work month for many freelancers, it’s a great time to concentrate on how you’ll build or expand your network. And yes, you need a network. You have one already. I’m part of your network. You’re part of someone else’s network. If you’re on Twitter chats or Facebook pages or LinkedIn groups, you are already part of one or more networks. So let’s take the stigma out of the word (it sounds very corporate, doesn’t it?) and call it what it is — making connections, acquaintances, friendships.
[bctt tweet=”A #freelancewriting network is the lifeblood of a healthy freelance business.” username=”LoriWidmer”]
First, let’s talk about what networking isn’t.
- It isn’t self-promotion.
- It isn’t asking for favors.
- It isn’t sales.
- It isn’t pestering someone for work.
Honey, the secret to networking is this: It’s about being present, being confident, being helpful, and being useful.
We can do that, right? Right. Here’s how to build your network:
Assume everyone is worth knowing.
Don’t discount anyone in your presence, even if they look like they can’t be of any value to you. Networking isn’t about immediate payoff, nor is is about a one-way relationship. It’s about connecting. Every single connection you make holds value (though I will argue that the value in some connections is that they remind you how not to network or behave). I’ve made close friends of some of my connections. The goal was to know someone. Now I work with three of them — 21 years after I first met them. Those connections matter. Friends give work to friends.
Even those annoying connections can matter. One particular person I’d met while on a contract job was singularly the most annoying human on the planet. I exercised patience. I didn’t get upset with him, but just went silent when it was obvious he wasn’t going to stop talking. When we parted ways, I danced at the thought of never crossing paths with him again. Imagine my shock when he sent an email a month later, referring me to a very good client. I felt a little guilty for all the bad thoughts I’d harbored about this guy, but it taught me that you don’t have to necessarily like every connection. And that’s okay. Just don’t burn bridges if you can help it.
Not every connection will be worth keeping, like the ones who treat you like dirt from the start, or show no ability to understand or honor boundaries, or insult you or behave like jerks …. stay cordial. You don’t have to keep them in your orbit, but leave them with a professional impression.
Reach out to people you already know.
Your teachers, friends, other writers (successful ones help you in many ways, including ways you can emulate), former coworkers and bosses, family, interview sources, you name it. Remind a few of them, as appropriate, what you’re working on or some aspect of your daily work that they aren’t aware of. For example, my uncle thought I wrote fiction and poems. When I told him I wrote for the insurance industry and trade pubs, he was surprised. He also knew of a few people and places I might reach out to.
Talk about project successes — in small doses.
Imagine sending this tweet: “Just finished my fourth case study this week for a #healthcare client. Off to get some coffee!” What have you done there? You’ve alerted anyone who follows that hashtag that you write for their industry and that case studies are something you write. You’re not begging for work. You’re going for coffee.
I would say posting something like that every day would be overkill (and annoying), but once in a while, like a few times a month, isn’t a bad way to talk about your project success without bashing people over the head with how brilliant or successful you think you are.
Join a group, follow a hashtag.
Just like you use the hashtag for occasional promotion, you can follow and learn about your target clients. Follow. Share. Join the conversation. Attend the Twitter chats. Make friends. Easy-peasy.
Start a conversation.
So many of my opportunities have come from thanking someone for a press release, befriending the contact person for my interview sources, sharing a commonality with someone in a forum or group…. Get out there and talk to people. Remember, everyone who crosses your path has value as part of your network. They may never funnel work your way, but they’re a form of support group, and you are to them, as well. Be genuine, be yourself.
Do something for someone else.
This bears repeating: Networking is not a one-way street. It’s a participation activity, a collaborative effort. That connection you find for that contact who needs a writer specializing in something you don’t do? That’s doing something for someone else. Recently, a contact of mine asked if I knew anyone who could promote their company. I passed along the name of someone in my network. Be generous and help others often. It costs you nothing, and it builds your image as a valued resource.
That’s it. These few methods can help you build or expand your network. But don’t stop here — think of other ways to introduce yourself to new people and to establish a connection. If you’re in front of people, the opportunity is there.
Go forth and mingle.
Writers, how have you built your current network?
What has netted you the most success in networking?