Why is Social Media the Most Important Marketing Tool for Freelancers?

Social Media, Social Networking, Internet 2.0, whatever you wan’t to call it...It’s a businesses best friend. This rings particularly true for Freelance workers and Sole Traders.

Why?

For starters, Social Media is a progressively brilliant way to communicate with clients and prospects. The statistics alone confirm the legitimacy of Social Media as a promotion and advertising medium. Facebook alone, now has over 400 million participants worldwide - this spells potential for any business. There are so many add ons and apps out there now, that your Social Site can almost become a mini website. You can blog, tweet, upload photos, create digital brochures, list service menus...you name it. And the advantage is, the traffic and response is just as, if not more, transparent than with a website.

Further to this, there’s another reason why marketing for Freelancers has never been so easy with Social Media. This is a very important statement, because, with the speed of modern communication provided by the internet, and todays telecommunications, you can’t afford to fall behind. If you haven’t figured it out already, it’s because Social Networking can be done from, well, anywhere! You can post items from your computer at home, or all off your iPhone or Blackberry...and make sure you post constantly!

Another helpful personality, of the Social Networking medium, is the Market Researcher. This is an aspect often overlooked by business people running a Social Strategy. You can discover your potential audience and “real” target market, track what your audience is saying, and participate in their conversations. Who needs a survey, when you’ve got real time word of mouth!

There is also a new army of niche occupations, associated with Social Media, being infiltrated by Freelancers. For one, there is actually a space that has opened up for people to become, and promote their servces as, a Social Media specialist. Lara Solomon, of Social rabbit (www.facebook.com/SocialRabbit) was the original creator of Mocks (Mobile Socks) and did such a good job spreading the business on Facebook, that she has now opened up a new business, helping create and maintain successful Social Media Pages.

Not only this, but the power and dynamic nature of these networking mediums has developed so intensely, that some Freelance businesses run solely from their “Fan Pages”. The big ones to think about are marketing Freelancers (Graphic Designers, Copywriters) and Beauty Services (Hairdressers, Makeup Artists, Tanning & Massage). But please, don’t accept this as an exhaustive list. In the age of 2.0, it’s possible for any business to profit from an online social strategy.

These, and other, Freelance businesses all saw the benefits of Social Media Strategies, once the recession reached global scare levels (http://hubpages.com/hub/Top-Five-Internet-Jobs-in-a-Recessed-Economy). This is, by far, has to be the greatest benefit of selling your product/service through online networking - It’s usually 100% free!

So what’s stopping you? If you’re reading this, chances are, you’ve already been introduced to Social Media, and you may also be reaping some of its remarkable rewards. Get out there and ask some questions, get some feedback, start a competition, create a portfolio...The limits are only virtual! And hey, if you don’t know how, ask a Social Media Specialist.

Indy - 2010