How to Use LinkedIn For Your Freelance Business

LinkedIn is a social media platform built for professionals. As a freelancer, using LinkedIn is a commodity that can’t be missed. There are thousands of potential leads just sitting there so, if you haven’t started to use LinkedIn for your freelance business to find clients, you are losing a big chunk of your target market.

How To Use LinkedIn For your Freelance Business

Though LinkedIn can be intimidating, it is worth finding your way around and learning more about the platform. These pointers will help you explore the full potential of LinkedIn for your freelance business:

Profile

What will your potential clients see when they visit your page? Give them something to be impressed with. Let’s breakdown the parts of your LinkedIn profile:

Profile Picture

That’s your first impression so we recommend going with a professionally clicked picture. If you don’t have one, book a session with a photographer before you start pitching for clients on LinkedIn. Include a clear headshot. Crop the picture so that only your headshot is visible. Cut out all background noise from the picture. Choose a solid background. When taking the picture, smile. It makes you appear approachable and friendly. And remember to choose your outfit clearly. Go for neutrals if you want to give a professional impression. Some people also go for bright colors to make their picture snappy and bright.

Headline

The next thing your client is going to see after the picture if your headline. Your headline should say what you do. What services are you offering? Keep the headline crisp.

Summary

If your client likes your picture and your headline, the next thing he is going to do is read your summary. Your summary should tell the viewer what you can offer to them. Sell your services through your summary. List your achievements and your successful projects. Include a link to your website or portfolio in your summary. End our summary with a call to action. What do you want your readers to do once they read the summary?

Portfolio

LinkedIn gives you a chance to show your potential clients your portfolio directly on their website. Don’t make the mistake of putting up all your work. Nobody is that interested. When you put up too many pieces, you not only confuse the viewers but you also take away the limelight from your great projects. Choose 5-8 pieces of your best work to put up as your portfolio. On LinkedIn, you can share both images and articles as a portfolio.

Work Experience

This is quite straightforward. List down all your work experience. If you already have a resume, this part would be very easy. Just copy and paste. Be sure to list all the information accurately. When listing your work experience, don’t forget to write freelancer as your current position. This will make it clear for any client or recruiter to understand your position. This also helps improve your search visibility as a freelancer.

Recommendations

Testimonials go a long way in convincing potential customers about your worth. If you have any past clients, add them to your LinkedIn connections. Ask them to write a recommendation for you. In exchange, you could offer them a discount on future orders. This will encourage them to write a flowery testimonial quickly. You can also ask former colleagues and clients to endorse your skillset on LinkedIn. For instance, if you choose writing as your skill, you could ask a friend to endorse it. Remember, when choosing skills, check the ones that relate to your line of business. Don’t go overboard.

Start Making Connections

Once your profile is complete, the next thing you should be doing is start making connections. Add people you already know to your LinkedIn list. LinkedIn will give you plenty of suggestions. Also, actively start adding people. Any of these people could be your potential customers. Search for your ideal customer. Add them. You could later even approach them with a pitch if they add you to their list.

Be Active

Having a stellar profile and 1000s of connection isn’t going to do you much until you start being active on LinkedIn. Make it a point of visiting LinkedIn at least once every day. Comment and like other people’s posts. Share posts that relate to your target audience. Every once in a while, write your own post. Remember, LinkedIn has great potential. You could be earning a five or six-figure income through LinkedIn only. If you feel LinkedIn isn’t your forte, don’t leave just yet. You could always hire a social media manager to manage LinkedIn for you. It might cost you more bucks, but a good social media manager will earn his worth by getting you, clients.