This article on LinkedIn tips for freelancers is written by Vanessa Chiasson, a freelance writer based in Ottawa who specializes in travel and human interest stories.
Work looks a little different when you’re a media freelancer. Sometimes it looks a lot different!
How we use LinkedIn is different too. This is no static platform for us. We can’t simply list our work experience.
It’s not enough to make a few half-hearted connections after a conference. Our work is dynamic, ever-evolving, and multidimensional. Our LinkedIn presence ought to be the same.
I’ve been using LinkedIn for over a decade and coaching others on how to make it work for them.
Here are 6 of the most common LinkedIn mistakes I see freelancers make
1. You’re focusing on what you’ve accomplished instead of who you serve
Yes, when you get that Canadian Geographic credit, you better shout it from the rooftop! However, far too many media workers use LinkedIn as a platform just to brag about bylines. Don’t just tell us who you’ve worked for. Tell us how you served them.
My LinkedIn bio begins by stating that I work with value seekers and, in a tumultuous media landscape, I offer editors reassurance and results.
What about you? Do editors love you because you turn in impeccably clean copy? Are publishers impressed by your hard-hitting interviews? Are collaborators awed by your commitment to creativity? This matters more than a big name byline.
2. You’re only connecting with editors–and anyone else you think might give you an assignment
LinkedIn is all about building relationships, not begging for jobs. Start by following your sources, organizations you think are cool, people you volunteer with, friends from old jobs, and anyone else you can think of. Engage in real conversation when they post. Envision a complex web or snowflake-shaped world of semi-connected people, not a few sparse vectors to fancy-pants publishers.
3. You’re not updating your projects
You’ve probably heard that you can add your publications to LinkedIn but what about projects? This often-ignored section is where freelancers shine.
What, exactly, counts as a project? Anything you like! Just think of all the interesting things we’ve done.
My projects include training to walk several sections of PEI’s famed Island Walk, a marketing workshop I co-hosted with a friend, an e-book I wrote about GDPR compliance, and much more. This is the perfect place to record all the cool stuff you do that doesn’t fit into a tidy category. You better believe that people browsing through your profile will be impressed.
If you click on your LinkedIn profile, you’ll see a button under your name that says “Add Profile Section.” This opens a box which allows you to add “Core,” “Recommended,” and “Additional” information to your LinkedIn profile. You’ll find projects under the “Recommended” tab.
4. You’re not telling people how they can work with you
A colleague of mine, a woman who worked in marketing before transitioning to travel writing, has just won an award for her well-established travel site. As the congratulatory comments poured in on LinkedIn, I couldn’t help but notice one that said, “I didn’t know you did travel writing!” Not all her connections were up to date on her career.
That’s why it’s prudent to write a helpful update once a quarter or so which explains what you’re doing, who you’re doing it for, and where you hope to grow in the coming months. Like any other social media network, LinkedIn doesn’t show all your content to all your followers. You need to be proactive.
Are you no longer doing wedding photography but putting a lot of effort into developing your family reunion portfolio? Let people know.
5. You’re not curating and chopping
If your career as a freelance illustrator indeed got a boost from working part-time in an art supply store, please include it with your LinkedIn experience. However, not every gig with a tangential connection to your work life needs to be a part of your profile. In fact, keeping irrelevant material can be a real annoyance and distract from what you really want to focus on.
I once thought it would be smart to keep my old experience as a medical centre admin on my LinkedIn profile. After all, many of those same organizational and administrative skills have proven very helpful as a freelancer. However, I began receiving annoying messages from dental clinic service providers. I quickly learned my lesson. Less really is more!
Alas, some messages kept trickling in and I finally realized that while I had deleted that particular job experience, I hadn’t culled “health care” from the skills section. Oops! Now that section is cleaned up and I’ve reordered the list so that my most relevant skills are now at the top.
6. Fear not the headshot!
Media freelancers are usually more comfortable behind the camera, not in front of it. However, when it comes to your LinkedIn profile photos, you need to step out of your comfort zone and invest in professional-quality headshots.
We are visual creatures. We want to see the friendly face behind the project.
Ask a local colleague for photographer recommendations. Book a haircut, recruit your bossiest friend for fashion advice, and make those photos happen!
What’s missing from this list? What’s your best advice for optimizing your LinkedIn profile? Let us know in the comments!
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