If you’re a freelancer looking forward to landing gigs on LinkedIn but don’t know how to go about it, there are 3 things I’d like you to know. These are basic steps almost anyone can implement. But before we dive deep, I’d like you understand the importance of building a brand on LinkedIn. Without this, you might find it quite difficult getting results while implementing these basic steps.
One key thing that can make you land more jobs as a freelancer is diversification. By diversification I mean having your freelance business on various platforms such as LinkedIn, Upwork, Fiverr, your Website, and other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok.
Unfortunately, most people hate self promotion. This is what brings in the job and keeps the dollars rolling. You can have a great skill set, work ethics and all, but if you don’t know how to build a brand that sells, landing jobs might not be as consistent as expected. We would not be talking about building a brand on LinkedIn. You can learn that from our previous articles. However, I’d show you 3 basic steps to help you land consistent jobs on LinkedIn. These are;
- LinkedIn search
- Inbound leads
- Warm outreach
1. LinkedIn search to land freelance jobs
You should bear this in mind: freelance jobs are everywhere on LinkedIn. Sometimes all you need do is to search it out. However, it’s not the random search you know on LinkedIn, it’s a job hunt!
Here’s how to use LinkedIn search for job hunting:
- Click the search bar at the top of your screen
- Type in the freelance position/job you want and ‘we’re hiring’
- On the search results page click ‘Posts’
- Choose most recent posts
- Read the posts for opportunities
You’ll find lots of jobs related to your skill, but that doesn’t stop there. Find a way to keep track your leads (those who post freelance jobs in your niche) and opportunities you find on the search. You could use a spreadsheet to record their names, emails and all. This can be done within 20mins per day. After which you can reach out to at least 30 people daily.
Unlike freelance platforms, LinkedIn is a social network and doesn’t force you to bid on jobs, or take hefty fees out of each project. That makes it few of you actually bidding for the jobs, which if done properly, gives you a higher chance of landing the job.
This spreadsheet is also great for analyzing past clients to see how they found suitable freelance work and where the people posting jobs are coming from. This data can be used to optimize your search for the next job opportunity.
2. Inbounds leads are the holy grail of freelancing
Getting clients to come reach out to you is the way to earn a great living as a freelancer. No much hustle or hassle to in closing the deal. At this point you’re the king, the ball is in your court, all you need do is play it into the goal post. There are basically 2 ways to attract clients to your LinkedIn profile and have them make you an offer:
- content marketing
- profile optimization
You must have heard about the saying, “Content is King!” Yes. Content makes you standout and attractive to clients. It more like a social proof that you can actually do what you claim to do. Everyone needs a proof! Make it a priority to put out content on LinkedIn that showcases your skills and works. It could be a written content, video content, or even carousels. Make sure it’s informative, educative, and sometime entertaining.
Aside finding people posting job opportunities and contacting potential clients directly, having a well written LinkedIn profile works wonders for having clients come to you. How optimized your content is gives you a better chance of being searched out by potential client.
Here are a few steps to ensure that your LinkedIn profile is ready for inbound:
- Search for job opportunities on LinkedIn
- Read the job descriptions of at least 15 job opportunities
- Find common keywords the hiring managers are using
- Add these common keywords to your LinkedIn profile
Just as your are job hunting, hiring managers are head hunting, looking for their next freelance copywriter, designer, developer, name it. If you must stand out and increase your chances of being hired, it’s important that you use words and terminology that hiring managers are using.
3. Outreach to potential clients for networking
Mind you, this is not a cold outreach since the client has already asked for help. It’s a bit offensive to find people spamming you with messages on LinkedIn on how they could do this or that even when you never needed their services. You don’t want to be that guy!
How about sending hundreds of messages on LinkedIn without hearing from any of them? It’s either you’re getting it wrong or you’re sending it to the wrong person. Remember form our first step, you’re sending it client who has asked for help so you are there to help them in the best way you can.
Here’s the information you should send:
- Your name
- What problem you solve
- How much it will cost
- When you can start
- How long it will take
By being perfectly transparent in the beginning you reduce the amount of back and forth and the client can potentially choose you for the position right away. Many freelancers fall into the trap of wanting to explain everything in one big long message. Don’t do that. Instead, keep your connection request message about the size of a tweet, short and sweet with all the info the client needs to make a decision.
One more thing, being a freelancer implies that you have a skill you offer for sale. It could be writing, design, or sales; you can learn more about high demand skills. But in case you’re yet to learn a skill, or you’re looking forward to adding to your skill set, I have a course that’s best fit for you. Sign up for the SMB SEO Copywriting Course today!