Freelancers, How to Use LinkedIn to Get Hired?

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn may not be the first option freelancers think of, because the common assumption is that it only benefits traditional businesses. But freelancing is all about building a network, and there are currently more than 650 million LinkedIn users. Further, LinkedIn has been paying attention to the growing freelance community, and stepped up its game to become more freelancer-friendly.

Freelancing in America (Source: Upwork)

In 2019, there were 57 million Americans who freelanced. That’s about 35% of the U.S. workforce. Freelancing's growing popularity can be attributed to a number of perks, from schedule flexibility to work-life balance. Even traditional businesses benefit from working with freelancers, and are opening their doors to them in increasing numbers.

As the freelance space grows more crowded, it's important to find effective ways to promote the services you offer. One of the easiest is through social media platforms. Don't forget LinkedIn.

Connect your Website to LinkedIn

If you don’t have a website or blog yet, it’s fairly easy to create one with WordPress just as these brands did. The best part? Using Wordpress to run your site is free.

A website adds to your credibility, and linking it to your LinkedIn profile will help drive traffic back to your website when someone browses your profile. It will give them the chance to see your whole portfolio aside from the samples you have posted on LinkedIn.

Optimize Your Profile

Choose the right keywords.
Words matter, but which ones exactly? LinkedIn is still pretty dependent on keywords. However, don’t just stuff your profile with a bunch of keywords without context. LinkedIn has its own spam detection algorithm that might filter you out from the search results.

You can start by focusing on the kind of client you want to work for. Try to think of the words they would use to find you. At the same time, think about what you do. What do you want to be known for? Try to avoid putting in keywords that don't strongly apply to you.

From there, start sourcing keywords from the industry that you’re in. If you’re in the writing industry, you could indicate that you are a “freelance writer.” Take the extra step to make it more specific: what exactly do you write about? Health and Fitness? Finance?
You can now place these keywords anywhere in your LinkedIn profile, but the headline, summary, and experience fields are recommended.

read more via FreelancerUnion.org