How to Find Freelance Writing Gigs on LinkedIn


With Facebook and Twitter hogging the attention all the time, LinkedIn often sits on the backburner like a less-popular cousin. While social networks may be a great way to build contacts and market your service, nothing quite cuts it like LinkedIn when it comes to bagging lucrative writing projects. I had let my LinkedIn profile sit stagnant for the longest time, until a few days ago when I rediscovered the power of LinkedIn, especially for freelance writers. Not only is LinkedIn a treasure house of well-paying freelance writing projects, it is also a potent client-magnet if used regularly and right. Here are 5 ways you can land some lucrative freelance writing jobs on this awesome professional network.


Pack some power into your profile: First things first. Before you go out applying for freelance writing jobs and adding potential clients to your network, make sure your profile is the best possible representation of your skills and experience. A 100% complete profile ups your chances of being recruited by 40% (or so the stats say), therefore it may be worthwhile to spend some time updating each section and filling in as many details as you possibly can. Your LinkedIn profile is the first glimpse of you that a client is going to get – so make it pretty!

I came back to my dormant LinkedIn profile after several months only to find a bunch of project queries waiting in my inbox. As soon as I pimped up my profile with some SEO and descriptions, I got a bunch more. It was only when I landed 4 high paying writing jobs with well-known brand names within a single week did I actually bow down to the power of LinkedIn . One of these incidentally, was the profile of a ‘LinkedIn Profile Writer’ for Shine.com! On a slightly digressed note, this tells us two things:

1. People are actually paying writers to do up their LinkedIn and other profiles, which means this is REALLY important stuff.

2. This opens up a whole new market for freelance writers (if you know your way around this, there is serious money to be made)

Your LinkedIn profile serves as an organized online portfolio that lets potential clients come after you, rather than the other way around. This is especially useful if you do not have a professional writer website yet.

Gigs in the “jobs” section: This is an obvious place to begin your search for freelance writing projects. Among the many full-time job opportunities, you will surely find some freelance or flexi-time ones. Some job postings may fall into the “content-mill category” but if you are meticulous in your search, you will definitely find the good ones tucked away somewhere. Follow the instructions to apply and put your best foot forward.

Follow the companies/clients you love: Is there a publication you have been dying to break into or a client who you crave to work with? Follow them on LinkedIn and get regular updates about recruitment plans and job openings. As soon as something suitable crops up, pounce on it with all your mojo.

Gigs posted within groups: Groups on LinkedIn are primarily for networking with like-minded professionals and discussing issues of common interest. However, it is not uncommon to find freelance writing jobs posted on forums – sift through them carefully and you might hit a gold mine. Two of the four aforementioned gigs were fished out from the Indian Freelance Writers group on LinkedIn. True Story!

Reach out to editors and profile viewers: This may be a slightly aggressive approach but it does pay off if you can pull it off without coming across as a stalker/spammer/both. Look for editors and business owners in your network who could use your freelance writing services and shoot them a polite mail asking if they have any openings or requirements at the moment. There is a good chance they won’t hire you immediately but they will know you are available when something comes up. You will be surprised at the number of assignments I have bagged this way.

A tiny box on your LinkedIn profile allows you to view a list of individuals who have checked out your profile in the past few days. See if any of them are potential client material and send a short message asking if you could be of any assistance to their business. I have never tried this myself but I know a few writers who do it and it seems to work for them more often than not.

Have you even found freelance writing work on LinkedIn? If so, where and how? Tell us your story!

12 comments:

  1. LinkedIn is certainly a great place to connect with people, but every word in this insightful post shows how precious a resource this can be. Thanks for enhancing awareness!

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  2. One of my editors told me she found most of her writers on LinkedIn, but it didn't sink in. I loved your tip about following companies you're interested in. When it comes time to start looking for new gigs, I'll know something about the company and be able to make a much more informed pitch. Thanks!

    Now it's time to update my profile. Somebody asked me if I could upload my articles, add photos, etc. Of course I can! It earned me extra money this month and was an opportunity to do something a little different.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shashank and Rob: Thanks for participating in the discussion. @Rob, just went through your blog - pretty interesting stuff you have there!

    ReplyDelete
  4. was an informative and enlightening read...thanx for sharing :)

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  5. liked your post. I am a freelancer writer myself. been one for the past 16 years. I had joined a few writing groups on Linkedin...and found them to be sham. just bogus posts from people who I doubt had any serious projects to give many other members felt likewise. i have found job the traditional way. tho i do agree sites like linkedin and FB can help. i have a question for u...i have just started conducting an online course for help those interested in being a freelance writer. u say in your article, that having a spiffy linkedin profile helps. i agree. but what if the person is just beginning and has no published work to show off...everyone needs to start somewhere...how can linkedin help them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Just read your post - very late in the discussion but thought this might help. We ask for 3000 words based on a specific brief as a sample of your writing. Most of the work we contract out does not get used (but does get paid for!) and it is usually a ghost writing article. I would like to know if you consider 3000 words reasonable to show off your talent?

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  6. Even if writers have no experience or published work to show, LinkedIn can still help them reach out to prospective clients and editors. You can always post a few articles on a personal blog and present them as samples.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your web-site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched all over the place and simply could not come across. What a perfect web site.


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    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your web-site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched all over the place and simply could not come across. What a perfect web site.


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    ReplyDelete
  9. hi suchi...i read most of your articles regarding writing ..i liked them all..i want to write as a freelancer but i am stumbling at the term SEO.how could one become able to write on SEO backdrop?..please help..

    ReplyDelete
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