How do you use social media? I’m getting into it pretty heavy and I’m really enjoying what it does for me. Joe and I use Twitter and Facebook for this site (come join us if you haven’t already!), and I use LinkedIn as well. The learning curve on all of them is a little to deal with on the front end, but they are fairly user-friendly overall. It can get a little complicated when you try and use some of the more advanced features, but all writers can benefit from having an account set up.
If you haven’t yet jumped on the social media bandwagon, try it. Set up a Twitter account and tweet. Create a Facebook page for your business. Take the time to walk through the LinkedIn profile and get that out there. It’s worth the effort–trust me!
Well, well…look what I found today! A blog that is dedicated to social media for writers! It looks fairly new, but has some info on Twitter and Facebook thus far, and it says that LinkedIn is coming soon…
What I’ve seen so far–I like. Keep an eye on this one–it could really be a great resource.
Did you know that Freelance-Zone.com is the #1 “Freelance” blog (in English) on Facebook? We are also in the top ten blogs for “Advice”. Don’t be left behind…join us and be a part of our online community!
Why join our Facebook page? One word…networking. We are growing fast and you can meet people on our FB page that you may not find here on our blog. Join us today–we’d love to have you! (And while you’re at it–hook up with us on Twitter too…these days you can’t afford to ignore social media!)
If you have had problems getting your tweet fix today you are not alone. Apparantly Twitter has been hit by a “denial of service” attack, and the popular social networking site has had issues because of it. Early reports suggest that Facebook may have had problems as well. The latest is here on CNN, but more is sure to follow. Just thought you might like to know what is up! I was trying to get on and had no luck, so I looked into it and found I wasn’t the only one!
I heard some information from a fellow writer, Cynthia Clampitt that I thought I would pass along for Freelance-Zone readers…
She said that FB is allowing third party advertisers to use photos that you post on the social networking site. I didn’t research this to see if it was true because you should really be protecting your privacy anyway. Do you know what your privacy settings are on FB? Can everyone see what you post? Careful…I’ve warned before about how this can work against you as a freelance writer. If you don’t want to mix your professional and personal life, take the following steps to protect your photos from other people using them without your permission:
Go to settings
Go to privacy
Go to newsfeeds & wall
Got to Facebook ads
Select no one
Save
Many thanks to Cynthia for bringing this to light!
The web is great, isn’t it? But…how much information do you have out there that could potentially hurt you as a writer? Does your Facebook account have pictures of you really drunk at some party? Do you have a personal blog that talks about your political views? As a freelance writer, you simply have to think about these things–because they can wind up doing you damage.
Don’t underestimate the power of a Google search. Don’t think potential employers won’t check you out online before hiring you for a gig. I know someone who hires people for a large company…and the first thing she does is go to the Facebook pages of applicants to read the wall posts. It’s really easy for someone to check you out on the web these days. Here are some things to keep in mind that could help sheild your personal life from the peering eyes of work-related searches:
Set your accounts to private. Facebook has a feature where people can’t access your page unless you say they are on the list. This is a good idea overall, but great for making sure editors don’t peep into your home life.
Get approval first. On Twitter, you can go into your settings and see to it that you have to approve someone before they can follow you.
Watch personal posts on forums and blogs. Assume that everything on the web with your name attached to it can be found–and read. Think about what you are putting out there and make sure that you are comfortable with everyone seeing it.
Google yourself periodically. This can help you see what others would be seeing if they are searching your name. If you find anything objectionable, see if you can fix it.
Subjects to avoid posting on? The usual faves, such as politics, religion, family business and personal problems. But don’t forget to pass on posting about editors that you don’t care for or publications that you have had issues with. That can come back to haunt you. Using a little caution when it comes to your online activities can be a really smart move.
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