Follow Friday?

 by Catherine L. Tully

If you don’t know what the title of this post means…get ready to learn a great promotional strategy on Twitter. “Follow Fridays” is a way to figure out who to follow–and to share those you follow with others. To participate, simply tweet the words #followfriday (don’t forget the “hashtag” # before it) and then the username of the person you wish to share with the @ sign. For example, #followfriday @freelancezone @catherinetully.

It’s that simple. You can add as many people as characters allow (140) and if you run out of space, you can create another tweet. Try it–it’s fun!

Using Social Media

by Catherine L. Tully

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!

Linked Up With LinkedIn

 by Catherine L. Tully

Did you know that you can link your Wordpress blog up with LinkedIn? You can–and it is really easy. As a matter-of-fact, there are a number of cool things you can do with the applications on this social networking site. Be sure to check them out and see if there is something there that can help you save time or be more organized. LinkedIn is a great resource–I strongly advise setting a page up if you don’t have one already.

Twitter Directories

by Catherine L. Tully

Are you using Twitter to the best of your ability? Do you know how to find people to follow? Are you listed in a variety of Twitter Directories? If these questions make you nervous, you can probably use a little help on how to do this effectively. Good news…I’ve got some…

Here is a list of 20 Twitter Directories to get you going. It’s a good list too. While you are there, be sure and check out the rest of the site (TwitterTips) too….there is a lot of good stuff there.

Social Media For Writers Blog

by Catherine L. Tully

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.

Twitter Tips For Newbies

by Catherine L. Tully

Who better to give out some Twitter tips than Darren Rowse from ProBlogger. Be sure and check this out if you are new to this social networking site. Read and learn…

And if you haven’t been around the ProBlogger site–be sure to visit that too–it is one of the best in the business.

Using Twitter With Purpose

by Catherine L. Tully

Do you just get on Twitter and tweet away about whatever comes to mind? If so, you aren’t taking full advantage of the power of this social networking tool. Writers need to be thinking about how they are marketing themselves and their services when they post.

To that end, I’d like to point out a Twitter Guide that breaks a lot of the information out there down in a very palatable way. Mashable divides things up into three common sense categories… … Continue Reading

Online Security Tips

by Catherine L. Tully

We all know that computer security can be an issue, but do you really know how to protect yourself? Check out these cyber security tips given here by the Department of Homeland Security.

Learn how to reduce spam, deal with cyberbullies, safeguard your data and how to stay safe on social networking sites. This website really is an amazing resource.

Social Media Tips

by Catherine L. Tully

Everyone is using social media these days–including savvy writers. If you are looking to stay on top of what is going on, try out Social Media Today for some good info. You can find everything from places to find plug-ins for Wordpress to how to chart your website’s social graph.

Join Us On Facebook!

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!)

Twitter Tips For Writers

by Catherine L. Tully

If you are a fan of Twitter, here’s a great resource to help freelance writers get the most out of their tweets: Twitorials. There are a wide range of tips on here, ranging from basics, such as how to follow someone on Twitter, to more complex tasks, such as how to create a custom background. I’m going to try some of these out myself!

By TwitterButtons.com

Privacy On Facebook

by Catherine L. Tully

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!

5 Freelance Mistakes

by Catherine L. Tully

There is so much to know when you are freelancing, and while it is important to learn about the things you should be doing, it is just as vital to understand those things you should not be doing. Here’s 5 of them to keep in mind:

1. Manic follow-up. If the writer’s guidelines say 4 weeks, give them at least 5, preferably 6. If they tell you they haven’t had the chance to look at your query yet, wait a while before checking back. Don’t pester the editor–it can get your query deleted. Seriously.
2. Social networking. Ok, let me explain. Yes, you should be doing this. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are your friends. But not at the expense of your work. Remember that these social networking sites don’t do a thing for you if you aren’t actually working at writing. While you can get work there, you have to get that work done as well. Schedule time for it–then stick to your schedule.
3. Copying. Just because your friend got a query accepted by sending in a paragraph on a subject written in a snippy tone doesn’t mean you should do it. Find your own voice. It will get you more writing work than anything else. It takes time to cultivate this, so start now and let other people do their own thing.
4. Emphasizing quantity. Are you trying to get 20 queries out every week? Perhaps you are biting off more than you should. Instead, make sure that each one is meticulously researched and polished. Call to make sure you are sending it to the right person. Take the time to do it right and you will get much better results than if you send out a bunch hoping for a hit.
5. Sending in a first draft. Don’t do it. Just don’t. First drafts are never the best writing you can do. Make sure you take the time to hone a piece before sending it off. If you do this every time, your writing will improve.

Writers: If You Want Work–Be Visible

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times that somebody found me one way or another and then offered me a job. I can tell you that it pays off to invest some of your time and effort into marketing yourself as a writer. If you are visible, you will get work. The question is…how visible are you? Here are some smart ways to extend your reach and let people know you are out there:

• Have a website. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate creature. Mine is fairly simple, but has enough for people to get an idea of what I have done and what I can do.
• Start a blog. If you want to write on the web, a blog is great practice. I had never done one before Freelance-Zone and now that I have the hang of it, I really enjoy it. Just make sure you are aware that anyone can read what you put on there. Keep it professional.
• Stay in touch. Yes, I send holiday cards. I e-mail editors and let them know what I’m up to–or just touch base and say hello from time to time. Staying on their radar means they won’t forget about you when work comes through. Plus, it’s nice.
• Add a bio. Whenever possible, see if you can add a one-line bio to articles that you write. Include an e-mail or website where people can get in touch with you.
• Use a signature block. I have said this before and I’ll say it again….the signature block is your best friend. All e-mail correspondence should have one. I have gotten a lot of additional work through this. It should at the very least include your full name, a telephone number and your website and e-mail address.
• Use social media. Not on Twitter? Today is a good day to set up the account. Do you have a Facebook account? If not, perhaps it is time. Social media can really get your name out there and it is FREE. Take advantage!

Usernamecheck

For all you writers out there using social media….

Usernamecheck is simple and effective. If you are looking to see if a particular user name is taken on a site such as LinkedIn, Twitter or Flickr, just type it in and the site will search for you. It returns a huge list of “taken” and “available” sites so that you can know ahead of time where you can use it.