The internet can be a complex place. At the very least, it’s crowded… crowded with people, with content, and with options.
Running your own business can also feel complex… like there’s a lot to learn and keep track of.
And marketing yourself needs to fit into all that complexity somewhere.
One of the ways to help yourself succeed faster as a freelance digital copywriter is to simplify things when you can. Especially when it comes to marketing and landing clients.
So that’s what I want to offer you today… A simple plan for using LinkedIn to build your authority, clarify your messaging, and start landing clients.
Step 1: Set Some Goals
LinkedIn works better when you’re strategic. Start by spending a little time thinking about what you hope to accomplish on the platform. Who do you want to meet? What do you want to be known for? How fast do you want your connections to grow?
As you start to use the platform, it’s likely you’ll begin making connections with other writers, and that’s excellent. But also think about the types of companies you’d like to work with. Aim to make connections within those businesses. And, ultimately, it will be business owners or marketing directors (typically) who hire you, so make some connections with people in those roles, too.
Some good goals to set for LinkedIn:
- X number of posts per week
- X number of comments per day
- X number of messages per week
- X number of new connections per week
Step 2: Block Time
Whether you spend a couple of hours a week or a couple of hours a day on LinkedIn is up to you.
Building a consistent presence is what matters. Regular posting. Regular interactions. Timely responses to comments and messages.
That’s easiest to do when you schedule time each week (or each day) to be present on the platform.
And, if you set a time constraint — you won’t spend more than an hour a day, for example — you’ll be more likely to focus on being strategic about what you’re doing.
Plus, you’ll have time for other things, like handling client work.
Step 3: Show Up at Your Best
It’s important to be strategic about your LinkedIn presence, but part of that is recognizing that networking works best when you show up interested in getting to know people and in offering a helping hand where you can.
Do a good job writing and proofing your own posts. Make sure they’re about what you want to be known for, they’re relevant to your target audience, and they’re useful.
But don’t overlook other things. Like commenting, responding to messages, and sharing other people’s posts. For these activities, relax and enjoy yourself. If you read something good that someone else has posted, comment on it and let your excitement come through. If you find yourself having a conversation with someone in a comment thread, send them a connection request.
Be yourself, be helpful, and be organic… and jump on the opportunities to interact as they come up.
If you take a little time to figure out what you want from LinkedIn, and then start showing up regularly, building a powerful network can actually be a really simple thing. Give it a try!
In Case You Missed It…
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Are you familiar with content clusters? This is a strategy you can use to grow the traffic to your own business website or to help your clients attract more traffic to theirs. In her most recent Web Writing & SEO column, Jonna Jerome shows you how to plan strategically clustered content, and how it can have a big impact on traffic. Check it out.
Sometimes resistance just means you need to give yourself a little push to get started. And sometimes, it means you need to reexamine what you’re doing. In her latest Reality Blog, Jennifer Ayling shares her own recent experiences with resistance and where her reflections on it are taking her.
Mark Your Calendar…
April 17: For content marketing to succeed, you need to make a regular commitment to publishing high-quality information. That can be daunting. But if you have a plan in place for repurposing your most well-received content, it can take some of the pressure off… and lead to more success. In this training event, I’ll walk you through some of the best strategies for reframing and reusing existing content.
April 24: Learn more about Jennifer Ayling’s recent realizations about where she wants to go with her writing business (and where she doesn’t). In this live Reality Blog Update, you’ll learn about the importance of agility, how to have the courage to make a major direction change, and the versatility of your digital copywriting skills. I hope you’ll join us!
3 Things You Might Enjoy…
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That’s all for now. Have a great weekend!
