5 Ways NOT to Use Twitter for Freelancers
Credit: Steve Garfield on Flickr
Twitter is a great social media resource for any business, freelancing included. It can help you brand yourself, build a network of like-minded users, promote your work, and share news about your business. As the social media manager for three print publications, I spend a fair amount of time on Twitter each day. And I’ve learned a thing or two about Twitter etiquette.
Twitter offers you 140 characters to share information, but there’s much more to it. No matter if you are new to the Twittersphere or you already have a Twitter handle, here are five things that can kill you on Twitter.
The Rise and Evolution of Remote Desktop Software
Credit: SimpleFoto on Photodune
Providing effective “on-demand” technical assistance and support often involves not only one’s personal IT knowledge and experience, but also a reliable set of technical products that help get the job done.
The rise and evolution of remote desktop software has enabled IT businesses of all sizes to deliver immediate “incident resolution” to their clients and colleagues located anywhere in the world, while eliminating geographical distances, national borders, and other constraints that were at play only 15 years ago. Such products play an essential role in improving the overall bottom line of any freelance IT business by excluding various costs associated with time consuming on-site visits.
The recent years have delivered a significant expansion of the remote desktop software industry, and today a business of any size is able to choose from a number of various remote desktop products based on its own budget and functionality requirements. As the owner of a small IT company, I am able to share my personal experience regarding the evolution of browser-based remote desktop software as an alternative to VNC-based products that dominated the market only several years ago.
Review: Publish Your Photography Book
Publish Your Photogrpahy Book
Is there a book in you? If you’re a photographer, the answer is probably a resounding “Yes!”
Whether you’re dreaming of producing one of those coffee table books with a hefty price tag or if your desires run to creating a client-wowing portfolio that doesn’t look like all those other portfolios, you’re in luck. Thanks to the proliferation of print-on-demand companies like Blurb, Fastback, Creative Books, and Shutterfly, getting your photo book into the hands of readers is easier than ever.
Note that I used the word “readers.” That was deliberate. The reality of the photography book publishing world is that it’s difficult to find buyers. Photography books are like poetry books in that the supply far exceeds the demand.
However, there are a few photographers whose books are collected like fine paintings. Expect to find their books on some very high-priced coffee tables. But these people are the exception, not the rule.
10 Apps for More Efficient Tweeting
As Twitter continues to grow at an incredible pace each day, the importance of the platform grows with it. Developing a strong social media presence and growing your network of followers demands being active on Twitter. Fortunately, there exist many tools out there that assist us in making our life easier and more efficient on Twitter.
Here are ten tools that will increase your efficiency, while allowing you to retain your genuine personality when tweeting.
1. Buffer – Never Flood Your Followers Again
Buffer
Full Disclosure: I work on Buffer.
Buffer is an App that allows you to tweet more of the great content you come across each day, without overwhelming your followers. Via one of the browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) you can “Buffer” any article as a Tweet that you come across. Instead of being posted immediately, all these tweets will be tweeted well spaced out over the day.
Best bit: To understand more about what your followers like, you will receive analytics about clicks, retweets and reach for every Tweet Buffered.
Successful Facebook Marketing – Book Review
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a skeptical person when it comes to the value of most forms of social networking. While there always seems to be stories of a friend of a friend who is landing clients with Facebook, I’ve yet to see most social networks as little more than a way to connect with your peers or a way to waste a huge amount of time.
Part of my problem is that I have never really invested in creating a strong social presence or spent the time on learning how connection points like Facebook can be run to deliver value to potential clients. So before I write off Facebook completely I figured I should learn a little more about it. For this reason I was looking forward to Rockable Presses’ most recent book Successful Facebook Marketing.
Continue Reading
Top Freelance Jobs from Job Board – Week 2, July
Looking for a new client? The FreelanceSwitch job board is a great resource of freelance gigs and opportunities. These opportunities are in various fields, from development to writing to design, and come from a wide range of potential clients. The job board is hand-moderated by dedicated staff and volunteers from the freelance community.
Each week, we’ll feature a selection of the best job opportunities posted for the week. This week, we’re featuring jobs in IOS Developer, WordPress Developer, Webdesign blogger and more!
To apply for any of these jobs, simply pick up a FreelanceSwitch membership for an affordable $7 a month. See something you like? Join now!
Linkswitch #76, Global Outsourcing, Gaining Traction, Create For You
Global Outsourcing: Is It Wrong to Pay Someone Less Based on Location?
Lately, I’ve heard of plenty of freelancers hiring virtual assistants or subcontractors based on the other side of the globe — choosing people based in places where $200 a month is a very respectable income. The general consensus among freelancers taking utilizing this is that it can be a great way to bring on help when you can’t fully afford someone locally. It’s a way to use geography to your advantage. I’ve also heard plenty of people declaring that paying a designer or a virtual assistant or any other type of help less than they would make in the U.S, the U.K, Europe or Australia is morally wrong.
Gaining Traction: What It Is and How It Will Make You Successful
Most people are just treading water – logging the minimum monthly work hours to pay the bills and stay afloat. If you are a blogger or entrepreneur of any sort, you were probably seduced by the notion of being your own boss and thereby becoming a master of your own fate. Unfortunately, the hard reality is that most people in this position of independence work even harder than the norm for fewer results. The work ethic is certainly commendable, but many fail to ever develop real traction and therefore never get to live the lifestyle they envisioned.
Mentors are key to a successful career
Mentorship can help both new and established small business owners move on to the next step in their careers. Who better to help you get to the place you need to go than someone who’s already there? Mentors can help you move past a plateau, expose you to new clients, and generally help you get your foot in the door (and sometimes even help you step through). The key is finding the one that suits you and your career objectives and that means taking steps to plan for what you want out of the relationship.
Gary Vaynerchuk on the Thank You Economy at SXSW 2011 Interactive
View awesome conference lectures, engaging how to discussions, and high quality freelance business advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.
This week we look at Thank You Economy – SXSW 2011 Interactive by Gary Vaynerchuk. In this video Gary, who sounds like he’s gone way over his daily coffee alotment, discusses The Thank You Economy, and how to tackle the ROI of social media and the humanization of business as he see’s it.
How to Stop Getting Rejected as a Freelance Writer
Credit: feverpitch on Photodune
In my early days of freelance writing, I thought long and hard about rejection. My articles were getting rejected, and I was mad. I knew if my articles get rejected, I won’t make money. On the other hand, when they are accepted, I make money. Freelance writing is really that simple.
So I began my quest to reduce rejection and increase acceptance. I wrote and read and tweaked until my articles slowly started getting accepted.
It was hard at first, but as I got accepted more and more, I figured out what I was doing right. Once I figured out the path to getting articles accepted, almost all of them were accepted. And of course, when they are accepted, I make money. The tips below are the things I have learned from repeated attempts at freelance writing. Follow them, and I guarantee your articles will get accepted more and rejected less.
Global Outsourcing: Is It Wrong to Pay Someone Less Based on Location?
Credit: Elenathewise on Photodune
Lately, I’ve heard of plenty of freelancers hiring virtual assistants or subcontractors based on the other side of the globe — choosing people based in places where $200 a month is a very respectable income. The general consensus among freelancers taking utilizing this is that it can be a great way to bring on help when you can’t fully afford someone locally. It’s a way to use geography to your advantage.
I’ve also heard plenty of people declaring that paying a designer or a virtual assistant or any other type of help less than they would make in the U.S, the U.K, Europe or Australia is morally wrong.
On that side of the discussion, there are some arguments that this trend is dragging down prices for freelancers across the board, along with the idea that location shouldn’t be a consideration when you hire someone.
Economic Security: Freelancing as a Fallback Plan
Credit: Chi King on Flickr
Freelancing with a day job can do more than ‘just’ bring in a little side cash. While that does help, there are more advantages to consider. Freelancing is a way to distribute risk. Especially in uncertain economic times, it’s good to seek alternative forms of income than full-time employment. Having a single source of income leaves you vulnerable.
How secure are you at your current job? If you’re still in the 9-5 trenches, and vulnerable to layoffs, then developing a freelance side business is a fallback plan to consider. Let’s look at some factors that make freelancing ideal in today’s economic climate.
