How To: Leverage Facebook as a Freelance Job Search Tool

The constant challenge of freelancing lies in continually creating ways to market oneself and drum up repeat and new business. This is rarely, if ever, an easy thing to accomplish. The good news is, with the explosion in social media, this has become a slight bit easier.

We all know social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are fun networking and socializing platforms, but they, along with other social media tools, can also be used to enhance your job search and help you to land more clients. Don’t underestimate the usefulness of social media, you never know what you might find beyond the regular job boards.

Facebook holds the same networking and socializing benefits as those on Twitter and offers increased ability to build your social network through Facebook groups and fan pages. Many of the uses for these groups is job sharing so be sure you look beyond the obvious “freelancing” groups and fan pages.

So how should you use Facebook to find that next freelance job? First, you’ll need to know who to follow by simply searching your interests. If you’re a web designer, by all means, visit the various design groups but also branch out to the niches that interest you most like Flash design, CSS, etc.

Align Yourself with People Who:

• Hire freelancers
• Know people who hire freelancers
• Outsource to other freelancers
• Share the same ideas and interests
• Have the potential to collaborate on ideas
• Inspire you

Tips for Facebook Networking:

• Look for opportunities to share job opportunities: Have you ever come across a good freelance opportunity that wasn’t a good fit for your skill set? Find other freelancers in that niche and share the opportunity. You never know when the favor will be reciprocated.
• Share useful links: Every day yields new links to blog pots, news items, videos and cool tools for freelancers. How does this benefit freelancers? The constant opportunity to learn and become inspired by the world around us, so share those useful links!
• Offer support: Fellow freelancers are very supportive and are often willing to offer tips and advice. You’ll also find collaborators, conversationalists and fans by being one of those ‘friendly freelancers’.
• Offer camaraderie: Working from home can be a lonely existence. Facebook offers a means of escaping the solitude of a day spent alone in the home office.
• Linked In: provide a link to your Linkedin profile showcasing your work history and accomplishments. Most importantly, be sure to keep your Linkedin resume up to date
• Use your blog: Consider integrating your blog feed into your page or profile. Your content and ideas can help set you apart as an expert in your respective field.

Lastly, Be Careful What You Put Out There

We’ve all heard the horror stories. Remember that while using Facebook to find work, potential clients will also be using Facebook to check up on you. Build a professional profile and act appropriately so they feel as if can trust you with their brand. Create a separate profile if you tend to get a little crazy on the weekends.

What other tips do you have? Have you found jobs through your Facebook connections?

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