10 Ways to Use Twitter for Hunting Down Freelance Gigs

Twitter is a huge online network of more than 241 million people worldwide. Beneath the surface, it offers many opportunities for advancing your freelance career. Here are 10 ways to use Twitter to find freelance jobs.

1. Write an Informative Biography

No one will hire you if they don’t know exactly what you do. It is important, therefore, to write a short, informative description of your skills and areas of expertise. Then, when potential clients click into your bio they will know immediately if you have the necessary skills for a particular project.

2. Follow Potential Clients

Write a list of as many potential clients as possible and follow them on Twitter. Prospective clients could be people working in the same sector as your current clients, businesses that you could assist, and current and past business contacts.

3. Follow Interesting People

Follow people who you find interesting and can engage with. This may or may not lead to freelance gigs. However, other people may notice your exchanges and find out more about you through them. This could indirectly lead to some work.

4. Share Quality Information

Do you have some valuable information that some or all of your prospective clients would be interested in? If so, share it on Twitter, perhaps with a link to a post on your blog that gives more information.

5. Be Helpful

Answer questions and give advice when it is requested. Potential clients will be more likely to remember you and trust you if you have helped them in the past.

6. Always Reply to @messages

If you always reply to your @messages, you will reveal that you are reliable and friendly. These are two qualities that future clients will be looking for. They will be more likely to contact you when a suitable project comes up because they can be sure of a reply.

7. Remain Professional

If you want to be taken seriously as a freelancer and to win lucrative projects in the future, remain professional in everything you do and say on Twitter. Don’t post potentially embarrassing photos. Don’t say anything negative about your clients. Don’t become involved in pointless arguments.

8. Don’t Directly Ask People For Work

Enjoy communicating with other users on Twitter to build relationships that may or may not lead to work. Do not directly ask others for work, unless they have already said they are looking for freelancers in your area.

9. Use Twitter Search

Use the Twitter search function to look for tweets about jobs in your area. Don’t forget to use a hashtag. For example, if you are a freelance writer, you could type in “#writingjobs”.

10. Try to Help People Solve Their Problems

If someone has tweeted about a particular problem that you could help them with, send a short offer of help with a link to your website or portfolio. For example, if someone is having trouble re-designing their website, you could send a short tweet offering your assistance.