How to Find Freelance Work With Twitter

By Kim Woodbridge

I've frequently mentioned that I get most of my freelance work from Twitter. It's not hard but it will take some time to build credibility and to be viewed as providing value. It doesn't cost anything except for your time.

 Keep in mind that this is geared toward locating WordPress work but it can be adapted for whatever you do; writing, coaching, SEO, etc.


Here's how I do it.


Join and Participate

Join Twitter
Fill out the profile with a picture, bio, and website, if you have one
Customize your twitter background or find a friend to help you do it
Follow some people
Don't follow too many people all at one time
Post interesting information. Links to cool sites and articles. Once and awhile include one of your links
Follow everyone back who follows you except for the spammers. Even if they aren't in your niche. Why? Because you never know who might want your services
Talk to people. Put @username to reply to them and d username to send a direct message
Don't worry if no one replies back at first. It can take some time.
Find more followers, post interesting information, follow back, talk to people, repeat

Be Helpful and Kind

If someone posts a question or needs help with something that you know how to do, help.
Help some more
Do some freebie work. I have two clients that I do WordPress support for in exchange for promotion and publicity. That has generated more work and revenue then I would have ever earned by charging them. This will also help you build up your portfolio and client testimonials.
Do volunteer work for a non-profit. You'll be doing something good for a cause you care about and again it will add to your portfolio.
Are you seeing a trend here? You are going to GIVE before you get anything in return other than people being very very grateful.

Search


Use search with your keywords. I use   rel=nofollow search.twitter.com or the integrated search in   rel=nofollow [http://www.twitip.com/tweetdeck-review/]Tweetdeck and have a running search on the keyword WordPress.
When someone asks a question related to your area of expertise, follow that person and @ them to answer it. Do this even if the person doesn't follow you back. Most of the time they will.
If the question gets more complicated or the person asks for more help, kindly say you provide some support for free but that you also do this for a living and point them to your services page.
Make sure you have a services page. In addition, don't hide your contact information. Make it easy for people to find. I have my phone number on every page and not one person has called me without sending me a message asking if they can call first.

Work Will Find You

After doing the above for a while, work will start finding you.
People you have helped and that you have done work for will recommend you to others
But make sure you do a good job and are responsive, helpful, responsible and kind or you won't be recommended


Kim Woodbridge is a Blog Publisher and WordPress Technical Consultant. You can visit her website,   Anti Social Development at http://www.kimwoodbridge.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Find-Freelance-Work-With-Twitter&id=1960876] How to Find Freelance Work With Twitter