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Home > Articles > How to Network Successfully Online

Self-Employed Freelancers & Small Home-Based Businesses: How to Successfully Network Online

by Rachel Goldstein

If you want to get your freelance or small business' name out there, nothing is better than referrals and networking. Networking is the act of passing someone's name on to another person. But, in the new world of technology, networking has taken on an entirely new face.

Since self-promotion networking for client referrals could make or break your freelancing career, I recommend you use some of the following pointers.

1. Write Articles to Promote your Home-Based, Freelance, or Small Business

Write articles about your expertise and submit them to heavily trafficked web sites. Make sure that you are referenced in these articles. Something like this works best:

John Smith
Fake Company
Expert Web Designer
http://www.fake-company.com/
fake-company@server.com

Some web sites won't let you have all of this information written as a signature on the article, but they will let you have a summarized version. If not, at least insist on your name and website address being added to the article.

2. Become an Expert in Your Field to Promote Your Small Business

There is a web site called All Experts (http://www.allexperts.com/). That is a great place to network. This site is a hub where people ask advice of experts. Take advantage of this marketplace where others in your field can ask advice of you. If these people are pleased with your expertise, you might receive future gigs from them.

3. Networking on Message Boards and Chat Rooms Work Well for Promoting Your Home-Based, Freelance, or Small Business

Message boards and chat rooms attract individuals in need of advice. Take advantage of this. Just make sure not to blatantly market your services. This might infuriate people and you could get flamed or kicked out among other things. The way to network in this situation is to be as helpful and knowledgeable as you possibly can. If you are in a graphic design message board and someone is baffled about to use layers in Photoshop . explain the process. You could maybe mention that you use Photoshop daily when running your design business. THEN at the bottom of the page use a signature. Find out about signatures in #4 below.

4. Use Signatures with Your Freelance Business Info at The Bottom of Every e-mail

Every email that you send out should contain a signature. A signature is at the end of your emails and should look something like this .

John Smith
Fake Company
Providing Professional Brochures at a Discount Price! http://www.fake-company.com/
fake-company@server.com

You never know will need your design services, why risk missing out on a potential client?

5. Post Your Profiles & Resumes on Freelance Job Boards

Yes, posting your profiles on the freelance job sites is a perfect way to network. How else better to get your name out in the freelance world than placing your name on a freelance site?

6. Reciprocal Link to Other Small Businesses & Freelancer's Sites

If you have a web site, ask for a reciprocal link from others in your profession or similar professions. For example, if you are a graphic designer, ask for reciprocal links from fellow graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, etc. I get more traffic to All Freelance from reciprocal links than I do from search engines.

7. Network by Introducing Yourself to Other Online Freelance Professionals or Small Home-Based Businesses

Search and find other professional's websites and email them. Introduce yourself and your services to them. Let them know that you are available for work if they ever need to outsource. Ask questions. How long have you been freelancing? Where do you find clients? What is your specialty? Would they want extra work you have in the future? Etc.

8. Place your Freelance or Small Business' website in directories and search engines

It is good to get your name out in searchable directories . this is much more preferable than to search engines that don't really pick up any good matches. I recommend going to the following web site to get listed in the correct search engines & directories

http://www.selfpromotion.com/

For a listing of search engines to get listed in go to :

*http://www.searchiq.com/
*http://www.beaucoup.com/

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All Freelance Work is a freelance jobboard, small business community, consulting business article base, and freelance self-employment business information zone (and also great for people who have home-based businesses). All Freelance Work has been around since 2000 and is the home to over 170,000 freelancers. With 100s of freelance articles and 30,000 registered employers of freelancers, we have helped 1000 of contracted independent professionals find the perfect consulting jobs. Spend some time on this freelance site and see why so many freelancers keep coming back to All Freelance Work day after day. We welcome all self-employed professionals and we welcome all employers looking to hire our independent professionals. (Employers Can Search or Browse for Portfolios from the bottom or top of this page).

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