Twitter for Freelancers

Social media has skyrocketed in popularity and usage over the last few years. While people young and old are tweeting and sharing content all over the internet, it's a market that freelancers need to be capitalising on. Some might say having a Twitter page for your business is as important as a dedicated website. Here are some tips on how to make the most of the site as a freelancer.

Learn the basics

Twitter's impact on the way companies advertise their products has been revolutionary. It is a hugely effective - and free - marketing tool. The micro-blogging site is a platform where everybody's competing for a voice and, while it might be difficult to make yourself heard, it's impossible if you don't try. Create an account for your services - if you haven't already - and join the party. Make sure you learn the basics, though. If you don't know the difference between a handle and a hashtag, then make sure you fill the gaps in your knowledge, before you expose them to potential customers. Don't worry about starting off cautiously if you're new to this environment - watch and learn how others use the site for their advantage, then follow suit. 

Get stuck in

Tweet about the industry, join conversations and spark a debate. One way Twitter has changed the business world is that it's allowed companies to have a personality. It's now so much easier to get in touch with a firm, whether it's to ask about opening times, make a complaint or just pass on thanks for the service they provided. Someone from Sainsbury's marketing team recently engaged in a 'pun battle' with a customer at great length. While it may come across as nothing more than harmless banter, millions of people have been made aware of it thanks to the rapid speed at which content travels over the internet. And the result? Sainsbury's appears personable, light-hearted - and like a friend. It also makes you want to go to your local branch and check the fish aisle, desperately hoping there'll be something you can jokingly complain about via Twitter. 

Follow clients

Follow clients - past and present. Don't get obsessed about making sure the number of people who follow you is greater than those you follow. When a client posts good news, retweet it and congratulate them. Never complain about clients, no matter what the situation is. Follow other freelancers and take inspiration from what they do.

Create the right kind of presence 

You can also learn and listen a lot on Twitter. Follow firms you're interested in or admire. If you're feeling courageous, ask one for a retweet to get your message seen by more people. Be very careful about the people with whom you interact - don't get into any debates that could make you look bad or appear to have certain affiliations that you don't. Make sure you're posting relevant content so your followers won't abandon you. Obviously you want a regular presence on Twitter, but a feed that's full of unrelated topics to your business is not what anyone wants to read. Don't jump on a trending hashtag if you haven't got anything useful or new to say and don't overuse hashtags. You could appear a little desperate and/or annoying if you just fill your tweets with ones that don't really mean anything.

Useful tools

To make the most of your account, you can use more advanced tools such as Tweetie, TweetDeck or Hootsuite. These will make using the social networking site significantly easier and come with many features you might find useful. Hootsuite, for example, means you can schedule tweets to be posted onto your profile while you're away from your desk or going to be in an area where the Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity is notoriously poor. 

'Lists' have also been introduced, which means you can organise all the people you are following by placing them into categories.

Recent statistics showed there were nearly 25 million tweets in regards to the Super Bowl. Twitter has proven itself to be where potential new clients are - make sure your business is a part of it!