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Visibility
Most freelancer have not the money to have a PR agency working from them. Today I see the social media as the way to go. But that is really hard work. First of all, find the network that fits to your needs (skills and clients). Sometimes I get the impression people search networks with people who do already what “they” do, because they understand the needs… You don’t sell fish to fishers, they have enough fish, but they love to talk about fish—however, doesn’t pay the bills, if you have not an exotic fish to sell.
If you like to get enough exposure, you need to understand the network in which you are in. For example, the most simple way seems to be to have some FaceBook pages and get your “friends” there. Well, a short analysis shows, that you go no-where with FB until you pay them. Yes, you can have something like a free “business-wall” there such as a fan-page, etc. Then you might collect with some effort a huge number of “LIKEs”. Which is nice, but gives you no advantage on the long run. A LIKE is given once and mostly way back in the past. There is no option to push every new message to everyone who has LIKE’d it years ago for example. The algorithm of FB work, so far my analysis, mostly on interactivity, if you don’t interact with the people, “you” are not really connected and FB will not push the information to everyones “wall”. If you do not interact, chances that your newest ‘post” is seen, might be way below 10%. Or you pay them. Active followers are the key, note people who liked “you” once are not followers.
Based on my assumption, and if the amount of people is in the six or seven digit numbers, then one percent or less might notice any activity at all. A small number, and below thousand it might have a higher interactivity and with that a better chance to get noticed. But then again, not really efficient. I guess the interactivity doesn’t matter for 100 or 200 people on the list, at least not that much.
I have met in the past two years, several photographers with up to eight million followers (people who circled them, G+ gives one only 5,000 options to circle others, not an infinite number of Likes as FB does), grand players in the social media, and they use this to make a good living from it. But so far I was told, it is really hard work. My partner has 1.3+ million people who have circled here on G+, and a quarter million followers on FaceBook. Yes, I have done my homework there. To get something out of this social media, be a mentor there, make tutorials and share your work, but most importantly, be interactive. To just post something or even share only what was already published with no follow up discussion, it is a waste of time in my book. Be useful, share interesting things, and it might work, but sharing what others did before, not so much. Again, find your USP (unique selling point)
In a nutshell, show and share, but most importantly, be interactive—communicate and get your future clients to know.
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Business
Everyone knows the formula between the things offered and the ones requested. If the offers are plenty and the requests are low, you have a problem, as seller. So find something that is needed and wanted, as well where most people have no option to produce it—if your passion is in that area, you have a good starting position. To ask about that in public and find the “golden content” increases on the spot your competition. Which is another reason to not answer directly your question, that is your work only or it doesn’t work at all.
People who will invest money, need to have faith in ones work, words and promises will not lead to that easily, but if you can show something, it might work better. The best thing to have is references from jobs done. But nothing beats a good network; In many ways.
Of course there are many ways that might exclude the things said above. For example, to provide models or scene files for content providers, think of the places where you can buy 3D models.
Never give anything less than 100%, even if people like to get it done for the deadline in anyway, after the deadline has passed, the critical mind is active again, and you work perhaps in the filed, with no option to improve it. Reaching the deadline is then not longer the main interest. Quality is the key, on the long run.
All in all, take the positions of your ideal client, and ask yourself, how could s/he find me. Ignore what you know about yourself if you do so: specific terms or knowledge. Just think of a client close to a deadline, stressed and without patience—how is s/he able to find you. ...and if found, do you provide clear a information? Avoid flash animations and long text, just make them find you, and give them an easy way to connect with you instantly.
Good Luck
Sassi