While you aren’t likely a deliberate social spammer, are you confident that all of the marketing techniques you utilize on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and similar platforms are all above board and totally acceptable?

Use this handy infographic to get an overview of the specific rules to be found in the terms of service of your favorite social media sites and avoid these three main no-no’s when letting your followers and friends know about what you have to offer:

1. Be Yourself, Don’t Impersonate

No matter where you maintain social profiles, each should represent who you are in reality, not a fictitious character and not your business. Every social platform demands that users use their real name and have a profile that represents who they are; obviously your business is a part of who you are but it’s important to keep your profile presentation at a happy medium.

2. Never Be Sexually Explicit

Whether your products are adult-oriented or you simply have a bit of a dirty sense of humor, using sexual connotations of any kind in your marketing efforts, or your personal postings, is a quick and easy way to get banned on any social site.

3. Don’t Automate

Automated content creation and sharing is specifically banned on all social platforms except when utilizing official software or software properly utilizing the platform’s API (i.e. TweetAdder for Twitter). Rules aside, just as you are unlikely to be highly responsive to what is obviously an automated message or social posting, your audience is equally unlikely to be swept off of their feet by the same.

The social media spam infographic is courtesy of SEOsmarty and placed through MyBlogGuest Infographics gallery!

Click the picture to see the full sized version!

The Goods on Social Media Spam is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

If you are a freelance writer and you want to have more private clients, Google+ is the network that you should be using. Yes, I still love Facebook and Twitter, but Google+ has some features that will make it a valuable investment of your time!

I have been enjoying Google+ since it first came out but lately I have been seeing the value of it even more. The big change?  Search Plus Your World (which I am too lazy to write out every time I mention it so I’ll likely just call it Search+ from now on!)

What is Search+?

Search+ is Google’s way of letting you search within your networks when you are looking for information.  When you go to google.com (I don’t see it available at google.ca yet but if you scroll to the bottom of the screen when you are on the .ca or other country you will find a link that says “go to googl.com” and then you will be able to use this feature) and do a search for anything you will still get the results that you would normally see but you will also see results from people that are in your network, talking about the subject you are searching for.

For example, if I do a search for blogging I get this:

click the picture to see a bigger version!

Now, if you click on the picture to see a bigger version you will notice that some of the results have a little person figure beside them – those are posts from people that are in my Google+ network.

Why would I want to see those in my search results?

Well, if you have them circled in Google+ it is obviously because you are interested in connecting with them or the share information that is valuable to them or you already trust their information.  So doesn’t it make sense that you would value the information that they put out there more than information from random sites?

Now, let’s pretend that you are an internet marketer, a web site owner, a blogger or someone else that does business online or wants to increase their business by building an online presence.  You are starting a blog or you want to do some article marketing or you need to do a press release but you don’t have time (or skill) to write it yourself.  You need to find a freelance writer.  So you do a search on Google and you hit the little Search+ symbol so that you can get results in your network (because you trust their recommendations more).  Are you going to show up in their trusted network’s results?

Not if you aren’t on Google+ – so get on there!

Now, to illustrate, let’s see what kind of results I get when I search for freelance writer:

Recognize any of those faces?  I do!  They are all people that are in my social network on Google+!  How cool is that?

And if I scroll down the page just a little bit I see this:

Yup – that is me!

So, if people in your network do a search for freelance writers or something along those lines, are they going to find you? They won’t if you don’t get your butt over to Google+ and start using it.

If we aren’t already connect, circle me on Google+.  I’ll likely circle you back but just to be sure say hi by putting a + sign in front of my name when you make a post.

Since I think Google+ is so important for networking, I’m going to be writing some more about it soon.  If you have any particular topics you’d like to see addressed please leave me a comment!  And don’t forget to share this post on Twitter, Facebook, and of course, on Google+!

Freelance Writers – Are You Using Google+ Yet? is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

I recorded an audioboo about FiversWorld. Take a listen:

Check out FiversWorld here!

Check out my gigs on FiversWorld

FiversWorld | Buying and Selling Online is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

Seriously, guest posting might sound like a lot of work to you, and it is if you’re doing it right.  But is it worth the bother?  Some don’t think so.  I strongly disagree and I think that if you really want to get in front of a targeted audience guest posting can be your best tool.

Why?

Well, think about it – how do your find new readers?  You need to get in front of your audience right?  Right.  And how do you do that?  There are lots of ways – forum posting, yahoo answers, article marketing, and so on.  But guest posting – this is one way that you can be sure of being in front of a targeted audience because blog readers tend to be quiet loyal.  When they find a blog they like, they come back to it again and again.  And they already want the information.

So, when you guest post for someone else’s blog they are essentially letting you borrow their readers!  What more could you ask for.

When you guest post for someone’s blog, you usually get a resource box somewhere in the blog post where you’ll be allowed to add links.  Spend some time creating a great bio that is funny and engaging at the same time.  Leave links to the places that you want to be found most and don’t forget to tell them whatever the most important thing about you is.

Also, when you guest post for someone’s blog they might let you leave links within the body of the post.  These links should be to specific blog posts within your blog.  This will help you get targeted traffic even more!

Check out some of the guest posts I’ve done this past year:

• 10 Ways to Build a Killer Web Presence Without Social Networking (Job Mob)
• 10 Reasons Your Writing Blog Isn’t Helping You Get Jobs (The Blue Inkwell)
• Writers - Are You Filling in Your Profiles? (Get Paid to Write Online)
• Why WordPress is the Leading Content Management System(Ben Wan Web Solutions)
• How to Keep Your Business Writing Simple (Simply Stated Business)
• 5 Techniques You Can Use to Take Your Internet Marketing Business to the Next Level in 2012 (Famous Bloggers)

Guest Posting | Is It Really Worth the Bother? is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

Guest post  by Hajra Khatoon

WHO IS ANNABEL CANDY?

Annabel Candy runs Successful Blogging  and a travel blog called Get in the Hot Spot. She has been featured on Copyblogger, Problogger and Zen Habits. With over 16 years of experience in web designing and copy writing; she is a power to reckon with especially if you want to tap into the power of blogging. Her travel blog has over 20, 000 readers per month! Yes, that’s a five digit number.

WHY I LOVED THE BLOG?

Successful Blogging isn’t like any other blogs that shouts the WHAT OF BLOGGING in your face all the time. It has some very unique things to offer and here’s why we love it :

• It takes the tour from scratch – talks about starting a blog, building it and so on.
• There is a topic categorized as Blogging Succes Stories where bloggers from various realms talk about their rise to the blogging hall of fame
• It talks about the dreaded topic – making money from blogging. Whether it can be done or not and how?
• The personal touch : her posts over the holidays reflected that there’s more to Annabel than just being the blogging wiz.
• The look of the blog is clean, crisp and fresh. Makes you want to keep surfing. No jazzy colors, no in your face advertisements and just the right mix of sidebars.
• She’s got the Pinterest button! Yup, that is the latest craze.
• She is featured in the media way too many times. She is a print celebrity. Check out her media accolades here.
• When you subscribe for free updates you get three chapters of her book for free and you are updated every time she updates! You keep in sync with her!
• She offers 1 on 1 consultation. And her pricing packages are all mentioned right away on the blog

So, if you are looking into working on your blog and making it click, Annabel is the lady to get in touch with. That’s more than good enough reasons to be stalking Annabel Candy on her blog right away!

For the Problogging Success’s Blogging Tips 101 Contest.

Blog Review: Successful Blogging is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

Guest post by Hajra Kahtoon

WHO?

Jane Sheeba  runs many blogs!!! That is probably the first thing you notice about her.

She blogs about blogging at Problogging Success.

She tells you all about the technological buzz going around at Tech Buzz.

She runs a relationship advice blog at Merry Relationships.

Besides this, she is a team member at We Blog Better, works as a scientist by day and don’t ask me how; but manages to run her family and raise a kid!

Now that you have done gasping; read on.

WHAT?

Jane has authored an amazing book called Pro Blogging Action Plan. The book is a 132 page of action packed blogging guide. It can very well be your blogging guru all in itself. Not only is the book explanatory, but it walks you through EACH AND EVERY step of the blogging process. From selecting your niche, to naming it, to hosting it, to writing posts, having schedules, SEO’s, links, plug – ins, to, hear hear…MAKING MONEY!

Not only is this book  a walk-through through your blogging journey; it tells you how to maximize benefits at each step.

WHY?

Why should I buy this book you ask? Here’s why:

• Everyone talks about making mistakes. Pro blogging action talks about improving on them. What you should NOT be doing and what you SHOULD be doing and HOW you should be doing it.
• There is absolutely nothing a newbie needs to know that hasn’t been covered. You name it and it is there in the book.
• Illustrations :  probably my best loved feature in the book! Not only does Jane walk you through; she illustrates how!
• DEFINITIONS! Yes, Jane’s book defines many terms that technology cripples might find hard to understand. Terms like content syndication, quality link building, do follow links are comprehensively described.
• Not only will you know what blogging goals are; you shall know how to identify them.
• It’s a tried and tested formula. Jane mentions how she went wrong and how she worked on it.
• Recommendations: The book lays out the resources available and compares them to each other. Also, Jane mentions what she uses herself and why.
• Wonderfully explained methods to increase traffic to your blog and also optimizing your blog for search engines.
• MONEY: Everyone is here to make money, at least some money. This book might help you get just that!

HOW MUCH?

Priced at 27 $ this book is probably the best bargain you get! Also, there is so much to learn that money really won’t be an issue. Also, letting you on a little secret; if you are a subscriber at Jane’s blog you might just get yourself a discount!  And it comes with a 100% 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. What more can you ask for?

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING?

Check out what others are saying about the book.

Brankica Underwood of Blog Like a Star: If you are searching for actionable steps to make your blog bigger and better, Jane has the solution for you. Her e-book is filled with great advice. She served all the things on a platter for you. Do you know how much time we would have all saved if this book had been published sooner? She tried and tested everything and handpicked the things that work the best. Can’t ask for more than that! ”

Ana of Traffic Generation Café: “Jane’s book is a goldmine for any aspiring blogger. It’s filled with the kind of thorough and practical advice on setting up and running a successful blog that others charge hundreds of dollars for. If you already have a blog up and running, don’t think this ebook is not for you though. Her chapters on content creation, SEO, and blog promotion are definitely something that can give your blog the push you’ve been looking for. In short, this ebook is definitely a winner in my book. ”

So, given all that you stand to benefit, go book shopping here!

For the Problogging Success’s Blogging Tips 101 Contest.

Book Review: ProBlogging Action Plan is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

Guest post by Missy Nolan

oDesk is notorious for low-paying freelance writing jobs.  If you are an oDesk user, you’ve probably waded through hundreds, maybe even thousands, of writing gigs that demand high-quality, well-researched 500 word articles for $1 or $2.  Most of us can’t survive on rates that low.  In fact, $2 won’t even get you a loaf of bread or a carton of eggs in some cities.

Don’t give up on oDesk just yet, though.  There are plenty of gems hiding between all the ridiculously picky clients and insultingly low wages.  Finding them just requires a bit of time and patience.  Talent and self-confidence help, too.

CREATE AN AWESOME PROFILE

Yes, oDesk is just a bidding site, and you are not guaranteed employment or job offers.  However, that doesn’t mean you should treat it that way.  Treat your oDesk profile the same way you treat your cover letter and resume when you apply for traditional jobs.

What does that mean?  It means make it good.  Now is not the time to be modest.  Brag about your achievements in the writing world.  Mention any degrees or certificates that you hold, even if they aren’t writing related.  Include some killer samples or links to your best work.  Oh, and a photo never hurts – just keep it professional.  Save the pics that flaunt your bikini body or beer chugging skills for Facebook.

Set your hourly wage at the amount you think you deserve.  Hint: This should be at least $15, preferably higher.  Some clients favor contractors with super low hourly rates, but those aren’t the employers you want to work for.  Keep your standards high.  You’ll look a bit silly bidding on gigs that pay .15 per word if your hourly rate is set at $7.50.

Image via CrunchBase

IMPRESS EMPLOYERS WITH YOUR COVER LETTER

A well-written cover letter is interesting, relevant, and factual.  Avoid vague statements like, “I am looking for a project that allows me to utilize my knowledge of blah blah blah”.  Yawn.  Employers don’t want to hear what type of gig you want; they want to know that you want their project and are a good match for it.

Read each job listing carefully and look for things that seem important.  Some oDesk employers have very specific degree requirements or expect a certain style of writing – and make it clear that there will be no exceptions.  Make sure you meet these requirements before you apply.

Other employers aren’t really sure what they want.  This is great news for you.  Job listings that say things like, “I’m new to this and not really sure what to charge…” give you a chance to  set your own price and explain why you deserve it.  Also, don’t be afraid to click on jobs with a budget that is slightly smaller than what you’d like.  Some employers are flexible on the amount, especially after they realize what paying half a penny a word will usually get them (and they can tell by the terrible samples and cover letters they receive).

SET YOUR FILTERS

This may seem like an obvious step, but it is one that many oDesk contractors overlook.  When you search for writing jobs, there is an option on the right that says “Fixed-Price Budget”.  Set it to at least $50, higher if you wish.  Avoid setting it too high, because that will send you to a bunch of large projects that sound good at first – until you realize you’re getting $1000 to write 500 articles by next week.

You can also choose between fixed-price and hourly gigs.  It’s much easier to find high-paying writing jobs if you search for fixed-price and hourly gigs separately.  Start with the fixed-price  gigs, then make your way to the hourly listings.  And speaking of hourly payment…

DON’T IGNORE HOURLY GIGS

Some contractors see an hourly gig and immediately skip to the next listing.  Not all hourly gigs are a waste of time.  In fact, I’ve had several hourly gigs where the employer changed my rate to a flat price per article at my request.  Remember, not every oDesk employer knows  how quickly some writers can write or how much to offer per article.  That’s why they go with the hourly rate.

READ AN EMPLOYER’S FEEDBACK

Sometimes an oDesk gig seems too good to be true, especially if you’re used to writing for peanuts.  While there are many legitimate high-paying writing opportunities, some of them are scams.  Before you bid on a project, read an employer’s feedback – all of it.  Don’t just look at the overall score; read the individual comments.  If a lot of contractors failed to leave feedback, that’s not good.  Sometimes contractors fear the “revenge rating” they’ll receive if they leave bad feedback, so rather than risk ruining their own score, they leave a terrible employer’s feedback field blank.

NEGOTIATE

Some employers are not flexible, and after spending a bit of time on oDesk, you’ll be able to spot them immediately.  Employers with a long list of paragraphs describing what they want from their 300 word article are generally a nightmare to work for.  So are employers who are very, very specific about the type of writer that they want – you’ve probably seen a few oddly detailed requests, like, “Please only apply if you are an Asian woman between the ages of 18-30 with 4 years of college, several children, at least 3 tattoos, and more than 5 years of writing experience”.  Good luck finding someone for that project, buddy.

Anyway, just because a project has an estimated budget of $50 doesn’t mean you have to stick to that budget – unless the employer has made it very clear that he will pick the cheapest bidder and not go over the budget.  Bid what you think you’re worth, and explain why you deserve that price in your cover letter.  The worst that can happen is that you don’t get awarded the project, and guess what?  There are hundreds more added each day.  Go get them!

Missy Nolan has spent the last 8 years sneaking away from her kids during Yo Gabba Gabba! and Dora marathons to write product descriptions, marketing copy, and other web content.  When she’s not writing, she likes to bake, read, walk, and watch trashy reality shows.  You can follow her adventures as a writer on her website, How Much Does a Freelance Writer Make?

How Can I Get High-Paying Writing Jobs on oDesk? is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

Courtesy of: Schools.com

Why Social Media Isn’t a Waste of Time is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

If you are a fiction writer, online writer, or magazine writer, you need to be able to promote yourself.  Unless of course you’re big enough to have an agent that does all of that for you.  But the majority of us are web writers and the only people we can depend on to promote us are ourselves!  It is a vital element to any web writer that wants to be successful.

Thanks to the Internet, there are many ways that we can promote ourselves.  You can get your name out there and share samples of your work at the same time.  Choose a good mixture of promotional techniques to get the best results and reach the widest audience possible.  Many of them are no cost options so take advantage of them.

Social Media

Obviously, I put a lot of emphasis on social media.  Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon can help you reach a wide audience.  I know some of you like to keep your Facebook profile private.  That’s fine.  You can still create a Facebook Page.  You can share articles you’ve written, blogs you’re writing for, ideas, thoughts, and so much more.

Interaction is always going to be important when it comes to social media promotion.  You can’t just get out there and talk about yourself.  You need to be ready to help people, share information, and develop relationships.  Without the interaction you’re just a big ol’ spammer. J

Here’s a tip for Facebook Page owners. 

You can comment on other pages as YOUR PAGE instead of your profile!  Just go to your page and look to the right.  You’ll see a link that says, “Use Facebook as (your page name)” – click that.  Then find pages that you like and “LIKE” them.  Then participate in the conversation as YOUR PAGE.  You’ll get more likes to your page, which means more exposure!

Your Website

I’ve talked about this before.  You need to have a website that is complete and professional.  Treat it like the reception area of your office.  It should be clean and tidy.  Clients should have access to someone to contact (via your contact form or another means).  You should have basic info that they will be looking for and then you can direct them to your blog, which gives you the opportunity to kind of sit down and have a chat with them.

Blogging

If you don’t have a blog, why not?  If you have a blog that is sitting there growing weeds, why?  A blog is not rocket science.  You’re writing articles for clients every day so why would you not take some time to write for yourself?  Think of it this way, your blog is your office.  It is where you can provide people with information, you can sell your services, and you can demonstrate your knowledge.  Why wouldn’t you take a couple hours a week to develop your business?

And while you’re blogging great stuff, don’t forget to share it on your social networks!

Reviews & Testimonials

When people use the Internet to find a service or a product, they often start by looking for reviews first.  They don’t want to just know what you have to say about you; they want to know what others say about you.  They want to know what you are good at and they want to know what actual clients have to say!  You can start by getting clients to give you a testimonial that you can place on your site or blog.  If you have a Facebook page you can ask clients to come and like the page and leave a comment about your services.  If you have a site or blog there are review sites that special in reviewing.

Forums and Groups

What better way to demonstrate your knowledge and promote yourself than by helping people?  And forums and groups are great for that.  They can especially be helpful if you have a specialty.  Your specialty likely has a Yahoo group, a forum, or a Facebook group connected to it.  Join it and participate.  Look for the chance to answer people’s questions.

And don’t forget that many forums let you attach a bio or a signature.  Make use of this!  If you use a signature, make sure it is something catchy and appealing.  If it is a bio fill it out completely.  If you’re on Google+ (and you should be – it is growing!) make sure your Google profile is completely filled out.  It’s a sales page and people will read it so don’t miss out on this chance to promote yourself!

Article Marketing

Do you think that since Panda came along article marketing is out the window?  It’s not.  There are still sites that are doing well and article marketing gives you a chance to share your knowledge and get valuable links back to your site or blog.  Write great stuff and always make sure that your profile is filled out completely.  People can’t find you if you don’t tell them where you are.

Guest Posting

You can’t get everyone on the Internet to your blog.  But you can go to where other people are.  Guest posting has the advantage of allowing you to reach a targeted audience that is just sitting there and waiting for you to show up.  Well, not necessarily you.  But someone.  And if it isn’t you it will be someone else.

Follow some great blogs and study them.  If you have a specialty, you’ll want to look for blogs in those niches, obviously.  But if you’re not sure yet, follow blogs in a niche that you’re interested in and can write about.  Observe how their blog posts are structured and the tone of the writing.  Then write something great for them and contact the blog owner and offer your guest post.

This Isn’t a Waste of Time

I hear writers say all the time that they don’t want to waste time on social media or don’t have time for guest posting.  All these things are not a waste of time.

They are good business!

Every business needs to promote.  I don’t care if you have an online business or a bricks and mortar business.  You can’t just rely on drive by traffic to keep your business profitable.  You need to promote.

Think about it – if you’re not promoting yourself and using some of these techniques, you are wasting your time being in business for yourself.  You’d be better off to go and get a retail job IMO.

Are You Using These 7 Important Tools to Promote Yourself as a Writer? is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?

One of the most difficult aspects of being a freelance writer is staying motivated. You can lose your motivation because you’ve worked so much you’re burned out, because you feel isolated, or even because you can’t imagine anyone being interested in what you have to say on a blog. When you lose your motivation, freelancing writing becomes a chore rather than a career that you love.

Join a Group

A great way to stay motivated is to join a group of other like-minded writers. Some writers are interested in eventually having enough passive income to live off of while others are content working for content mills or private clients. Whether you want to have passive income from your own sites or prefer working for others, make friends with some of these writers. You can often find groups on social networking sites like Facebook.

When you are so burned out from overworking that you can’t even think, a group of writer friends can be a lifesaver. Not only will they understand what you’re going through, but they can help you come up with strategies to overcome burnout. You may be surprised at what other writers do to help with burnout and you will find that those strategies will often not only work for you as well, but will renew your energy enough that can you finish your work and even do more of it.

Image by OkayCityNate via Flickr

Avoid Isolation

Isolation is a big motivation killer and every freelance writer will eventually face it. Whether you work from home to take care of your children or just to avoid the office, isolation and loneliness can creep in when you least suspect it. While freelancing gives you the ability to be home and avoid bosses or gossip, it also keeps you from being able to visit with coworkers around the water cooler. There’s no one to talk to about difficult assignments or clients. Unless your family members are also writers, they just won’t get it. When you join a group of writers on a social site you find friends that understand. The group becomes the office water cooler and you can relax while talking about your workday.

If you are not confident in your abilities as a writer or that people will actually read what you have to say if you start your own site, your friends in a writer’s group can help you find the confidence you need. You can ask their opinions about pieces you’ve written. You can bounce your ideas off of them and have a big brainstorming session. You’ll come away with more ideas than you ever thought possible. Knowing that your friends and fellow writers think you have valuable ideas can be the best boost to your motivation that you need to keep going and achieve more than you thought you could.

Do You Need Motivation as a Freelance Writer? is a post from: The Social Freelance Writer.

Why not subscribe to the newsletter and get your free copy of Fire Your Boss! today?