Three Ways Freelance Translators Benefit From Social Media

Most companies use social media to market their products, build their brand, and gain clients, but freelancers can also benefit from making social media part of their business strategy. If you haven’t started taking advantage of the power of social media, here are three reasons why you should.

1. Stay visible

At bare minimum, social media offers translators, interpreters and the agencies that serve them the ability to be seen. When you post something on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, or any other social networking site, you remind past clients of your importance in the industry and create the potential that new clients will find your page. That makes social media a powerful marketing tool for translators who need to gain recognition in the field.

2. Turn followers into clients

Social media is a virtual arm of networking. The people that discover your online accounts may remember you later when they need real-world services. So cultivate your relationships with your Facebook “Likes,” LinkedIn Connections and everyone else you interact with online. If you keep them engaged with interesting content, they’re likely to remember you later when then need services.

Be sure to keep in mind, though, that you don’t have to create an account on every social media service. Focus on the ones your prospective clients already use. LinkedIn and Twitter may be a great start because they are more business-oriented than sites like Instagram or Facebook, but think about the kind of brand you want to build and choose your sites accordingly.

3. Interact with the industry

Following translation companies and other freelancers on social media helps you in a multitude of ways. If they’re managing their accounts well, you’ll get to learn from their insights into the industry. The articles and statuses that they post may give you ideas about new areas to explore or different strategies to employ in your work. You may even find work, since companies sometimes announce jobs on social media. On the other hand, if your colleagues do a poor job of managing their accounts — not updating, updating too much, spamming — you may discover places where you can rise above the competition.

So make sure you have social media accounts to gain visibility, followers and industry contacts. More importantly, make sure you update your accounts regularly. You never know when the virtual world may lead to real-world gain for your freelance career.