Getting Jobs and Social Networking

I've never gotten a freelance job from social networks or blogging. I'm not saying it's impossible, but in order to get a job freelancing, those businesses need to be able to reach you. So if for example, your profile on Facebook is private, they'll never find you.

I honestly don't think taking the sit and wait approach is a good idea. There are plenty of markets out there right now, open to new applications. I've been working for a few freelancing sites since September and I know they never would have reached out to me and I'd still have no work if I hadn't gone looking myself.

Social networking is important to platform building, which, as a freelancer, is not something that you will probably find important unless you (for example) have a medical degree and are trying to build a platform as a medical writer. In which case you would not have a "writers web site" or blog, you will have a MEDICAL site and blog that covers much of the same material that you will write about for pay.

As I said, I have a website as an online calling card/portfolio to which I can direct people I contact directly for work ("And if you would like samples of my work, please see my website here...") and I blog about writing in part to show editors that I know what I'm talking about, but I've given up on social networking as a generalist freelancer. There was never any point I could see.

I have been approached by a couple of clients because of my websites and have made connections through Twitter. It is possible, but the bulk of my writing gigs come through existing clients introducing me to new clients (word of mouth) or applying through different job sites.