How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs on LinkedIn

When I started as a Nigerian freelance writer, I struggled to get freelance writing jobs online. I struggled with other writers on job boards like Freelancer, Upwork, and Fiverr doing a lot of work for little pay.

The biggest mistake many freelance writers make is depending solely on these job boards for writing gigs. They don’t realize there are other ways to find freelance writing jobs than using these job marketplaces.

I don’t have anything against these freelancing sites, but you’ll soon discover that these marketplaces will keep you from growing as time goes on. I needed to find ways of getting writing jobs without necessarily bidding for jobs. It took me a while to figure it out, but I eventually did.

To stop you from making the same mistakes, I put together some of the best ways for you to get freelance writing jobs on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a great app for getting jobs

Amongst all social media platforms for getting freelance writing jobs, LinkedIn has proven to be the most effective. It’s one of the best places to get high-paying freelance writing clients that can give you a steady income and build your career as a freelance writer.

According to Business of Apps, LinkedIn has approximately 822 million users and 57 million organizations as of September 2022. This number increases every day. This means many clients looking for an expert of your writing niche and the organization you wish to work for are already on LinkedIn.

It’s a pity that many Nigerian freelance writers aren’t using this platform to its full potential.

I will share how to get freelance jobs on LinkedIn in this article.

Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a social media network for professionals to network, share, learn and develop their careers. LinkedIn is like Facebook for your career. Many employees use it to find prospective clients, and clients use LinkedIn to find employees.

Why Is LinkedIn Good for Freelancers to Find Writing Jobs?

With over 822 million users comprising business owners, decision-makers, senior-level influencers, etc., LinkedIn has proven to be the go-to social platform for career-oriented minds. Unlike other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc., which are all about entertainment, LinkedIn talks about business. People on LinkedIn are there to develop their careers.

With this analysis of LinkedIn user rates, it’s apparent that no other platform can be ideal for freelance writers to find their ideal client. Not the type of clients you find on Upwork or Fiverr looking for the cheapest price per word, but high-paying clients with robust budgets for freelance writers.

One great thing about LinkedIn is; if you can build yourself as a credible writer, it’ll be the clients looking for you and not the other way around.

why LinkedIn?

When I started gaining traction on LinkedIn, I began to unlock some exciting opportunities I hadn’t even thought about. For example, I was approached by a client asking me to make a carousel for her on LinkedIn. She saw some carousels I posted and thought they looked awesome.

I was looking for freelance jobs on LinkedIn, but I got a job outside my area of interest just because I decided to go on LinkedIn.

How to Get Freelance Writing Jobs on LinkedIn

Create an attractive and optimized LinkedIn profile

Getting signed up on LinkedIn is the first thing you need to do before you start sourcing for jobs. After this sign-up process, you’re guided to fill out your profile.

You should treat it as you would treat a resume, taking time to ensure it is complete, accurate, and optimized so that clients can find you easily. There are some important parts you need to put in mind when you fill out your profile:

Add a profile and background photo

A high-quality profile photo can make a big difference to potential clients. It’s strongly recommended you add a recent one to your profile before searching for freelance writing jobs on LinkedIn. Try to look approachable and keep it formal. Check out an example below.

Alongside your profile picture, you should also add a background photo that showcases a bit more about you and what you do.

esther

Your LinkedIn Headline

Your LinkedIn headline is a very important part of your profile as it can help boost your profile impact. It’s where you fill in keywords talking about what you do. For example, clients who need freelancers will search by keywords for the type of writer they want.

Having these keywords in your headline gives you a higher chance of showing up.

esther

For example, “Freelance Writer for B2B SaaS Marketing and Healthcare Businesses” makes you discoverable if a B2B Company searches for a Saas Writer.

Your LinkedIn Summary

Your LinkedIn summary lets you tell your story. It’s a great way to connect with potential employers by providing more information about you and what you do.

Place keywords related to your niche here, as LinkedIn uses a search algorithm to help people find relevant terms they type in the LinkedIn search bar.

Your experience

Here’s where you list all the job positions you’ve held, your writers’ website (if you have one), guest blogs, or the previous clients you’ve worked with.

add experience

How to list freelance work on LinkedIn

Click on the “Me” icon
Select “View Profile” and scroll down to the experience section.
Click the “+” button and enter your job title
Select “Freelance” from the employment drop-down menu
Enter the name of the company or clients you’ve worked for.
Add additional information, descriptions, or major accomplishments and Click “Save.”

Add your skill

Your skill list is essential to your profile as they show up when clients are looking for those skill sets. Select skills that match your experience and expertise. While highlighting your skills is important, more sure those skills are relevant to your job.

Ask for recommendations

Recommendations are LinkedIn’s tool for collecting testimonials. It’s okay to reach out to past clients, friends, classmates, or family on LinkedIn, asking them for recommendations. These recommendations act as social proof to clients, they are more likely to hire you if other people have benefited from your writing services.

You can give recommendations to others, and a lot of them will return the favour.

Use the “Open to Work” feature

open work feature

Point out that you’re open to working in your profile using phrases like “Open to opportunities” in your headlines; utilize the “Open to…” feature in your profile or the “Open to work” filter in your profile photo. This shows that you’re currently looking for work.

Build your network on LinkedIn

Building a network gives you a better chance of getting freelance jobs on LinkedIn. There are many ways you can go about building your network on LinkedIn.

Connect with other freelance writers

Other freelance writers on LinkedIn are not your rivals; they’re colleagues. Connecting with people in your industry offers countless benefits that will make finding freelance writing jobs on LinkedIn easier:

You can learn from the experiences of fellow freelancers who have been in the industry longer than you.
You get an idea of their strategies for finding freelance jobs on LinkedIn.
Building relationships can also lead to friendships, collaborations, and mentorship.
They support and even refer to each other when they don’t have enough capacity for a job or if they genuinely think that you would be a better fit.

So, go on, and connect with them! Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn

Connect with potential clients

Clients are continually looking for freelance writers, and connecting with them increases your chances of landing freelance jobs on LinkedIn. Having a niche is very important as it would help you identify the exact client you’re looking for.

If you don’t know the positions, you can target people in positions of founder, content manager, editor, content marketing professional, creative director, etc., in your niche. You could also take advantage of the ‘People you may know’ feature in your network tab. Connect with those that are suitable matches to your niche.

It is essential to send a personalized message whenever you send a connection request, as it would increase the chances of accepting your request.

Don’t just hit the ‘connect’ button as other users might have; briefly explain why the prospect would even want to connect with you. (Never send a pitch in your personalized message!)

You could use this template and edit it to fit you:

Hello (Name)

It was nice meeting you at (how you know them). What you do at (their company/website) inspired me to (something fascinating about their recent work)!

I’d love to stay up to date with you and what you do on LinkedIn.

Thank you in advance for connecting.

(Your Name)

Read Also: 10 Nigerians With The Best Profiles on LinkedIn

Join LinkedIn groups for freelance writers

Joining slack groups or freelance communities is beneficial if you want to get freelance jobs on LinkedIn. Before joining these groups, ask yourself:

Can I find freelance writing jobs in this group?
Do my target clients hang out in this group?
Can this group help me improve my writing skills?

These communities help each other solve problems their members have. For example, some of these groups share job opportunities with members, and being part of them means that you’ll have access to these jobs.

Search for jobs directly on LinkedIn

There are several ways to go about this:

Use LinkedIn Job Ads

LinkedIn has a feature where companies and organizations post job ads. They spend a considerable amount of money looking for the right freelancer to handle these jobs.

To make use of this feature

Click the “Job” tab on the LinkedIn homepage

job search LinkedIn

Enter your search (the type of job you’re searching for and the location) and click the search button

job search

You’ll be provided with available freelance writing jobs
Apply to any company or organization that interests you

You can also turn on the “Job Alert” notification to receive updates whenever a new job is posted. In addition, LinkedIn job ads is a great way to find freelance jobs on LinkedIn.

Freelance job in canada

Use LinkedIn Search

You could utilize “LinkedIn search” to find freelance jobs on LinkedIn.

Type relevant keywords in your niche to see which companies are in this niche.

This gives you an idea of companies to reach out to for potential freelance writing jobs. First, make a list of these clients or companies and send out cold pitches. Then, you can send an email or InMail to the company’s content manager, marketing manager, or editor to see if they need help with their content.

You might not receive a response immediately. If you still don’t get a response after a week or two, send a follow-up message. If they don’t respond after a week, move on with the next client.

You could also search hashtags in your niche (e.g. #Healthcare writer) and check recent posts that have been made on the hashtag. For example, there’s a high chance you’ll find a post from LinkedIn members looking for a freelance writer.

Check “Who Viewed Your Profile”

This feature is a great way to know who is looking at your profile. It’s a good reason to send a message if you perceive they might be potential clients. For example, you could send them a message to inquire if you could help with their content needs.

I sent this message to a prospect who checked my profile.

message from esther to mabel

If you’re on a free plan, some of the information will be hidden. You could take advantage of LinkedIn’s occasional free monthly subscriptions.

Conclusion

You’ve finally learned how to get freelance jobs on LinkedIn. Now experiment on these strategies with patience and consistency, find which one works best for you, stick with it, and you’re bound to reap great rewards.

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About Author

Esther Onyeije

Esther Onyeije is a freelance content writer who specializes in writing Blog posts, Articles, and social media posts for blogs and websites.
She uses her background in writing to provide solutions to the pain points of your target audience and create clear and accessible content that makes challenging topics easy for any reader.