Chronicles of a Freelance Newbie: The Importance of Networking

Sharing = Caring
Sharing = Caring

As indicated by the button on the left side of my blog page, I’m part of a networking group. This organization is designed for independent business women trying to make their mark in the world. There are women with all kinds of backgrounds who are a part of the group. I’ve attended a few meetings and every time has been a rewarding experience. No one is hesitatant to provide guidance or advice on how to market your brand and work your away around social media. It really is a group of unique women who are willing to share.

This whole social media thing

I’m no stranger to the internet, but some avenues of it leave me slightly skeptical. After ending my relationship with Facebook after 5 years, I opened an account with Google and have been on there for a while now. I recently joined Linkedin, but haven’t really made my rounds there yet. I was highly encouraged by the group to get  back on Facebook especially because it’s the nucleus of their organization, which is understandable and makes perfect sense. My previous encounter with Facebook made me tired of the personal ads, obnoxious friend requests and annoying privacy changes. When I first joined Facebook, it wasn’t with any real purpose; it was something everyone else was doing and it was a way to reconnect with folks you hadn’t seen since high school…well I’m pretty much over that now – next! After a few years went by all communication pretty much stopped between me and my contacts. If I really wanted to talk to I would call or text….and I didn’t care about your current status talking about eating a cheese sandwich while in the bathroom. Who cares?

Now, the purpose has been re-visited and re-defined. I haven’t gotten back on Facebook yet (one step at a time folks), but I feel a LOT more comfortable going back in with a business approach. This means fresh new contacts and a healthy way of networking, at least that’s what I’m hoping for. In the meantime, don’t get me started on Ello! I’m still trying to get comfortable with Facebook and Twitter! Well, I’ll ponder on it for a second: Do I think it will blow Facebook out of the water? Not really. Just from glancing around the site it doesn’t seem as feasible to navigate as Facebook. For example, those small circular pictures can get annoying – how are you supposed to recognize the faces or objects? Maybe it looks better on mobile phone. I haven’t read much about it so that’s pretty much all I have to say about it for now.

Learning the art of “paying it forward”

Because I’ve been introduced to the world of sharing (and caring), it only leaves me with the duty to be the same towards people who are not as knowledgeable as me in this journey of freelance and social media. The information I’ve learned at this point has really taken me places, all because people were willing to share and help me along the way. The advice they give is priceless; not just from Femworking but from other networks I’m currently a part of, such as Hub Pages (shout out to Billy Buc!) and Google. The great friendships I’ve built thus far encourage me to actually take time and build my online profiles with quality, instead of just rushing to put my information out there for the sake of numerous visits. I’m doing it because I actually look forward to working with and helping people. Why are you doing it?

Is it worth joining these types of networks?

Absolutely. Even if it’s just a few bucks a month, it’s well worth the investment. You’re not only investing in your business, you’re also investing in people which is a must in this line of work. The connections are endless, and the time is well spent. Because of networking, I’ve gotten clients for the line of work I wasn’t even planning on doing. But since I’m skilled at it, I don’t mind exploring and expounding in that area. Well what is it, you may ask? Stay tuned and find out!

In the meantime, I can be reached on LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest and Hub Pages. Stop by and say hello….you may never know how it might turn out! : )

Here are some recent thoughts I shared on Hub Pages:

Some really cool family info I just came across.

A new day at the “spa”.

Remember: sharing is caring!

 

 

Tell Folks about it!