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"Your blog will come up first in a Google search about you, which is good, because you want people to know you for your ideas, and a blog is about ideas," she said. "When you blog you will be in a group of people who are experts in their field, committed to constantly learning about their specialty, and involved in the larger conversation. It opens doors for you with efficiency and scale that a resume or face-to-face networking can never do." Freelancers frequently blog about trends and movements in their respective fields - whether it be Web design or writing - and what they say in their blogs often stirs discussion or draws interest to the topic or the freelancer themselves. That, Trunk says, is something that can help when it comes to building clients. "There's no more business cards lost in coat pockets," Trunk said. "Blogging is a way to make authentic connections with people talking about things that matter deeply to them. If you want to connect with someone who can help you in your career, link to their blog." Trunk says the key to a successful blog is focus. That means freelancers should write concise entries about specific things that pertain to their field of interest. "Very few bloggers can write on any topic they feel like," she said. "If you want to build a business around your blog, write about what your clients will want to read about. Your blog should convince clients that you are a good match for them." A blog should be personal as well, Trunk said. Don't tell stories about your dog or what you had for breakfast in the morning, but you definitely want to have a strong voice. "Blogs need to be more personal than, say, typical journalism, yet less personal than a diary. For example, you can write about semiconductors and make it personal by writing how you speak. Also, most successful bloggers have strong opinions. Each post that contains one of your opinions is one where your personality is showing through. For a lot of people, personalizing their writing is more about voice and opinion and less about storytelling." Will blogging get you the next big client or the big project that you've been waiting for? Maybe, Trunk said. But you still have to put the work in. "Big breaks come to people through their established connections, so you help yourself get a big break every day that you blog and comment on blogs, because blogging is about connecting with people through conversation. It's very hard to 'prepare' for a big break. Do your best work in areas you care about and make authentic connections. That's the groundwork that invites big breaks." Trunk's Brazen Careerist blog A few blogs Trunk recommended: BlueSkyResumes Occupational Adventure Ben Casnocha Rebecca Blood Filed Under: Admin |
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