This Is Why I Love LinkedIn For Freelance Writers

Losing a job can be hard, but an unexpected layoff is devastating.

I lost my job in 2021 from a layoff. It was embarrassing and frustrating. As a single mom, I felt hopeless and knew I needed to spend as little time as possible unemployed. I hired a resume writer and met with career coaches and blindly applied to hundreds of jobs online. But in the end, LinkedIn got me freelance work. Here’s how.

I’ve also included a ton of REAL messages I received on LinkedIn for freelance writing jobs.

Freelancers are welcome on LinkedIn

Before using LinkedIn to build my personal brand, I thought it was just a place to post my resume and look for a job. Prior to the pandemic, I didn’t think of LinkedIn as a social media network. It was more of a necessary evil for anyone in the corporate world at that time. My LinkedIn profile showed off my past work history in the same way my resume did but I didn’t realize how to use LinkedIn to its full potential at that time.

Immediately after my layoff, I did what any normal person would do – I pretended it didn’t happen. I updated my LinkedIn profile once again and started blindly applying to hundreds of jobs with the Easy Apply button. It was absolute spray and pray methodology at its finest during my lowest moment. Because of the shame and embarrassment I felt for losing my job, I stayed under the radar and solely focused on finding my next job by myself. I didn’t want anyone to know what I was going through. It took me three months of that practice to realize what wasn’t working for me on LinkedIn.

So I changed what I did. Instead of keeping everything bottled up, I started to open up. I shared my stories about my frustrating job seeker experience and just how much time I’d invested in it to see zero results. It was cathartic to share and validating to see so many others in a similar experience. I didn’t realize I was doing it at the time, but it turns out that I built my personal brand on LinkedIn little by little each time I shared a story. I built a great portfolio of real world work right in front of my audience’s eyes. And all of this happened unintentionally before I even know what it means to build a personal brand on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is for writers

As a social media network where the almighty word reigns supreme, LinkedIn is for writers. It doesn’t require a perfectly curated grid of square-shaped photos or 30-second viral videos. LinkedIn just wants your words in text form, which is ideal for writers since that’s where we shine. Sure, there are different LinkedIn post writing formulas that are more successful, but overall, it’s just words on a page.

Once I got over being vulnerable and started sharing on LinkedIn to get my words out there, the response was amazing. Through LinkedIn I was offered freelance writing work for multiple companies and executives. At one point, I had so much work I had to turn down new offers and refer out potential work to colleagues. It was incredible! I kept up the freelance writing for about a year before I finally landed a full-time role with my current employer. It was a great buffer while I was in between jobs.

As a freelancer, if you’re still not sure why you need to be on LinkedIn, I hope this helps you see what an untapped market it is. And you certainly don’t need to go about selling yourself or your services. Instead, simply share the stories that will matter most to your ideal client. Write for them. Share solutions to their problems. Make your words stand out in a place where other professionals hang out on a daily basis. Get right in front of them and join their conversations.

The LinkedIn community wanted my writing skills

When I first put myself out there in an incredibly vulnerable post, I didn’t expect so much engagement. It was obvious the words I wrote resonated with readers and LinkedIn users. But then friends and strangers alike came together to help me find work by expanding their own network. That post generated 184 reactions, 64 comments, and 7 reposts but it also sent a ton of messages straight to my inbox.

While I thought I was looking for a new job, I didn’t realize I’d already built a great network of highly qualified leads for my freelance writing services. Many of the strangers in my inbox let me know they were in need of a freelance writer, copywriter or marketing professional. I was able to do all of those things. And I was actively being asked what my rate was, way before I was mentally prepared to take the work on.

One of the things I didn’t like about being an entrepreneur in the past was finding new clients. I had never had potential clients throwing work at me the way I did when I started accepting freelance writing work on LinkedIn. But my work spoke for itself. Through sharing my experiences publicly, I showed what I was capable of and the kind of engagement my writing created. It turns out that’s a pretty special skill to offer.