Build Your Own Brand and Become a Freelance Journalist

Image by Google Images

Building a network is the most important aspect in any journalist's career. This field has taken to an ever increasing new media platform. It is not enough to have education along with excellent writing and presentation skills. While it is undoubtedly imperative to have passion for topics you will be writing about, you must have an audience. Networking starts by raising your profile online forming connections in Linked in, Twitter and Facebook. Take initiative to connect with other bloggers and journalists with a sizable following by commenting on their blogs and articles.

Image by Google Images

Create Facebook and Twitter accounts and link your Twitter feed to your Facebook page.  You can now link your blog's RSS feeds to your status updates. This will allow you to post and share stories with your followers as well as connect with other journalists and their networks and see what groups they like and/or join. Facebook is a great way to promote your blog and getting to know your readers. I consider Facebook to be a more valuable personal platform than Twitter for this reason.

Twitter and Facebook users vary in the way they share and read information. Vadim Lavrusik from Mashable.com, reports that based on a 3-month study from this site, users on Twitter are more likely to share an article than read it versus on Facebook, which users are more prone to click on article than share.

Despite its exclusive popularity among celebrities when it first debuted, Twitter has grown to users among all target markets. It has proven to be very easy to use and a great search tool to find topics that are trending. According to American blogger and Evangelist Robert Scoble, Twitter reported a major earthquake in Mexico City several minutes before the USGS did. 

When looking and applying for jobs as a Freelance Journalist, Linkedin is a good site to research companies and its' employees. It is useful can also strengthen relationships with colleagues. You can also find new contacts in journalism from groups such as Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Society of Professional Journalists, Online Reporters and Editors and Journalistics.

Once you have built your online network, journalists must pitch their ideas to editors. You can get inspiration from other journalists stories, which is why it is important to constantly read other blogs, newspaper and magazine articles. However, when starting out as a Freelance Journalist, the challenge is to pit yourself. Using personal experiences put a unique perspective on your ideas that can help you stand out.

Ultimately, write stories about topics you are passionate about and/or have expertise on. Editors look for the following in pitches: strength, uniqueness and how well and/or concise the idea is expressed. A good resource to pitch editors is writersmarket.com. You can find places to sell your writing, manage submissions, see the latest industry news and get an idea of how much to charge for your work. It is also helpful to join a Freelance writer forum online such as absolutewrite.com to get tips from others about your writing and how to infiltrate your niche market.

Despite the market competition and its challenges, working as a Freelance Journalist can afford you great freedom and flexibility in your work schedule. While it is a tough gig, with the right connections and skills you can enjoy profitability and doing what you really love.

Sources
http://blog.journalistics.com/2011/five-linkedin-tips-to-boost-or-start-your-journalism-career/
Author Ruth Harper. Reviewed 4-1-11.
http://www.ehow.com/how_3391562_become-freelance-journalist.html
Reviewed 4-2-11.
http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/12/mexico-city-earthquake-reported-on-twitter-first/
Author Robert Scoble. Reviewed 4-1-11