I’m not a fan of Facebook. I do the whole Google+ thing and Twitter, but Facebook has always rubbed me the wrong way. I opened an account in 2008 but soon deactivated it. This past year, I decided to reactivate; it was during my single month of activity (I really don’t like Facebook) that I connected with a guy from Texas.
I never would have guessed that this guy would help me expand my career so much. It was through friendship, respect, and many emails that we have established a working friend/business relationship that has been beneficial to the both of us.
He connected me with a company based out of Texas that specializes in providing content for dental offices around the country. Knowing that I was a content creator, he told me his employer was looking to find freelance writers and asked me if I could create some content for him. I told him I would be more than happy to do so. Eventually, this led to his boss contacting me and asking if I would upload data into directories. Although uploading the data was a bit boring, it paid exceptionally well.
On the other side of the fence, way down in the heart of Texas, my friend regularly contacts me asking me for advice and help on his writing career. To be honest, it feels downright warm and tingly inside to know that he looks to me for advice and that I’m helping him build his skill set.
And even though he has just started out in the freelance writing world, he’s already landing some huge clients. He blows me away with his ability to be innovative, and, well, be outgoing. He attends lots of networking events, which has helped excel his career tremendously. He’ll text me and say, “I’m going to charge this client $75 a blog post,” and I’ll say, “There’s no way they’re going to pay that.” Then, to my surprise, through his perfected writing skills and ability to connect so well with his clients, he’ll message me to say that the client was more than willing to pay $75 a posting.
What About You?
What’s your story? Do you have cross-country connections who are helping expand your career as a writer?
I’m not exactly what you would call a people-person, but interacting with other writers on social media networks has brought so much into my life. There are thousands of communities and databases, just full of writers looking to learn, discuss, and connect. From friendship to a heftier wallet, these cross-country connections are showing me how valuable social media can be.
Never underestimate the power of throwing out a “hello” or “hi, thanks for adding me” on social media networks. You very well may end up with a friend who not only helps you, but is in need of your help too. And we all know the world is a better place when we help one another.
Whitney W creates content for both online and offline clients. She spends her days switching back and forth between the role of a content writer, mother, and wife. As she continues to progress in her career as a content creator, she has learned the true value of cross-country networking.
