The strategy you choose depends on what you would like to get out of the professional network. If you simply want your complete information and resume to be easily visible and found by potential customers who search for you online, then having just a few connections is good enough for your purposes. However, if you would like to grow your translation business and want more people to know about your services, you need to be a bit more strategic. In theory, the more people know about your services, the better.
Given that your customers can come from a variety of fields and businesses, you do not have to stick to just one group. Focus on expanding your network in your specialty or area of interest in conjunction with other related fields. Most likely, you will have to ask for them. Ideally, folks would recommend you voluntarily, but that is not very likely. We are all busy people, and sometimes adding to someone else's resume (or online profile, in this case) is not on the top of our priority list. So, in order to get recommended, you need to ask for it, even if it feels awkward and forced. Be sure to ask people whom you know well and who are very familiar with your abilities. It is good to have recommendations from a variety of people, including co-workers, former or current supervisors, former or current direct reports, and mentors or mentees. LinkedIn has an online interface where you can easily request a recommendation from a specific person, and you can also add a personal message. In many cases, your contact will ask you to recommend them back, which is fine.
It is best if you receive recommendations by people whom you have not recommended, so it does not look like you are simply doing each other a favor. Groups are a fantastic way to add to your online profile. You can choose to display the logo and the group's heading on your page. Some groups are members-only and require that you apply for free membership and be approved. There is a myriad of groups you can join; everything from your high school's alumni group and industry-specific associations to volunteer associations. You can choose to receive daily or weekly updates from activities of the group, which mainly consist of members posting questions and answers to each other. It is quite interesting to keep your finger on the pulse of the industries you work in. While there is no ideal number of groups to belong to, resist the temptation to belong to too many groups just for the sake of amassing them on your profile. Think quality, not quantity, and join the groups that are the most relevant to you and your areas of translation specialization.
As opposed to professional networks, social networks' main purpose is allowing you to keep up with the people in your personal life. While personal profiles are not exactly geared toward getting you translation business or promoting your services, they can still be great, free, promotional tools. As an entrepreneur, your personal life and your professional life will often overlap. Many linguists use Facebook strictly for personal purposes and are not friends with anyone who could also be a client. Many clients like being connected through both professional and social networks, because that way they always have your updated information and do not have to go looking for a business card or an e-mail address. Sometimes, a status message you post about a translation you are working on might trigger a response from one of your contacts and may even lead to business in the future.
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