What Producers Want you to Know, Using LinkedIn, Being Valuable
What Producers Want you to Know
Not working as much as you’d like? First of all, you’re not alone. But before you’re blaming the economy, politics, or any other number of reasons, make sure YOU’RE not the problem. Recently, a producer friend of mine who hires freelancers for corporate event jobs told me what things will ensure a freelancer DOESN’T get called.
If you are contacting me during the day (when you should be working) I probably won’t hire you.
If you are a union guy looking for work (when you should support your union) I probably won’t hire you.
If you are on social media during the day communicating with me (when you should be working) I probably won’t hire you.
If I ask you to respond on a particular platform and you respond in another way, I probably won’t hire you.
If you share anything on social media from a job you were hired for, without prior permission, this will probably be your last job with me.
Now, let me add that I’m sure you’re contacting the producer during the day about work because you DON’T have work that day, and want to GET work. So maybe, in light of that, send out your queries after 4 pm. But the rest of these, I totally agree with. One other unspoken rule about getting work as a freelancer: unless you want to get blacklisted, don’t EVER give your card or contact info to a client that is not yours. Even if they ask for it. In these cases, you need to respond, “I appreciate your request, but in respect to the producer that hired me, I have to ask that you go through him/her to book me.”
Using LinkedIn as a Freelancer
First of all, do you have a LinkedIn page? If you do, is it updated? If the answer to either of those is no, stop reading this newsletter and get on that.
Outside of using LinkedIn to highlight projects you’re proud of (use the “Featured” section), there are strategies to use so that LinkedIn isn’t just another version of your resume.
Each Monday at 5 pm EST, the McLean Career Ministry has a meetup to help folks better use LinkedIn. You can find out more and register (free) for the workshop here.
But between what you’re doing with your profile, you can be posting. What to post? Duh- video, of course! Video uploads are up 34% year after year on LinkedIn and video gets 4x more engagement than any other form of content on LinkedIn.
Here’s some content ideas for you:
Tips/tricks you have discovered while doing your job.
Company news- meaning your company
What’s new? New gear? New services? Make a video about it.
BTS (not the K-pop band) -get some behind-the-scenes footage (with the producer’s permission!) of setting up for a shoot, etc. People love behind-the-scenes videos.
You upload a video just like you’d upload anything else. On desktops, just choose the YouTube looking icon at the bottom of the post creation window in LinkedIn. And, while you’re in LinkedIn, maybe you can send a video message through the messenger functions out to your favorite producer to check in and remind them what you’re best at. After 4 pm, of course.
Don't Put Yourself in Their Shoes
I was in a sales coaching seminar this week, and came out with a new way of looking at clients.
What you think is valuable to the client….is not necessarily valuable. You need to ask questions- of them- to find out what is valuable to them.
That’s the place where you can find out how you can help the client. If this isn’t resonating with you as a freelancer, look again at the first article. You think that it’s valuable for the producer to know you’re available. What’s actually valuable to that particular producer is that you behave like someone who is a hard worker and focused on the job at hand, and your loyalties are in the right place. Another producer might say, “What’s valuable to me is that it’s easy to book you, and I don’t have to wait for you to get back to me.” Still another producer might say, “What’s valuable to me is someone who is proactive on set and does what’s needed without being told.” Whether it’s a client with a project, or a producer, don’t assume you know what they want and need from you.
Find out what is VALUABLE. That’s more than just what it takes to do the job. VALUABLE means feeling that money is well-spent. Feeling that it would be a loss to not have that person or thing when it’s needed. Find out how you can be more valuable to the people you like, or want to work with the most. Ask questions. Note the answers. Be valuable, so you’re not just a commodity.
