Google+ was/is currently a invite only network, thus giving it that “exclusive” feel. From the get go, there are some really awesome features that they got right like circles (groups for the uninformed) which enables you when you share new posts via the network to set who sees what. Compared to FB and Twitter (or any other service for that matter), this is a big win for the privacy nuts among us – or the guys trying to hide posts they do instead of doing work at the office from the boss

But where is all this leading to? Without beating about the bush, it is obvious that Google is taking on Facebook, even though they might have the numbers (700+ million users), Google has proved time and again that they are one of the few companies on the Internet that users keep returning to. Will they beat them? I hope so. Looking from a statistics point only, it will seem that they would, as G+ took under 10 days to accumulate 10+ million users, whereas Twitter and FB took over 100 days each. But this alone doesn’t proof that they will win the social media war that is going on. As many researches have shown, G+ is still majorly crowded by the IT people, thus it is still clean from those horrible apps that we all have come to hate on Facebook (here is looking at you Zynga with that damn Farmville and its myriad of clones…)

So what would happen when it goes mainstream, i.e. when your dad/mom/sister/brother/grandad/dog/lizzard start getting onto it? What can we expect to see come from this? Google has always come to the game with innovative new ideas and technologies, so this geek is hoping they keep improving. As long as they keep it from going the route Facebook went, it should/would survive. But will it become the all-encompassing portal that we go to to keep in touch with everyone we know? That is the real question. I don’t have the answers, nor do any of these tech sites posting their predictions.

What would be interesting to see is what they will bring to the table to win more users over and start cutting into Facebook’s market share. I for one haven’t used Facebook in more than 2 weeks, I just go and check who’s birthday I might have missed, give them a call (note that I don’t post on their walls I actually call them, something that doesn’t seem to happen anymore).

So, what do you guys think? Will G+ win? Or will it go down in history as Google Wave version 2?

[poll id="2"]

Personalize your website

The first step for any online freelancer is to create their own website so that their portfolio of work and services can be accessed by clients and business partners alike with ease. Nevertheless, a website should be much more than simply a platform on which customers can get in touch for a quote. Your website will often be the first port of call for anyone interested in your freelancing services so creating a positive impression is absolutely vital. A biography of yourself should be positioned for maximum visibility on your homepage and including a picture will instantly make you recognizable to any visitor to your site. If you want, include a welcome message, thanking people for visiting your site, this makes yourself appear as an honest and trustworthy professional.

Blogging effectively

Creating a personal blog is absolutely vital to personalizing your freelance work. A blog allows you to share your experiences which can be related to with ease by the reader (for example balancing your work schedule with having kids). In addition a blog also acts as the perfect platform on which you can actively communicate with your clients and readers. If you want to appear down-to-earth, yet professional, then share your knowledge and expertise through your blog. If you want to show off some creativity then use multimedia such as podcasts and videos to deliver fresh and interesting content. However, the blog doesn’t need to be completely work orientated and can include sections about your hobbies and interests. For example, if you love photography and snowboarding then write about it on your blog! Displaying passion for these non-work related topics will make you seem far more approachable as a freelancer and just shows that you are human after all.

Don’t forget to update your blog on a regular basis, create an email subscription for new articles so your readers never miss out on the conversation and lastly, remember, if you’re having trouble finding the right tone for your blog then maybe this’ll help; blog entries should be 100% personal but 0% private!

Social Media – Interaction

As a freelancer, using social media to engage with clients is a fantastic way to achieve a human touch to your work. First of all, social media platforms can enable you to be open to your client’s needs whenever they may arise. For example, if a client of yours wants to tweak your web design proposal then with the use of social media they can contact you via twitter or Facebook at any time. In addition, social media can allow you to converse with clients and contacts if you have a new idea or if you would like some feedback on a design you have created. Try to involve your social media followers as much as possible, for example if you’re thinking about a new design for your blog then encourage your followers to vote on the new design! An example such as this makes your freelancing much more effective on a human level, makes your clients and followers feel valued and shows you’re no robot.

Social Media – Networking

As in any industry, the world of freelancing is not immune from the art (or necessary evil depending on your view) of networking. Plus, no one will disagree that by networking, you can get your face out there in the industry and forge a positive reputation for yourself with vital contacts and clients. However, networking doesn’t just take place at workshops and conferences and can be done online very effectively. Joining professional platforms such as LinkedIn is an absolute must, as anyone can join professional groups on the platform and start networking with other freelancers and professionals. As a side-note, if you do want to visit the right conferences then you’ll be notified about the best ones through LinkedIn groups.

Networking online also comes in other forms, for example it’s good policy that once you have located a contact with whom you wish to work; you can follow them on twitter, or on their Facebook page and contact them easily. Furthermore, promoting other freelancers on your blog with guest article spots is also a great way to network online and they will be sure to return the favour. All of these networking tactics will get you known within the industry and prevent yourself becoming just another anonymous freelancer.

Most people like to get an idea of the people they will work with and for a freelancer this is no different. Following these simple guidelines will set you on the right path and help you bring a more personal side to your online freelancing!

From their website, they describe their plugin as:

We decided to make the Social Signup Plugin for WordPress out of our personal needs for such a solution. We love WordPress, so any solution needed to work with self-hosted sites. And we want to offer something versatile that could be used for a variety of purposes: not just viral launch pages but also any kind of socially driven signup process including everything contests, promotions and giveaways to games, groups and charities.

We also wanted to launch something quickly…a true MVP (Minimal Viable Product). Our goal is for our users to drive future development based on their feedback and our ability to quickly integrate desired features. We plan to continually update the Social Signup Plug-In for WordPress and to potentially release the software for other platforms…again all pending user feedback.

Basically, (as this was somewhat a confusing description) you set up the plugin to allow people to signup and get referral codes. They use these codes to get others to signup, and in return, they get whatever you’re offering. For example. Refer 5 friends and get a free e-book. It allows users to signup via Facebook or their regular email address.

I set up the plugin on a fresh WordPress install to test it out. I was a bit confused as to how to proceed, until I stumbled on their helpful step-by-step instructions. Set up was quick and easy.

My Thoughts

I love the fact they show every user who’s signed up, their referral code, and who they’ve referred. You can pretty much customize everything, from the messages they get emailed, to the type of giveaway you want to do.

However, I don’t love that when someone signs up, it takes them back to the homepage and only displays the referral address in the browser’s URL bar. I don’t think most people will notice this or what to do with it. Their messages setting section showed a custom message with the URL, but I didn’t get that in an email or on the WordPress page, in fact it sent me a blank email.

I think this plugin is a great idea and can be quite useful with a couple of minor fixes:

• Use a default email message if the user doesn’t want to specify one, so people don’t get blank emails
• Instead of taking the user to the homepage with the referral code in the browser bar, take them to a thank you page explaining and showing the referral code.
• Allow it to be used on posts for specials (I wanted to use it on this post alone!)

I have a couple of questions I wasn’t able to figure out, since I was doing a try test and ran out of emails (lol!). I’m not sure what happens when the user does fulfill all of the referrals. Does it automatically send the item to them? (Didn’t see this option in the settings), or do you have to do it manually? Does it at least notify you?

Getting the Plugin

The plugin was created by independent developers and I love the fact they use their own plugin on the site. To get it for free, refer 5 friends, or you can purchase it for $10. Let me know what you think about it.

If you’ve never heard of an unconference before, it basically entails Barcamp, Podcamp and WordCamp. Unconferences are informal get togethers where freelancers and web professional come together to network, attend informative 25-minute talks and come out with some neat swag.

Most cities offer these unconferences once a year and they’re the perfect place to get out there and meet your community. While I don’t go there expecting to get any work out of it, I find these are important events to attend–you never know when someone local will need your services. Plus, the cool swag and t-shirts are too awesome to pass up

So how can you make the most out of these unconferences and use them to your benefit?

Note–I recently attended WordCamp Louisville!

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