Social Networking: A Freelance Writer's Overlooked Tool

Social networking is increasingly playing a large role in a freelance writer's repertoire. If you don't know much about any of the social networking sites out there, now is the time to get your feet firmly planted and take a deep breathe. An increasing number of employers are using their walls, message boards, group spaces, and the free advertising as a way to capitalize on the 20-something market. Social networking functions as both a word of mouth and visual tool where a sites user approves of an ad or product, and then quickly spreads the word.
The popularity of opinion in social networking sites can be seen quite clearly in "Digg", a book marking site made entirely for people to rate their favorite websites or articles. An acceptance on Digg and the whole link will be shuttled off to the main page where every user can see your content. This method guarantees both page views and advertising galore. So, in an age where media acceptance is popular, it's only correct to add at least one or several of these sites to your daily internet navigation as a freelance writer.

1) Social Book marking site ( Delicious, Digg)
2) Social Networking site (Myspace, Facebook)
3) Social Blog site (Live Journal, WordPress)

Then from there, explore them until you know them up and down. You need to know how to create with them, how to move with them, and how to get your content noticed, the most important thing with a prospective client. Your prose could be as tight and solid as Hemingway, but without the knowledge to move it and secure word of mouth, companies don't want you anymore.
Once your done with your homework, troll for jobs like you normally would and notice the difference in job openings. By having a broad range of platforms to work off of besides Microsoft Word, jobs are easier to secure and keep. The pay is better too. With knowledge of social networking sites you are now more than a freelance writer, you are a marketer, an advertiser, a wordsmith, and more people will want you on their team when the economy is down.
Right now advertising serves as the basis for raising the lowered economy. There needs to be a flood to the market of buyers before anything can really be fixed and this involves a lot of advertising. Advertiser's don't have time to write up their scripts and promote them everywhere, let alone figure out a few social networking sites. This is where you and your better than ever paycheck come into play. Offering a level of services that are usable to the current market is invaluable and with full time writers being cut left and right in favor of freelancers, competition is stiff. If you know your stuff, study hard, and market, market, market, this new trend could benefit you more than you know.