The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2021 - 32

mouth referrals from their
Facebook friends, and others
find me in several local
Facebook groups where I'm
a member. That last strategy
has been particularly helpful,

LinkedIn
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo
linkedin.com/in/madalenasánchez-zampaulo-ma-ct35078b8/

as group members who have

LinkedIn is a social media

already used my services

platform that's meant for

are often the first ones to

those who are there to do

respond when someone is

business. This platform

looking for a translator. Free

has been one of the most

advertising? Yes, please!

powerful tools in my

I don't use my personal

marketing toolbox, especially

Facebook page much, but

in the past few years. Like

I keep my business page

many people, I used to

on Facebook updated,

simply let my profile collect

respond to inquiries through

dust, connecting to new

Facebook Messenger, and
regularly check if there
are any translationrelated questions in any
local groups where I'm a
member. If there are any,
I respond to them and
offer advice. By investing
about 30 minutes a week,
I usually get two to three
well-paid translation jobs
a week from clients who
found me through Facebook.
So, despite having issues
with Facebook's " content
personalization " and
targeted advertising,
I think it has been a
great supplement to my
marketing strategy.
I have a lot more to say
about finding translation
clients through Facebook.
Are all the clients there
looking for fast and
cheap? (No.) Do they all
need official document
translations? (No.) What
groups should I join to find
clients? What do I need to
have on my business page?
How can I get more wordof-mouth referrals? Reach

people every now and then
but not really using it on a
regular basis. Now it's one
of the main ways I build
relationships with potential

that most people's LinkedIn

linguists, and freelancers.

profiles rank quite high in

I've made great contacts

search results (often on the

there. Every day I learn

first page) when clients are

something new or refresh my

looking for them by name or

knowledge!

using other specific keywords.

Thanks to my Instagram

Spending a few minutes

account, I'm now a member

every day on this platform

of an Instagram affiliate

is a very small investment

marketing program and a

for the return I've seen. I

brand ambassador. I've also

would recommend that every

promoted other accounts, for

freelancer get comfortable

which I'm compensated.

using LinkedIn regularly

and creating an optimized

Chloe Stout
instagram.com/
chloestouttranslations

profile. Be sure to check out

I first set up my

the ATA webinar I gave on

" professional " Instagram

using LinkedIn to reach

account in 2019 to share

your ideal clients.

my experience of working

and connecting with their
potential clients through
using groups, messaging,

3

as a translation trainee at

of all the ways it can work

Instagram
Ilduara Escobedo
instagram.com/translation_
expert

for me: optimizing and

I started my business account

as a freelance translator

opening my profile so

on Instagram in June 2019.

and subtitler and share

potential clients can find me

My goal was to network and

tips about freelancing and

more easily, reaching out

meet colleagues. Recently,

languages in general.

to potential clients who are

I reached a little over

likely to need my services

1,600 followers.

clients and build my client
base over time.
I use the free version of
LinkedIn but take advantage

and who I know I can serve

I posted daily for over

the Council of the European
Union. When I decided to go
full-time freelance last May,
I began using the account
to document my journey

The time I put into
Instagram varies each week.
I try to post on my account

well for years to come, and

a year but, starting this

a few times a week to keep

using the direct Messenger

year, changed that to three

my followers engaged, but

feature to connect with

posts per week. So far, the

there are some weeks where

those who hire and make

change has not affected my

I'm too busy to plan posts or

decisions in their business.

statistics. I probably spend

feel as though I don't have

For example, after a new

about three to five hours per

anything interesting to say.

client reached out to me last

week planning the content

I try to spend some time

month, we set up a Zoom

I'll publish the following

every day scrolling through

call to talk about her need

week. In the platform itself, I

my feed and engaging with

for a freelancer, and I'm now

try to spend at least an hour

other people's posts and

working on several projects

per day, mainly engaging

creating or planning my own

for her through the first

with other users and

posts. Sometimes I have a

quarter of 2021.

answering direct messages

good idea of what I want to

and comments.

say and what image I want

I could go on and on about
the power of LinkedIn. Not

I believe Instagram has

to accompany the post, but

only is it a robust search

helped establish my brand

other times I spend more

engine, but Google recognizes

and I'm proud to belong to

time researching, planning,

out to me, and I'll be happy

it as a trusted source of

an amazing community of

and taking photographs for

to chat!

information, which means

translators, interpreters,

potential use.

32

The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2021

www.atanet.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/madalena-sanchez-zampaulo-ma-ct-35078b8 http://www.linkedin.com/in/madalena-sanchez-zampaulo-ma-ct-35078b8 http://www.instagram.com/chloestouttranslations http://www.instagram.com/chloestouttranslations http://www.instagram.com/translation_expert http://www.instagram.com/translation_expert http://www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2021

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