How To Find Marketing Resources With Social Media

I recently had the opportunity to expand my Internet marketing business and needed help with some basic programming tasks. Just like most marketing activities (copy, design, etc.), finding good people to help you succeed is always key. Due to the scope of this project, I needed to find a number of resources and find them quickly.

To my amazement, I found qualified people in just a few short days using popular social media tools for networking and background checking. Using social media, I was able to find individuals who had the experience and know-how to support my project and the growing needs of my business. I even reached out to current employees, freelancers, and industry colleagues to find individuals with the specific skills I needed.

Using oDesk, eLance, and LinkedIn, I started the search for qualified resources. As we all know, the quality of your design is directly reflected in the quality of your designers. The quality of your direct marketing campaigns - the quality and experience of your DM resources. The more work you do up front to choose the right people to support your business, the more successful you can become.

If you haven't already done so, register for popular social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) and build your network of industry specific contacts. When you have a need, it's easy to reach out to your network with the details of what you need and ask for guidance. If you don't have a network of your own, join a popular "group" available in most social networks. By leveraging the experience of like minded individuals, you can quickly scale your reach and access to qualified candidates.

In addition to leveraging an existing network, you can post your open position on most social media sites as well. The recent project I referred to above required web site design and development on a php platform. I needed a very specific skill set from an experienced programmer. By posting my position with complete details, I only received inquiries from qualified individuals.

In addition to submissions from potential vendors with basic information, I asked for examples of work. In just a short time I had a handful of very qualified individuals willing and interested in doing the job. I also had everything I needed to make the right selection for the task.

I have since hired the individual I needed to complete this job and have been very pleased with the results. By leveraging my existing network and others in my chosen field through social media, I was able to locate a qualified individual for the job. By posting the specific position information, I was able to generate qualified inquiries that resulted in the right selection.

The next time you're looking for help, use social media to find what (who) you're looking for. It's easier than you might think. Use your network and post your position inside social media.