| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Which social network is making a professional impact for you? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Which social network is making a professional impact for you?".
This poll was originally submitted by Mario Chavez. View the poll results »
| | | | Muriel Vasconcellos (X) 
United States
Local time: 03:37
Spanish to English
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| ProZ - hands down! | May 8, 2016 |
I have gained numerous clients through ProZ.
LinkedIn is a good way to connect with colleagues. A lot of naming-and-shaming goes on. But I have yet to get any work through that site.
I signed up for Thumbtack and got a lot of calls for translation jobs. However, the site requires you to quote on the basis of pages, not words, and I refuse to do that because a page can average anywhere from 250 to 750 words. I contacted the site managers, but they haven't changed their c... See more I have gained numerous clients through ProZ.
LinkedIn is a good way to connect with colleagues. A lot of naming-and-shaming goes on. But I have yet to get any work through that site.
I signed up for Thumbtack and got a lot of calls for translation jobs. However, the site requires you to quote on the basis of pages, not words, and I refuse to do that because a page can average anywhere from 250 to 750 words. I contacted the site managers, but they haven't changed their criterion.
[Edited at 2016-05-08 23:18 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I have tried Facebook (with personal wall and a group), LinkedIn (with a "perfect" profile) and Twitter (twitting at right hours etc.), and never got a client from there. I only maintain the Facebook account for "signing up" purposes.
Some of my best clients found me on Proz. In addition, I feel more confortable among peers.
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I'm on LinkedIn but never got a client from there. I'm not on Facebook, XING, Twitter or Tumbler. I'm also on other translation portals but paraphrasing one of the most famous Prince songs "Nothing compares 2 U"...
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 12:37
Member (2009)
English to German
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I'm (sporadically) on LinkedIn and have a XING account that I never visit, been on Translators Cafe years ago, but none of them ever led to anything. ISA had led to a couple of writing gigs. I stay clear of the "common" sites such as Twitter, FB, and the like.
| | | | Ventnai
Spain
Local time: 12:37
German to English
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All my long-term clients have come from Proz.com, directly or indirectly. The indirect ones usually are due to word-of-mouth or an employee moving from one agency to another. It also provides me with occasional clients too. That said, I usually have to wade through agencies with low rates or ones whose negotiation process is just too long - you negotiate the rate, then you get another an email asking for a copy of your certificates, then another asking you to fill out their supplier Excel sheet ... See more All my long-term clients have come from Proz.com, directly or indirectly. The indirect ones usually are due to word-of-mouth or an employee moving from one agency to another. It also provides me with occasional clients too. That said, I usually have to wade through agencies with low rates or ones whose negotiation process is just too long - you negotiate the rate, then you get another an email asking for a copy of your certificates, then another asking you to fill out their supplier Excel sheet and "could we have at least two references?" etc.
LinkedIn is not very useful for translators. Never been offered any work.
[Bearbeitet am 2016-05-08 12:09 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Thanks to Directory and Kudoz!
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Thanks to Henry, Enrique, Drew, Jason, Jared, Maria Florencia, Romina, Lucia, Patrick, Matt, Helen, Yana, Alejandro, Maria, Karen, Maria and Paula (The Proz.com team)!!!
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 06:37
English to Spanish
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| Other: a combination of some | May 8, 2016 |
I keep a profile on Proz.com, LinkedIn and Twitter. Here's the breakdown:
Proz.com: The first time someone found me here, that led me to a paid job, was in early 2011. First, 3 days, then 3 weeks for a pathology software QA testing project. My colleague Riccardo Schiaffino, a highly respected Italian translator, was part of the team as well.
After that time, nothing.
LinkedIn: I gained about three clients that led to several paid jobs for few years (... See more I keep a profile on Proz.com, LinkedIn and Twitter. Here's the breakdown:
Proz.com: The first time someone found me here, that led me to a paid job, was in early 2011. First, 3 days, then 3 weeks for a pathology software QA testing project. My colleague Riccardo Schiaffino, a highly respected Italian translator, was part of the team as well.
After that time, nothing.
LinkedIn: I gained about three clients that led to several paid jobs for few years (2012-2015). One of these clients knows me personally, and I worked with a second one, a Canadian French translator, a couple of months ago.
I participate in several discussion groups for professional purposes: InDesign, ATA, vinyl collectors (I seldom go there), terminology management (I met Patricia Brenes, Rute Costa and Maria Pia Montoro, who are bonafide professionals in Europe). I also founded a forum for Spanish technical writing to discuss this particular interest of mine with like-minded professionals. The forum has more than 540 members as of today. It doesn't have weekly or daily discussions (like ATA) but the membership is varied and rich.
Twitter: After seeing some ATA colleagues sign up for Twitter back in 2008, I was very reluctant because I thought Twitter was another black hole like Facebook. In 2010 or 2012, I opened an account with very limited exposure and participation. I haven't gained new clients or new jobs, but I have established several valuable associations with translators, terminologists, educators, book authors, musicians and institutions, not to mention typographers and graphic designers. Even Extensis, the maker of font management software Suitcase Fusion, is one of my followers.
I don't pretend to be an authority on social media nor do I want to be seen as one. These are my own experiences, which I'm happy to share as the author of this poll. Social media are like social clubs in a way: different strokes for different folks, and there are no universal rules that apply to everyone. Some will swear by Facebook to get more translation jobs, but to me it is still not only a waste of time but a very sad place to have conversations with strangers, even when you share interests with them.
In the end, these social media are just tools. If a translator can find professional benefit from one of them, great, but social media is not necessary or required to achieve professional competence or success. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 12:37
Member (2006)
German to English
has its own network and lately I have been getting a few queries from them.
Other than that, I am not registered in any social network and to be perfectly honest, I do not see ProZ as one either.
Hey Mario, do you have a priority card for polls? This must be the forth or fifth in the last couple of months....☺
| | | | Sebastian Witte
Germany
Local time: 12:37
Member (2004)
English to German
+ ...
| We actually did get one job via a social network directly ... | May 8, 2016 |
... which was of a considerable size.
That social network is XING, which I am surprised to see mentioned at all here as it is German (or was it "serves the German-speaking community", can't remember offhand).
We decided not to outsource that job but to only charge a very small finder's fee for putting the customer in touch with the interpreter/audio-video dubbing provider/whatever whom I recommended.
I do personally, think, however, without having proof o... See more ... which was of a considerable size.
That social network is XING, which I am surprised to see mentioned at all here as it is German (or was it "serves the German-speaking community", can't remember offhand).
We decided not to outsource that job but to only charge a very small finder's fee for putting the customer in touch with the interpreter/audio-video dubbing provider/whatever whom I recommended.
I do personally, think, however, without having proof of that, that especially Astrid's, and to a much lesser extent, my LinkedIn profile did play a part in the decision-making process of some of what have become our international customers (I understand the German-speaking business community does not really use LinkedIn actively much as the spirit is different).
My Facebook profile is 100% private and Astrid is not on Facebook.
So what did I vote in the poll then? ProZ, actually.
[Edited at 2016-05-08 15:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 06:37
English to Spanish
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| Ahoy, Michael! | May 8, 2016 |
Michael Harris wrote:
has its own network and lately I have been getting a few queries from them.
Other than that, I am not registered in any social network and to be perfectly honest, I do not see ProZ as one either.
Hey Mario, do you have a priority card for polls? This must be the forth or fifth in the last couple of months....☺
To be honest, I have no idea. Maybe the Proz Lady of the Polls favors mine from time to time.
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 08:37
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| ProZ vs. Garbage - Purpose | May 8, 2016 |
ProZ is the only network I have regularly found actual clients in (actually, they found me).
Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, etc. do not have a professional purpose, and are social networks for pure gossip and BS. The kind of stuff posted in these SNs makes them anti-professional in all senses.
As to Linked-in, although it does have a professional purpose, it is absolutely ineffective in our case. It may be useful for in-house engagement, but certainly not for freelancers... See more ProZ is the only network I have regularly found actual clients in (actually, they found me).
Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, etc. do not have a professional purpose, and are social networks for pure gossip and BS. The kind of stuff posted in these SNs makes them anti-professional in all senses.
As to Linked-in, although it does have a professional purpose, it is absolutely ineffective in our case. It may be useful for in-house engagement, but certainly not for freelancers. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 06:37
English to Spanish
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| Nuanced opinions | May 8, 2016 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
ProZ is the only network I have regularly found actual clients in (actually, they found me).
Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, etc. do not have a professional purpose, and are social networks for pure gossip and BS. The kind of stuff posted in these SNs makes them anti-professional in all senses.
As to Linked-in, although it does have a professional purpose, it is absolutely ineffective in our case. It may be useful for in-house engagement, but certainly not for freelancers.
First, Mario, I'm happy (and a bit envious) that Proz.com provides you with actual clients. It must be different marketplaces.
However, can we nuance the opinions just a bit? To state categorically that this social media or that serves no professional purpose (especially if you haven't tried them for a meaningful period of time) comes across as curmudgeony.
Some translators swear by Facebook and have active pages there. I don't care for Facebook myself in that sense. However, to state that Twitter is just for gossip and BS, well, have you ever opened an account? Have you ever followed an institution or individual you care about, such as an organization, association, not-for-profit, etc.? If you haven't, you're talking through your hat.
| | | | Yaotl Altan
Mexico
Local time: 05:37
Member (2006)
English to Spanish
+ ...
I have received 96 positive feedbacks in my WWA from clients who found me Proz. Still, I have been contacted by many more clients, perhaps the double. Unfortunately, not all of them leave the feedback.
I use Twitter and Facebook for personal activities because, after some years of FB use, I never got a client in my translation page there.
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