Joshua Ness

Bio:

Social media strategy with a human understanding. Giving personality to new brand ideas through influencer engagement and smart relationship management.

• Title: Social Strategy + Business Manager
• Age: 32
• Location: Brooklyn
• Contact: @jcness

What are some exciting projects that you've been working on these days? What were some of your favorite projects to work on?

Since my last project of developing a social strategy road map for a design representation agency, I've been picked up by an event management group out of the Pacific Northwest. I'm currently developing their new product marketing strategy and social strategy for the firm, as a whole. I also manage their east coast operations here in NYC.

My favorite project was building community engagement for a local liquor store in Texas. I got to shape their social marketing strategy and interact with the universities in the area. Building community engagement is something I enjoy.

We read a recent post on your Tumblr on dating in the city. What inspired that post? Have you gotten any negative feedback from people or have the reviews been mostly positive?

That post was inspired by several people, some friends and some followers, who were all lamenting their dating woes around the same time. I had some thoughts on the matter that I found myself repeating, so I decided to write it in a blog post where I could be more succinct and thorough.

So far, I haven't received any negative feedback. Several people have told me they liked it, both online and off. While some may not have agreed with my tone, they did agree with my analysis.

As a freelancer, is it difficult to find a steady stream of work? How do you market yourself? Do you have any advice for other freelancers in the city?

Freelancing, for me, has always necessitated a two-pronged attack. Networking and meeting people are key activities in order to stay busy. Maintaining a coherent and complete online profile is also necessary so people can see what they're getting into.

My advice for freelancers in the city is to attend as many Meetups and Eventbrite events as possible! Search the sites, talk to your friends, find out when and where people are getting together. Even if it's something as simple as a panel discussion on the effects of social media on modern politics, there's a high probability that you'll meet some fantastic people if you put yourself out there. They might not always turn into leads right away, but growing and maintaining your professional and social networks are vital for the modern freelancer.