Friends unsupportive of business?
I work as a freelancer and I'm building my client base. I just launched a Facebook page to use as a public identity to connect with potential clients. I invited all of my friends to like to the page to increase presence, but I don't have many friends on FB and even less in real life. Engagement there is understandably low. However my closest friends with larger networks, corporate connections and friends in corporate positions did like the page.
After that I made a post asking those who did like my page to invite their friends to like the page as well. Basically asking for my friends to free advertise/help me network, because I can't go on their friends lists and do it myself. I see everyone I haven't connected with as a potential client or someone who knows a potential client.
My problem is, I know none of them have. I haven't gotten any additional views/likes outside of the people in my network who already know I freelance and how to get a hold of me. It wasn't until today I got an outside like and I made someone invite their friends in exchange for working on a small project for free.
Am I wrong in thinking I shouldn't even have to ask my friends? They know this is my main source of income, and I need help financially. When I ask passively, I know they don't take any action. Would it be wrong for me to ask them directly? I kind of want to call them out for being unsupportive, because I know some friends, like tattoo artists, I've promoted and brought clients to. I've offered my services for free to other friends to hone my skills, they're friends, and partly hope to be repaid in promotion. It just seems like everyone is closed in their own bubble and think the bare minimum is enough. Sometimes that feels more like they don't believe in me or care about me enough for even a one-time time engagement.
Should I let my feelings of not being supported be known? Should I start with directly contacting people asking for likes and networking first? Am I out of bounds with any of this?
Posted Aug 29, 2016, 11:41 PM UTC