Do you want to know where to get work?
Do you think freelancing is for you, but don’t know where to start?
For a long time, I was exactly the same. I didn’t know which freelance sites were worth my time. I didn’t know which ones weren’t worth my time. I didn’t know whether I should concentrate on getting clients from the online world or offline world.
Where do you start with freelancing for clients?
Chances are, if you’re asking “Where?” you’re asking the wrong question.
The Honest-to-God Truth About Which Freelance Websites Are Good
I haven’t been a freelance writer for very long on a scale of things. A couple of years. However, in the time I’ve been freelancing, there’s been seismic shifts in which freelance websites are good and which aren’t.
Fiverr has probably become more legitimate, if you know what you’re doing.
Upwork was Elance and oDesk, and they’ve become more difficult to use.
Some new websites have come and gone in the time I’ve been working.
Some websites have gone from bad to good and back again.
That’s the harsh reality about online websites. Which freelance websites are good changes with regularity, and so if you think you’re going to find one freelance website that’ll be great and stay great forever, you’re sadly mistaken.
“That’s pretty bleak, Jamie. You’re also only 200 words into this article. Give me some good news!”
How to Thrive On Freelance Websites… Whichever They May Be
“Which freelance websites should you work on?”
The answer is “the best ones.”
The best freelance websites differ from month to month though. This makes it tricky. The way to go about being on the best freelance websites is to be on all of them.
That sounds like a lot of work, right?
Not really.
I could give you a list of freelance websites right now. You could sign up for them all in a few minutes, and that would be that.
However, you need to do something more than simply sign up, spam jobs and hope you’ll get some work. Let’s go into that subject.
Customise Your Approach For Every Site
If you start offering work on Fiverr, it’ll be different to working on Freelancer. If you work on Upwork, it’ll be different to working on Guru.
You need to offer a slightly different service on every platform. You need to offer that service based on what clients want.
On Fiverr, it’s quick work that isn’t expensive but is also not terrible in quality.
On Upwork, quality is probably less important but you have to do the dance up the fee ladder to get to a point where you’re earning enough to make it worth your time.
Each freelance website is a miniature game where you have to complete the puzzle: What do people want and how do I give it to them?
Luckily, It’s Not All Different Across The Platforms
Most freelance websites work on two simple procedures: Pitch and Profile.
Each of these things could be an article or book chapter on their own, but if you work out how best to create those two things, then you’re going to find it very easy to get work on each platform. Here are some basics.
For Profiles:
- You don’t exist. Your qualifications, experience and USP exist.
- What does the customer want? (You should know this before you start.)
- Why are you better at the three keys to service providing than everyone else? (in terms of the above)
For pitches:
- More of the same.
- What’s your upsell? (“I can do it in 24 hours if you order now”)
- Why is everyone else rubbish?
- What are they looking for? (i.e. don’t spam your pitches)
- Almost literally put the result in their hands before you start (e.g. “So tomorrow it’ll be in your inbox waiting for you… just order now”)
- Other stuff that you’ll find that’s unique to you/your service
This approach can be translated across pretty much every freelance website. If you add in Skype interviews as a skill to learn, then you’re pretty much set for writing CV’s and covering letters as well (for the rest of your life, no less. It’s all the same process of selling yourself.)
Final Thoughts + Additions
I’ve not given you everything. I can’t give you everything. The problem with most advice online is the same reason that a lot of these sites have meteoric rises and falls: One guy posts a “method” or “template” online, and suddenly everyone is flooding every site with the exact same responses.
In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve been spammed before with sales copy that I’ve written. That’s people taking an email, pitch or profile and just copying outright.
Morally, that’s pretty tough. Legally it’s wrong. Intellectually, it’s stupid. You can’t just spam the same thing over and over. It doesn’t work and burns out everything.
But you can learn the methods behind these things. If you build your own solid templates from the information I’ve given you above, you’ll be able to get started with any freelance site now and in the future.
If you use that as part of a greater framework for getting clients and learn about direct response marketing your service as well, then you’ll do great at getting clients for your service, be it copywriting or whatever other skills you might have.