Freelance job bidding sites like Upwork and Fiverr may seem like a great, easy way to get into copywriting. But, as you’ll hear in this episode, they’re actually a surefire way to undersell your services (not to mention waste your valuable time that you could be using to pitch clients directly)!
Nicki and Kate tackle the pitfalls of freelance work sites, why they’re not the best way to find clients, and what you can do to find clients who will pay your full rates and see you as a strategic partner versus someone who fills work orders.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Check out the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[2:08] Let’s break down how the system actually works. Someone who needs a project written posts information about the project on these websites. Then you, as the copywriter, write and submit a proposal to hopefully get that work. But it’s any number of copywriters submitting proposals and clients on these sites are looking for the most value of work at the lowest price.
[4:21] This is one project and any copywriter. What we teach is one copywriter pitching for any number of opportunities.
[5:26] You’re accepting a lower rate because it seems easier. People come to you, but they don’t have to go with you. Your time is valuable. Every minute you’re spending on these sites is time you could spend writing pitches to clients who will pay your rate.
[6:38] Some people say working on these sites is possible to make a good living. We dig into the math on one example of someone making six figures…writing up to twenty-seven projects a day! (Not to mention having forty to fifty jobs in the queue and working up to eighteen hour days, plus weekends!)
[11:08] Six figures is a very possible goal (if that’s your goal!). But you do not need to work eighteen hours a day to get there.
[12:20] These sites also make it harder to change your rate. You can’t do one project with the client and suddenly double your rate. It also doesn’t give you the flexibility to vary your rates based on client and project.
[15:47] Clients are experts at being clients. It’s up to us to teach them to be good copywriting clients. That initial discovery call is so important to dig into what their goals are and what they are trying to accomplish. So often you get on a call and they think they want to start on one project, but once you start talking to them, realize what will really help business is an entirely different project.
[19:49] You can also determine a lot about a client on a call, such as whether you are a good fit for each other and even want to take the project on.
[21:27] Some people say you have to start on sites like Upwork as a freelancer. That’s absolutely not true.
Mentioned on this Episode
The Real Math on Job-Bidding Site “Success”
Related Links
- Why Work Bidding Sites Are Bad News
- Copywriting Job Sites Will Cost You BIG Time
- Which Work-From-Home Writing Jobs Are Real?
- 4 Pieces of Terrible Advice New Copywriters Get All the Time
- Where to Find Great Copywriting Jobs
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.
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Ep. 6: Why People Say Copywriting is Hard to Get Into
Last Updated on November 15, 2023
