Promoting on socials... Really?

[matty_bates]

Hello people. I set up an account in February which is currently offering just two gigs - product descriptions and email copy. I plan on uploading a few more over the next couple of weeks, all of which relate to writing in one form or another.

Since Feb, I have amassed the grand total of one job consisting of two product descriptions, which paid the princely sum of $5, or $2.50 per description. I know, I know...  its a dizzying amount of money and you will be pleased to know that I haven't blown it - it was invested wisely.

Also since Feb, the product description job has earned 350 impressions, which I am led to believe isn't too great. 

So I have followed some tips posted within this forum, along with some various YouTube tips from established fiverr sellers. They all say the same really: tweak your gig regularly, nail the SEO, make sure you stand out from the crowd, offer cheap services initially, and promote to death on socials.

Lets look at that then.

Tweaking your gig - easy enough. I have been editing the content every couple of weeks since Feb. I have also just ordered a new 'snazzy' gig image which I will hopefully upload in a couple days.

SEO - am I missing something with this? I mean its dead obvious and hardly worth mentioning as a tip, is it? You simply make sure the words 'product descriptions' are adequately represented within your title and about section. So yes, thats done. I would have thought that is common sense and am surprised this is offered as a tip in the first place.

Stand out from the crowd - this is also a daft tip, in my opinion. All we can do is create a nice gig image, a great title and a nice description. How else are we to stand out from the crowd? Its not like I can jump inside my laptop, crawl over to my gig, and start juggling firesticks in front of it while shouting "ROLL UP! ROLL UP!" or something. Unless I am being old and stupid, I fail to grasp one single method other than a well thought image and title, that might pertain to 'standing out from the crowd'. 

Cheap - done that. I have suitably bent over and invited prospective clients to roger me, firmly and without lubrication, in order to win a few reviews. The only problem with this tip as far as I can see, is the huge amount of sellers in copywriting also bending over and asking to be rogered hard, and so this method is making little difference on the whole. From a buyers point of view who cares if you are dirt cheap? So are two hundred others! Which brings me on to my final point: 

Saturation - Am I just too late to the party? Copywriting is the jumping-off point for the average person looking to sell on this platform, or so it seems. I think it might have been saturated for a while. recently though there have been a few viral videos doing the rounds created by Fiverr copywriters, all of whom are selling the dream of making big money with zero experience or qualifications, all whilst sat on your arse at home. One seller in particular claims to be making half a million per year copywriting. I am guessing this just encourages even more new sellers to join. 

The most baffling of all tips, at least to my mind, is to promote through social media. How? I have 65 friends on my Facebook. I doubt my 76 year old Aunty Vera is in need of copywriting services in between knitting a new scarf and weeding the garden. I have a twitter account with a couple of random followers. TikTok can feck right off, I am not a teenager and I refuse to behave like one for the camera. So again I ask, am I missing something? How are we supposed to use socials to promote? Spam random strangers with messages advertising copywriting services? Join various groups and beg for work?

I think the truth is I am probably destined for failure at this and thats a shame, as its my only hope right now. My once thriving online business is over thanks to covid and I was hoping this might be a new career. I enjoy writing and have some experience at writing copy through my own ventures over the last couple decades. I thought this might be a way to earn a living for a few years, whilst I figured out something more long term. I am capable of the actual writing and genuinely enjoy it, to a point.

What I am not so interested in is promoting through social media, joining sodding LinkedIn and touting my services left right and center or any of that nonsense. For want of a better word, I just cant be arsed. I figured being capable of doing the job quite well would be all I need, to do ok with Fiverr.  Maybe its not as simple as that?

Any tips, apart from the obvious?

 

 

 

 

[mariashtelle1]

30 minutes ago, matty_bates said:

some tips posted within this forum, along with some various YouTube tips from established fiverr sellers. They all say the same really: tweak your gig regularly, nail the SEO, make sure you stand out from the crowd, offer cheap services initially, and promote to death on socials.

Oh those YouTube gurus…. And all experienced sellers that I know trying to stop this bogus advices of “change your gig regularly, share gig social media, keyword SEO” 

 

33 minutes ago, matty_bates said:

Tweaking your gig - easy enough. I have been editing the content every couple of weeks since Feb

Pointless. Every time you change your gig it’s taken out of search and it takes time to index it again. If you don’t give enough time for algorithm to understand how people react on your gig then it will never appear higher in searches. 
 

35 minutes ago, matty_bates said:

I would have thought that is common sense and am surprised this is offered as a tip

It is a common sense and only inexperienced people offer this kind of advice, it has nothing to do with ranking or impressions, it seemplh connects you to the right clients. If you dig deeper you’ll see that we are trying hard to stop this comments with counter arguments but it’s a few of us against 100 spam messages from sellers who repeat the same thing. 
 

38 minutes ago, matty_bates said:

Cheap - done that.

Crap not always good: there are a lot of sellers offering jobs for 5$ and a lot of them are basically screaming “scam”. So some buyers might actually stay away from cheap services thinking that there is something wrong with it if you offer it so cheap. 
 

40 minutes ago, matty_bates said:

promote through social media. How? I have 65 friends on my Facebook. I doubt my 76 year old Aunty Vera is in need of copywriting services in between knitting a new scarf and weeding the garden.

You got it absolutely right. “Share your gig social media” also a very bogus advice if people don’t know how to do it, how to create content and how to attract audience. Spamming groups with links is not going to help, might actually get you banned. Sharing it to your personal page is also useless as you already noticed and understood. 
Social Media marketing takes time and effort to build, it’s about building your brand by creating a content that will attract people and from there promote your services. (As an example it took me at least a year to build social media presence) 

 

43 minutes ago, matty_bates said:

I figured being capable of doing the job quite well would be all I need, to do ok with Fiverr.  Maybe its not as simple as that?

It’s never simple as that. Fiverr is just a tool. And those viral videos that you saw is a tool for those sellers to monetise their YouTube channels while giving simple “follow this 5 steps”. That never worked and will never work. 
 

 

[miiila]

6 minutes ago, matty_bates said:

Its not like I can jump inside my laptop, crawl over to my gig, and start juggling firesticks in front of it while shouting "ROLL UP! ROLL UP!" or something.

But you can make a Gig video out of that! 😉

Hi Matty. I'll also focus on your thread title/main point/popular tip both on YT and this forum, "promote on socials ... really?" - yes, no, it depends.
If your customers are on those socials and will see your efforts, sure, I guess. If only your friends and family, who don't happen to need any of your Fiverr services, see it, you could be spending your time better, obviously.
Find out where your customers are and "promote", but adapt your way of promoting to the environment. Spamming might get you kicked off a platform, while buying an ad might bring results.
Are there any forums that your customers frequent? Blogs they read? Do your research. Post something helpful, continuously, and maybe reap the fruits. Write a blog yourself, with helpful articles that cover pain points of your customers, that might lead customers to you.
This isn't a quick fix, more of a long-term game usually, although you could get lucky.

While I'm not a "promote on social" person myself, "TikTok can feck right off", "beg for work", "sodding LinkedIn", "touting my services left right and center or any of that nonsense" ... all that tells me that your attitude might hinder you, in more ways than you may be aware of. The "selling yourself" bit of business might not be to everyone's taste, but the sad truth is that you have to do it, in some way or another, if you're a solopreneur, or be very lucky, or have really exceptional offerings and low competition. Try to see it a bit differently, maybe as a challenge, and a way to go beyond your comfort zone. I wouldn't recommend going on TikTok to you, and I wouldn't go there myself, but I'd recommend to not curse at TikTok either, you're not that far from "I am not a teenager and I refuse to behave like one for the camera" with this 😉 
Assess the options calmly, and find one or two that you vibe with best 😉 and see what you can do there.

If it's a small comfort, I can tell you that "promote to death on socials" never has been my thing nor needed, however, I joined Fiverr before Covid, and it might be harder to start out now, but there always are people who are years and hundreds of reviews ahead of you, unless you have the foresight or good luck to join something when it's just up and coming. If "promoting" is so absolutely not your thing, I'd recommend to focus on the "stand out" point, not by posting videos of you juggling, though 😉 but by working on making your Gig offerings as relevant as they can be, try to find some less-tilled and touted angles, find out if there's something your customers would want, but that isn't really on offer/in the limelight,...

You might be interested in an audiobook I listened to (don't know if it exists as a book to read too), called "Anti-Sell".

Lastly, having set up shop in February, having done one order, it being March, you could have done worse. Don't give up too soon.

 

[matty_bates]

2 hours ago, miiila said:

 

While I'm not a "promote on social" person myself, "TikTok can feck right off", "beg for work", "sodding LinkedIn", "touting my services left right and center or any of that nonsense" ... all that tells me that your attitude might hinder you, in more ways than you may be aware of.

 

Ha! That actually made me chuckle, although I appreciate that wasn't your intention 🙂 

I think you might be right - I mean when you type it all out like that, it does make me look a little petulant, I guess. I think I have probably been a little naïve, assuming that orders would find you, if you are capable of doing a great job. I guess you are correct and promotion is a factor in winning at this. I do actually have a background in marketing and promotion but it was quite a niche industry I was in, and promoting myself is an entirely different matter. Is it a terrible thing to say that I just cant be bothered? I think it might be. I am happy to sit here all day, earning my money by actually writing, but all the rest of it.... Christ, I literally cant be bothered! Messing around posting on various Facebook and Redditt groups, setting up LinkedIn accounts and firing out messages, fishing for business, sending out hundreds of personalized messages when hundreds of other people are doing the same and getting the occasional reply if you are lucky... Ah man, what an absolute chore.

I just figured, you know, this would be a welcome respite from aggressively fishing for business. I spent years doing that in my last game and whilst I made it work, im tired of it. I just want to earn a living by doing a great job, without the stress of starting each day by saying "right, how am I going to find some business".

Shitty attitude I guess, but there it is 🙂

 

 

[miiila]

2 hours ago, matty_bates said:

Shitty attitude I guess, but there it is 🙂

Not at all, it's your attitude, it's fine, I get it, and it's more the choice of words that I'm not a fan of. For me, Fiverr actually has been and is such a respite, in a few ways. As I said, I'm not a "social" person myself, in more than one way 😉 and I'm doing well. Fiverr is my favourite among all platforms I took a look at, not the least because their BR section is just a side thing, and customers come to find you, while at most other platforms, you have to "bid" against others, which isn't any more my thing than promoting myself on social.
I was just pointing out that it's an attitude that will stand in your way of getting (more) sales, and more, for example, when you actually could get an order that has to do with one of your despised platforms in one way or another, or won't realize that perhaps there are ways to make use of some platform you think you don't like, that would be fine, after all. You won't gain any new insights or, in the best case, inspiration, if we just all nod along and heart your post.

If you can get enough orders without doing any chores of that kind, that's awesome, and I'm all for it, but you sounded as if you can't, so far, at least (again, you started in February, it's March...). I don't do "social marketing" for myself, if I don't have to, and as long as I can fill my time with my actual work, which I love doing, I'm happy without sm, if I can't, I'll think about it.
If not, you may have to do something about your attitude, or find another way, or look for employment, or...

Being a freelancer means you have to take care of all aspects that come along with having a business, even if we'd rather not call what we do "having a business". Or you need to make enough and be willing to part with the $$ to outsource the bits you don't like about it, like marketing, bookkeeping... That's also why I'm fine giving Fiverr a cut, they do things for me that I don't like doing myself.

Anyway, that audiobook I mentioned should be right up your alley, but do what you think is best. Good luck, in any case! 🍀

[momenul970]

Thanks for your information.

[matty_bates]

15 hours ago, mariashtelle1 said:

there are a lot of sellers offering jobs for 5$ and a lot of them are basically screaming “scam”. So some buyers might actually stay away from cheap services thinking that there is something wrong with it if you offer it so cheap. 

Thanks for your replies, we are in agreement I think.

I see your point about cheap pricing and the impression it portrays, but it is a chicken and egg thing isn't it. In order to win clients, you need reviews and a portfolio, however brief that might be, of your work. No reviews, and clients are not going to spend $100 on a couple of well written emails, I dont think. To get those reviews you need clients though. 

Tricky one 🙂

[matty_bates]

8 hours ago, miiila said:

Not at all, it's your attitude, it's fine, I get it, and it's more the choice of words that I'm not a fan of. For me, Fiverr actually has been and is such a respite, in a few ways. As I said, I'm not a "social" person myself, in more than one way 😉 and I'm doing well. Fiverr is my favourite among all platforms I took a look at, not the least because their BR section is just a side thing, and customers come to find you, while at most other platforms, you have to "bid" against others, which isn't any more my thing than promoting myself on social.
I was just pointing out that it's an attitude that will stand in your way of getting (more) sales, and more, for example, when you actually could get an order that has to do with one of your despised platforms in one way or another, or won't realize that perhaps there are ways to make use of some platform you think you don't like, that would be fine, after all. You won't gain any new insights or, in the best case, inspiration, if we just all nod along and heart your post.

If you can get enough orders without doing any chores of that kind, that's awesome, and I'm all for it, but you sounded as if you can't, so far, at least (again, you started in February, it's March...). I don't do "social marketing" for myself, if I don't have to, and as long as I can fill my time with my actual work, which I love doing, I'm happy without sm, if I can't, I'll think about it.
If not, you may have to do something about your attitude, or find another way, or look for employment, or...

Being a freelancer means you have to take care of all aspects that come along with having a business, even if we'd rather not call what we do "having a business". Or you need to make enough and be willing to part with the $$ to outsource the bits you don't like about it, like marketing, bookkeeping... That's also why I'm fine giving Fiverr a cut, they do things for me that I don't like doing myself.

Anyway, that audiobook I mentioned should be right up your alley, but do what you think is best. Good luck, in any case! 🍀

Thanks for the reply.

I agree with you, mostly. I would ask that you read between the lines a little though because half of what I say is tongue in cheek. This being a community forum, we can drop our professional guards and speak from the heart a little more. Have a crack, almost?  

I am not a fan of any SM platform to be honest. I used to be active on Facebook 10 years back but have grown tired of the narcissistic nature of it. Its boring. I dont care that you brought a new pair of shoes, or booked a holiday, or had lobster. I dont need some pithy quoted meme ramming down my throat about some life lesson or other. That's all it is these days - people showing off, bragging, posturing. So yes, I find it all a bit annoying to be honest but I wouldn't go as far as saying I 'despise' SM, that is a stretch. I just dont like it and would rather not get involved.

I think this whole Fiverr experience has been a misunderstanding on my part. I genuinely didn't realize that you needed to go hell for leather promoting your gigs. I wrongly assumed that capability and effort would be the only requirement for measurable success. 

I used to work very hard, very long hours for a full 12 years but the money was huge, I travelled the world in luxury, and led a really great life because of those long hours. I am fine with hard work and dont mind hustling. I launched the business and got off the ground purely by hustling  as I had no advertising budget to begin with and believe it or not, became one of the biggest broadcast messaging companies in the world (very niche though, low competition, I admit). I have been self employed, or a business owner, for 24 of my 48 years so I know more than many on here what it takes to work for yourself.

What I cant be bothered with is sitting here half the day, every day, posting on social media about what a great copywriter I am, begging for $30 copywriting jobs. If thats what I have to do, fine I will do it. I just didn't expect to have to do it. 

I am still none the wiser, by the way, to my original post... How the hell you are supposed to promote copywriting through social media. I think I mentioned my Aunt Vera wouldn't be interested, so I presume I must join some groups and start giving it the old 'hey check out my gig' nonsense lol 🙂 

Ill get googling and look for some clues about sm promotion.

Anyway thanks for your feedback - and by the way, well done for making a success of freelancing. I'm glad its working out for you 🙂

 

[creativelogo37]

Great post

[miiila]

5 hours ago, matty_bates said:

Have a crack, almost?  

I do, all the time.

18 hours ago, matty_bates said:

 I would ask that you read between the lines a little though because half of what I say is tongue in cheek.  [...] Ha! That actually made me chuckle, although I appreciate that wasn't your intention 🙂 

It was. 😉

 

5 hours ago, matty_bates said:

I am still none the wiser, by the way, to my original post...

I'm sorry to hear that, maybe you'll get more helpful replies. I really try to be helpful, apart from cracking jokes and writing between the lines, but not everyone gets every kind of humour, and not everyone sees "wisdom" in the same things, or can do anything with the "wisdom" offered. More often than not, I end up thinking I'm just wasting my time (that I could use more productively by posting on social media ;)). It's just that when you see a post that's more than just yet another "No sales. Give me tips and tricks", that's so rare that one can feel like sharing or discussing what one thinks may help. You may see why, if you end up spending more time on this forum...

Have you thought about the "stand out" point without juggling fire sticks bit yet? I'm repeating myself, but I really think that might be the one of your points listed in your OP that might be worth focusing on the most, all things considered.

But in any case, if I made you chuckle, at least a quarter of my mission is accomplished 🙂 and I'd hoped that my anecdotal evidence that success on Fiverr is possible without selling oneself on SM may at least be a tiny spark of hope and inspiration to keep trying through different avenues than SM could make up for another quarter, but I'll settle for having made you chuckle. The ability to chuckle about stuff instead of other reactions is eminently important here, by the way, not just on the forum, but also when waking up to your messages on the main site often enough 😉 you'll certainly see, if you hang on and will get all kinds of customers, spammers, and scammers in your inbox, eventually. I believe in you.

Anyway, I'll shut up now but will follow the topic, and hope you'll get actually helpful posts, and that someone might even share pearls of wisdom which may revolutionize my own stance regarding SM promotion of myself, in addition to "great post" compliments. I've learned quite a few things, reading the forum. 🙂 

 

[catwriter]

6 hours ago, matty_bates said:

I presume I must join some groups and start giving it the old 'hey check out my gig' nonsense lol 🙂 

Those groups are typically full of other sellers doing the same, so posting in them, while it won't get you banned for spamming, is highly unlikely to bring any results.

6 hours ago, matty_bates said:

I wrongly assumed that capability and effort would be the only requirement for measurable success. 

For the lucky ones, it can be. But for others... Well, think about your Fiverr profile as owning a business (or, at least, far more like owning a business than being an employee). And since you've been self-employed for so long, you definitely know that clients don't just show up out of nowhere (or because you mention to your Aunt Vera that you have a business).

Still, there definitely are Fiverr sellers who do well, even though they never promote themselves on social media. I haven't checked your gigs, but do you have a portfolio? Some samples that potential buyers could check to see the quality of your writing (in every gig, you have room for three pictures and two PDFs)? Maybe a PDF with your history (what you did, what the results were, as long as it's relevant to the service you're offering) might also help? Those things could help you to stand out among those who barely speak any English and claim that they will "copy write anything".

Another thing that might help is to offer a somewhat specialized copywriting gig, based on your previous experiences in specific industries (for example, something like product descriptions for eco-friendly products). Many buyers are looking for sellers who have experience with their specific niche.

Those were just a few ideas, might be worth a try...