GigEconomy Challenges: Priming the Pump

Surviving in the Gig Economy means constantly priming the pump. 

My profile on Upwork is always a work in progress as time and new skills develop. I learn new strategies from reviewing profiles of other freelancers. I'm constantly looking for ways to better target the professional/entrepreneurial clients I seek. I read and re-read my profile. Am I pontificating too much? Am I presenting too much information? Present too much of your qualifications 

My "cover letters" on Upwork are always changing, too. They're certainly customized for individual clients, but I also look at better focusing these letters on the specific talents that I offer, and presenting my qualifications not as proof of my abilities, but as an indication of the services I can provide to the client. Again, I'm always looking for better ways to show that I offer quality, client centered services.

Over at Fiverr, where freelancers offer specific gigs, as opposed to seeking out clients who need services, I'lm constantly searching for concepts that would improve the visibility of my gigs. That means finding the right SEO: the keywords and descriptions that help people find my services when searching across the web. I've also discovered that visibility on Fiverr is directly impacted by how often I edit my gigs. Editing the description or other details seems to push my gigs upward and improve my visibility. 

I also look at gig concepts that are "out of the box." Currently, I'm offering this gig on Fiverr: This holiday season, surprise your children with a holiday tale all their own: a short story featuring some traditional elements, and customized touches that make it truly theirs. I'm offering to write a 1,500 word story that incorporates the client's children as characters in a holiday tale with one of several familiar elements (a poor orphan, a Scrooge-like figure unmoved by the holidays, for example). The idea, I hope, has some appeal. I imagine the story as a read-aloud treat sometime after gift-giving; I'll write the stories with that in mind. I'd enjoy creating the tale, and the buyer will have something unique and memorable to add to their holiday season.

My question now: Will people find the gig? I tried titling the gig, "I'll Write a Customized Holiday Story," but decided to switch it to "Christmas Story" as a more likely search term. I'll update the experiment here, and let you know if I receive one order, several orders, or no orders at all. It's worth the experiment, even if it turns out to be a learning experience.

To learn about my latest adventures in the Gig Economy, follow me on Twitter @rickflix