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📺 Netflix ad sweepstakes

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Happy Friday! We’re hunkered down at our satellite office in Toronto to celebrate a wildly successful Q2. And we want you to celebrate with us! So look out for details on our first ever subscriber giveaway next week, where you’ll be able to win some cool prizes.

Mentioned in today’s newsletter: Adobe, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Netflix, Google, Roku, Comcast, Twitter, and Shopify. Plus what to do with leads you can’t help, 24 side hustle ideas that can make you an extra 1k/m, and scaling 101 for paid ads.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes and 42 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Adobe, Meta, and Microsoft join Metaverse Standards Forum. One conspicuous absence from the group is Apple, who’s rumored to be working on an AR/VR headset that could make them a major player in the metaverse.
  • Netflix looking at Google, Roku, and Comcast for their first advertising partnership. With the streamer aiming to launch their ad-supported tier by the end of 2022, multiple companies are vying to win the business.

  • Shopify users can now sell straight from their Twitter profiles. The new integration gives merchants two options: display up to 5 products in a carousel, or link to a Twitter Shop where they can display up to 50 products.

Working With Clients

When in Doubt, Refer Out

Got a lead you can’t help?

Don’t just send them away…

Refer them to someone else in your network.

Becoming a “connector” helps you build goodwill and social capital with both parties — the lead and the person you refer them to.

Something that often comes back around to you…

Whether it’s a referral fee, a client being referred to you, or something else altogether.

And if you don’t have a network of other service providers you can refer to, it’s time to start building one.

Aim to have at least one person you can refer to for all the services adjacent to yours.

– If you’re a copywriter, get to know someone who runs paid ads
– If you run paid ads, get to know someone who does graphic design or video editing
– If you’re a graphic designer, get to know someone who builds funnels

A bigger network always means more opportunities.

Working For Yourself

What to Do if You Picked the Wrong Side Hustle

Freelancing is one of the easiest side hustles to get started with.

There’s no overhead and you can spend as little or as much time on it as you want.

But once your freelance biz becomes your main hustle…

You may want to find a new side hustle to work on in your spare time.

We like to think of it this way:

Side hustles are stomping grounds for accelerating your skills.

Having skin in the game totally transforms the way you approach a project.

And if your end goal is to build something of your own…

It’s never too early to get started.

But there are a dizzying number of options when it comes to picking a side hustle.

If you’re on the hunt for one that meets your criteria for both lifestyle and income goals…

Check out this article from Shopify:

24 Best Side Hustle Ideas to Make an Extra $1,000+ a Month

From The Paid Ads Gig

Scaling 101

If you’re running a paid ads campaign that’s converting…

There are two main ways to scale it:

1 – Vertical scaling

Where you increase the budget on winning ad sets and/or campaigns.

2 – Horizontal scaling

Where you take winning ads and roll them out to new audiences.

Once you’ve hit on something that works, vertical scaling is the easiest to start with.

But depending on your audience, offer, and platform, you’ll eventually bump into a budget ceiling.

That’s when horizontal scaling comes into play.

Pro tip: the best way to achieve horizontal scale is to reposition your offer.

For example: a biz opp/make money online offer might start out being positioned towards young professionals as a way to escape the 9 to 5…

But it could also be positioned towards stay-at-home parents as a way to provide for their family without having to leave the house or hire a babysitter.

Make sense?

If you want to scale an ad account to the moon, you’ll need to scale both vertically and horizontally.

Quote of the Day

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

— Victor Frankl

🪦 RIP threads

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Happy Thursday! This is The Gig, aka the morning paper for freelancers looking to build profitable client businesses.

Mentioned in today’s issue: Twitter, Google, Facebook, Instagram, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Plus why you should know your numbers, the importance of looking the part if you want to get paid, and how to lose friends and annoy people.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes and 44 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Twitter testing new Notes feature that could eventually replace threads. These new long-form posts can have images, videos, and even other tweets mixed in. One upside is the content could then be indexed by Google, giving it the potential to drive inbound traffic from search. 
  • Meta agrees to revise ad targeting for credit, housing, and employment ads. The agreement settles a complaint from the Department of Housing and Urban Development alleging the company broke the law by targeting housing ads based on age, race, and gender.

  • Facebook and Instagram hold off taking a cut of creator revenue until 2024. Meta had originally planned to start taking a cut of creator’s revenues in 2023, but then announced the change on Tuesday alongside a bunch of other monetization updates.

Working With Clients

Know Your Numbers

What gets measured gets managed.

That’s why, when it comes to working with clients…

You should be tracking your prospecting numbers on a weekly basis.

  • How many people you reached out to
  • How many calls you booked
  • How many proposals you submitted
  • How many clients you landed

This allows you to identify where the constraint is — just like analyzing a client’s underperforming sales funnel — and then try new things until you crack the code.

Working For Yourself

Look the Part, Be the Part

One of the best parts about working remotely is the dress code.

As in, there is none.

But as nice as it is to spend the day working in sweatpants and a hoodie…

Here’s the thing…

When you’re on video calls, it’s important to “look the part.”

If you want to be taken seriously as a service provider…

Meaning you want to be seen by your clients as someone who knows how to get results…

(and is paid handsomely for it)

Then you need to come correct.

That doesn’t have to mean business formal attire, but it should mean a clean and wrinkle-free outfit.

Studies have shown that what you wear can and does affect how you feel…

So leverage the science of fashion to show up the way you want to inside your business.

Tools We Love

How to Lose Friends and Annoy People

Ever been on call with someone who had lots of background noise?

It sucks.

But… it’s even worse when you’re the one with the bad background noise.

Fortunately, that’s where Krisp comes in.

It’s a free software solution that completely eliminates background noise.

And when we say completely, we mean it.

Whether it’s a barking dog, crying baby, or a computer fan so loud it could pass for a vacuum cleaner…

Krisp uses AI technology to cut out background noises from your mic and speaker so you (and more importantly, your clients and colleagues) can finally enjoy distraction-free calls.

Get Krisp for free today.

Quote of the Day

“I begin to speak only when I’m certain what I’ll say isn’t better left unsaid.”

— Cato

📲 Is TikTok a national security threat?

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Happy Monday! This is your friendly reminder that you can’t control circumstances, only how you react to them.

Mentioned in today’s newsletter: TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Plus what we’d do if we had to restart our freelance business from scratch, diversifying your client & income streams, and a common retargeting mistake even seasoned advertisers make.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes and 47 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Leaked audio reveals U.S. TikTok user data accessed from China. The recordings of 80 internal meetings exposed multiple instances where U.S. employees lacked the permission or knowledge to access local user data without help from Chinese colleagues, and to a Master Admin in Beijing who apparently had “access to everything” — disclosures that amplify fears about TikTok’s potential threat to national security.
  • Instagram tests new full-screen mode to compete with TikTok. Members of the test group will see videos full-screen in the feed, mirroring the user experience on TikTok (but hopefully without the foreign data breach that comes with it).

  • FBI warns of cryptocurrency fraud schemes on LinkedIn. Fraudsters gain trust by directing victims to legitimate investing sites first, then convince them to move to a fake site where their assets can be drained. The World Wide Web can be a dangerous place. Stay safe out there.

Working With Clients

What We’d Do if We Lost it All and Had to Start Over

Hypothetical scenario:

We lost it all — skills, clients, connections, crypto portfolio, testimonials, etc…

What would we do to rebuild our freelance biz as fast as possible?

Here’s the gameplan:

STEP 1: Pick one high-income skill

High-income skills give you proximity to the sale.

This means your work has a direct impact on whether someone buys or not.

And the closer you are to the sale, the more money you can make.

Our top suggestions:

  • Copywriting
  • Paid ads
  • Remote sales
  • Graphic design

Choose the one that aligns most with your personality (introverted vs extroverted) and strengths (creativity vs analytical).

STEP 2: Daily study & practice

The next step is to map out a daily plan to study and practice your high-income skill.

Aim to spend at least one hour a day on this.

For example:

  • Read a sales letter
  • Write an email
  • Find an ad to include in your swipe file
  • Design a IG story for your favorite brand

Daily practice is the fastest path to mastery.

STEP 3: Pick one client acquisition channel and go all in

There are two main ways to get clients:

  • Freelance platforms / job boards
  • Cold outreach

Each has its pros and cons…

But we’re partial to freelancing platforms.

Why?

Because we believe in going where the paying clients are when you’re just starting out.

These are people looking to hire ASAP.

But cold outreach works too.

Either way, pick one and spend at least an hour a day on it until you’ve landed your first client.

Then rinse and repeat until your roster is full.

BONUS STEP: Diversify

There are a few ways to diversify your freelance business and income once you’ve established a baseline level of security:

  • Build an audience on social media
  • Promote other people’s products
  • Create your own digital products
  • Start a side business

Keep reading for more on how to do this 👇

Working For Yourself

Diversifying Your Client & Income Streams

People follow leaders, not experts.

That’s why creating content on social media is so important for freelancers…

Because content creation is leadership.

And even if you’re not an A-List service provider with a track record full of big wins…

Sharing your perspective on social can help establish credibility and authority…

Which can lead to lucrative deals you may not have landed otherwise.

You never know who’s watching.

But here’s an important piece of advice related to our “start from scratch” plan above:

Pick one social media platform and go all in on it.

Don’t try to be on Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram all at once.

Each platform has their nuances…

And unless you’ve got 2-4 hours you can dedicate to creating content every day…

The sacrifice isn’t worth it.

So take the time to learn the ins and outs of your platform of choice.

As an added bonus, once you’ve built a following and created some top-performing pieces of content…

You can easily repurpose them on other platforms.

For example, Dickie Bush recently shared these impressive results just from posting his top 50 tweets and threads on LinkedIn.

Moral of the story:

Focus on getting traction one platform at a time.

Then move on to conquer the next one.

From The Paid Ads Gig

Avoid Making This Retargeting Mistake

Retargeting is a key part of any paid ads strategy.

Even in a post-iOS 14 world.

But there’s one common mistake we see even experienced advertisers making with their retargeting strategy:

Not retargeting people to a different offer.

If someone sees your ad, clicks on it, hits your lander, but doesn’t opt-in or buy…

Retargeting them with same offer again and again amounts to saying:

“Hey, I know you decided you didn’t want this the first time you saw it… but how about now??”

Can this approach produce *some* results?

Yes.

But as a skilled media buyer, you can do better…

By retargeting them to a different offer (and ideally, one that lowers the commitment.)

For example:

  • Retargeting ecom buyers with a free + shipping offer
  • Retargeting info product buyers with a quickstart guide
  • Retargeting SaaS buyers with free 7-day trial
  • Retargeting coaching clients with a low-ticket group challenge

Presenting them with a new offer creates a “reason why” for your ad…

And increases the chance they’ll take action.

Quote of the Day

“Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future.”

— Seneca

💲Buy now, pay later

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Happy Friday! Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors, who won the NBA Finals last night. Hopefully our favorite Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc can channel some of that championship energy in Montreal this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Mentioned in today’s edition: PayPal, Apple, Firefox, Twitter, and Elon Musk. Plus why one is the most dangerous number in business, 3 criteria for finding fulfillment in your career, and the secrets of a high-converting FAQ.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes and 47 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • PayPal Monthly offers monthly payment options for up to 24 months. The new installment program lets users break down the total cost of a purchase into equal monthly payments over a 6 to 24 month period. With Apple recently throwing their hat into the “buy now, pay later” ring, this space is really starting to heat up. If you listen real close, you can hear the collective sigh from all the other VC-backed BNPL firms in the middle of massive layoffs.
  • Firefox launches Total Cookie Protection. The new tool prevents third-party tracking across multiple websites. When a cookie is deposited into your browser, it’s “confined to the cookie jar assigned to that website.” In other words, no more reaching into other website’s cookie jars to access any data they might have collected. Womp womp.

  • Elon confirms “strong bias” towards in-person work in Twitter all-hands meeting. He didn’t elaborate on what the new remote work policy might look like. But he did hint at the need to reduce headcount so the company can “get healthy” — something a strict in-person policy might help with.

Working With Clients

Why “One” is the Most Dangerous Number in Business

One big advantage of freelancing is being able to diversify your income streams.

There’s a reason they say “one” is the most dangerous number in business…

Because if you rely exclusively on…

  • One traffic source
  • One ad account
  • Or one client

… for all of your income, then you’re in a very precarious place.

And it wouldn’t take much to knock you off your perch.

So…

A word to the wise:

Avoid relying on one client for 100% of your income.

Aim to have at least two — this way you have something to fall back on if things go sideways with Client #1.

Plus, as you build your track record…

The list of clients you’ve worked with in the past will grow…

Which can also serve as a back-up plan if you need to drum up work.

Working For Yourself

Finding Fulfillment in Your Career Starts By Checking This Many Boxes

Finding fulfillment is something many freelancers struggle with in their careers.

If you’re one of them…

Look for work that aligns with these three things:

1 – What you enjoy doing 🙂

2 – What you’re good at 💪

3 – What you can get paid for 💰

We like to think of this as the “fulfillment trifecta.”

Pursuing a paycheck at the cost of personal enjoyment is just as bad as choosing a career you enjoy or are good at, but has minimal market demand.

The road to happiness starts by finding alignment between all three.

From The Copywriting Gig

Secrets of a High-Converting FAQ

The frequently asked questions (FAQ) section is like the red-headed stepchild of any landing page or sales letter.

Most copywriters get lazy here because:

A) They write it last
B) They’re tired of repeating themselves
C) They assume anyone who’s gonna buy doesn’t need it

But the truth is, the FAQ gives you a perfect opportunity to overcome objections.

Especially since most readers will skim to the bottom first, then return to the beginning and read the page from top to bottom.

So here are some conversion-boosting answers to include in your FAQ:

– “Why should I choose over something else?”
– “How do I use ?”
– “Which order option is right for me?”
– “Is safe?”
– “How soon can I expect results with ?”
– “How soon can I expect to arrive?”
– “Why should I trust you when I’ve been burned by others in the past?”

Make sure to finish off every answer with a strong call to action.

Friday Recap

Time flies when you’re making money online.

Here’s a quick recap of what happened this week:

Monday: 👀 Privacy state of mind
Tuesday: 🐻 Bear with me
Wednesday: 👑 Ad market empresarios
Thursday: 🛒 Amazon influencers

Quote of the Day

“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.”

— Ayn Rand

🛒 Amazon influencers

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Happy Thursday! Here’s a fun fact: the word “freelancers” originally referred to sword-wielding soldiers for hire. As in, “free lancers.” Go figure.

Mentioned in today’s edition: Amazon Live, Insider, the European Commission, Meta, Google, and Twitter. Plus how to raise your rates, what to do when your creative juices dry up, and the list-building secret that slaps.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes and 43 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Amazon offers up to $9,000/m in bonuses to influencers. Emails obtained by Insider reveal the ecommerce king offered influencers anywhere from 2-9k per month to use its new live shopping feature, Amazon Live — on top of regular commissions based on sales.
  • Big Tech firms forced to fight deepfakes or risk paying hefty EU fines. An update to the European Commission’s code of practice will force companies like Meta, Google, Twitter, and others to implement policies to fight back against deepfakes, or risk yuge fines of up to 6% of cash collected globally (!!).

  • Study finds consumers prefer text messages over email for appointment reminders. SMS also topped email for delivery confirmations and payment reminders, while email was the medium of choice for order confirmation, flash sales, and customer support. Just like trying to decide between tequila and mezcal on a Friday night, the answer is to do both.

Working With Clients

“Raise Your Rates” They Said… “It’ll Be Easy” They Said…

“Raise your rates.”

Sounds easy enough in theory…

But in practice, it’s a little trickier than it looks.

You might be wondering:

  • When’s the best time to raise my rates?
  • How much should I raise your rates?
  • Do I raise rates for everyone – or just new clients?
  • How do I justify it (aside from just wanting to get paid more)?

These are only a few of the questions freelancers are forced to figure out if they want to successfully raise their rates.

So, here’s our advice…

(+) Raise your rates as demand for your services increases (or once your client roster is full)

(+) Aim to increase prices by 10-20%

(+) Start by raising your rates just for new clients – but make sure to let existing clients know they’re being grandfathered in at their current rate

(+) If raising rates on existing clients, explain that your new rate structure will allow you to spend more time and energy on their account – but also be prepared for them to leave

As a freelancer, you’re more likely to undercharge than overcharge…

But that doesn’t mean you should arbitrarily increase your rates by 5X either.

Focus on the value and ROI you’re delivering for your clients.

Use that as a barometer to gauge what you should be charging.

Working For Yourself

How to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing Again

Struggling to come up with a creative solution to a work problem?

There’s a reason why famous thinkers like Darwin, Einstein, and Nietzsche used daily walks to stimulate their creativity.

Next time you’re feeling stumped, try this:

STEP 1: Direct your mind to find a solution

STEP 2: Go for a walk

STEP 3: Get back to work & request the solution

What you’ll find is that your subconscious mind continues working on the problem, even after you’ve shifted your active focus away from it.

Tools We Love

The List Building Secret That Slaps

If you’re an email marketer or list owner, there’s an unpleasant reality you’ve got to face:

Unsubscribes.

In other words, every email you send shrinks your list…

And the more often you mail, the faster it happens.

… Unless you’ve got a referral program that makes subscribers excited to share your emails, that is.

That’s where SparkLoop comes in.

SparkLoop helps newsletter operators and email marketers get more high-quality subscribers on autopilot with a referral program.

It’s the ultimate combination of organic and paid acquisition.

With SparkLoop, you can flip the script so that every email you send actually GROWS your list.

Whether you opt for physical rewards, digital rewards, or a mix of each…

Turning subscribers into bounty hunters is one of the main reasons why companies like The Hustle and Morning Brew were able to grow so fast (and eventually get acquired).

If you’re a newsletter operator, try SparkLoop for free today.

Quote of the Day

“Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”

— Mark Twain

💦 Twitter unleashes the firehose

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Happy Friday! Formula 1 is in Baku this weekend for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. And Jurassic World: Dominion aims to unseat Tom Cruise at the box office with a projected $125M opening. 

Mentioned in today’s newsletter: Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson, TikTok, Twitter, and Ready Player One. Plus the one thing that can make or break your freelance portfolio, four ugly truths about being a digital nomad, and an old school trick to keep your attribution clean even after iOS 14.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes and 23 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Twitter unleashes the firehose on Elon Musk. The board has finally caved to Elon’s demands and will give him access to its massive internal data stream of 500M+ daily tweets. Will Musk be satisfied? Or will it prompt him to formally pull out of the deal? Either way, one person loving all this drama (aside from Elon himself) is probably Walter Isaacson, who’s been working on a biography of the Tesla CEO since 2021.

  • TikTok introduces Avatars. Similar to Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, TikTok users can now set up and “become” their avatars when recording videos. Ready Player One takes place in 2045 in a world where people spend most of their time living as their VR avatar, and so far, the timeline is looking pretty accurate.

  • Twitter launches Product Drops. As we’ve reported in recent weeks, the push into shoppable ads and content continues to heat up. And now Twitter is entering the fray with Product Drops, which allow users to sign up for reminders about upcoming launches right from the feed.

Working With Clients

The One Thing That Can Make or Break Your Freelance Portfolio

Want to increase your chances of getting the gig?

Make sure you’ve got relevant sample pieces in your freelance portfolio.

There are two ways to think about relevance:

1) Task-specific
2) Market-specific 

Task-specific relevance means that if you’re applying for a job to write emails, you should highlight email work you’ve done in the past (instead of sales pages or video scripts).

Market-specific relevance means that if you’re applying for a job to run ads for a health company, you should highlight previous work you’ve done in the health space (instead of another niche like finance or relationships).

And if you want to pull a Mike Tyson and hit the bullseye…

Aim to have both.

Working For Yourself

4 Ugly Truths About Being a Digital Nomad

The laptop lifestyle is what attracts a lot of people to freelancing and digital marketing.

But it’s not everything it’s cracked up to be.

Here are a few ugly truths about digital nomadism we’ve learned the hard way:

#1: Everyone else is in vacation mode

Working from exotic locations is tough.

Spending 8 hours a day glued to your laptop while everyone else is partying, sightseeing, and having fun isn’t exactly what most people have in mind when they board a plane overseas.

Temptations are everywhere.

Staying focused when you’re surrounded by distractions is less fun than it looks.

#2: You have to work odd hours

Having clients in the West means you might have to stay up until 12-1 AM to take calls and attend meetings.

This can be brutal.

If you’re an early to bed, early to rise kind of person, this will really jam up your normal rhythm.

Which leads us to…

#3: Routines are hard to maintain

As Jocko Willink says, discipline equals freedom.

But when you’re living overseas and often on the move, it’s hard to maintain structure.

You’re always on the lookout for good coffee shops, gyms, grocery stores, etc. near your new place.

Which sucks up more brainpower than you might think.

#4: Relationships are transient

You can meet lots of cool people while you’re traveling.

But it’s unlikely any of those new relationships will compare to the ones you have back home.

You can’t recreate that kind of depth in a week or a month.

Everyone’s headed in different directions, so nothing lasts.

Now this isn’t to say that it can’t work for some…

In fact, your humble newsletter writer spent a life-changing 8 months in Southeast Asia.

But the digital nomad lifestyle isn’t for everyone.

And since it’s always glamorized so much on social media…

We think it’s important to shine a spotlight on the not-so-sexy parts of it.

From The Paid Ads Gig

iOS 14? Never Heard of It

Apple’s iOS 14 update detonated a bomb on browser-based tracking last year.

Paid ads haven’t been the same since.

And even though every SaaS company and their grandma claims to have “solved iOS 14,” the truth is that the ad tracking capabilities we used to have ain’t coming back.

But the good news is…

There’s an old school strategy that can help you combat Apple’s anti-ad agenda:

Building separate funnels for each traffic source.

If you’ve only got traffic from one source (like Facebook, YouTube, organic, etc) coming into a specific funnel, attributing ROI is a cakewalk.

There is a bit more work up front to get this set up…

But as you (or your client’s) company grows, you’ll be glad you did it.

Quote of the Day

“The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work.”

— Harry Golden

📉 Ads so Basic

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Happy Thursday! Mentioned in today’s newsletter: Meta, Apple, iOS 16, and of course, Twitter and Elon Musk. Plus how making friends with the competition can help you land more clients.

Let’s dive in…

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes and 10 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Meta rumored to be working on new Basic Ads product. The new privacy-focused ad format would reportedly offer little to no targeting options and only limited performance metrics like video views and post engagement. Sounds terrific — where do we sign up?

  • Apple launching browser push notifications with iOS 16. Users will be able to opt-in through Safari and other iOS-supported browsers once the updated OS rolls out.

  • Elon Musk’s Twitter financing has been put on ice. Given his public griping about the takeover, some of his financiers are starting to feel a bit iffy about funding the acquisition — at least until they have a clearer picture of whether the deal will go through.

Working With Clients

SPOTTED: Client Attempts to Access Your Word Doc Portfolio

If you’re using freelance platforms to find clients and land gigs…

There’s one thing you can do when putting in a proposal that all prospective clients will appreciate, whether they hire you or not.

And that is:

Sharing links to samples or portfolio pieces via Google Drive.

Don’t send over PDFs, Word docs, or Excel spreadsheets they have to download.

Why?

Because a client may take one look at your sample and decide they don’t like it.

Or that you’re not the right person for the job.

And if you (along with 9 other freelancers) have sent them a handful of docs to download, then they’re stuck with a bunch of useless documents on their computer they’ll never look at again.

So do them a favor and send them a Share link instead.

Working For Yourself

When Getting “Friend Zoned” is a Good Thing

Before someone will hire you to do a job, they have to know (or at least believe) that you can actually do the job.

And if you’re running a freelance business…

This gap of awareness is much easier to bridge if you do it in advance.

How?

By building your network and getting to know other people in your industry.

There’s a reason they say your network is your net worth.

Because the more people know who…

1 – Who you are

2 – What you can do

… the more opportunities you’ll get.

Plain and simple.

And if you’re worried about “the competition” or anyone else who provides the same service as you do..

Consider this:

There is SO much more work out there than there are competent people who can do it.

The amount of people who have both skill and the will to pursue the same goals as you do is so small that it doesn’t even matter.

The closer you get to the top, the smaller the world gets.

Become a connector and you’ll have more opportunities than you know what to do with.

Tools We Love

How International Freelancers Can Fight Inflation

If you’re an international freelancer, getting paid in USD is great…

… Until you actually convert it into your own currency.

Traditional solutions like PayPal (or god forbid, your own bank) will make you pay out the nose to convert USD into your local currency.

That’s why we use Wise (formerly TransferWise). 

Not only do they give you a much better rate than PayPal on currency conversions, but they also give you a local USD bank account so you can get paid via bank transfer instead of a wire.

Open a free account today and start keeping more of your hard-earned money for yourself.

Quote of the Day

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

— George Bernard Shaw

♟️ 3D chess

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Happy Wednesday! This is The Gig, where it’s hard to go more than one day without Elon Musk making news. 

Here we go…

Making the Rounds

  • Elon’s Twitter takeover may be in jeopardy (again). He sent a letter to the SEC claiming that Twitter was “actively resisting and thwarting” his attempts to get more info on the number of fake accounts. Is the Tesla CEO playing 3D chess and secretly negotiating for a better price? Trying to back out of the deal? Tune in tomorrow for the next episode…

  • Apple wades into “buy now, pay later” with Apple Pay Later. The iPhone maker announced Apple Pay users will now be able to split payments into four over a period of six weeks, with no interest or late fees. The timing probably couldn’t be any worse for BNPL companies like Klarna and Affirm, who’ve been forced to lay off employees in recent months despite sky-high valuations.

  • UK launches major 4-day work week experiment. 70 companies and 3,300 workers are participating in the 6-month experiment. Workers will get 100% of their normal comp for working 4 days instead of 5 — but with a promise to maintain 100% of their normal productivity. Bets on whether the trial will succeed? Reply and let us know what you think.

Working With Clients

The Secret to a Successful Freelance Sales Pitch

… is to ask a barrage of questions during the “discovery” process.

Here’s why:

What’s important to a new client may not be the same as your last client.

So by asking things like:

  • What’s the #1 biggest challenge right now?
  • What makes this a priority right now?
  • Have you hired anyone else to help with this in the past? How did that go?
  • Is there anything else you think I should know?

… you can tailor your pitch to address their specific concerns and desires.

On a related note —  if you want to take your sales pitches to the next level, share the newsletter with just five friends and we’ll send you a copy of our Ultimate Freelance Sales Call Cheat Sheet.

It’s a step-by-step roadmap to closing freelance deals over the phone, complete with specific questions and word-for-word transitions to help you navigate sales calls like a pro.

Working For Yourself

Can’t Decide What Business to Start? Here’s Some Food For Thought…

Everyone you meet in life is selling you “their way” — whether they realize it or not.

But don’t forget there are lots of different ways to reach your destination.

Especially in business.

As Rich Schefren says, it’s all about tradeoffs vs payoffs.

For example:

With ecommerce and affiliate marketing, the results can be quick…

But you’ll need startup capital to fund your paid traffic costs…

And you’ll need to navigate the steep learning curve of how to run paid ads at a profit…

Otherwise you could lose it all.

Plus the margins are typically on the low end, around 15-20%.

With service-based businesses like coaching, consulting, or agencies…

You can start landing clients and getting paid with virtually ZERO startup costs…

The margins are much higher…

But that means investing time on cold outreach and freelancing platforms…

Always being on the hunt for the next client…

Plus now you’re on call + have to be available for meetings, answering emails and DMs, etc.

Don’t get us wrong — both businesses can be wildly profitable.

Ultimately though, you have to decide what your priorities are and what you’re willing to sacrifice to achieve them.

Because no business model is all upside.

And measuring yourself based on the games other people play is a recipe for unhappiness.

Figure out what game YOU want to play and commit to it all the way.

From The Copywriting Gig

What NEVER to Do When Writing Words That Sell

WIIFM is one of the most important concepts in copy.

It stands for “what’s in it for me” — a reminder that your readers don’t actually care about you…

So if you want to get someone’s attention, appealing to their self-desire is key.

But according to Gary Halbert, author of the Coat of Arms promo that ran for over 30 years and generated millions of dollars in the 70s and 80s, and someone who’s often listed as one of the best copywriters of all time… 

There’s ONE element of persuasion even more important than self-desire.

Something that can make readers burn through 50 pages of copy in a frenzy…

Something that can turn an underperforming ad or email into a customer-generating machine…

And something that separates pro copywriters from wannabe Don Drapers.

Can you guess what it is?

I’ll give you a hint: it’s not a killer price, money back guarantee, or added bonus…

And it’s got nothing to do with scarcity, urgency, or even storytelling…

Instead, that special something is:

Curiosity.

You see…

You never want to reveal everything in your ad, email, or sales page right away.

Learn how to talk about something without giving away what it is.

Because if your readers aren’t curious to discover your secret, hack, trick, tactic, strategy, or 7 magic words to achieve a desired result…

They won’t be motivated to buy.

A few tips to execute on this:

  • Talk about what it’s not
  • Talk about what it’s better than
  • Talk about what you can do it without

But no matter how you create curiosity…

Just make sure you can actually pay it off inside the product — because that’s what separates compelling copy from cringy clickbait.

Quote of the Day

“Above everything else I’ve done, I’ve always said I’ve had more guts than I’ve got talent.”

— Dolly Parton

📊 What are the top trends on TikTok?

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Happy Tuesday! Mentioned in today’s newsletter: Pinterest, Twitter, TikTok, Elon Musk, and the Department of Justice. Plus how new freelancers can set themselves apart without a proven track record, case studies, or testimonials.

Let’s get into it…

Making the Rounds

  • Pinterest to acquire AI shopping platform The Yes. It’s all hands on deck for everyone not named TikTok. And with TikTok’s recent push into shoppable content, it looks like Pinterest is feeling the heat too. The pending acquisition could bring personalized, AI-driven shopping feeds to a board near you.

  • Antitrust review window expires on Elon’s Twitter acquisition. The SEC may be investigating the late disclosure of his initial Twitter stake, but it looks like the Department of Justice is going to pass on an antitrust review of Elon’s takeover bid.

  • TikTok announces Trend Discovery tool. It’s no Ad Library, but now you can see top-performing videos, songs, creators, and hashtags inside the Creative Center.

Working With Clients

Need For Speed

Struggling to set yourself apart as a freelancer?

Here’s an easy way to do it even if you don’t have a portfolio full of big wins or a laundry list of testimonials…

Learn to work fast.

And then don’t be afraid to advertise it.

You see, one of the biggest concerns clients have when hiring freelancers is speed.

This is typically because of bad experiences in the past…

(with freelancers missing deadlines, ghosting them, or both)

Or simply because they need it turned around ASAP.

And if you can speak directly to that fear, you’ll have no trouble closing deals.

Now, you can’t just snap your fingers and make yourself work three times faster…

So here’s a few tips to help you put the pedal to the metal:

  • Close all open tabs
  • Put your phone on Do Not Disturb
  • Create an outline or wireframe first
  • Use a timer
  • Listen to non-lyrical music (binaural beats, lo-fi, etc)

And don’t forget: the faster you work, the more you can jack up your effective hourly rate.

Working For Yourself

Not All Athletes Wear Gym Shorts

Being your own boss sounds pretty great in theory…

But in practice, it’s a lot harder than it looks.

That’s because there’s no one watching over your shoulder to hold you accountable if you show up late, call in sick, or botch that TPS report.

So if you’re struggling to build momentum or hit the next income goal in your freelance biz…

Here’s some advice:

Start treating your life like a pro athlete.

Even though you may not feel like an athlete…

Your goals are the same:

Performing at a high level and sustaining that performance over the course of an entire season.

This can mean:

  • Waking up and going to bed at the same time each day
  • Developing a morning routine
  • Eating healthy
  • Exercising regularly
  • Finding ways to relax and de-stress

The more seriously you take your day-to-day habits and routines…

The better results you’ll see inside your business.

Tools We Love

So Quick it Should’ve Had a Cameo in 2 Fast 2 Furious

WordPress powers 37% of all websites on the internet.

But with over 31,000+ themes to choose from, setting up your own WordPress website can be more than a little daunting.

That’s why we’re in love with GeneratePress.


It’s a fast and free lightweight theme that makes setting up a clean yet professional-looking website easy as pie.

Plus, they’ve recently rolled out a free block-based builder called GenerateBlocks that makes building landing pages a breeze.

Did we mention it’s got over 1,000+ reviews, 90,000+ happy customers, and 4M+ downloads?

Click below to check it out:

Learn more about everything GeneratePress can do here.

Quote of the Day

“Grit is the persistence in following your own destiny.”

— Paul Bradley Smith

🍎 Apple vs Google?

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Happy Thursday! 20 years ago today, The Wire premiered on HBO. Despite never being a big ratings hit, the show ran for 5 seasons and is widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. 

Here’s the latest…

Making the Rounds

  • New social media censorship law blocked by Supreme Court. The controversial Texas law would prevent social media platforms from enforcing their own content moderation policies and allow users to sue them for violations. We’d venture to say it would also reduce the fun quotient on Elon’s Twitter acquisition by a factor of 10 to the power of 7823489, as platforms could be flooded with lawsuits if the law takes effect.

  • Is Apple planning to launch its own search engine? Google pays Apple $10+ billion a year to be the default search engine on Apple devices. But that agreement may be coming to an end: the iPhone maker is apparently working on a search engine of its own.

  • Elon tells Tesla employees to come back to the office or GTFO. If you ever wondered where the Technoking stood on remote work, now you know. In an email to staff earlier this week, he explained that anyone wanting to work remotely had to be in the hours at least 40 hours per week. At least you can still put in overtime in your PJs.

Working With Clients

Try This Simple Growth Hack to Get More Clients

Most freelancers tend to overcomplicate the process of getting clients.

So here’s a simple tip to try:

Once you’ve scored a big win for a new client and asked them for a video testimonial…

Ask them for a referral.

Keep it simple and straightforward by saying something like…

“Given how we’ve been able to [achieve client’s desired result], I wondered if you might know anyone else looking to [achieve desired result]. I’m looking to fill a spot on my client roster and I’d love to help someone in your network achieve similar results.”

That’s it.

You can also get creative and incentivize them by offering a discount, gift card, bonus, or referral fee. 

Bottom line is:

Referred clients are typically much higher-quality than those found via cold outreach or on freelancing platforms.

Plus, everyone likes to “have a guy.”

It allows us to build social capital by playing the connector.

So when it comes to finding new clients, you should always start with your existing client base.

Working For Yourself

Table For One

Work-life balance is a constant struggle for freelancers.

That’s why, in addition to having a structured workday where you start and end around the same time…

One of the best ways to create separation between work and personal is to eat lunch away from your desk.

Even if it’s just 15-20 minutes…

Giving yourself a break from the computer screen is good for mind and body.

Tools We Love

Fred Has Entered the Chat

Taking notes on a Zoom call can be a major pain in the you-know-where.

Listening and typing at the same time is no small feat……

Meanwhile, everyone else is forced to listen in as you hammer away on the keys as fast as you can.

And sure, you can record the call..

But if you’ve got to go back to review something someone said…

You’re often stuck skipping around trying to find the exact moment where it was discussed.

That’s where Fireflies.AI comes in.

It’s an AI assistant that lets you record, transcribe, and search across your voice conversations.

Once you sign up for free, all you have to do is invite Fireflies (aka Fred) into your meeting.

Then he takes care of the rest.

After the meeting is finished, you’ll have a searchable transcript so you don’t have to worry about taking notes.

Try Fireflies.AI for free today.

Quote of the Day

“You come at the king, you best not miss.”

— Omar Little