bereal

▶️ YouTubers cash in

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Happy Wednesday! Inflation fell for the second straight month in November. Perhaps it’s finally ready to imitate our crypto portfolio and just keep going down.

Mentioned in today’s edition: YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Plus one simple positioning trick any freelancer can use to get more clients, how to set effective boundaries when you work for yourself, and the best place to “eavesdrop” on your customers.

Read time: 3 minutes and 44 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Private equity firms shell out millions for YouTubers’ back catalogs. Musicians like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen aren’t the only ones getting big offers to sell the revenue from their back catalogs. Now YouTubers are getting in on the action too. You never know what your content might be worth one day.
  • Instagram launches new features imitating Twitter and BeReal. Its new Notes feature lets users update followers with just text and emojis, while the Candid feature lets them share Stories that can only be seen by those who share their own Candids as well. Moral of the story: “swipe and deploy” continues to be an effective product strategy if you’re a social media platform.
  • Over 100+ Twitter employees deactivated from Slack after missing a weekend email from CEO Elon Musk. The Saturday email included an anti-leaking pledge employees were asked to sign. Those that didn’t sign it (or simply didn’t see it because they were too busy eating candy canes and drinking rum-and-eggnogs) lost access to all work systems. Woops.

Working With Clients

A Simple Positioning Trick Any Freelancer Can Use to Get More Clients

Struggling to land your first (or next) freelance client?

Breaking in can be tough when you don’t have a proven track record or a long list of big wins to share.

So here’s a trick to help you differentiate yourself…

Work in niches you already know.

“The riches are in the niches” is something you hear a lot from successful entrepreneurs…

And it applies to freelancing too.

Positioning yourself as a specialist within a niche is the best way to create an unfair advantage.

And it’s as simple as this:

Your freelance skill(s) + a deep understanding of the people in that niche = specialization.

This works if you’ve got brick and mortar experience…

If it’s something you studied in school…

Or if it’s just a topic you’re really passionate about.

Leverage the assets you’ve already got and you’ll have no trouble getting clients and closing deals.

Working For Yourself

Wish I Was Free, But…

The numbers are in:

For many of us, working from home often means working (a lot) more than 8 hours a day.

And with notifications pouring in from dawn ‘till dusk (and sometimes even long past then)…

Maintaining more than a shred of work/life balance is a constant battle.

So here’s a simple tip to help you stay sane:

Use “work speak” to set effective boundaries.

Since your home and your office may be the same place, being “out of office” doesn’t have to apply only when you’re away from the computer. 

It can simply mean you’re unavailable.

Whether that’s because you’re doing deep work on a project or going deep into the next season of Schitt’s Creek.

And “meetings” don’t always have to be work-related — they can also be calls to catch up with family or friends.

Bottom line is:

Many people have an easier time understanding (and respecting) your boundaries when you use the right language to set them.

From The Paid Ads Gig

I Ain’t Been Dropping No Eaves Sir

Crafting a profitable paid ad campaign starts with market research.

Understanding what problems your customers are having, what underlying beliefs they have about their problems, who else they’re listening to, and what specific tools they’re using to try and solve their problems is essential to targeting them effectively.

But traditional forums are basically extinct.

So, what’s the best place to “eavesdrop” on your customers?

Reddit.

With over 430 million monthly active users and niche-specific subreddits for basically any topic you can imagine.

It’s a treasure trove of insights into the psychology of your target market.

Just add “reddit” to anything you’re searching for.

Like…

  • “How to make money online reddit”
  • “Freelance copywriting reddit”
  • “How to run ads on facebook reddit”

Then, aside from any niche-specific subreddits, be sure to check out:

Final pro tip: filter by Top and All Time to see discussions that have resonated the most.

Gig Alerts

Looking for clients? These freelance jobs were posted on Upwork in the last 24 hours:

Featured Newsletter

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Quote of the Day


“There are in nature neither rewards nor punishments — there are consequences.”

— Robert G. Ingersoll

In Case You Missed It:

⚠️ Crisis averted

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Happy Friday! Here’s a fun fact to finish out the week: when volcanoes like Hawaii’s Mauna Loa erupt and molten lava is shot high up into the sky, lava drops often solidify into volcanic glass, which can then rain down on the surrounding area. 

This volcanic glass is named after Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, and usually takes one of two shapes: Pele’s hair (long, thin strands) and Pele’s tears (droplets).

Mentioned in today’s edition: Twitter, Apple, and BeReal. Plus the easiest way to make yourself look like an amateur when working with clients, the next best thing to an ‘off’ switch, and a 3-part framework from the godfather of persuasion.

Read time: 3 minute and 21 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Elon says he and Apple CEO Tim Cook had “good conversation” after visit to Apple HQ. One Twitter crisis has seemingly been averted: CEO Elon Musk posted a video from Apple’s Cupertino HQ and indicated that he and Cook “resolved the misunderstanding” about Twitter being removed from the App Store. 
  • BeReal wins app of the year in Apple’s 2022 app awards. The filter-free photo app won app of the year in the iPhone category.
  • Twitter engineers working on design or software asked to move to Elon’s floor.  Musk has apparently set up shop on the 10th floor, and sent out an email on Tuesday asking anyone writing software or doing design to relocate for “dense and intense” work.

Working With Clients

The Easiest Way to Make Yourself Look Like an Amateur

One of the most efficient ways to communicate with clients is by recording screencast videos with tools like Loom or SnagIt.

Client work typically involves a lot of troubleshooting, walkthroughs, and back and forths…

So being able to send screencast videos makes collaborating a helluva lot easier…

And cuts down on the need for calls or meetings.

Asynchronous communication FTW 🙌

However, something important to keep in mind is how you sound.

Invest in a decent pair of headphones (or better yet, a proper USB microphone) to make sure you sound good in videos and on calls with clients.

You never know when your client may forward your video onto their friend, colleague, or boss to get their input…

And there’s nothing worse than having to watch or listen to someone go on and oooon with a crappy mic.

So don’t be that person 😉

Working For Yourself

You Don’t Have an ‘Off’ Switch, But Here’s the Next Best Thing

One of the hardest parts about working remotely is maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 

Because we don’t come with an off switch. 

So, what’s the solution? 

Creating a “shut down” ritual. 

Whether it’s turning off your computer, closing the office door (if you have one), putting Slack on snooze, or going for a walk — developing a routine that signals the end of the day can do wonders for your mental health. 

For example, author and digital minimalism advocate Cal Newport actually says the phrase “schedule shut down, complete” out loud at the end of his workday.

We’re not quite ready to go that far…

Instead, we prefer checking in to see how much our crypto portfolio is down 🙃📉

From The Copywriting Gig

A Simple 3-Part Framework From the Godfather of Persuasion

The godfather of persuasion wasn’t David Ogilvy, Claude Hopkins, or Eugene Schwartz.

It was Aristotle.

Here’s how to apply his 3 modes of persuasion to get more leads, customers, and sales:

MODE #1: Ethos

This means proving you’re a credible, trustworthy, & unbiased source of information.

Examples:

– credentials
– track record
– certifications
– endorsements
– media features

Establishing ethos lays the groundwork for a marketing message that people can trust.

MODE #2: Pathos

Evoking emotions like fear, greed, shame, envy, and hope is essential if you want people to take action.

Examples:

– claims
– stories
– promises
– deeper emotions
– unspoken desires

As the saying goes…

People buy on emotion, then justify with:

MODE #3: Logos

We want to think of ourselves as rational decision-makers.

That’s why having a strong logical argument is also important.

Examples:

– stats
– testimonials
– case studies
– functional benefits

Make the thing you’re selling the obvious *logical* decision.

And ultimately, your goal with any piece of sales copy should be to check all three boxes.

Gig Alerts

Looking for clients? These freelance jobs were posted on Upwork in the last 24 hours:

Featured Newsletter

If you’re interested in personal development, growth, productivity, wealth creation, or business, you need to read The Curiosity Chronicle.

Written by entrepreneur and investor Sahil Bloom, The Curiosity Chronicle is filled with actionable, tactical insights you can immediately implement to improve your life.

Find out why 125,000+ high-performers rely on it to uplevel their health and wealth by subscribing here for free.

Quote of the Day


“Never surrender to the momentum of mediocrity.”

— Marlon Brando

In Case You Missed It

📸 BeReal-er

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Happy Monday! Welcome back to The Gig — the daily email helping freelancers go beyond the 9 to 5 and conquer the gig economy.

Mentioned in today’s edition: TikTok, BeReal, California, and Google. Plus the secret to getting attention online, 4 reasons not to become a digital nomad, and selling on the knife’s edge.

Read time: 3 minutes and 57 seconds

Together with AdSkills

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As an AdSkills member, not only will you learn how to launch & scale paid ad campaigns, but you’ll also get the stamp of approval that 9-figure companies like ClickFunnels, DigitalMarketer, and VShred look for when hiring freelancers. So if you’re looking for a new high-income skill to add to your freelance toolkit, click here to try a free class today.

Making the Rounds

  • TikTok copies BeReal. TikTok Now prompts users to capture a static photo or 10-second video with both the front and back-facing camera once a day. Looks like the future of social media may just be watching platforms relentlessly rip each other off.
  • New California age law could wreak havoc on the internet. The privacy law aimed at making the internet safer for kids may force users to upload government ID to prove their age across a slew of apps and websites when it takes effect in 2024. 
  • Bug bounty hunter accidentally gets $250k payment from Google. Sam Curry had no idea why he got a payment for $249,999 from Google last month. Google claims it was “human error” and they’re working to correct it. Woops. 

Working With Clients

The Shortcut to Getting Attention Online

Mainstream wisdom is everywhere.

Your audience is bombarded with the same advice all the time.

– cut back on lattes

– eat more vegetables

– go to bed earlier

– avocado toast is why you can’t afford to buy a house
– etc etc

But what sets you (or your client) apart from everyone else is where they disagree.

So ask yourself: what controversial opinions can I highlight?


What mainstream advice do I (or my client) DISAGREE with?

That’s often what makes for the best hooks, emails, or ad angles.

Now, a caveat:

You need to be able to make a logical case for why you disagree.

Don’t just disagree to be a contrarian or to grab attention… unless you can back it up.

Working For Yourself

4 Reasons Not to Become 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 Copywriting Gig

Selling on the Knife’s Edge

Humans are emotional beings.

And the limbic system (where we process emotions in the brain) is a key factor in helping us make decisions.

In fact, UCLA neuroscientist Antonio Damasio once had a patient who, after having a tumor removed, couldn’t make decisions because he was unable to process emotions.

Talk about analysis paralysis.

But a common mistake in copywriting is to focus exclusively on the emotional side…

And ignore the logical side.

That’s why it’s important to win both the hearts and minds of your prospects.

To win their hearts… 

Focus on how it feels to be struggling with the problem (shame, guilt, embarrassment, envy, etc) AND what it will feel like to solve it (confidence, happiness, freedom, etc)

Then, to win their minds, focus on why your solution is the smartest and most logical choice (how it will save them time + money, make them look smart, is discounted for a limited time only, etc).

A winning offer or marketing campaign always has both.

Gig Alerts

Looking for clients? These freelance jobs were posted on Upwork in the last 24 hours:

Quote of the Day

“Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.”

— W.P. Kinsella