🤖 Top 5 tools for freelancers

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Happy Friday! U.S. GDP fell for the second straight quarter, which, according to some people at least, means we’re now officially in a recession. So on that cheery note, let’s get into it.

Mentioned in today’s newsletter: Meta, Google, Facebook, VR, and the FTC. Plus what we’d do to rebuild our freelance biz from scratch, our top 5 tools for freelancers, and the idiot’s guide to writing simple leads that sell.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes and 24 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • FTC sues to block Meta’s acquisition of VR fitness app Supernatural. When it rains, it pours. The injunction filed by the FTC on Wednesday claims Meta should have tried to compete instead of just buying the app outright.
  • Tracking cookies get a stay of execution from Google until 2024. This is the second time the company has pushed back their phaseout of third-party cookies. Hopefully this will give the adtech industry time to figure out a cookieless solution that can compete.
  • Average cost of a Facebook ad down 14% in Q2. In their quarterly earnings report earlier this week, parent company Meta revealed the average cost of a Facebook ad has dropped significantly over the last 3 months.

Working With Clients

If Our Freelance Biz Went Up in Flames, Here’s How We’d Start Over

Here’s a hypothetical scenario:

Let’s say 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 can work 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

That’s how we’d rebuild the House of Gig as quickly as possible.

Working For Yourself

Top 5 Tools For Freelancers

Over the past 6 years, we’ve come across a ton of useful and time-saving tools to help run a freelancing business.

Best part is, many of them are free or low-cost.

And if your freelance biz is generating some predictable income each month…

Even if it’s only $500 to $1,000…

Taking advantage of some of these tools is well worth it.

So here 5 of our favorites that we use every day:

1) TextExpander

TextExpander lets you set up shortcodes and abbreviations to save time on stuff you type. Once you set it up, all you have to do is type in your shortcode, and TextExpander will automatically paste your text for you.

2) Krisp.ai

Background noise can make you look unprofessional on client calls. 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 client calls.

3) Fireflies.ai

Taking notes on Zoom calls can be a huge distraction. That’s why Fireflies is such a lifesaver: it’s an AI assistant that lets you record, transcribe, and search across your voice conversations. After the meeting is finished, you’ll have a searchable transcript so you don’t have to worry about taking notes.

4) Kinsta

When the time comes to set up your own website, you need somewhere to host it. That’s where Kinsta comes in. Kinsta is a blazing fast WordPress hosting provider. Their global content delivery network includes servers in 200+ cities worldwide, which means your pages load lightning fast, so you can convert more visitors into leads and customers.

5) ConvertKit

ConvertKit is our favorite email service provider. It’s simple, intuitive, and easy to use. You don’t need a computer science degree to collect emails, send out broadcasts, and grow your audience. Plus their Creator Pro plan comes with a free SparkLoop account so you can set up your own referral program.

Now here’s a question for you:

What would you add to this list?

We’re always on the lookout for new tools to test out.

Hit “Reply” to share your favorites with us.

From The Copywriting Gig

The Idiot’s Guide to Writing Simple Leads That Sell

Ever struggled to write the first line of an ad or email?

Ever wished there was an easier way to write compelling hooks that suck the reader in?

If so, then we’ve got good news:

There is.

It’s called a “yes set.”

A “yes set” is a series of 2-3 questions designed to create psychological momentum by getting the reader to answer “yes” in their head.

They’re super quick and easy to write…

And the best part is, they prime the prospect to perceive your offer in a much more positive light.

So if you’re ever struggling with what to say in the first few lines of an ad, email, or sales page…

Give it a try next time and let us know how it goes.

Gig Alert

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

Quote of the Day

“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.”

— Henry Ford

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