I’ve been on Fiverr since September 2018, and while I still feel like I’m constantly learning, I get messages from new freelancers every single day. “How did you get started? How do I get my first order? What did you wish you would have known?”

I’ve compiled my top 5 tips for new freelancers below to help others walk the path that I journeyed down not long ago. Here’s what I would have wanted to know a few years back.

1. Make yourself human

No joke, I’ve had a buyer leave a review that said, “Straight up and easy and human.” Outside of this being a downright hilarious review, I think this is one of the best illustrations of what clients often look for from anyone they work with via the internet.

They want to know that they’re working with someone real and comfortable. They want to feel as if they know you in real life and that you’re not someone random (even though you kind of are). Here are a few tips that can help you seem more “real” and “human” to someone almost instantly.

• Select your name as your username
• For example, I used kelseyyurek as my username. My real name? Kelsey Yurek. People automatically know my first and last name, and they can Google me if they wish. I’m not trying to hide anything.
• Use a professional picture of your face
• I’m always shocked by how few people do this. Yes, I know it’s weird putting your face out on the internet, but I guarantee you do it on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any number of other sites. Profiles that have faces (not stock photos) get more clicks!
• The picture should also be one that you’d be proud to show to your parent, professor, and pastor. If it passes the three “P” test, then you’re probably in good shape. You’ll notice that my picture is a headshot that I use on both LinkedIn and Fiverr. This makes both of my profiles easily identifiable. If people want to check that I’m the real (again, a real concern on the internet!), then it’s not hard to do. Bonus: I didn’t have to get two headshots.
• Be friendly and engaging
• When you write on your profile and answer messages, make your tone warm, friendly, and conversational. You want to come across as human and engaging so that people get a sense of who you are. If you’ve ever purchased something online, you know that you get “vibes” for people or companies pretty immediately. Write a profile that you would want to click for a person you’d want to work with.

2. Polish your profile

The second of my top 5 tips for new freelancers is to spend significant time on your profile. Remember, it isn’t a form that you should rush filling out. It’s what buyers will click on and use to decide whether or not they want to work with you.

• Upload that professional picture discussed above
• Highlight your education, certificates, awards, and achievements
• What makes you stand out from your peers?
• What makes you qualified to freelance in this area?
• Write what you’re going to post, then rewrite, then edit again
• One of the things that surprises me most about freelancer profiles is that they often fail a basic proofreading test – even ones advertising proofreading/writing gigs! FYI: If I saw you couldn’t proofread your own profile, I certainly wouldn’t hire you for my own work. Take the time to read over your profile and treat it like a resume.
• Check out your competition
• If you have no idea where to start, check out your competition. This is what I did to get started. I had no idea what to do, and while I didn’t copy anyone else’s profile, it gave me an idea of what worked or didn’t work.
• Keep revamping
• No one’s profile is perfect. I still edit my profile regularly to add new information or to update wording that I believe confuses clients. Even after your profile is “set,” revisit it every once in a while. This will make sure you’re remaining competitive.

3. Narrow down your services

I once heard that the “magic” number of services (gigs) to advertise is three. Theoretically, this makes sense. It makes you look like you know what you’re doing even if you’re a new freelancer. The idea is that one makes you look like a novice – as if you can only provide one service – and beyond three you’re overstretching yourself.

While I do agree with this, I’m conscious of the fact that I’ve never had three gigs up on my profile for long. I posted my blog writing gig and proofreading & editing gig simultaneously. Yet, I booked my blog writing gig almost immediately, and it took around five months for me to get consistent work on my proofreading & editing gig.

For my third gig, I’ve dabbled in other types of work like social media management, and while it was fine, I just didn’t love it. My heart would pound when I booked a job in that gig. I was always worried that I couldn’t deliver.

I learned early on that, unless I was excited to provide the service, it wasn’t worth having up on my profile. I wanted to be able to knock it out of the park and to know without a shadow of a doubt that I could.

And that’s what I encourage all new freelancers to do as well. Narrow down your services and decide what you want to do most. If it happens to be 1-2 things, that’s totally fine, and if it’s more, great!

Just be mindful that it’s helpful to learn the system before you take on too much at once. I’m grateful that I only had one gig take off in the beginning, and I had time to learn the ropes. If you have 5 services you want to launch, get started with your 2 best, and then add in the rest.

4. Price based on your competition

One of the best parts about freelancing is that you get to determine your prices and change them whenever you wanted. If you’re looking at Fiverr specifically, they start on a $5 model (hence the name “Fiverr”). I abided by this model when starting and priced my gig at $5 per 500 blog post. It worked well, and I was booking gigs like crazy (even though I was still learning how to freelance).

I slowly raised prices as demand increased and eventually found a comfortable price that I’ve been at for around a year. Now when I consider pricing, I think one of the best ways to gauge what is appropriate is looking at your competition.

This held true for my proofreading gig right off the bat (and is perhaps why I didn’t book this gig for months after starting). My starting price for a 1000-word proofread was $20, and this was aligned with what I saw a “peer” doing.

Of course, this is much more expensive than $5, and it’s probably why people weren’t booking a freelancer with few reviews on her account (at least initially). By the time I started getting proofreading & editing jobs, I had built my account up with 100+ reviews. At that point, both my account and my pricing aligned with my peers.

5. Crush your first 50 orders

This is my biggest piece of advice for freelancers who have surmounted the biggest challenge and booked that first order. It’s time to work your butt off!

Your first 50 clients are ultimately the most important because they set the tone for whether or not you can continue. Only these clients can give you what you need and that’s reviews to keep the orders coming in. They set the tone for your account and create a foundation for new clientele. If you’ve been selling your services on the lower side to gain some traction, then it also gives you the leverage to raise your prices.

For my first 50 clients, I over-delivered. I went above and beyond what they ordered. And if they said jump, I said, “How high? Can I add pirouette or leap for you as well?”

While it’s not always the most fun feeling as though you’re doing more than you’re being paid for it, it does pay off in the end. Today, I’m well over 1,000 reviews, and just last month, a customer reviewed my work and said, “In today’s business world, you can really appreciate getting more than what is expected. She really delivered just that. Hope she’s available for the next order.”

Going above and beyond for customers has become a practice for me, and it’s earned me some of my favorite return clients. Don’t underestimate how far it can get you!

Final thoughts

There you have it! Those are my top 5 tips for new freelancers. I’ve been where you are now, and it’s all about hard work and patience. Using these tips, you can create a strong freelance profile that attracts clientele. I have more tips and tricks to share about my freelancing journey, so keep coming back for more!

If you’re interested in how I got my start, read about My First Gig.