Getting The Gigs

Finding financial freedom in freelancing

The global platform economy“It takes a village.”

This African proverb became popular in America in the 1970’s to inspire community involvement in raising families. It speaks to both the cost of bringing up a new generation, as well as the interconnectedness of our society, down to the households within each neighborhood. 

Rising costs are impacting most households, leading many of us to become creative in generating alternative revenue streams. 

With the internet, we have become more connected than ever, allowing skills and trades to reach across rivers, lakes, and oceans to serve clients from anywhere. World Bank has analyzed the global platform economy to identify 545 online gig-work platforms worldwide in over 60 countries. 

In the United States alone, freelancers contributed roughly 1.27 trillion USD to the economy in 2023. 

With a Gross Service Volume of
~4.1 billion USD, Upwork dominates the market with Fiverr reporting ~1.15 billion USD. Together, these platforms represent the core infrastructure for the online gigging economy. Roughly 425 million workers have found work through the platforms, providing skills in software development/IT, creative and design, writing/content, admin support, marketing, and tutoring/consulting. 

Digital skills are not the only jobs being posted online. Skilled labor has also joined the trend. Rather than placing posters in the neighborhood to advertise available services, a tradesman can compete for jobs on Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, and Houzz, which offer everything from installing ceiling fans and appliances to redesigning and remodeling an entire room. 

Strategies for getting the gig

It will likely not come as a surprise, but the single most important factor for getting jobs on a social platform is reviews and ratings. Workers are ranked based on review score, number of jobs completed, and response rate. 

The easiest way to overcome a deficit of reviews is to price bids well below the average. Not ideal, especially for those of us with full-time jobs, spending our “spare time” looking for extra work, but it is one of the best ways to increase visibility. 

Another factor for beating the algorithm comes down to the specificity of keywords. While building a profile, be clear on specialization. Specification of skills is highly rewarded on these platforms. Just like in any type of marketing, wording and phrasing in advertisements are extremely important. 

For example, a profile with “graphic designer” will be ranked lower than one with “logo design for tech startups.” Likewise, in the blue-collar workspace, “ceiling fan installation and light fixture replacement” will come up far more often in searches than “handyman services.”

Next, stay plugged in. Set aside at least one day per week to apply for gigs, but get into the habit of checking messages frequently. 

Slow response rates will downrank a profile, as well as loss of gig potential. While building a presence as a freelancer, any query needs to be answered within minutes if possible but should not go longer than two to three hours. When clients are looking for freelance work, they tend to be impatient. Assume they are pinging several qualified candidates. 

In other words, “You snooze, you lose.” 

When the job is won, do not dawdle. Once matched to a client, focus on efficient, high-quality product delivery. Once the job is completed, kindly ask for reviews immediately after sending the invoice. 

Lather, rinse, repeat. 

Consistency over time will pay off with repeat clients, but also word of mouth and positive reviews will lead to clients finding you.