Elance Freelance Writing: How to Build Impressive Profile

Are you new to the Elance site for freelance writing jobs, and despite having placed a number of bids, nobody has selected you? Or perhaps you haven’t placed a bid yet, not knowing how to begin on Elance.

I’ve been very successful with Elance (began last September), so here are tips for new Elance “Contractors” to start building up a solid profile.

Proofread your Elance profile! I am flabbergasted at the number of writers’ profiles that have errors! I’m talking spelling, punctuation, casing and even spacing (one writer had a space between a word and a comma).

Mistakes also include grammar, and these are writers for which English is their first language! More than once, I’ve seen an Elance profile begin with something like, “I am a writer that…”

Can you catch the mistake? It should be, “I am a writer who…” People are not things! This error is prevalent and looks bad. Though English is not the first language of many Elance “Clients” seeking writers, many clients are indeed from the U.S. and are potentially very discerning about grammar.

First 25 words of Elance profile must hook the client. The first 25 words of your Elance profile appears in the bid, though the client can go into the profile to read the entire description.

However, that first 25 needs to jump out at the client and bite him hard. I’ve seen many Elance writers’ profiles begin with things like, “After years in the nursing field, I finally decided to become a writer,” or, “I am new to writing and am working hard to build my profile.”

Put yourself in the client’s shoes: You need a superb writer whom you can trust. What would you want to see in that profile’s first 25 words?

Do you really want to read anything personal? What would immediately make you feel you can trust them? This is how you should begin your profile.

Remember, the first line is the first impression, and the bid box reveals the first 25 words of your Elance profile. Make it pack a punch.

Bid low to quickly land your first job. You want to quickly get on the radar. Elance profiles reveal how many jobs you’ve completed. Clients don’t like to see “0 Jobs.”

Be willing to bid low enough to entice a client to select you, just to get several jobs on your tally. Then, as you build steam, start raising your bids.

Prospective clients do not have to see your earnings; you can turn off this function, though you yourself will be able to see your earnings.

Build a five-star Elance profile. Do everything possible to impress your client. He’ll reward you with a five-star review. Over time, your Elance profile can grow so impressive that it simply speaks for itself, and it justifies high bids or higher-than-average bids.

With a sizzling Elance profile, you need not go overboard in your proposals, because the client will view your profile and see the rave reviews.

Over time, you can have one stellar review after another, and this is all that a prospective client needs to see to know how reliable you are; let your shining profile do all the talking for you. Ratings are one star to five, but decimals are common, such as a 4.9 or 4.8 rating.

Create a desktop file of your best work, and use those as samples to include in future proposals. Here is Part II of this article: How to compose a winning Elance proposal