Let’s say for some reason a monkey wrench has been thrown into your work life, and all of a sudden freelancing over the internet seems like an interesting idea.
Well you’re in luck my young friend, because your Uncle Neville has taken the liberty of going through every single step of the process, and giving you the templates along the way.
I’ve been freelancing my whole adult life, and have helped thousands of others do it (and not just in copywriting). This post has no conceptual bullshit here, just action. Let’s start:
If you’ve ever wanted to start a business but never had any money, let’s try this together right now and make your first $100:
Step 1.) Identify the specific service to sell:
Using our handy Business Idea Generator I got the idea to sell WordPress websites for a flat $100 fee.
Here is our value proposition in one sentence:
So that’s the product we’re going to sell. We’ve identified a price, a service, and a delivery time.
Our Price: $100.
Our Service: Make you a working WordPress website.
Our Delivery Time: In 24 hours.
Step 2.) Post this offer on your Facebook:
This part is super easy, yet super hard psychologically (for some people).
All I want you to do is post this script on your personal Facebook page:
That’s all you have to do. Don’t overthink this…..just post it.
Step 3.) Post the offer on Facebook Groups:
This part requires being part of groups on Facebook where your service might be useful. Since we’re selling WordPress themed websites, we can try:
- Entrepreneur pages (I’m part of a private group called From Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur).
- Niche groups such as Photography (In my area I would offer website portfolios to Austin Photography Group).
- Job boards such as The Cult of Copy Job Board Facebook Group (Sidenote: So many people have posted the exact script above to this group, the admin asked me to stop referring people here) 😂.
- Startup Facebook Groups (Austin Startups is in my area).
- Freelancer Facebook Groups (Austin Freelance Gigs is in my area)
Since it’s generally frowned upon to blatantly spam a Facebook Group with offers, we’ll modify the above offer just a bit for the Facebook Group postings. Copy/Paste this script into the groups:
Step 4.) Post on Craigslist:
Next step is to utilize our old friend Craigslist. It’s still a massive hotbed of people posting and searching for specific gigs.
And to make sure you have zero excuse not to do this, I will make your entire ad for you:
Here is the ad you need to copy/paste into the Services –> Computer section of Craigslist:
*NOTE* Obviously you’ll need to replace your city, name, and contact information.
If your Craigslist posting allows you to post an image, we’ve got you covered on that too. Here’s a sample (and proven) template for you to copy/paste. I’ve included the editable template below:

To customize this template as your own, you can open this template in Google Drawings then click File –> Make A Copy:

Step 5.) Make a One Pager to post on bulletin boards:
What is a One Pager you ask? It’s basically a flyer you can physically post somewhere (preferably in an area where people will want websites).
Here’s a printed out and taped-up version:
You can download and customize this One Pager flyer with your own information. Click the template then click File –> Make A Copy to edit your own:

Here is where you will post these flyers:
- The 3 nearest coffee shops to you.
- Any co-working spaces in your area.
- College campuses nearby.
- Outside of office buildings.
Everyone’s area will have a difference in options to post. The point is to get your generous offer in front of people who may want a website. The above options are a great start.
Since outside activity has been limited lately, it’s also wise to snap a pic of your flyer and post it to social media.
Pro-Tips For Newbie Freelancers:
Keep it hella simple:
Often the smartest people never start because they overthink things. Just remember to follow the path of least resistance here. We’re doing simple projects, for a simple price…..so keep it simple.
Don’t flatter yourself you egotistical asshole:
“Omg what if people judge me for posting that??”
“What if I don’t get more than 10 likes??”
“What if this experiment fails and everyone knows??”
Umm please don’t flatter yourself so hard. If you think people are paying attention to you THAT much, you need to tell your egotistical brain to calm the hell down.
No one is paying that much attention. When’s the last time you really judged and ruminated over someone’s status update post?
You don’t need to plan out every aspect of this:
All we’re doing is fishing to see if people bite. If we get taken up on our offer 10 times in the first hour, then hooray! You’ve hit upon something great and got yourself 10 new clients!
Many people (especially super-analytical and planning-type people) tend to get paralyzed because they feel they need to plan out every-tiny-little-aspect of how they’ll handle these jobs. Resist the urge my friend!!
If you start planning out “future scenarios” all the time, you’ll never get started. Just get the gigs first, then handle the details later. This will be your on-the-job training.
Don’t try to increase your prices just yet:
I see failing and poor freelancers all the time. They think they “deserve” a certain pay grade right away without putting in the work. Fuck these people. If you think the world owes you something, you’re going to have a very very very tough time in the future.
You know who wins in this game? The people who are willing to start out with this mindset: “OK, I’m just some newbie freelancer with zero experience, so I’m willing to start at the bottom. Yes some people will take advantage of my low prices, yes some people will get the deal of lifetime with this cheap work, but I’m willing to start somewhere and get experience. I will raise my prices when I am flooded with clients.”
These people are awesome.
These people get so many jobs they HAVE to raise their prices.
These people serendipitously get gigs and jobs they never dreamed of.
Here’s another example of this method working damn-near immediately for someone who never charged for their photography services (and immediately booked a $120 gig)!
Your Goal Is Just To Make $100:
When you begin freelancing the main idea is to see what work suits you. Not everyone will want to develop WordPress themes, but there’s a huge amount of freelancing opportunities out there. Follow this format and drum up some money quickly.
Over the years, the methodology of first posting your freelancing gigs on your social media has the fastest result of any method I’ve ever seen. I’ve provided you the exact scripts and templates for every step of the way.
Sincerely,
Neville Medhora – Kopywriter trying to make you $100 quick.
P.S. More articles on the details of freelancing:
– How to get your first freelance writing job.
– How to become a copywriter.
– How to consult.
– Three Tiered Pricing (Keep a low, medium, and high priced option).
– Freelance Pricing Calculator (For when you start charging more).
Hi Neville,
In relation to the $100 offer, should you charge people before or after the work is done?
Hey Neville,
Great post! lots of insights in here.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Neville,
With regards to Step 3 – Post the offer to Facebook Groups, many groups have a strict “No Promotions/No Self-Promotion” policy, and they ban violators. Won’t copy and pasting the script just get me banned? Even with the P.S and offer to help it is still a self-promotion.
Use common sense! Don’t post if that’s the case. Also these are just templates to roughly follow, some people just paste them without modification. You should modify to your own situation :)
Hey Neville,
I implemented Step 2 and posted to my Facebook feed just now. For the next step, I plan to post to LinkedIn, as it is the most obvious place to find clients for my service (improving your writing for business reports/proposals etc for $30).
May I have your advice on 1) how much to charge and 2) how to tailor the pitch for LinkedIn? My Step 2 pitch is at the bottom of this comment.
For 1) how much to charge, my reasoning for charging $30 is that I am still uncomfortable with charging $100 as it might seem too much for the service, and I have no experience. $30 is small enough an amount for it to be percieved as a small risk if people want to try out my service – a bit like “loss leaders” if you will. In addition, I think (no hard evidence or research to back it up though!) that $30 is the right amount for a beginner offer as it is not too high to turn people off, nor too low to be treated like s**t, like on Fiverr or something. However, I am wondering whether this low amount of $30 will anchor my price too low if I plan to raise my rates in future? To about $100 or so. FYI, this is in Singapore.
For 2) I am not sure if just pasting the exact same thing on my LinkedIn feed will do. LinkedIn is like the most obvious place to find clients for my particular service as it is the business “Facebook”. In addition, I think I would also have to update my LinkedIn profile to support what I am selling, by updating the occupation, description etc.
This is what I posted to Facebook:
Hey Friends,
Have a report or proposal due, but you’re feeling stuck and have no idea how to proceed?
Feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of having to write?
For $30 I will go through your report/proposal/business document with you via Skype, Zoom etc and help you to improve your business writing for your work.
I’ll go through your report/article/memo etc with you and offer suggestions to make it:
-Clear and easy to understand
-More persuasive
-Get readers engaged and make them read through to the very end
I will:
-Suggest approaches to writing that get you started if you’re stuck
-Go though the report etc with you and diagnose weak areas for improvement
-Offer strategies and suggestions to help you improve in these areas
I won’t:
-Write, edit, or rewrite it for you. It’s unethical to do your work for you. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.
-Plagarize, steal or share any confidential information. Your data is strictly confidential.
(If you have any concerns about sharing confidential information, you can use a version of your document with made-up names, information etc and remove any identifying data.)
Think of this as more like a consulting session on how to get started or improve, rather than a report/proposal/essay writing service where they do the work for you.
With this:
-You’ll be able to get started immediately and overcome writer’s block.
-You’ll have a clearer, more readable, and more persuasive document at the end.
-You’ll be able to approach writing in a more structured, logical manner, which means that you’ll have an easier time writing reports and such in the future.
I will be charging a $30 fee for this service for a limited time only. A full Business Writing course at the British Council Singapore costs S$954.44, including GST. With this $30, you are getting personalised attention and suggestions from me, and you will be able to implement what you learn and improve your report/proposal immediately.
And, there’s no GST.
If you’re interested, PM me. Alternatively, you can contact me via my email at [my email], or WhatsApp me at [my number].
Sincerely,
Samuel
P.S. If you know anyone that might want my help with improving their report or proposal writing, or writing for the workplace in general, please tag them.
Hey Neville,
Got 1 old classmate who reached out to me. She actually offered me $100 to help her improve her admissions essay (I’m guiding her to improve it, and not actually writing it for her, unlike those unethical essay writing services out there).
You should name this script “Cash in a Flash” or something like that.
Thanks!
Hey bro,
I’m a beginner copywriter…
And i don’t have much strong sample base ….
So how should i approach clients… What should my post sound like ?
Give me some suggestion…
How do you convert that same script for beginner copywriter who doesn’t have much experience…
To sell my services… What should my offer sound like as i don’t have any previous work experience or massive results to show.
Please Neville am a beginner in this platform I got introduced by a friend to your video on YouTube GETTING YOUR FRIST FREELANCE WRITING JOB , I need your help in creating a perfect gig on fiverr/freelancer to attract clients. Cause the first gig I post on fiverr wasn’t accepted, A guide or tips in creating a perfect gig would be much more appreciated. I admire your work a lot looking forward to your reply.
Hey Ross, it’s a bit hard to know why you got rejected without some more information.
Many people post extremely vague gigs on Fiverr, and get rejected because of that.
If you made a gig for $5.00 saying “I will Photoshop a Santa Claus beard on you.”
…then uploaded 5+ pictures of your work, then it’s likely a very clear gig like that will get accepted.
Write a proper description of what you will do, upload clear examples of it, have a proper profile, and you’re likely to be accepted.
Hello Neville,
I couldn’t download the post and the editable template you made available. Could it be a problem with my web?
Thanks for the article anyways. I strongly believe it’s gonna work perfectly.
Still couldn’t download the post. Wanna know if you’ve made it unavailable
Works fine on this end, probably something to do with a browser or mis-entered email!
Hurray!!!
Finally downloaded. Thanks a bunch Neville
This strategy is dope.
Thanks Raphael it really works too!
It really is dope, I posted it everywhere and I have 2 clients lined up right now.
Congrats Ty, it definitely does work, that’a why I tell everyone to start off like this. So simple & effective :)
I suppose I can modify this gig according to what I’m skillful at. I’m planning to write articles for $100, do you think it will work?
Absolutely Dominic! The point of using WordPress here was for demonstration purposes only. You are free to modify the gig to fit your skill set :)
Hey Neville, I’m a newbie copywriter from India with mostly Indian Fb friends. I’m guessing $100 would be too much for most to afford. Should I trim it down to a reasonable price or just stick to your mentioned price? BTW, my aim is to make my first $100, but would I get the right kind of people on Facebook? Also, would LinkedIn work? Would appreciate your help here! Thanks!
Hey Neville! I have the same exact question for you. In India it sounds weird for a newbie to charge 100 dollars. It is a “lot” of money — equal to around 7000 bucks as you know. People pay beginners usually in the rate of 300 to 500 INR. I am a young freelancer writer who wants to earn in dollars. Can you please help me out?
Same question Neville, also here in Morocco it’s pretty expensive for Moroccans to pay a beginner that amount of money
Thank you for this wonderful guide, I am a beginner and this article motivated me how to grow in my career.
That’s awesome to hear Priya :)
I copied and pasted on Facebook and LinkedIn two days ago… exactly as the instructions said… not a whole lot of interest… two people have asked but no commitment… is making this offer obsolete in 2019?
Or am I doing something wrong? For instance, I tell the client I don’t do the hosting… I realize it’s an opportunity for an upsell but the risk/reward doesn’t add up for me.
Some people want 3 to 5 previous examples of work I’ve done. Which I don’t have… once I complete the WordPress site, I hand it off, so it’s not really my work anymore and then the owner makes changes, which really makes it not my work.
Then I asked for some input from a couple of Freelance friends of mine… they have the same feedback:
Too cheap or it will only attract the wrong kind of client (i.e. demanding or will try to take advantage).
Help?
Disregard… I’m a believer… wow!
Hey Gerry, just wondering… did the template work out for you? Regards.
Gary,
What happened to make you a believer???
You should include the hosting for a year and charge a sweetspot of around $400-$500. You can upsell them on SEO or Paid Ads.
I’m really loving this! It’s very inspirational.
Hey Neville!
Great post as always. I’ve got a question. Even if I’m a beginner in skills such as copywriting or white paper writing, how many portfolio items is enough? 3 sample items? 5? 10?
Thanks!
Hey Arijoy, I think 3-5 examples is plenty. If you have more feel free to link them in your portfolio.
I’m a big fan of making super simple portfolios like this.
Hi Nev, I have been following your various exploits for a while now, always entertaining and thought provoking.
Anyway, the $100 challenge. I thought i’d give it a go, nothing ventured nothing gained and all that. I did pretty much what you said, but amended & added a few bits. the result?
3 enquiries so far totalling £375
OK so I made http://www.wpwebsite100.com and wrote a lead gen piece but still well worth it.
Thanks dude
Cool…..you always gotta start somewhere!
Hi Andrew
Just noticed your recent post saying you got 3 jobs with Neville’s great idea, well done.
How did it go with promoting this on the new website (wpwebsite100.com)? How did you generate quick traffic, just from Facebook etc?
I tried to view your new site for this idea/promotion, however there is nothing at that domain and the twitter/FB links on google are all gone…?
All the best
Dave
Hi Dave,
Unfortunately we my mother in law passed away after a battle with the big C so I had to suspend everything.
I am considering relaunching it though, if only to add to my copywriting portfolio. I need to fill up the coffers again! I’ll add a comment here when it goes live…
Neville, thanks for the continued inspiration dude
I got this post from a friend and will start now this WordPress website thing nw. We have just one funnel for traffic to post this. It can work and that is worth a try. Let’s see how it works. :-)
Hello Neville, you have been a source of inspiration to me. Thank you so much.
please, how can you help me with this. I have two serviced Apartments I want to sublet for a short term stay, I do most of my posting on Facebook and Craiglist
Thanks
Thank you Enesi!
You should post them on AirBnb, or at least spruce up your listing descriptions with this guide I made DIRECTLY about that subject :)
https://copywritingcourse.com/airbnb-listing-description/
Hey Neville!
I’m new to copywriting and freelance, but I had an idea.
I did a free article for a church newsletter which will be out soon.
But I want to get some other experience that I can use for my portfolio.
I have a friend on Facebook who is selling stuff off her page.
I want to offer to write an ad for her, but I’m not sure how to offer that.
Would it just be a Facebook post?
Any tips would be welcome!
It’s taking that first step that is hard. I am only interested in copywriting. Thanks for the advice.
Neville, how about planning the marketing a new tourism magazine targeted at tourism businesses (accommodation, adventure activities, attractions, etc.)
Steven
After trying a simple exercise suggested on one of your posts (powerwashing) i had success, 1 hour printing, 2 hours delivering, 2 quotes on same day = £500 worth of work, fantastic return. I’m looking for something similar to use on Facebook / Gumtree. ps. I’ve just printed off the Gary Halbert Letters.
I like the whole idea of promoting small work on facebook. couple years ago I was making my living on this highly recommended for earning money online. thanks for sharing
Great post! I’ve done my post on FB. Have gotten a few inquiries in first couple hours. Will see how it goes!
Good luck to you Angela,
So glad you took the challenge.
It’s when you push past your comfort zone you really grow and learn what you are truly capable of. :o)
Thanks Tony :) It definitely was outside my comfort zone! lol Thanks for your encouragement! :-)
This doesnt include the cost of the hosting right?
On the template, are we locking ourselves into a full website since we do not specify a one page site? What are we really offering and how do we up sale?
Great post full of inspiration.
Not to mention the constant ideas generated in the comments. I’m 36hrs after post my ad!
Enquiries are trickling…
Hey Neville,
Thanks for this post. I tried out everything with the exception of the last part of posting graphic design services at a local coffee shop. Crazy thing happened! Most people were curious. And after about a week I got booked for $675 for design services instead of the $100. Crazy! I also have a potential contract for $1800 for full web design. All from that $100 FB post. So thanks so much! It really helped.
That is AWESOME Shirley!
This is exactly why I tell people to start small like this, because it’s easy and you never know what will pop up out of it (like a $675 gig instead of a $100 gig) :-)
I’m really proud of you for posting it and turning it into something bigger. With one silly post, you have now created a new side-business!!
@Shirley, how did you convert them to the $675 service?
My client was curious about the social media package that I was offering, but wanted a full branding instead of just the social media elements.
Got my brain percolating on “$100 ideas”.
Thanks for the post Neville.
U da man
Glad I got your brain thinking Dan! Better than thinking though….is DOING! If you have an idea, maybe just blast it out to the world.
Downside = 0.
Upside possibility = Limitless.
Awesome post thank you, perfect timing. Iam just about to expand my side-hustle. Being an amazon FBA seller I learned a lot about how important the copy of the product-listing is (use of keywords, benefits, text-layout etc.).
While browing Amazon I figured there a tons of lisitings of – potentially great – products which just su**
So I am about to package an offer including keyword research plus the actual copy (headline, bullets and description). Since I am fluent in English and German (the two biggest markets for Amazon) I will provide the service for both marketplaces.
Best regards from cold Munich
Awesome Bjorn, I know there’s tons of Amazon FBA Facebook Groups you can post this in, and a lot of people might be interested in your services. Best of luck, hope you pull in some side-cash from this while helping other FBA sellers!
Thanks a lot, Nev!
Love your work, keep it going! So much hands on and usable advice.
BTW: Already landed my first client :-)))
>25k and growing from this “gig” do far ;) thanks for all the great advice Nev!!!
Hi, Neville.
I’m trying this out with building out LinkedIn company pages. So many of my prospects don’t have one or they have the gray city-scape default icon with zero description. I know they’d benefit from the greater legitimacy a company page would give them.
Thanks for this post.
Hey Spring, great idea! Going through as a constant and doing a full “Tune Up” on their internet presence can go a long way!
Often the smartest people never start because they overthink things.
Ugh, you don’t know my LIFE!
lol, thanks for this super confrontational post that I needed. Brilliant idea, I could team up with my tech savvy 13-year old to do this. And um, I’d say stumbling upon this website bro, one of the better things to happen this year. Truly. Thanks for your superb content.
PS. since I worked at ad agencies doing social media strategy & management I am contemplating offering creating ready to use content for small business owners like let’s say “for $150 per month i will create 1 facebook post, 10 tweets and 2 instagram posts a week.” How does that sound?
Hey Darling, I think your offer sounds great. If you can post that in groups where people are looking for.
Maybe you can up the value of your offer by saying something like:
“I’m Darling and have worked at ad agencies doing social media strategy and management, and have picked up all the tactics, techniques, and strategies accounts with over 100,000 followers use.
I am going to be taking on 3 clients to start, at an incredibly low rate of $150 per month. For each clients I will keep their social media accounts fresh, including 1 Facebook post, 10 tweets, and 2 Instagram posts per week.
The accounts I’ve managed in the past were doing several hundred likes and comments per post, and was profitable with sales. With a little time working with me, maybe we can even get YOU to that level.
Message me saying “I want you to manage my social media accounts!” and we will be begin right away.”
….I bet something along those lines could get you your very first clients.
Best of luck in 2017 Darling!
Wonderful post, Neville. I knew it was going to be good when I read the 3rd or 4th sentence relating to this article being better than paid courses as it was actionable, not just some bs. I’m going to do something similar but with social media. I’m pumped for today and 2017. Have a great new years!
Thank you Roger, glad you liked! Let me know what you plan on doing with social media and maybe I can help you out a bit!
I am starting out – to teach simple vocal therapy techniques for stress relief/increased confidence. How can I use this method for that?
Hey Lat, that seems like a confusing audience to find…..vocal techniques for stress relief?
The point is you need to find places where people are LOOKING for this service. If it’s not a common thing, then you have an uphill battle.
Have you ever considered giving a free workshop or clinic to see which parts of this service are most useful?
I’m a UX Architect and UI Designer and most people don’t know what that is, but it’s important for the usability of a site to increase profits, etc.. I want to be able to offer a UX Audit (that goes through their site making suggestions to hopefully hire me at my $150/hr rate – which is still too cheap), how can I use this $100 method to make them interested with the audit?
Hey Chanelle, you can use the simple format followed above, but just replace “WordPress Design” with “UX Design”.
If people are not familiar with why UI design will help their site, then you have an uphill battle. That will require more selling and education, and will not be as simple a sale as “building a website.”
Maybe you can instead offer something like:
“Today only, for $150, I am offering a “Where Your Site Is Leaking Money Review.” I’m an experienced UX Designer who has worked with over 120 clients to improve the buying process on websites. Sometimes things like changing the location of button can add $20,000 or more per month. Sometimes changing the layout of a buy page can add 50% more conversions.
I am offering a full review to 3 clients right now to identify the leaky spots on your website. For $150 I might be able to save the average $200,000/year website up to $50,000 in lost sales. Contact me now to get started.”
Something like that might be more appealing to business owners rather than trying to shove UX Designer lingo down their throat if they don’t want it.
Best of luck Chanelle!
‘For $50 fully inclusive, I will help you create your own painting in just 3 hours’.
Posted to Facebook Groups within a 50km range of my small town – check
Posted to Gumtree – check
Nev, I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
Nice hustle Chris, although I’m unclear about what you’re offering. Maybe you can specify if you’re doing the paintings yourself, or helping people paint their own picture?
Maybe try multiple variations over the months to see what works:
–For $50 I will help you draw painting of your choice.
–For $50 I will draw a professional portrait of you in person.
–For $50 I will draw a professional portrait of your dog.
If the offer doesn’t have “Product Market Fit”, it’ll be hard to sell. Make sure people are clamoring to get what you offer then start posting more!
I see what you mean… great advice Nev.
I’ll try the variations and see what works.
Excellent, let me know how it works Chris!
Great article! How about applying this to holistic nutrition coaching? :) Thanks!!
Hey Silvia, you could definitely apply this to holistic nutrition coaching. I tend to think that kind of coaching is more wishy-washy in the way they advertise which makes it hard to get clients.
I would maybe try a post along these lines:
“It’s almost 2017 and most people are scrambling to lose weight and feel better. I’ve been a holistic nutrition coach for 2 years now and have helped over 100 people make their plans. I am doing a special promotion where for only $100 I will get on a 1-on-1 video call with you and create your entire plan for 2017!
We will discuss your goals, what you’ve been doing wrong, and ways to slightly tweak your habits right over the call. This can result is weight loss, more clarity, more energy, and of course feeling better about yourself!
Let’s talk this week, just message me and tell me you’re interested and we’ll setup a call time. This is just a one-time thing, so no need for expensive month-to-month contracts. Often times clients have a big breakthrough over these calls in the first 20 minutes, so this could make or break your entire 2017.
Do yourself a favor and message me saying you’d like to take me up on one of these consultations. I’m only doing 3 of these. First Come, First Serve.”
I bet if you tried something along those lines it could work. Best of luck Silvia!
What is this?? This is so crazy! I just posted the script on my FB page barely 15 minutes ago and have 2 people interested!! I’ve got a mini heart-attack when I hear those ping-pings!
Now I’m starting to panic, lol. I’ve got a couple of WP websites, so I know how to install and do basic setting up of pages. But I won’t call myself a pro or anything of the sort. I’m probably just good for those looking for personal blogs or simple sites.
Oh dear, I hope I can do this! In case you’re not confident like me, amend the script to 48 hours. It still works, evidently, lol!
I’m also the ‘egoistic’ type Neville was mentioning. I was overthinking things and just before I hit ‘post’, I’m like ‘Screw this, just do it; if I fail, it’s ok, it’s not like I’ll die, just lose face!’
Anyways, I also posted on Gumtree… so oh well, here’s hoping things will work out somehow!
That’s amazing you already got responses June! There’s some real power in these scripts, I’ve already been getting so many people telling me over email they’ve got their first interest and clients from this. Proud of you!
Hey June! For $89 I’ll finish off the last few bits of those websites for you!
Great offer Greg, let’s see if it happens!
Thanks so much for this! I am just starting out in digital marketing and have been trying to figure out ways to break into the industry and get experience in order to get an agency job. I am going to apply this to PPC management on Craigslist. $100 to help people fix their AdWords campaigns.
Thanks awesome Rachel, best of luck!
How might I suggest that people looking to fix their expensive AdWords campaigns might not go with a total newbie?
Maybe you can offer something that provides less risk for people such as design, writing, editing etc.
Most people will not hand over lucrative ad data and spending to someone with zero experience.
How about this idea?
I will write Facebook ads for your beauty products for free or $20?
What If I want to place this idea on My Quora page with my email?
Waiting for your reply?
Thanks
Hi Sulaksha, you never know until you try….BUT, I would predict people spending lots of money on Facebook Ads aren’t going to hire someone with no experience.
Now if you DO have experience, I would write something more tempting such as:
“I have managed over $800,000 of Facebook Ads for 3 different companies in the last 2 years. I know how to manage large quantities of ads, I know what converts well on Facebook, and I know countless tactics to squeeze every penny out of the ads. Total returns for my ads have been 8x in the last year. If you would like to try me out as your Facebook Ads Manager, give me a shout or tag someone who might be interested.”
…..see how much better that sounded? Now of course I made up those qualifications, but list your own.
Hope that helps Sulaksha!
Thanks for your valuable reply. I will consider it.
Hi Neville,
thanks for that post. Even if you already have a business you sometimes get stuck in the details instead of focusing on the essentials.
I am running a business where I produce individual bracelets out of gemstones.
My customers mostly come to my home, sit on a table with me and choose from about 80 different gemstones to create a unique bracelet. I later create a real bracelet out of it.
I started small and had no money at first. You probably don’t need money first because you get an invoice and can pay later.
Now I sell a bracelet for 36 € and more depending on the worth of the stone and prices go up to 100 €.
It’s easy to start and easy to sell to your nearest friends and family.
Wouldn’t that be worth writing about ?
I will offer my help with this one, of course.
Regards,
David from Germany
Great job with your bracelets David! I agree that kind of thing will likely start off first with your friends and family. That’s why Step #2 of this exercise is to post your service on your personal Facebook page.
Your friends and family already like you (well…..most likely :-P ), so they are prime candidates to buy from you, especially if it’s something personal as a custom bracelet.
I bet for you if you were to post that story you told here on your Facebook, and at the end say:
“If you would like one of these custom gemstone bracelets for yourself, let’s schedule a time this week to sit down and make it together, it will be fun and memorable!”
……that could probably drum up a decent amount of business! Thanks for sharing your story David.
Hi Neville, I’m learning to be a copywriter. I’ve been reading Gary Halbert, Joseph Sugarman, Andy Maslan and just actually got my hands on your book last week and seriously love it! I’ve been copying ads like Gary suggested but I find your AIDA formula so much simpler. I want to start practicing hands on copywriting so how do I get clients for this with no experience whatsoever? Many thanks!
Good for you getting better at your craft! I personally NEVER enjoyed that “hand-copying old ads.”
I’ve done it several times, but honestly didn’t learn much and got aching hands. Instead I would actually DO copywriting myself and see what works.
I’ve found a lot of those old ads written in the days of magazines and radio were hella scammy, filled with lies and over exaggerations. That’s not the kind of copy I want to write.
Instead I have my own copywriting exercises I use, I actually wrote an entire article about this already, check it out June!
https://copywritingcourse.com/copywriting-exercises/
Hey Neville! Thanks for the AWESOME content!
If I followed this to the ‘T’…which I had and I’m getting some response…which way would you go after payment is received?
1. Would you create the WP acct and get the domain for them? Or
2. Have them set it up and just share their log in info?
I KNOW you’re super busy…I just wanted to ask.
No harm no foul right?
Thanks a mil for sharing your time! :)
NaTasha
Thanks Natasha!
The point of this post was not to go through the nitty-gritty details for you, it was to get you started. however I would make some stipulations based on your level of skill. You can maybe make some exact conditions such as:
–Will setup a WordPress, SquareSpace, or Wix website for you.
–Will install from a template theme and do minor editing.
–Will spend 1 hour on a call with you setting everything up and training you on the basics of updating the website.
–Additional hours can be bought for $50/hour.
Something like that would make sure everyone’s expectations are met.
I personally like to conduct my consults over video chat so I can work WITH the person instead of guess what they want all day.
Wow! And just like that… You snapped my biz back to life! Lol
Thank you for your time!
Good to hear Nathasha! But you don’t only have to do this for WordPress, you can do this same process for any skill you are good at: Writing, Image Editing, Copywriting etc to name a few.
Best of luck!
I am currently updating my site. However, what easy tips for a Virtual Assistant can you give me like a good 100.00 pitch. I do Calendar management, Content Curation, Email marketing and Social media marketing. What do you have?
Please and thank you.
Hi Charisse, the price does not have to be $100 necessarily, it was just an example. You can say something like:
“I’m a virtual assistant who does calendar management, content curation, and social media marketing for $12/hour. If you’ve ever wanted someone else to run your life for you, freeing you up to do larger tasks, then message me. I have excellent time management skills, 5 years of experience, great English skills, and have worked with marketers from Chicago to New York. Please message me if you’d like for me to handle all your management tasks!”
Something like that would entice people to use you instead of just a straight pitch not explaining the benefit.
Perhaps you can post your availability on some digital nomad groups or outsourcing groups.
This is pretty cool Neville! How about something for a “content marketing strategist”? Review their site and make suggestions for content, social media management, email, etc. Really any of their written materials.
Hey Andre, that would be a great pitch for a consultant:
“My name is Andre and I want to review your website to see where it’s leaking money. I’ve been a Content Marketing Writer for 3 years at a big agency, and have re-written hundreds of webpages and pieces of online copy. For just $100 I want to have a video call with you where we review your website in real time. The last client I had changed 2 pages and got $6,000 in extra business that month. I am doing a few of these $100 consultations for a limited time offer to boost my side-gig of freelancing from my Content Marketing job. If you’d like me to help identify where you website is dropping money out the bottom, message me!”
If the above was written in a group where everyone had websites, I bet it’d get a couple of bites instantly :)
Hi Neville!
I love cars, I have a fb page about Audi but I don’t know how I could get money from it.
Maybe I could help car dealers? But what I can offer to them? Don’t know :/
Maybe you could do reviews of cool add-ons and parts for Audis, and use an affiliate link to the product. This way if someone buys the part after your review, you get a piece of the sale.
A lot of YouTube reviewers do this as their primary income. They will show how to use a certain camera lens, and in the description include their Amazon affiliate link (or whatever company).
Legit. I’ve sold consulting sessions before on helping people be better connectors. Now is a good time to get back at it :)
What do you think? “for $100 I’ll help you be more approachable?”
or is that too…creepy?
Hey Eric, I think you should make the offer a little more attractive, maybe like:
“Just a few changes in your behavior in public can have a huge impact. I am a professional charisma coach, and for $100 I will help change the way you interact in one hour (seriously). We will have a 60 minute video conference call together, and I will show you and coach you on 3 important lessons in Eye Contact, Conversation, and Listening Techniques. This one hour could change your life starting immediately, and if you don’t learn anything, I will give all your money back.”
If you’ve done this before with others, you could even throw in their positive testimonials.
If you made an offer more like that, it could be pretty attractive. Best of luck Eric!
awesome man, i love it. i’ll make some tweaks and go!
thnx sir
Hey Neville!
Reporting back. No bites over the weekend or today. Posted to three Craiglist cities. Now, I will add some Attention details about myself to give me credibility and also widen my scope, and hit up the local coffee shops when I get back to my city of residence.
Something like:
“I’m the friendliest motherf***er alive. My outgoing and friendly demeanor has allowed my to make friends around the world, connect with influential mentors and has given me the opportunity to start my career in tech.
But I wasn’t always an outgoing person. I’m an introvert, shy by nature. But throughout YEARS of study and real world experience, I’ve been able to become a more social yet genuine version of myself. Since my transformation, I’ve given presentations in three different languages in 5 different countries, have advised executives and have written for the likes of Fast Company and Observer. How did I go from a quiet and shy Central California kid to connecting with NYT Best Selling Authors…in Paris? Simple, I taught myself to become a better connecter. And I want to teach you too.
Just a few changes in your behavior in public can have a huge impact. I am a professional charisma (interpersonal??) coach, and for $100 I will help change the way you interact in one hour (seriously). We will have a 60 minute video conference call together, and I will show you and coach you on 3 important lessons in Eye Contact, Conversation, and Listening Techniques. This one hour could change your life starting immediately, and if you don’t learn anything, I will give all your money back.
Become a friendlier motherf***er now. Email me @
Hey Eric, 2 major problems:
1.) The way you are selling it doesn’t show what tangible things you will be offering.
2.) The people coming to Craigslist aren’t necessarily looking for your service. Maybe you should hang out and post this in FB groups about becoming a more charismatic person. Those people are LOOKING for what you are selling!
Watch companies like The Art of Charm and how they approach the “pickup world” without being pick up artists. They do a great job of selling $10,000+ charisma coaching through their blog, podcast, and session.
Hi Neville,
Thanks for the post. I was wondering what you’d think of the following kopy:
Do you own a German Shepherd that needs to be toilet-trained? For $100, I’ll send you ‘The German Shepherd Handbook’. It’s an eBook that provides a complete guide to training German Shepherds.
If you order before Christmas eve, you’ll be given a 10% discount.
Call Kuf on +234(0)7031147350, or visit http://www.Kantville.ng to order for ‘The German Shepherd Handbook’ today and claim your 10% discount.
Kuf, I think this won’t work very well. The value of consulting is often the personal time of the consultant, you are just selling a book.
You can try that out, but I imagine people will respond to it more like an annoyance or spam….not like a helpful gesture.
This is awesome. Please consider wedding planning for your list. I’m thinking timeline creation and 90 min consultation or maybe bridal assistant for 6hrs on the wedding day (no planning included, I just show up and assist as instructed)
Yeah thats a very good market too Ada. How much on average is a client worth to wedding planners?
Mohammed, I believe the range varies extremely widely. I’ve seen wedding planners get paid $50,000+ for one wedding, but others less than $1,000.
Will do Ada, good suggestion!
Hey Neville.. Found this article really helpful. Ive just finished my FB Ads training and now setting up my consultancy was looking to work primarily with either dentists,Chiro’s,Gym’s, Spa’s. Do you think i should specialise in one of the above and master that one market itself? And would i create a whole campaign or just the ads for them as a lead gen tool for me to get clients?
Well currently you’re in the “Throwing Spaghetti At The Wall And Seeing What Sticks Phase”….so you should try them all.
I would start with the one you enjoy the most, and go after customers in that crowd. Follow this plan exactly (and also go above-and-beyond), and you will quickly see if people like what you’re offering.
Maybe you can offer a limited number of ads for this initial special promotion, like: “I will create 3 high-converting Facebook Ads for your dental practice.”
This exercise is for total newbs. I would encourage you to read this full article https://copywritingcourse.com/consulting-as-a-side-job/ if you’re looking for more advanced consulting tactics!
I would suggest market yourself as a digital marketing consultant. You can always specialize in lead generation. You can always outsource the work if they would like to expand on other services, such as SEO. I have tons of knowledge as a researcher. People always come to me asking if I could conduct research on whatever such as lead generation, referral marketing program, graphic design, even finding antiques, etc. I finally took some courses in digital marketing to learn it all. I have entrepreneurs such as Neville and others in this thread that I send leads to for the work I can’t or don’t have time to do. This is part time work for me until I grow my clientele. I obtain most of my leads through word of mouth, Facebook groups or word of mouth. That’s one route you can try. I charge a retainer or negotiate a flat rate. It’s working for me. I’m going to retire from being a massage therapist as soon as I have enough clients under my belt. Then, I’ll have enough time to work on my consulting business on a full time basis.
Great post Nev!
How about a business that is time-bounded to a certain date (conference speaking or A/V services, for instance)?
Henry, the same thing would apply for services such as A/V Setup. I would offer the service as:
“For $100 I will do 5 hours of A/V work for your conference or meeting. I will be available Mondays and Thursdays in February.”
….basically just give them the brief details in the pitch.
Neville thank you for the simple and take action ideas, just posted ad on Gumtree and also will be doing this on FB, will amend your Ad for local SEO services and see how that works. keep the ideas coming…
You’re very welcome Haris! Go ahead and give it a try, it’s super easy and low risk. You also might want to post in your local area groups.
For example if you’re selling SEO services to local businesses, you can try posting on a FB group for your community:
“Hey small business owners in the Langley Village area, I specialize in getting your business listed in Google when people search from their computers or phones. Did you know 78% of people first search a business on their phone before they go? If you are not showing up on Google when people search your industry, you might be losing out on a huge amount of free customers. Give me a call today, and for $100 I can get you listed in all the search engines for Langley Village searches in one week.”
Something like that could be very appealing to a business in your specific area. Best of luck Haris, let me know if you have anymore questions!
Thanks for this Neville. The best part about this is to just take action. I tend to be in the analyze and over plan kamp. It’s paralyzed me more than once.
I’m curious about the branding though. For $100 it seems you’d install a free theme, but not customize it. Branding could be an upsell. Or train the customer to brand it themselves.
That’s exactly why I created these scripts for you Darrel! You don’t even have to think, just copy/paste :)
The point of this exercise is not to maximize revenue….the point is to get people who’ve never charged for consulting services to just get STARTED.
The other point is to put your “feelers” into the market to see what people want/expect from the service. You may find after doing this most people don’t want 100 page websites, but just small websites for restaurants. Who knows until you try and put it out there!
This is a keeper, Neville. Thanks for the great start to the holidays!
This is going to be the blueprint for launching a lead generation service for small businesses (Lead capture page, autoresponder with follow up series).
If you have any other thoughts about how anyone should get the word out about this service, it would be appreciated.
Thanks again for the time,
Mark
Thanks Mark! I think getting the word out would be depending on what industry you’re going for (it would be helpful to target a SPECIFIC industry you’d like to work with). Maybe it’s dentists.
In that case you could advertise your services to dental groups or call up dental practices.
Having a specific niche always helps!
This, this couldn’t have come at a better time! I’m a Facebook marketer who’s been working with an agency, but decided to hang up my own shingle and get out there on my own. I’ve been getting gigs through referrals and I’m talking to some folks on Upwork, but I’m definitely going to get posting in some of these FB groups and on craigslist.
Awesome John, go ahead and follow a script similar to this and customize it to your offer. Post in places where people using FB ads is common. Maybe make an introductory offer following the template:
“I will create 5 high-converting Facebook Ads for you in 48 hours.”
Perhaps you should also list a few of your qualifications in the ad to boost your credibility. Best of luck John, if you go through this, send me the results (Neville @ kopywritingkourse . com )!
Thanks, buddy! I’ll let you know how it works out!
What about analyzing their website and making suggestions to improve it to get more business from it.?
Not that hard to do and then you can offer to make corrections later as an upsell.
Same thing for analyzing their Facebook ads or emails etc.
This positions you as an expert right away and makes you the natural person to turn to to help them with their problems.
Ron
Hey Ron, that would actually be an EXCELLENT idea! I would maybe position it as a “Website conversion rate review.”
Examples:
I will analyze your Facebook ads and make suggestions for better conversions for $100 in 24 hours.
I will analyze your Sales Page and make suggestions for better conversions for $100 in 24 hours.
If the person has done this type of work in the past for a big company or on their own, that would add a lot of great credibility. Thanks for the suggestion Ron, love it!
This is a perfect example of how easy it is to actually start earning online using skills that you have or can learn online. I was trying to explain this to some older folks last weekend who had very negative views about anything that involves earning online. Thanks for this I will surely be implementing.
For sure Teddy! I think there’s a multitude of ways to go about making an income online, and I think this is just a good way for someone with some pre-existing skills to just get started really quick.
If someone says this won’t work, challenge them to copy/paste these scripts as instructed and see!
I would be a bit more precise in the offer so that people know what to expect. What’s a ‘full website setup’? I can tell you there will be people expecting you to build a 100-page website for this.
Of course you could also clarify after someone got in touch, just be clear in what you will deliver!
Very true Paul!
However, I was purposely being vague with the descriptions for this reason:
For people JUST getting started, I wanted them to test the waters with their offer first before getting too specific. If you start drilling down on the specifics of the webpage, it might turn a lot of people off.
However if you blanket-statement “I will build you any webpage” you will get a wider variety of people asking about your service, and you can pretty instantly tell what service people want.
But you’re right, if I were doing this for myself, I would add a couple of caveats to the offer like, “I will build you a 5-page website for $100 in one week.”
Thanks Paul!
Hi Neville, love your brilliant post! And I like this caveat too! I’ve only got basic understanding of WP installation : sign up for hosting, install, choose WP theme. Is that good enough, you think?
Did you write the copy too for $100?
I’ve been consulting for years now, so my rates are considerably higher Ricky. However when I initially started I used the same simple formula to begin charging for hourly consulting!
Neville, I think what Ricky is asking is, Do WE also do the copywriting for the new client or will copywriting be an upsell?
Hey Darren, that’s totally up to you. I would upsell it, but the point of this exercise is to start drumming up business in the first place. Your offering will come together well after you get a few clients.
Hi Neville,
Thanks a ton – this is totally totally awesome!
I’m launching my freelance health writer service. So I would like a full-out business plan of that. I plan to start with content writing rather than copywriting…
Hmmm, I’m not sure what a “freelance health writer” is…..any more details you could provide?
I write blog posts, articles, and website content for healthcare companies, publications, health bloggers, and so on. Later on, sales pages, white papers, press releases, etc.
Oh very cool Rohi. If you are approaching large healthcare companies about your writing, then this method MIGHT work for you, but I would suggest you put together more expensive packages since they will be used to paying higher prices for this work.
Thanks again, Neville! Please could you provide a complete plan for paid guest blogging? Happy Holidays!
Hi Rohi, it’s unlikely people will pay for you to guest blog for them on large sites. You can pickup small copywriting gigs where you write blog posts, but generally they will not allow you to keep your full name on them, they want the posts to look like their own.
Great advice, Neville, many thanks.
An idea for the next one…I use Microsoft Word to create books, reports, documentation, templates, and so on; how would you promote something like that, Neville?
Kind regards,
Russ
Thanks for the suggestion Russ, if you were to translate those skills into some sort of useful consulting service that could be cool.
For example: If you were in a Facebook group for salespeople that discussed their sales pitches, you could offer a promotion like: “For $100 I will make your sales pitch deck look like a trillion bucks! I have been making sales pitch decks for 10 years, and know the different methods to make them more attractive and more effective.”
Something like that could work well!
Thanks for the post and examples! Next idea: a crash course for improving your Spanish pronunciation as a learner
Language tutoring might work well in this format! However I think the promotion that would do well is live training: “For $150 I will tutor you in Spanish every week for a month.”
Simply trying to promote an e-course with this format would probably not work well, especially if you’re just dropping your promotion into random groups.
What a great promotion, Neville, a fine example of out-of-the-box thinking.
Thank you Richard! I would highly suggest you try it, or share this with someone that might benefit from it.
I’d love a similar post on offering book publicist services…
Thanks,
Dave
Hey Dave, that would be an easy one that could also translate to copywriters and editors. Will put it down on the list, thanks!
Hey boss, what about fully planning out and business like stock trading services?
Hmmm….I’ll think about it, I’m not sure I would start with that one as it’s not something people can do/learn quickly. I also think some of that stuff gets into the shady sector!
Thanks for the suggestion though, I’ve written it down. If others vote for it I’ll consider.
To attract customers in the stock trading services niche, you could offer allied services.
For example:
installing and configuring trading software
installing and configuring accounting software
systemising their paperwork
Anything complicated or requiring knowledge, you can systemize or templatise. With your knowledge you can do it fast. The customer sees it as daunting because they are doing it for the first time.
Thanks for the feedback Lain, there definitely is a large market for the stock stuff as a consultant. You’re right, going through and setting up tech systems for people could be a good way to get started!
Thanks for the inspiration. When do you ask for payment – before you do the work or when completed?
There are different schools of thought about this. Some people want payment up front, some agree to be paid upon completion. On bigger projects usually some sort of step deal is agreed upon, such as half up front and the remainder upon completion. But on a small project such as this one I suggest getting paid upfront, otherwise you may never get paid at all. If the client balks at paying a hundred bucks up front it suggests he/she isn’t really serious (or doesn’t even have the money). Putting their money on the line makes your clients psychologically invest in the project, makes them more willing to work with you, and usually makes for a better outcome for all concerned.
I agree Richard, but sometimes the customer wants to make sure THEY are safe from getting scammed too. That’s why I sometimes suggest people to 50/50 payments.
The other benefit is if you do more work for the client than originally planned, you can still charge them for it :)
Hey Jan, if I’m ever unsure of how to charge, I default to 50% upfront and 50% on completion. Everyone is taken care of that way (customer AND provider).
Thank you so much for this Neville, I will be trying this in the personal training space. That would be my vote!
That’s awesome Reem! It seems personal trainers generally work on this standard formula anyway.
Example: For $60 I will train you to get more in shape for 1 hour.
Maybe what you could do is sell a month package as a promotion: For $200 I will train you for a full month and get you in shape.
However I would suggest this only if you’re just getting started, you don’t want to push your rates down if you’re already established!
Does anyone know if this violates the terms of service for Craigslist. I tried to post and it is getting deleted?
Ricky, this won’t get deleted if you put it in the right category.
I followed your directions exactly for WordPress with the right category and it got deleted more than once on Craigslist. However, if you create the post without the picture, it will not get deleted. Hope that helps.
Monique, the post is best WITH the picture, and the text repeated. I’ve never seen it get deleted like that. Best of luck!