The sub title of this post could be something along the lines of: when looking for your next freelance gig, Answer ALL the Ads. That even goes for some of the more questionable listings on Craigslist. Hey, you never know where your next job opportunity might present itself. I have found a few gigs on Craigslist – and even managed to sell some of my excess sporting gear in a mall parking lot after listing my bikes for sale on Craigslist. And guess what!?! I’m still ALIVE!
Writers Needed: Health, Motherhood, Wealth
You read that H2 tag correctly – that was the exact title of a recent Craigslist ad I answered. They said they were “looking for writers with a bit of personality, so humor, snarkiness, tongue-in-cheek, sarcasm are all welcome.” Yes, that sentence was part of the actual listing. So, here’s the response I sent them. I don’t think I’ll hear back from them, but you never know, it could lead to my next AWESOME assignment!
Dear To Whom It May Concern,
I saw your ad on Craigslist looking for writers. You’re in luck because I’m looking for new clients and you fit my criteria of “ooking for my next freelance gig! If you’re wondering what part of your Craigslist ad jumped out at me you had me at: “We are looking for one or two writers to augment our current staff, who are able to write about health…”
Here’s my 30-second elevator pitch: I am a SEO copywriter, blogger, content manager and media relations specialist (I also do a tiny bit of influencer marketing/brand ambassador stuff for my 2 blogs The Creative Cottage and Sloth Athletica but I’m no where near the level of the Kardashians so I usually just leave that off my greatest hits list). Although I have covered a variety of topics throughout my copywriting career, my current focus is on health, wellness, fitness and mindfulness. I have also written many articles focused on the behavioral health and addiction treatment industries.
On to the Good Stuff
My work has been featured in many online sites and in print publications and magazines including Thrive Global (Arianna Huffington’s (that’s AH formerly of the Huffington Post) website devoted to health and wellness, VeggieLife, BackHome, The Herb Quarterly and The Old Farmer’s Almanac. I also cover a variety of health and fitness tips, lifestyle articles and product reviews on The Creative Cottage (thecreativecottage.net) and Sloth Athletica (www.slothathletica.com) blogs.
I have a certificate in Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University’s T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and am currently on my journey to become a AFPA certified Senior Fitness Specialist. Although I recently became a card carrying member of the 55+ club, wait for it, age is just a number.
When I’m not busy researching new topics or writing articles I enjoy swimming, biking, running, standup paddle boarding and training for endurance events, like triathlons, to support my favorite non-profit organizations. I might be one of the last peeps crossing the finish line at my races but guess what!?! I cover the same mileage and cross the same finish line as the winners – WOO-HOO!
Technical Details Blah Blah
Now, it’s time to move on to some of the more technical stuff. My content expertise includes creating website copy, landing pages, emails, newsletters, e-commerce product descriptions, blog posts, feature articles, press releases, product reviews, corporate communications, buyer personas, brand guidelines and blah-blah-blah.
My skills include taking care of my 2 rescue cats plus my roommates insane feral/stray/abandoned cat who adopted us PLUS (wait, there’s more!?!): MS Excel, MS Word, MS Powerpoint, MS Office, Google Docs, Slack, Trello, Wrike, Asana, PR Web, PR Newswire, Outlook, Skype, MailChimp, Constant Contact, Magento, Shopify, WordPress, TypePad, Blogger, Tumblr, Medium, Houzz, Quora, Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Hootsuite, DropBox, BuzzSumo, Filezilla and blah-blah-blah.
I look forward to learning more about this opportunity (pick me – pick me – I’m awesome!)
Later gator – Lynn Smythe
Email: lynn@thecreativecottage.net
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnsmythe/
Online portfolio: https://thecreativecottage.net/lynn-smythes-portfolio/
Link to my Thrive Global profile: https://www.thriveglobal.com/authors/8130-lynn-smythe
P.S. – if you need to see a formal resume I’ve attached one to this email, wasn’t that nice of me. Insert smiley face here…😁
In conclusion, I kind of mentioned this at the beginning too but repeating it here just in case you missed it. I don’t usually get a lot of response from answering online ads, especially ones on Craigslist. But since I have gotten a gig or two this way, I’m going to keep on answering any help wanted ads that look promising, and if I can have a bit of fun while doing it, BONUS POINTS!
So, do you have any tips to share on looking for your next freelance gig?
+ There are no comments
Add yours