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Is it hitting your income?

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by jeewant_gupta_051275, Oct 7, 2008.

  1. #1
    Yeah, you guessed it right. Is the meltdown around the globe hitting free-lance incomes too, or are we insulated.
    My opinion is that most of my clients have either stopped their current projects midway,or, they are looking for cheaper options. Having said this, I think there are a lot of professional firms seeking freelancers to do the jobs which their otherwise full-time(but presently chucked out) employees would have done.
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Oct 7, 2008 IP
  2. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #2
    My income's gone up steadily throughout it. People want to spend less on full-time staff to do certain types of specialized projects, and freelancers are simply more cost-effective. Then again, that's for the type of business and marcomm writing they need to do no matter what the economy is like, so it's not the kind of thing they would cut from the budget as readily as perhaps basic Web content. Have I ever said that I love my work? :D (and yes, you're right - I've also noticed an increase in firms hiring freelancers with them serving as middle-men clients)
     
    jhmattern, Oct 7, 2008 IP
  3. infofreek

    infofreek Peon

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    #3
    Think yourself in a situation where your long time trusted clients have thrown you loads of work and yo are simply unable to complete them in time. What you will do? The best option is to hire another writer to help you out. Of course, you must proofread each and every word of the hired article and make it close to your original work. There is no harm in hiring a helper if the work you submit to your client bears your personal touch.
     
    infofreek, Oct 7, 2008 IP
  4. YAdpa

    YAdpa Banned

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    #4
    Income is falling with everyone, no matter what they say
     
    YAdpa, Oct 7, 2008 IP
  5. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #5
    Wrong - any freelancer that knows how to effectively market themselves knows how to weather a tough economy. As I've already mentioned, freelancers are generally the more cost-effective option when compared to full-time employees, and more cost-effective options are what companies are looking for at the moment. If you don't know how to adapt to changing markets, you probably shouldn't be freelancing to begin with - it's a part of the job.
     
    jhmattern, Oct 7, 2008 IP
    DPobserver likes this.
  6. jeewant_gupta_051275

    jeewant_gupta_051275 Well-Known Member

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    #6
    Exactly! I have seen more offers propping up in my PM than they did when the bull was roaring. I guess, people who were busy making money at the wall street have opted to try out their luck in the freelancing world! On the darker side, people want, rather, they religiously want their freelancers to work harder than normal.
    I am still of the conviction that our clan of freelancers is probably the best off today in these turbulent times, and I totally second what Jenn just wrote.
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Oct 7, 2008 IP
  7. pinch-penny

    pinch-penny Active Member

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    #7
    I just write basic web content but I'm not yet concerned about the downturn. I think the slowdown is going to prompt more people to turn to methods of making extra cash, like affiliate marketing, and those people in turn will be on the lookout for content. Yes, the poor-quality cheap stuff will probably be more in demand, but I think there will still be plenty of buyers for my work.

    As well, as a content writer I realize that the "hot topics" in the next while will be personal finances, saving money, earning extra cash, etc. You can bet that I'm already scouring books, magazines, and online forums for article ideas and information.
     
    pinch-penny, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  8. H3llas

    H3llas Well-Known Member

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    #8
    hmm my income is raising up for over 200% over last 3 months
    from adsense and various other ads.
    anyway it is again to low, how i want it to be.
     
    H3llas, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  9. cellphoneG

    cellphoneG Peon

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    #9
    For those in the US then yes it may or if you are selling to markets in the US which are directly/indirectly affected. Then again this does open up other opportunities. I won't say any specifics but you should know what they are it isnt hard.
     
    cellphoneG, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  10. internetauthor

    internetauthor Peon

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    #10
    Yes and no. I've had a few clients not order for the month, but the income they generally produce for me has been replaced by other clients still seeking material.

    The internet is full of avenues for making money - you just have to find the right ones at the right time. If you work for those who only do websites as a hobby or are "trying it out", than you can expect those clients to withdraw for a bit if they aren't seeing a profit as their other sources of income are drying up (possibly.) But what others have said is true. If you client-base is varied and you offer services that are necessarily regardless of the economy, you're in pretty good shape.

    Beside, many of my clients are from other countries and are getting a great deal thanks to the exchange rates...

    R
     
    internetauthor, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  11. jeewant_gupta_051275

    jeewant_gupta_051275 Well-Known Member

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    #11
    Tell me about exchange rates. In India, they are up by almost 20% in the last 3 months. Yeah, you are right, people are looking for more avenues and turning to affiliate marketing or even PPI. This is further acting as a trigger to get more articles and content in!!
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  12. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #12
    Great points Rebecca - it's really a good case for diversification with your income streams (another good reason to be investing some of your time in your own projects - blogs, e-books, etc.). Oddly, my blog income on several blogs has been going up quite a bit lately with no extreme changes in traffic of anything. I've been curious as to whether PPC is looking like a more cost-effective option to advertisers than other routes, perhaps increasing that ad competition and therefore rates. No idea if that's what's happening - just an observation. :)
     
    jhmattern, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  13. internetauthor

    internetauthor Peon

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    #13
    Let's hope PPC becomes the choice of webmasters everywhere. It would be terrific for my husband's revenue stream. :rolleyes: (He has a PPC search engine)

    Of course, if PPC becomes more competitive, writers who are using it to sell their services and products might have to spend a bit more time tweaking their campaigns to stay profitable...(Just one more idea of how to market yourself, people!)

    R
     
    internetauthor, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  14. jeewant_gupta_051275

    jeewant_gupta_051275 Well-Known Member

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    #14
    Guys, another news. PPC might well be getting more profitable as I heard most of the companies offering PPS programs (GOOGLE TO SAY THE LEAST!) are moving out of India because of fraudulent clicks :(.
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  15. internetauthor

    internetauthor Peon

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    #15
    Fraudulent clicks are not just a problem in India :), but once you find a solid campaign, PPC/PPS can be a nice option.
     
    internetauthor, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  16. webgal

    webgal Peon

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    #16
    I hate to say it but I cut out India in all of my google campaigns for clients due to click fraud. When I went to the stats, there were too many link farm 0 second visits. I blocked so many of these sites and finally decided to pick and choose the countries that my clients serve regularly and it's gone much better with less click fraud. We have very few bogus clicks now.

    Sorry those of you who reside in India and are honest people. But these clients don't sell there anyway.

    I have found it to be haphazard this year. I just got a big contract in light of budget cuts but this division is self sustained and therefore immune. And they are blocked from hiring someone new but I was approved as a freelancer. I've had a ton of calls but clients seem to change things from big scope projects to smaller scope projects. But I'm finding that they are returning and the pace is just not as quick.

    I have had to be more creative and a more active in marketing and finding the right niche. I'm getting good results, but I'm having to work harder than I normally do. It usually just falls in my lap and I only have to do minimal marketing. But I've taken it up several notches. I decided that what I wanted to do was get out more and I've enjoyed it actually. The best part is finding other resources such as graphic designers and photographers. We've started forming networks of referrals among us.

    My internet projects have increased which is great. I am also thinking I'd like to do a local seminar-based projects so I'm going to start working on this. I don't like doing webinars and much prefer the hands-on, in-person approach. I might as well build on my strengths.
     
    webgal, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  17. cd928

    cd928 Peon

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    #17
    I've had a significant downtime during the middle of the year, but it's in no way connected to the economic downturn. Just a few bitter pills that served as a wake up call for me to shape up or ship out, I guess. :) Anyway, things are picking up again so it's all good.
     
    cd928, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  18. EspressoChick

    EspressoChick Well-Known Member

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    #18
    I've had kind of a strange week and I'll be watching the economy more. But I think that more people are simply trying to haggle for a deal and are using "the economy" as their excuse -- wheras a couple of months ago they would have tried some other tactic. I simply won't put up with it. But I am looking at some alternatives, and watching orders carefully, that is for sure.
     
    EspressoChick, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  19. jeewant_gupta_051275

    jeewant_gupta_051275 Well-Known Member

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    #19
    That reminds of similar things happening with my clients as well, espresso. People want 'discounts' because of the 'economy'. I am just chucking out such people from my list of clients and the more people I chuck out, more customers I am adding to list every day.
    Its been a totally opposite thing in my case webgal! Earlier, I had to campaign and market more than I do now. Probably its because I am from India and people contact me themselves in the hope of getting lower 'rates'!
     
    jeewant_gupta_051275, Oct 8, 2008 IP
  20. icjackson

    icjackson Active Member

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    #20
    I'm learning a lot from the vets just reading threads like this.

    My business has slowed up a bit, but part of the problem is that I do not yet have a diverse client base. I have tons of writing experience, but I just started working toward marketing myself, so there's not yet a deep well for me to draw from.

    I appreciate the comments here - they give me hope. I can take more control over my freelance income.

    Thank you :)
     
    icjackson, Oct 9, 2008 IP