Advertising and Marketing yourself on DP?

As I read it, I have to have 25 posts in the buy,sell, and trade section of DP before I can advertise my services. The only way I see to do this is to respond to other people who want content or copy is to give the canned response "I am interested and sending you a PM".

Is there another way or a better way to be get to that 25 post mark? I've responded to posts and sent PM's to those potential clients I have an interest in.

Maybe I am missing something but I don't quite get how to get to the point of being able to advertise. This isn't the only way I advertise but as many of us know, we can't put all of our eggs in one forum! LOL!

Anyone has thoughts or advice, I would appreciate it!

 

You don't have to reach the 25 posts mark in a single sub-forum, you can go through other sub-forums at DP and discuss on the themes are you familiar with, you can also use the general chat sub-forum so future potential customers may know that little bit more about who you are before doing business with you.

 

If you're here to advertise and do nothing else, you're precisely the kind of person the rules are trying to keep out. If you want to promote yourself, spend time contributing to the community first. Besides, answering gig ads isn't the way to get the good gigs here... it's participating in discussions about your area of expertise, where potential clients can find out about you, and linking to your services from your sig when you can have one. That's the difference between the $5 article gigs and the $50+ article gigs. Look around the forum and join discussions about writing, blogging, or any other topic you have an interest in. If you have no real interest in contributing, you'd have better luck going elsewhere to promote.

 

Well said jhmattern, I agree with you 100%.

 

This is my 25 post. When I do it I'll be able to post at the buy sell and trade forums. Just post and post. It's fun btw and you are learning.

 

Wow...
I am just trying to understand the rules, not break the rules and this was the only part of the rules that I didn't fully understand. (being as some of you have been here awhile I thought you could answer that for me) Maybe I needed to ask someone different. I'm new here and learning and I've made a few posts here to the threads I felt I could contribute to... so I'm not here mainly for advertising and looking for gigs but I won't lie. I was directed here by other copywriters who said this is a great place overall. Networking is as important as participating... and I like to do both! I certainly hope there's no harm in that!!!

 

There's no harm if you're really here to do both. But your original post made it very clear that you're here primarily to advertise, even talking about how you're trying to "get around" the rule with the PM system. Focus on adding value to the community if you want something in return. The people doing well here as writers are generally the ones contributing in other areas, worried more about building their reputation than searching for advertised gigs. Follow their lead, and you'll get far more out of the community than what's posted in the BST area.

 

Try genuinely being interested in the DP topics here, you can always learn a thing or two

 

Since you are already at 17 posts, it should be relatively easy for you to get to 25. Here's a quick 35 step guide.

1.) Click on a subforum. 2.) Click on a topic. 3.) Type a response. 4.) Click "Post Reply." 5.) Do it again 7 more times.

 

jhmattern has it in a nutshell , pay attention!

 

Ok, I get the sense that I am starting off on the wrong foot with people here so let me refrain.

I am not trying to get around any rules here. AM NOT. I am only trying to understand if I am reading them right. If that's what people are interpreting from my original post then I apologize. If I was merely advertising I wouldn't post in the copywriting forum which I've done a few times.

I'm trying the best I can to fit in here and get to know people - If I am doing it wrong then let me know! I'm all for learning and I would love to do it without anyone coming down on me (if that's possible, it can be hard to tell the tone sometimes ya know?)

Either way, I am happy to contribute wherever and whenever I think I can and would hope that other copywriters here would be able to welcome me but I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling and if I am misjudging the forum then I apologize.

(bowing out now before anyone else replies and I can't decide if it's meant to be helpful or well... not nice).