How do you Win Writing Job Bids?

December 02, 2009

A lot of writers have varying strategies that they use to stand apart from a crowd when bidding on a writing job either on a bidding site or when responding to an ad. How do you do it? Care to share your secrets?

While I don’t win every single bid I place, I thought it might still help you to hear about some of what I think helps me win bids for writing jobs. Here are a few and if you’d like to share any of your tips please feel free to comment.

  • Carefully read the ad / bid proposal request. You would be surprised at how many writers don’t and make themselves look unprofessional. There may even be a secret word or directions in the posting to make sure you’re paying attention. So, pay attention and you won’t immediately get disqualified.

  • Customise your bid. There are certain aspects of bidding that can be done via a template response but if you customise the bid at least somewhat, you’re going to be sure to show the customer that you want the job. Show them that they’re worthy of a customised bid as many can see right through a canned response.

  • If there’s any info about the company you’re applying to work for, look them up. Doing so can help you in many ways. Knowing who you’re applying to work for can help you better appeal to them in your application as well as to have enough info to best serve them when you win the bid.

  • Check the buyer’s history. If you’re on a bidding site, checking history can tell you various things (depending on the site), such as: if they have positive feedback from other freelancers, what % of their jobs listed are actually awarded, and how much they’ve paid for similar services in the past. This can help you see if the buyer looks worth dealing with and give you information to help you create a winning proposal.

  • Check out your competition (if possible). If you’re on a bidding site, you can often check out the profile of others who are bidding on the job. Then you know who you’re up against and can structure your proposal accordingly.

  • Proofread your bid. All of it. I once spelled my own name wrong. Yep, that was embarrassing. I won the bid so correcting my name and explaining after the fact wasn’t fun. (Although, I suppose I could’ve continued letting them think my name was Dan)

  • Offer something extra of value. Is there an additional service you can offer? This can help you stand apart from the crowd, particularly if you identify an area the buyer hadn’t thought of.

  • Offer proof. If you’re bidding on a project for writing SEO articles, you could demonstrate where you’ve ranked well for a competitive phrase, for example. Don’t forget examples of work in their niche, if you have any.

  • Link to testimonials. I have a testimonials section on my business site for this reason. Showing potential writing customers what past customers think of my work, with linking to their site and / or the project I worked on is definitely something I believe helps, in addition to sending someone to my online writing portfolio.

Not everyone uses bidding sites and not everyone sends job proposals to companies through blind ads, either. But, having a bidding strategy and carefully preparing can help you win more writing gigs.