5 unconventional things I'm doing to hit $589K as a freelancer 📈

Lessons from 6,120 projects that work for every business

Freelancing is no longer a backup plan.

It’s the first-choice career for Gen Z (and everyone who wants control over their time, income, and location).

After completing 6,120 projects and generating $589K+ in revenue as a copywriter, I’ve realised most freelancers focus on the obvious stuff:

• BETTER profiles

• MORE reviews

• FASTER replies.

Sure, these are good building blocks.

But the biggest jumps in income came from weird, quick growth ideas that most overlook.

I’ve already shared my ultimate freelancing playbook:

The truthful guide to making $575K on Fiverr 💸

Now, here’s a special behind-the-scenes look at 5 MORE unconventional quick growth ideas I used to get here.

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#1

I turned my Fiverr inbox into a swipe file

Every freelancer fears one thing: silence.

When my inbox goes quiet, I don’t panic. I go to work.

Here’s what I do when new orders slow down, and how those weeks usually lead to my biggest revenue spikes.

I start by rereading every message from the past 30 days and look for patterns:

• What questions do buyers keep asking first?

• What phrases do they use to describe what they want?

• Where do they hesitate or drop off?

Last time, I noticed many wrote, “I need something that sounds human.”

So, I added that phrase to my profile, descriptions and client messages.

That’s free audience research most freelancers ignore.

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#2

I turned every project into 2-3 revenue streams

I stopped delivering just what was in the brief and started stacking complementary services:

• Facebook ad clients: Added audience targeting suggestions + video script variations

• Landing page clients: Offered extra headline variations + FAQ sections

• Email sequence clients: Included SMS copy + social DM templates

These upsells are natural extensions that make the primary deliverable more effective.

When a client sees “Website copy + 2 high-converting headline variations”, they don’t see a bigger invoice. They see more options for testing and achieving success.

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#3

I collected “proof of work” obsessively

Every positive review, results screenshot, client win - I documented it.

Then I created a simple page with:

• Screenshots of 5-star reviews with quotes

• Client testimonials with specific results (”Your ad copy is pushing 12X ROAS”)

I share these proof of work snippets on my gig images, portfolio and in follow-up messages.

When a buyer sees undeniable proof that you’ve solved their problem for other people, objections suddenly disappear.

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#4

I use Fiverr Analytics like a growth dashboard

Every week, I dive into Fiverr’s Analytics to study what’s actually working - impressions, click-through rate, conversion rate, and the past 30-day trend line.

If a gig’s CTR drops, I rewrite the title or the first line of the description (the one that shows up in search previews).

Small tweaks there often double visibility.

Then I dig deeper.

I use Fiverr’s keyword data to see what buyers are searching for and how well those search terms perform.

That’s free SEO intelligence most sellers ignore.

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#5

I stayed a practitioner first, seller second

My final point shouldn’t be unconventional, but it sadly is:

I remain a copywriter first, freelancer second.

I’m more focused on:

• Testing new frameworks with client projects

• Studying what’s converting in 2025

• Implementing strategies before teaching them

If I only wrote proposals and pitched services without actually DOING the work → my business would have a 0% success rate.

For anyone building a freelance or solo business… ALWAYS prioritise your craft first, selling second.

Do this and you WIN! You also get the opportunity to work with some pretty cool clients across the globe.

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💡 Your Friday takeaway

Freelancing is the new business school.

You learn sales, positioning, storytelling, and client psychology in real time.

1. Over half of Gen Z (53%) is choosing freelancing as a full-time career.

2. Nearly half of CEOs plan to increase freelance hiring.

The opportunity is massive. But only if you differentiate.

TL;DR: I hit $589K by mining my inbox for buyer language, offering mid-project upsells, weaponising social proof, and reverse-engineering search data. Follow these growth ideas and try the first-choice career for Gen Z.

See you next week 🚀

Sam

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