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A common way to get freelance work, especially in the first couple of years, is to use a freelance marketplace. I’ve spoken about them in the past (especially this video chat with Rosie), and I’ve heard some great successful stories about PeoplePerHourand Elance in particular. One of the things I touched on during the last hangout is one of the functions on PeoplePerHour – the Hourlie.

The Hourlie is a task or project at a set price, packaged up to make it easy for marketplace buyers to purchase your product. It’s a low maintenance way to use sites like PPH, as you don’t have to pitch for work – the idea is for buyers to find you and choose the best package for them. You can also add extras to the package, like additional word counts or an option to fastrack to project, in order to upsell. Creating an Hourlie is a great way to create a passive promotion for you – it’s there in the background silently working away for you.

Want to give it a try? Here’s how to create an Hourlie.

Step 1: Once you have a PPH account, visit the Hourlie page. 

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The Hourlie page will take you to setup page. It’s simple to fill in – add a headline, choose your price and timescale and a category. Then pick your tags wisely (have a look at other people’s hourlies if you want a good example). Adding images, videos and quotes or recommendations will really boost your Hourlie, and improve the chances of being hired.

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The second half of the page is an opportunity to add in more information, tell the buyer what you’ll need from them and add on any extra services. Finally, you can choose your location.

Step 2: Choose whether to boost your Hourlie

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Once you hit ‘Post Hourlie, you’ll be taken to a page with the option to boost your post. This costs about £9.95, and will keep you featured at the top for seven days, and increases your chance of being in the newsletter. This is optional and not essential.

Step 3: Check your Hourlie

screenshot645Once your Hourlie is complete, you can check it before launching it as live.

And you’re done! Pretty quick and easy, right?