Profile Pictures: pictures of people expressing joy get 20% more requests

We recently analyzed our freelancers’ profile pictures and found a strong correlation between the emotion expressed in a profile picture and the number of projects professionals get. Our findings are pretty fascinating, although not all that surprising. See them for yourself:

Freelancers who express joy or happiness in their profile picture receive, on average, 20% more requests than those who look displeased, ambivalent, or present a modest smile.

Examples of profile pictures that invite more requests

Freelancers who choose something other than their face to represent them in their profile picture (e.g., animated characters, landscapes, flowers, etc.) receive 40–50% fewer requests than freelancers who feature their faces.

Profile pictures resulting in up to 50% less requests

The main takeaway: Don’t shy away from showing your face on your profile, and don’t forget to smile! This will increase your chances of being selected by potential clients, as you’ll appear more approachable and friendly.

Introduction Videos: Break the ice and help authors get to know you better.

A great way to break the ice is to introduce yourself through a short 30-second video. It will help your profile stand out and increase your chances of potential clients. 

You can read more about videos here.

Star your genres and prefer sub-genres: you will rank higher for relevant searches.

Here’s a tip: choose sub-genres instead of main genres to increase the chances of authors finding you. Your profile will show up for both the sub-genre and the primary genre, widening your scope.

For example: By adding Dystopian as a sub-genre on your profile, you will be listed under results for both Dystopian and Science Fiction. This doesn’t work the other way around.

Moreover, you can star two of your specialty genres to rank higher for them.

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Need more pointers on optimizing your profile? Check out these helpful tips.