It took me 3 years and around $70 worth of connects to land my first client, but now it's a little bit better. I only bid on jobs that seem to be from western countries and have good description.
I am software developer, but what seems to make difference for me is higher than average bid & not too long description. I don't talk about myself but rather jump straight into questions and technical proposals.
If I write long description about my experience, how good I am at architecture, clients get too bored to get to the section where I ask questions I guess
I am from Lithuania, so I guess clients usually hesitate to work with people from eastern countries too and this gives big impact to ability to land jobs easily
I find that it can be really hit and miss, and even applying for almost the exact same type of job doesn't make any difference (e.g. niche-ing yourself a bit). For example, I landed a $100 job writing an "About Me" section for someone's website, got an excellent review, all good. Applied for the exact same thing with another customer, no engagement.
However, once you've passed that $1k+ threshold and if you keep up your job success score, I find that clients tend to contact me directly. I spent a lot of time re-writing my profile, trying to make it as clear and targeted as possible, and I've been getting some decent invites. That way I don't have to pay to apply (you don't use connects to apply when you're invited) and quite often, the people you're engaging with are actually interested in hiring you for your ability not because you're cheap. Have you tried that?
Also, I've never had a paid membership. Not sure if it makes too much of a difference.
$15 a month for the plus member thing proved worth it for me, tho someone did the math and worked out it was cheaper to just buy connects direct.
I land about 1 in 10 proposals, takes time to sort through the nonsense, I apply for ~3-4 jobs a week.
100k earned (I have been on it a while so YMMV), top rated, yadayada. Rates at $150-225/hr depending on my need for more work, doing direct response copy. Even in the crisis can still land more work, worth it for the fees IMO as its so easy to find clients and they take the headaches out of getting paid/invoicing.
I didn't find that particularly useful myself and would never adjust my rate based on what others are doing since most of them are either crazy or clueless.
Your sentiments are why I've never bothered.
My thinking has always been, the bid range will be $5 through 200% of stated budget on every job, every time. I don't need to see such tomfoolery.
>ny project directly through Upwork. I am a digital marketer and content writer and can't get any project using the proposals. All the earnings that I have had on Upwork were the clients who I got from Linkedin and/or other platforms.
>
>I have $1000+ earnings and seems like nothing works when it comes to proposals. Although I have seen one thing. When I get a membership people seem to respond to my proposals but when I am on a free membership no replies have been received whatsoeve
daaaamn, in what field do you work?
Not sure you were asking me or OP - for me I do direct response copy, mostly landing pages to help clients sell things. Sometimes also promotional emails, VSL scripts, webinar presentations, etc..
But all things that clients can implement and see a real $$$ value improvement in their bottom line - which allows me to command higher rates - because the ultimate value to their sales funnel of my work is far greater than the cost (if I get it right and can boost their conversion rate of course).
$15/month for premium.
For commission, I'm fortunate that most of my work is over $10k, so I give them probably between $400-$800/month in commission if I had a guess.
eta: I'd give them $500/month flat if they could guarantee me good invites every month. I'd buy into that and would even beta test that but they'd have to throw me a lot of work every month and I'm not sure they could guarantee that.
Yes, I'd also be willing to pay more for a guarantee of viable clients. I get interviewed 90% of the jobs I apply for or invited to, but then when I actually get to talk to the client, they are not a viable client so there ends up being no job there anyhow and a total waste of my time. I now have an intake form to weed out the inviable clients - I won't do an interview until they fill out the form to show me they are actually able to do the work they want to do.
I'm getting better at filtering that.
Don't dismiss the "new to upwork" crowd either... I've gotten some decent stuff in that bucket, once you learn to spot the "clueless but high value" clients who are getting inundated with "please, sir, may I have some work..."
I've starting lobbing in massively over-priced bids (with matching value) to help stand out in the clutter...
If they'd give me a search boost or something for the money, I'd probably try it out. By having higher rates, I think you filter out a lot of the people who don't have any money. My invites usually turn into at least a small contract.
same here, been using the old connects rolled to my account more than a year ago. work's good at uw if you managed to work hard and long, been with the platform for more than 10 years.
Trust me I haven't landed any project directly through Upwork. I am a digital marketer and content writer and can't get any project using the proposals. All the earnings that I have had on Upwork were the clients who I got from Linkedin and/or other platforms.
I have $1000+ earnings and seems like nothing works when it comes to proposals. Although I have seen one thing. When I get a membership people seem to respond to my proposals but when I am on a free membership no replies have been received whatsoever.
Oh... I had membership at the beginning but seemed not worth it, somehow its better for me to buy connects manually. But do you think it matters to the client to be plus? I didn't think about that at all. Thank you
As much as it takes. Until this month I was on FP+ for nearly two years and I barely used the connects. When I am looking I pass them out like candy but for the last six months I have barely used any at all. I don't hardly get any invites either but the work I do is typically longer term.
For any business your income has to be outpace your expenses or it is not a business but a hobby. It could very well be that your rates are too low.
$.90 to potentially get hooked up with a customer is nothing. A lot of people throw that money away bidding on projects they shouldn't but when you find work you can do well then spend your $.90 wisely and well.
To be honest I don't feel confident to charge more than that, because my portfolio is still not that strong. I know what I am capable of, but my portfolio doesn't yet reflect that.
I really admire and envy freelancers like you that don't spend money on connects. Its not even about money anymore, I'm so sick and tired of writing proposals every day, with no reply. Its very discouraging. :(
If you know what you are capable of then charge what you are worth not what you feel confident in. It doesn't matter if you are confident, fake it until you make it. I have done well on Upwork but I started with no proof that I could do anything other than what I sold to client's in proposals (I do have work history). Even now I don't have a portfolio just my history on Upwork.
Was I randomly lucky? Probably. But if you fire enough times you will be randomly lucky too.
I did spend money on connects, $180.00 a year when I was on FP+, and initially I would burn through a lot of them, and when this work dries up I will again. The difference is I just don't care when it comes to a client that might have potentially I will mow connects like grass. You need to think of it as a numbers game, 30 proposals -> 1 project or whatever it is, so you spend $30.00 to make 1 project so whatever you make on that project you need to make at least $30.00 more than that.
I understand the problem is bidding into the dark not knowing what will happen but uncertainty is part of this life. If you stick around long enough you will start to realize there are times of struggle and times of plenty and you need to make the most of the plenty and be prepared for the struggle.
And my final piece of advice is always be upping your proposal game. You have to peak that client's interest first before they can even question your portfolio and your lack of confidence in it. The one skill that will set you above all others is sales. The next skill is marketing. It doesn't matter if someone has a stronger portfolio if they can't convince a client that they do.
I'm just finishing my first paid batch of connects, have 7 left (bought 60 or 80 last ... August?). so basically I've given them about $12 for the last year, excluding fees. I have the history to back me up when I apply though, and recently got lucky in the invites rollercoaster.
8 months is relatively new, and you're not doing too bad with 1/30 in the current situation. you're still in the phase where you're making sure you look solid to clients. took me about 2 years to get to the stage where I get more invites than I send proposals. if your skill can back it up though, you might want to consider raising your rate - that way you'll have more of a margin against the money invested in connects.
I think I've spent about $24 in connects this year, and that's including my recent purchase that put me over 100 total currently. I don't send out many proposals, and I get invited to most jobs in my field, but I recently went through a week of sending out proposals, probably sent out 6? which is a lot for me. Then I got worried I might run out even though I had like 60 still. So I bought some just to keep my balance high.
It's hard for me to say the percent of proposals I win, because I get an interview about 90% of the time, but then about 90% of that 90% of clients tend to be unviable for me. The other 10% I usually sign.
I have my account created in 2016, my proposals sucked back then... focus on the proposals and make sure they are written accordingly to clients needs and make sure you test different approaches. Some statistics since then
Proposals sent 470
Landed Jobs 75
Rate in December 2017 - 4$/h
Rate today 65$/h (this varies from client to client my highest was 90)
So usually I get around 17% of the jobs that I apply.
I stared as VA/PA Data entry clerk, I work as a Media buyer atm.
Cheers
Apart from freelancers that do not spend connects and make millions on the platform, the reality is that for those not in the US and the UK is actually very hard to get new clients. 0.90$ for almost every application when you're in any other country belonging to the 2nd or 3rd world is a lot of money and the jobs you get after wasting so many connects are usually paid less than the local clients will pay. Maybe if you're from the Philippines or Bangladesh you're safe and you will be ok applying and spending connects knowing that your proposal for 3$/h will be accepted. Unfortunately not everyone can accept those conditions.What I see is the situation is getting worse and agree when some say most of the time this is becoming a race to the bottom.
I agree with you, but from what I see from the responses here I must live on another planet. It seems impossible to charge more than 20 and actually get the jobs, when all I can see are offers that give 5$ per hour...
Do U.S. only clients if you're able to. No value in wasting your time with a client who only wants $5/hr, you'll never make a living that way if you live in a first world country :/
No I dont apply to those jobs anymore. Only if they want to afford 20. Otherwise its not worth it. But then again, I spend most of my day applying and applying. Right now even Im writing proposals as Im talking to you.
Its not that I need the money right now to survive but I want to build a career from this and be able to leave my office job and work from home as a video editor forever. But I dont see that happening.
>Sad Video editor, 20$ per hour.
I'm not in this market so take this with a pinch of salt but this seems very low to me and in general I feel like very low prices can be off-putting: it says amateur, inexperienced, non-native language etc
Which country are you in and how does your hourly rate compare to the rates you're seeing other busy providers post? Your image might well benefit from raising your rates.
I understand. However, all the jobs Im getting in my feed are way below that. Yesterday I had someone asking me to work for 6$ and today for 8$. Maybe its really in the US only that you get good high paid jobs. For me its impossible to get a job for more than 20. I am in Polnand. And even though we get jobs from US, we get the lowest paying it seems.
It took me 3 years and around $70 worth of connects to land my first client, but now it's a little bit better. I only bid on jobs that seem to be from western countries and have good description. I am software developer, but what seems to make difference for me is higher than average bid & not too long description. I don't talk about myself but rather jump straight into questions and technical proposals. If I write long description about my experience, how good I am at architecture, clients get too bored to get to the section where I ask questions I guess
I am from Lithuania, so I guess clients usually hesitate to work with people from eastern countries too and this gives big impact to ability to land jobs easily
I find that it can be really hit and miss, and even applying for almost the exact same type of job doesn't make any difference (e.g. niche-ing yourself a bit). For example, I landed a $100 job writing an "About Me" section for someone's website, got an excellent review, all good. Applied for the exact same thing with another customer, no engagement. However, once you've passed that $1k+ threshold and if you keep up your job success score, I find that clients tend to contact me directly. I spent a lot of time re-writing my profile, trying to make it as clear and targeted as possible, and I've been getting some decent invites. That way I don't have to pay to apply (you don't use connects to apply when you're invited) and quite often, the people you're engaging with are actually interested in hiring you for your ability not because you're cheap. Have you tried that? Also, I've never had a paid membership. Not sure if it makes too much of a difference.
$15 a month for the plus member thing proved worth it for me, tho someone did the math and worked out it was cheaper to just buy connects direct. I land about 1 in 10 proposals, takes time to sort through the nonsense, I apply for ~3-4 jobs a week. 100k earned (I have been on it a while so YMMV), top rated, yadayada. Rates at $150-225/hr depending on my need for more work, doing direct response copy. Even in the crisis can still land more work, worth it for the fees IMO as its so easy to find clients and they take the headaches out of getting paid/invoicing.
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I didn't find that particularly useful myself and would never adjust my rate based on what others are doing since most of them are either crazy or clueless.
Your sentiments are why I've never bothered. My thinking has always been, the bid range will be $5 through 200% of stated budget on every job, every time. I don't need to see such tomfoolery.
>ny project directly through Upwork. I am a digital marketer and content writer and can't get any project using the proposals. All the earnings that I have had on Upwork were the clients who I got from Linkedin and/or other platforms. > >I have $1000+ earnings and seems like nothing works when it comes to proposals. Although I have seen one thing. When I get a membership people seem to respond to my proposals but when I am on a free membership no replies have been received whatsoeve daaaamn, in what field do you work?
Not sure you were asking me or OP - for me I do direct response copy, mostly landing pages to help clients sell things. Sometimes also promotional emails, VSL scripts, webinar presentations, etc.. But all things that clients can implement and see a real $$$ value improvement in their bottom line - which allows me to command higher rates - because the ultimate value to their sales funnel of my work is far greater than the cost (if I get it right and can boost their conversion rate of course).
Getting one out of thirty proposals is really good in my opinion. Don't be discouraged.
$15/month for premium. For commission, I'm fortunate that most of my work is over $10k, so I give them probably between $400-$800/month in commission if I had a guess. eta: I'd give them $500/month flat if they could guarantee me good invites every month. I'd buy into that and would even beta test that but they'd have to throw me a lot of work every month and I'm not sure they could guarantee that.
Yes, I'd also be willing to pay more for a guarantee of viable clients. I get interviewed 90% of the jobs I apply for or invited to, but then when I actually get to talk to the client, they are not a viable client so there ends up being no job there anyhow and a total waste of my time. I now have an intake form to weed out the inviable clients - I won't do an interview until they fill out the form to show me they are actually able to do the work they want to do.
I'm getting better at filtering that. Don't dismiss the "new to upwork" crowd either... I've gotten some decent stuff in that bucket, once you learn to spot the "clueless but high value" clients who are getting inundated with "please, sir, may I have some work..." I've starting lobbing in massively over-priced bids (with matching value) to help stand out in the clutter...
It has little to do with new in my field. They are usually all new.
It has little to do with new in my field. They are usually all new.
If they'd give me a search boost or something for the money, I'd probably try it out. By having higher rates, I think you filter out a lot of the people who don't have any money. My invites usually turn into at least a small contract.
I’ve never had to buy connects as of yet and I’ve been using the platform for close to 4 years.
How?
same here, been using the old connects rolled to my account more than a year ago. work's good at uw if you managed to work hard and long, been with the platform for more than 10 years.
Trust me I haven't landed any project directly through Upwork. I am a digital marketer and content writer and can't get any project using the proposals. All the earnings that I have had on Upwork were the clients who I got from Linkedin and/or other platforms. I have $1000+ earnings and seems like nothing works when it comes to proposals. Although I have seen one thing. When I get a membership people seem to respond to my proposals but when I am on a free membership no replies have been received whatsoever.
Oh... I had membership at the beginning but seemed not worth it, somehow its better for me to buy connects manually. But do you think it matters to the client to be plus? I didn't think about that at all. Thank you
No it does not. They don’t see it. Unless UW is cheating it somehow which would be dumb.
As much as it takes. Until this month I was on FP+ for nearly two years and I barely used the connects. When I am looking I pass them out like candy but for the last six months I have barely used any at all. I don't hardly get any invites either but the work I do is typically longer term. For any business your income has to be outpace your expenses or it is not a business but a hobby. It could very well be that your rates are too low. $.90 to potentially get hooked up with a customer is nothing. A lot of people throw that money away bidding on projects they shouldn't but when you find work you can do well then spend your $.90 wisely and well.
To be honest I don't feel confident to charge more than that, because my portfolio is still not that strong. I know what I am capable of, but my portfolio doesn't yet reflect that. I really admire and envy freelancers like you that don't spend money on connects. Its not even about money anymore, I'm so sick and tired of writing proposals every day, with no reply. Its very discouraging. :(
If you know what you are capable of then charge what you are worth not what you feel confident in. It doesn't matter if you are confident, fake it until you make it. I have done well on Upwork but I started with no proof that I could do anything other than what I sold to client's in proposals (I do have work history). Even now I don't have a portfolio just my history on Upwork. Was I randomly lucky? Probably. But if you fire enough times you will be randomly lucky too. I did spend money on connects, $180.00 a year when I was on FP+, and initially I would burn through a lot of them, and when this work dries up I will again. The difference is I just don't care when it comes to a client that might have potentially I will mow connects like grass. You need to think of it as a numbers game, 30 proposals -> 1 project or whatever it is, so you spend $30.00 to make 1 project so whatever you make on that project you need to make at least $30.00 more than that. I understand the problem is bidding into the dark not knowing what will happen but uncertainty is part of this life. If you stick around long enough you will start to realize there are times of struggle and times of plenty and you need to make the most of the plenty and be prepared for the struggle. And my final piece of advice is always be upping your proposal game. You have to peak that client's interest first before they can even question your portfolio and your lack of confidence in it. The one skill that will set you above all others is sales. The next skill is marketing. It doesn't matter if someone has a stronger portfolio if they can't convince a client that they do.
I will try and be MUCH more confident in my proposals to see how that goes. I need to mix things up and see what works. Thanks!
You are welcome. I hope it works out.
Do some "fake" jobs for your portfolio. Edit some stuff as if it were for a client and use it. Better yet, put together a video for your profile.
I'm just finishing my first paid batch of connects, have 7 left (bought 60 or 80 last ... August?). so basically I've given them about $12 for the last year, excluding fees. I have the history to back me up when I apply though, and recently got lucky in the invites rollercoaster. 8 months is relatively new, and you're not doing too bad with 1/30 in the current situation. you're still in the phase where you're making sure you look solid to clients. took me about 2 years to get to the stage where I get more invites than I send proposals. if your skill can back it up though, you might want to consider raising your rate - that way you'll have more of a margin against the money invested in connects.
Thank you for the reply! I will consider raising my rate, and wait patiently until I start getting invites. I maybe got around 4 so far.
I think I've spent about $24 in connects this year, and that's including my recent purchase that put me over 100 total currently. I don't send out many proposals, and I get invited to most jobs in my field, but I recently went through a week of sending out proposals, probably sent out 6? which is a lot for me. Then I got worried I might run out even though I had like 60 still. So I bought some just to keep my balance high. It's hard for me to say the percent of proposals I win, because I get an interview about 90% of the time, but then about 90% of that 90% of clients tend to be unviable for me. The other 10% I usually sign.
I buy connects like 2 times a year because most of my jobs come from invite-only postings.
Not much prior to Covid competitive era, now $12-24 per month
I have my account created in 2016, my proposals sucked back then... focus on the proposals and make sure they are written accordingly to clients needs and make sure you test different approaches. Some statistics since then Proposals sent 470 Landed Jobs 75 Rate in December 2017 - 4$/h Rate today 65$/h (this varies from client to client my highest was 90) So usually I get around 17% of the jobs that I apply. I stared as VA/PA Data entry clerk, I work as a Media buyer atm. Cheers
Apart from freelancers that do not spend connects and make millions on the platform, the reality is that for those not in the US and the UK is actually very hard to get new clients. 0.90$ for almost every application when you're in any other country belonging to the 2nd or 3rd world is a lot of money and the jobs you get after wasting so many connects are usually paid less than the local clients will pay. Maybe if you're from the Philippines or Bangladesh you're safe and you will be ok applying and spending connects knowing that your proposal for 3$/h will be accepted. Unfortunately not everyone can accept those conditions.What I see is the situation is getting worse and agree when some say most of the time this is becoming a race to the bottom.
I agree with you, but from what I see from the responses here I must live on another planet. It seems impossible to charge more than 20 and actually get the jobs, when all I can see are offers that give 5$ per hour...
Do U.S. only clients if you're able to. No value in wasting your time with a client who only wants $5/hr, you'll never make a living that way if you live in a first world country :/
No I dont apply to those jobs anymore. Only if they want to afford 20. Otherwise its not worth it. But then again, I spend most of my day applying and applying. Right now even Im writing proposals as Im talking to you. Its not that I need the money right now to survive but I want to build a career from this and be able to leave my office job and work from home as a video editor forever. But I dont see that happening.
Those are freelancers resident in the US. They get different jobs and rates from what we get. That's why we live and fight on a different planet.
Apsolutely agree. I was thinking about how I might be getting shitty jobs because of where I live.
>Sad Video editor, 20$ per hour. I'm not in this market so take this with a pinch of salt but this seems very low to me and in general I feel like very low prices can be off-putting: it says amateur, inexperienced, non-native language etc Which country are you in and how does your hourly rate compare to the rates you're seeing other busy providers post? Your image might well benefit from raising your rates.
I understand. However, all the jobs Im getting in my feed are way below that. Yesterday I had someone asking me to work for 6$ and today for 8$. Maybe its really in the US only that you get good high paid jobs. For me its impossible to get a job for more than 20. I am in Polnand. And even though we get jobs from US, we get the lowest paying it seems.
Change your location to UK. That's one easy first step.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.