Increasing Transparency in Boosted Proposals

[kochubei_valeria]

Our team recently launched a test to increase transparency around bidding in Boosted Proposals to help you make a more informed decision around spending Connects.

Check out the product update about this test here and let us know your thoughts about this update in the comments below.

[daniels-susan]

I agree with you. This is a sudden blow for Upwork to take against it's freelancers who have built their entire finacial income through Upwork.

Even if you're the first one to bid on a proposal, after that 20 - 50 people outbid it and you get pushed to the bottom. So, getting up early and being the first to bid doesn't work anymore.

Conversely, if you wait until the 20 - 50 people have placed their bids, only the top agencies and most successful freelancers can afford the bids.

I'm seeing my business expenses go up over 400% because of the necessity to buy a lot more connects in order to compete.

So, I'm now anticipating $400 per month to work on Upwork wheras before I was spending a little over $100, including the monthly membership fee.

I'm really having a hard time finding a silver lining in this bidding war. Does anyone have anything positive to say about it? I'm all ears - maybe I'm missing something.

[rianmutaqin]

Wait until you seeing someone outbid more than 50 connect for 1 job post, 😆

[rajeshresearch]

The Upwork stock price has been going south lately after boosting the bids with connects came into place....does anyone see a correlation there? The Nett Loss per share is swelling QOQ and on a Six Months basis. I am worried.

My organic bids are lost in a haystack I feel.  Being a Upwork plus freelancers and having spent 1000s of Hours here I feel down to see merit is not the criterion to get your proposal getting to the top but spending more connects. I think the clients also will be wasting time to run through the ones at top (promoted due to connects) and will be tired by the time they reach to the organic ones.....I hope Upwork addresses this soon if not later. 

[wlyonsatl]

Rajesh,

I spent many years as an analyst and research director on Wall Street. 

I doubt the change in Upwork's connects policy has had a negative effect on Upwork's falling share price. In fact, because the current policy increases the purchase of connects and therefore increases Upwork's revenue to some degree, anything that brings Upwork closer to eventually operating profitably would be welcome by investors.

[md_jamrul-mia]

1. Not giving an opportunity to freelancers to send enough proposals: Freelancers have to spend a lot of connections to send proposals. As a result, once they are disappointed, they will go back.

2. 6 Months Project Completion in 6 Days: A freelancer starts work by accepting a 6-month project but this project ended in 6 days. Now how much he earned without the project fee and connection fees?

3. Proposal Boosting Option: Many freelancers are afraid to send their proposals to Proposal Boosting Option. Where a proposal for a $100 project with 200 connections is made, the proposal is futile. Many people are not able to send proposals because they do not have so many connections

1. Proposal Boost Options: Many clients send messages to top-position freelancers even though they are not expert freelancers but they reached the top position by spending more connections. Whereas Upwork does not have an algorithm to find the best freelancer. So the client is disappointed.

The client may not get more than 10 applications for his project or expert freelancer applications where 1-4 positions are already occupied with 200 connections. Those who are new freelancers send applications without considering anything.

Nowadays, I have seen that there are very few jobs posted on Upwork now and I am not getting any interviews even for top-rated freelancers, clients are not hiring anyone. Does this mean the client is leaving?

[dcapdevielle]

Totally agree

[dcapdevielle]

Rather than spending time on work we are now spending time and money on Upwork testing features for their own convenience. What a waste of energy. 
I am really concerned.

[10aa2cca]

I agree with you that it is not good for new freelancers. I a not applying for any job since last month due to this new Boosted live bid. I find clients from Facebook, and LinkedIn and take orders on Upwork from them. So please remove it so we can again start biding on Upwork.

[rabia-shafi]

Agreed! 

[ahtishamdogar]

Exactly you're absolutely right 

[irinej_]

I completely agree with you Sultan.

I've been applying to many jobs last 2 months and none of the clients respond. In some moments I am doubting that app is bugging or something..

Also I don't see how this helps someone who is just starting to work on the upwork.

[10aa2cca]

I not like bosted proposal future on upwork but I like that in this way that the freelancers who alreadly growing on upwork will get more and more projects and then open their upwork agency account and hire new freelancer to work under their agency. New freelancer will not create account and middle freelancers who start earning or get new top rated badge will get more jobs. Please upwork remove bosted proposal and bring something new so that new people cannot create account and people who have earn 1k or more then 1k win all the projects so you can earn more 20% from that freelancers who are alreadly earn 1k or more then 1k. 

[f1785f8c]

I boosted a couple of times to test it out and it always gets outbid. I just submit the proposal as is now. Haven't seen any data that supports having your proposal 1st in relation to hiring rate. Can't be sure that there's a benefit.

[magnumrex24]

Of course it's just to make money for Upwork. Not that they don't make enough with the 20% they rob us with. now they want to nickel and dime you as well.

[93617e9c]

I think this is really sad for us freelancers।

[e00b050e]

I'm a already giving up ever since I registered on 28th October 2022 to find job has been difficult for me. This boosting is annoying .

after writing a wonderful proposal and maybe I was ranked 5th or 1st someone will now use bidding to move me to the position I can't even tell. I feel like deleting my account. I have no money to be buying connects all the time 

[5318ea346ce660f6]

This a best Option for New Freelancers Which on this Site New I like this. But your Professional Then why use boost. 

[evelin_muresan]

It's a total money grab scam on Upwork's side...the platform should be boycoted and demand to go back where applying to jobs didn't cost a chunk of income for some of us.

[ramizpitafi]

As per My Personal Opinion, Un-Skilled freelancer needs connects to prioritize the proposal. Even, Special Talent thinks to leave out this platform. (If this happens then after some months Upwork may face a lack of Talent and would change its motto of "Quality over Quantity" to "Connects over Quality" 

Upwork should review this policy of boosting proposals as soon as possible ...

[9f395534]

The world is coming to an end on Upwork.

seems like to make heaven we need to buy 80 connects which is not enough to bid for 4 jobs.

80 divided by 4 = 20 

then 80 connect is not sufficient to apply for such a job four times, I think it over.

God, please come to our rescue over this war.

[m_terrazas]

---

Hafeez R wrote:

The world is coming to an end on Upwork.

seems like to make heaven we need to buy 80 connects which is not enough to bid for 4 jobs.

80 divided by 4 = 20 

then 80 connect is not sufficient to apply for such a job four times, I think it over.

God, please come to our rescue over this war.

---

I don't quite understand what you're saying.
If you want to submit a boosted proposal and you don't have enough connects, you'll need to buy them.
But, as seen below in green, you can send the proposal without boosted it by 4 connects.

[9f395534]

Hi Maria T.

Thanks for your input.

Can you tell me the assurance that my proposal will be seen if I didn't boost it?

Can you tell me openly that everything is all right with this, to send for 30connect?

Can you tell me what happens if send 30connect and end up nothing the job?

One opened position with 50 applicants, I don't want to get hurt, you gonna be kidding, this is a turbulent period for freelancers whether you are with or against it.

Before I forget maybe you should buy some connects and send them to me.

I have for talking am not just talking 

Maria T

PREVIEW

[zubairafzal92]

yes i agree with that

[krishna0332]

Hello I guys, yes this is so much getting trouble for newbee talented person, is I get 10 connects per month and only can send 2 to 3 proposals, which is going to demotivate me to work on Upwork untill I get 10 jobs in month.

[e00b050e]

Sometimes it doesn't get viewed and the connection will her wasted. This is really unfair!

[khairulbrri]

Some days ago I saw a job that required 4 connects to boost and others boosted 18, 12, 8, 6. 

Then I didn't boost my proposal and I won the job.

[fe1f2ef4]

This is one of the setback of New Freelancers. Those bidding higher mitigate growth of upcoming freelancers 

[8a96e24f]

I also was wondering the same thing and don't see what the difference is. It most certainly has to be the new freelancers with all there free connects. I don't see any other plausible explanation. 

[tjmisny]

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Clients don't care who paid the most to apply.  They care who is the best value, the highest quality hire.  

[fe1f2ef4]

I don't think upwork think in that manner. The more connects you give the more opportunities you get.

[michaelkb1977]

That's not a fix. 5000+ hours here and Top Rated+. Suddenly it's crickets. I'll keep trying, but I'll take a good, hard look/opportunity to look at compteitor sites. 

[michaelkb1977]

People are posting screencaps on LinkedIn of boosts with 1,000+ connects. I guess Upwork is banking at least.

[81f2681a]

OMG!!!! This is $150 spent just in one proposal! Who are crazy enough to spend this ammount in just one proposal? Just some big company, or a connect farmer, or a hacker. I supose a commom freelancer has around 80-100 per month. How someone can spend 1000 connects in one proposal!!!?😱

[73ea289b]

People  use inspect element and update it from HTML and take screenshot and post it.

[m_terrazas]

---

Michael B wrote:

People are posting screencaps on LinkedIn of boosts with 1,000+ connects. I guess Upwork is banking at least.

---

I don't know why it seems to me that that image that circulates around with more than 1000 boosted connects is "retouched" 🤔

[michaelkb1977]

It would be comforting to know it's been touched up... lol But I've personally tried 100+ (one time test to see just how high it's going) and was outbid. that's where I draw the line though, and I shouldn't have even done that.

[yofazza]

For those who are seriously into the game, betting with everything they have is one way to do it right  The actual connects deducted is only as much as the 3rd place bet.

The 1000 connects screenshot, even if it's fake or not possible, is a sure way to secure the first place without actually spending 1000 connects.

Also,  I'm pretty sure there's a lot of people with tons of connects right now from gaming the previous free connects system. Better wait for a while if planning to join the game.

And in all screnario, the house always wins.

[f1ecd428]

Isn't there a limit on how many connects an account can have? I would think that is fake.

[81f2681a]

You can use your credit card in the same exact moment you are doing a proposal, so in theory, its is possible to buy 1000 connects when bidding.

I think this is possible, if not, can someone clarify?

[8a322fb7]

I would love to know of anything I can do today to gain free connects. I have had my monthly allowance and bought some but I am looking for an Upwork course or something like that which will earn me connects.