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kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Increasing Transparency in Boosted Proposals

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.

~ Valeria
Upwork
878 REPLIES 878
223fed0f
Community Member

The fact is different. No matter how many praposal you submitted. 

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

anilthapa81
Community Member

Kindly stop this nonsense otherwise your own greed will bring chaos on this website. You are already earning a lot from connects and membership and upwork service fee and freelancers are just getting burdened with all your wrong policies and experiments. I wouldn't hesitate to withdraw from this website it keep on becoming irrelevant.

 

kristintabor27
Community Member

This is truly awful. Why am I having to pay 30, 40, and sometimes 50 connects just to bid on a project I most likely wont get? (Even though I have a superb cover letter, a portfolio, documentation, etc.) This is ridiculous. Talk about crushing your small freelance business slowly. I have never won a project that I have had to bid an absurd amount of money on. 

 

e7c7e16c
Community Member

 
7dfaa303
Community Member

I am bidding but it become hard to get a job. hope the desable the boost option. see my profile if its okay or not

deseraimp
Community Member

The entire Boosted Proposals system is clearly a shameless cash grab and is forcing freelancers to gamble their money just for the chance to be seen. More experienced freelancers can effectively pay to shoot down their competition whenever they want. It may make your stock price go up by a few cents for the next few quarters, but you are doing your community a disservice. Long term, reputation matters.

abuhamad-adham
Community Member

This feature really kills the transparency of the skills and the background experience of the freelancer. It makes it vague and unclear for the client to hire and choose the needed freelancer, plus it demolishes the healthy competition between freelancers.

I do think it makes things more difficult for the clients. Instead of a straightforward list ranked by relevance, they now have a top three that is constantly changing as new bids come in (or at least, that's my understanding). That's bound to make things more difficult. It seems to me that a lot of them have left the platform over the last six months or so, and I would guess this system is part of the reason why.

Yeah who know how confusing it is for the clients because I have not heard back from anyone. 

 

Now I send customized proposals in the real world that gets a reply but recently been seeing no reply to any proposals. 

 

I am speaking about clients with 100, 60% hire ratimg not checking proposals to job they left. 

 

I also saw that members in this tread mentioned the client replies to them have sized.

iain-robertson
Community Member

Some things to remember:

1.  Upwork is not a charity, and you choose to join them.  Their reason for existence is to make money, and if their business strategy does that, then unless it is detrimental to their sucess, they couldn't give a flying fart about our opinions.

2.  The Upwork business has two sides, freelancers and clients.  The number of freelancers has signifiantly increased over the last two years or so, but I suspect the number of clients has not.  I have noticed that in the past job requests with over 15 or so proposals were uncommon, I am now seeing requests with over 50 proposals.  That will affect the Upwork business strategy.

3.  There are significantly more newbie freelancers willing to sell themselves body and soul to get work.  I recently saw a proposal to write a Ph. D. thesis for $100.   It's not only Upwork, its happening on other platforms as well. That type of activity drags everyone down.

4. Connects to boost proposals is  bull**bleep**, designed to make more money for Upwork.  Finis und Klaar.

5. Upwork is becoming increasingly costly.  When sucessful, and that is less often than in the past, I lose about 30% of my fee in connect costs, other Upwork fees, and transfr costs to my home currency.   I am increasingly looking to other, less costly,  platforms for new work.

 

Finally, as a  freelancer, treasure your repeat clients.  Lower fees, no proposals, no boosting bull**bleep**.  As a potential client, rifle shot not scattergun.  Invest a little time in researching potential freelancers and  inviting them directly. Less time, a lower cost and a better return.

Some good observations there, Iain. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

 

As regards this, "I recently saw a proposal to write a Ph. D. thesis for $100," yes, that's basically asking someone to do academic writing at roughly $2 per 1,000 words. The larger issue there is that it's academic fraud.

 

I repeatedly come across posts like "scientific writer required for systematic review" or "medical writer to write case study for journal publication", with really low budgets, sometimes as low as $20–50. If you want a genuine expert, you'll probably have to pay more than that per hour, never mind for the whole job. And a systematic review can be weeks of work! But for some reason, those same posts frequently have 50+ proposals. It's mind boggling. If you're that desperate for work that you're willing to apply for a job that's going to be less than $1 per hour, I'm sure there are many better options out there!

Kindly share if you get other useful less costly spaces 

Totally agree, well summarized.

niravpatel0555
Community Member

No matter with how many connects I bid, my bid appears on the top for a few seconds only then it gets 'Boost outbid'. Is anyone facing the same problem?

 

With how many connects I should bid so that it remains on the top for at least few minutes or hours so that client can see it and reply me?

 

Can someone let me know the solution of this problem please?

I don't think there is a one size fits all solution. It is up to each freelancer if or how much they bid.

 

Some clients are aware that the boosts are ads and have nothing to do with quality. Others do not. However, just because you are first in line doesn't mean you will get the job.

 

Personally, I don't boost, but that is up to each freelancer.

Most of the freelancers I know boost on jobs they are highly qualified for and want to do. They look at the percentage of the connects versus the overall job price.

 

You are in a better position with your skills than many who just throw connects to be at the top with no skills. I'm sure others will weigh in on the subject. Where I have seen it work best is when the freelancer has a limit in their mind when applying.

8ffb408b
Community Member

My name is Hirut and I live in Ethiopia. i am a new for upworke.I need your help Please 🙏

Please read everything in this post and follow every link. There is a huge amount of information you need before you apply for a single job.

gildyrm
Community Member

Hi,
I am happy to see that Upwork is actually taking our feedback into account on this matter.
Don't get me wrong, I love Upwork, and thank you for all the opportunities I get.
But now you talk about Boosted proposals transparency. What I would like to see is transparency from Upwork regarding this feature. From the beginning you say is to help freelancers, but until now I have seen no proof of that. What it has done it has just made me use more connects.
And I am really struggling to find a reason not to say : Upwork just want more money from this feature.
Because even this for a company like yours, wouldn't makes sense ! Does Upwork really need connects money when you already makes billions ! I really don't get it.
So if you told us that it has a specific goal besides "helping freelancers", maybe, maybe we could see reason and say, ok I can understand that. But for now, this feature doesn't do any good and frankly I have stopped using it, because it doesn't make any difference and I trust smart clients won't get fooled by the bidding system.
Please, dear Upwork, do not make us regret trusting you for all these years.
We still give you in average 17% of our yearly earnings, which is a lot. I think you should really try here to serve us better. Frankly I was happy with the old system. Much more fair for everyone.
Thank you very much for your attention
Gülsen

4c5b9f71
Community Member

To add to what you mentioned I don't think any new freelancer is willing to pay for this. 

 

This is an instant turn off, I see this creating a stagnation in the platform. 

 

Currently I am already seeing professionals who have been on upwork for a while and new freelancers complain about this. 

 

I really hope they upwork changes the system quick because it's ruining the market place for freelancers and clients 

hovhannes40
Community Member

Dear UpWork,

Today I wanted to apply a job that required 4 connects to apply. I also wanted to boost my proposal for the first place. The freelancer thet boosted your proposal used  700 connects to do that. I had over 100 proposals and I need to by additional connects. When I bought 191 the warning message appeared and said that I cannot have more than 200 connects (this is a limitation).

So, if other developers can boost for 700 over connects why I cannot have over than 200 connects?

Best regards,
Hovhannes Hovsepyan.

Here are some attached files

hovhannes40
Community Member

Dear UpWork,

Today I wanted to apply a job that required 4 connects to apply. I also wanted to boost my proposal for the first place. The freelancer thet boosted your proposal used  700 connects to do that. I had over 100 proposals and I need to by additional connects. When I bought 191 the warning message appeared and said that I cannot have more than 200 connects (this is a limitation).

So, if other developers can boost for 700 over connects why I cannot have over than 200 connects?

Best regards,
Hovhannes Hovsepyan.

The earlier this madness stops the bettter.

 


Abinadab A wrote:

The earlier this madness stops the bettter.

 


I couldn't agree more.

Unfortunately, despite asking the freelancers for their input, and then ignoring everyone, Upwork has stated they are not going to discontinue the boosting.

 

It is a revenue stream as people spend more and more connects. The short-sighted grab  - everyone  throw connects model is not sustainable. Yes, it brings in quite a lot. If you multiply 18 million (waiting for a moderator to confirm or deny this number) x make a guess number of connects, you are looking at a substantial amount of money.

 

Upwork would make more money if they returned to their model when they made money as other companies. High quality freelancers that are vetted and rudimentarily tested, limits on freelancers in categories, Upwork testing on the Terms and basics, which should include Wes' excellent advice.

 

 

If you've been following other threads on this forum, you may be aware that people are finding ways to game the system (as Abinadab has said), for example, using "auto-proposal" bots to get proposals in before any human user has time to write a good one.

 

But this takes it to a whole new level!

 

As far as I'm aware, a freelancer cannot hold more than 200 connects at a time, so it seems as if the bot programmers have scored another win.

 

For what it's worth, no one is forcing you to boost. You don't have to get caught up in this game. Write good quality proposals and you will get jobs. I experimented with the boosting system when it was new, but I haven't used it in months. I have a view rate of about 1/3 of my proposals, which is in line with many others.

 

What this is likely to do is make hiring on Upwork even more of a nightmare for clients than it already is. And I think enough of them have already fled the platform...

gildyrm
Community Member

Absolutely, I almost never use the boost, and I continue getting jobs

zeeshanaslam18
Community Member

Upwork please remove this feature. I'm a new freelancer I lost my job due to Economic Crisis and I just thought to join Upwork but I see can't survive here because I don't have much much money to invest in and buy connects.

Zeezhan Bhai  there was a tread by a committe member before that said it looks like they will not remove this anytime soon. 

 

Message me personally what kind of work you are looking for. 

 

If I can I will help you find the job in the real world by passing what you do through my network. 

 

Waiting you message. 

 

Thank you 

plz inform me about online jobs
990a9073
Community Member

I think is a money wasting.

It is good that you can see current bids. It was hidden before

mjgoerl
Community Member

From reading about what Upwork has said, to even their replies when people have called this out on other sites, I *think* I can understand their point of view in creating this. After being on this platform for over 3 years and being top rated plus, I do not understand how this is not a cash grab. In 2022 I paid almost $7,000 in fees without bidding, this year if I follow a similar path that number will end up being closer to $8,000. 

If there was a clearer way that this "helps" freelancers, then maybe I could understand. Upwork constantly states that freelancers who respond in the first 24 hours tend to have better results than those who wait. So now in 2023 we are battling the time the job is posted, the auto bots ( not even the cool transformer ones), and the ones who are now burning connects due to FOMO. If there are 10-15 proposals, is it still worth putting in a proposal if I do not bid anything? I honestly am not sure, just as I honestly am not that sure that bidding will help. Do we know if there is a cutoff time to bids? Let's say 1 week after it is posted? If the job is still open after 2 weeks with no hire, can someone still bid? 

 

I think Upwork should do away with bidding connects, the program has been out for quite some time and I know of a few freelancers who left the platform due to the bidding issues. 

juannrk
Community Member

There are no views according to the stats of upwork even though I had applied to many jobs and being Top Rated plus 😞 , the boosted feature is so demotivating, it hides real talents on upwork, I really wonder if the client will be able to us when there are  more than 50 + applications? 

cesarebonaparte
Community Member

Well, it's clearly an easy way for Upwork grab more money, but personally, I like it.

 

Upwork is not a charity company, it's a for profit one, so increase revenue is part of their job.

 

The only thing that I believe that can be changed in this system would be probably a limit on the amount of connects that can be used to "win", which would never going to happen, but i'm fine with it.

 

Being first is part of the equation to being noticed on a platform that gets 50+ freelancers for each job.

 

You need a good message to the client too, that would make them interesting in working with you.

 

Does this boost connects work?

Definitely, ime.

 

One just needs to learn how to use it, like any tool.

 

 

6e2db39c
Community Member

I'm a Top Rated seller ($100 away from Top Rated Plus). I have a JSS of 100%, and all my clients are satisfied. I usually apply for long-term jobs. Once I find two to three clients who're willing to work with me for more than six months, I stop applying for new jobs. 

 

Now here's the thing: I can't seem to get any new clients after the "boost bid" feature was established. Yesterday, I applied to a few jobs and found that one of the freelancers made a "77 connects bid". I'm pretty sure that they're relying on "illegal ways" to get these connects because who would be crazy enough to make a bid worth approximately $10 for a job that they're not sure they'll be hired for? 

 

What do you think is the best way to get clients amid this bidding war era? 

You can rest assured most are getting Connects through a back door left open by Upwork.

 

I 100% agree with you. 

Well said, been seeing bids  more than 100 connects. 

 

This is crazy 

rikhon333
Community Member

I think it's bad news for Upwork Freelancers,
Upwork pushing us to Connect war.

bradley-hodges
Community Member

Valeria,

 

When the option to bid connects came out last year, I told myself that surely my ratings, reviews and outstanding reputation, along with my regularly returning clientele, would all be enough to ignore it. However, after five years of developing skills and building a portfolio, profile, badges, and an incredibly diverse international clientele, I’m finding that the newly released bidding option is not so much the marketing tool that Upwork would have serious, long-term freelancers like me think that it is. In fact, it would seem even short-sighted—allowing agencies and those without the required skills to bid high and appear in the top three proposals—only to farm out work to others who can actually deliver the work. Here is proof that bidding, at least in my field, is a necessary evil:

bradleyhodges_16-1673653459834.png

 

bradleyhodges_17-1673653459836.png

 

As you can see, fewer and fewer clients consider me at each step for the “organic” proposals and literally NO CLIENT hired me in the past 90 days for proposals that were not boosted. That’s huge: I’ve been extremely active for the past 5+ years on Upwork, with regular hires almost weekly on projects large and small.

This month was the first that my connects have dwindled down to nothing, and now I am faced with the prospect of buying additional connects. I certainly could do just that: I have a full-time job and make plenty of money on Upwork and another freelancing platform as well. That said, it’s the principle: why should three proposals appear at the top for clients just because they’ve paid the most to be there? I’ve heard over and over that serious clients will look further down the list, that this is giving freelancers more “freedom” to express interest in projects they want to work on, etc. But from the above screenshot, you can plainly and undeniably see that—despite the Top Rated Plus badge, despite a 100% JSS, not to mention putting in weekends and nights for over five years in addition to my full-time teaching job, learning and building back from mistakes, and on and on—all that doesn’t really matter, since I can only win new clients if I spend the right number of connects to land in the top three proposals.

What’s more, the whole bidding process has gotten out of hand. I recently saw 50+ proposals with bids of up to 21 connects—for an assignment to translate just 46 words. That shouldn’t cost more than $5 even with SEO and a bit of research!

bradleyhodges_18-1673653459837.png

 

bradleyhodges_20-1673653459840.png

I’ve created a dummy client account just to see what the process looks like from that side and learn more about what clients see, and at least in my field, I must say it’s horrifying. There are so many bogus, would-be freelancers that if I were a true client looking to hire, I would abandon any effort here. In my job post, I wrote in short, simple instructions to translate “à bon chat, bon rat” at the beginning of their proposal. I saw proposals from people who had buildings or flags for their profile photos and others who wanted to move off the platform, both major violations of Upwork policies. Out of the 50+ respondents, just one—ONE—translated my expression correctly (“two can play that game,” and NOT “good cat, good rat,” which is just lazy machine translation…

My point here is that if Upwork would at least filter new freelancers more vigorously while giving prominence to proposals from top-rated, experienced freelancers who can reliably deliver quality work on time, every time, it could in turn boost its own reputation. Instead, it’s giving prominence to proposals from anyone willing to pay the most.

bradleyhodges_22-1673653459842.jpeg

 

bradleyhodges_23-1673653459851.png

 

The entire bidding scheme seems not only short-sighted in this sense, but also contradictory to Upwork’s own policies. Are freelancers not paying for connects?

 

I beg Upwork to reconsider and remove the bidding feature and restore fairness and integrity to the entire hiring process. I have never been a gambler and refuse to participate in a pay-to-play scheme. Otherwise, I will have to “bid” farewell to five great years on Upwork and move to another platform.

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