SECRETS to Growing Your Upwork Sales

[williamtcooper]

I have been using Upwork for the last six years and have completed 480 Jobs and Earned $1,000,000 with 5-Star Reviews as a Marketing Sales Artificial Intelligence expert.

Upwork has changed their algorithm in 2023 and it's necessary to update your strategies accordingly especially if you want Invites and new clients. I had to change my strategy also and now received 200 Invites / Talent Scouts / Consultations in the first two months of 2023.

PROFILE: Always complete your Upwork Profile before applying for Jobs. Create a synergized Title, Summary, and Skills to apply for Jobs to match what Clients are searching for. Focus on two of the Skill keywords in the Title to emphasize what you bring to the table for the Client. Create 4 short paragraphs in the Summary. If the Summary is too long, most Clients will not read the rest of the Summary; too short then there isn't enough information for a Client to hire. The first two sentences of the Summary are the most important because they are visible to the client as they search for a freelancer. Use all 15 Skills IF they apply. The Skills are used to assist a Client in locating your Profile via search. Add your Portfolio and always use a colorful image. Consider adding a Project Catalog if it applies. Use a short sentence description for each Employment entry. By the way, it goes without saying make sure that your Profile Settings are on Public not Private so others can view the Profile.

COVER LETTER: Create a flexible cover letter that is less than 100 words. Long cover letters rarely get read, but instead are ignored. Break the cover letter into four sections. Section 1 : Acknowledge the job that you are applying for such as "Looking forward to discussing your graphics design project". Section 2: Highlight your validations stamps IE skills that are brought to their project. Section 3 Explain how you will solve their problem and the final section request an Upwork Zoom call to discuss their project.

JOB SUBMISSIONS: Tips - Only apply to Jobs that you are highly qualified, don't Bid for the top 3 spots unless you are an exact match and have a high probability of getting the job, don't immediately apply for jobs, but instead wait at least a few hours so your bidding is more accurate, don't get into bidding wars because serious Clients will view most applicant's cover letters, don't apply for Jobs that have 20 - 50 applicants in less than 24 hours. If a Client gets 50 cover letters, there is only a 2% chance of being hired; bad odds. I set my freelancer sort to apply for jobs with less than 20 proposals.

OVER DELIVER: Always over-deliver based upon the Client's expectations. Do such outstanding work that the Client can't but help to give 5-Stars and a raving Review. Great Reviews have most Client's sold on hiring a Freelancer before even talking with them. I can't mention the number of Clients that started their interactions with me about how they couldn't wait to start working together on their project based upon my Reviews. After 320 Upwork Jobs, I have maintained 99% 5-Star Reviews and only 1% 4-Star Reviews which continues to draw in more clients.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Use your social media footprint to promote your Upwork Profile especially LinkedIn. Create a Post on LinkedIn highlighting your Upwork Profile containing a link back so prospects can review. Small businesses that I want to begin a business relationship with are better served on Upwork due to the Upwork's system and billing. I have 2.5 million very engaged LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter Followers. They are a great source to promote my profile on Upwork.

HELP OTHERS: Always uplift, encourage and love other users on Upwork. Remember everyone has to start somewhere as you did. Others helped you along the way, so assist users that have questions.

THANKS UPWORK: Thanks Upwork for being a blessing to me on this site and I hope to do so for others!

ENJOYED THE POST: Let me know with a message below. Everyone needs to be encouraged!

This is a recently written Post with Upwork's Financial Results and Forecasts for 2023 at:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Coffee-Break/Upwork-s-Financial-Results-and-Forecasts-for-2023/m-p/1...

This is a recently written Post with the SECRETS to hiring freelancers on Upwork at:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Clients/SECRETS-to-Growing-Your-Business-On-Upwork/m-p/1235553#M8984...

[williamtcooper]

Rayhan,

You are most welcome and have a wonderful day!

[julessdesign]

Hi William, thank you for very important and useful information. I am working on upwork around 7 years and I have closed over 120 projects. And now I feel that something changed on upwork. I receive around 1-2 invitations to interview throughout a week in comparance to 20 a day in good times.   I tried to remake my profile according your advices a few weeeks ago and I do not see big changes since then. If you could take a look at my profile I would b very grateful to you: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/juliabondarenko2

Have a nice day, Julia

[williamtcooper]

Hi Yuliia,

Please pick two keywords for the Title that are of interest to your clients such as "UX/UI and Web Design". Modify the Summary into four short paragraphs with the first sentence the most important because that is what clients see in search. Close "In Progress" projects if they are completed - 12 projects looks like you are too busy for more work. Add a short sentence description to each Employment entry. Have a blessed day!

[julessdesign]

Thank you William, I have changed my profile a bit. I hope this will work. As for the contracts, clients are not active on those contacts, sometimes clients returns to me for a part of work again. Do you know if paused contracts will influence on search results? Thank you very much for your help:)

[williamtcooper]

The best procedure is to close Projects if they are completed. Too many open Projects appear that you are too busy for more work.

[vicaking]

Hi William,

Could you take a look at my profile and give me your opinion on it?

Thank you!

[williamtcooper]

Hi Victoria,

Please pick two keywords for the Title that are of interest to your clients such as "SOC 2 Report and ISO 27001". Modify the Summary into four short paragraphs with the first sentence the most important because that is what clients see in search. Close "In Progress" projects if they are completed - open projects looks like you are too busy for more work. Add your Portfolio, add a Project Catalog, and add a short sentence description to each Employment entry. Thanks!

[vicaking]

Thank you William!!! I appreciate your help 🙌

[b4c15981]

Hi William, thanks so much for sharing your advice. I would appreciate any feedback you have on how to improve my profile. Thank you! 

[williamtcooper]

Hi Nicole,

You are doing extremely well obtaining new clients, therefore I would only have a few changes under the auspice of "if it is not broken, don't fix it". Consider changing your Earnings to Public so clients can see the size of orders you can handle, add a Project Catalog, and add a short description for each Employment entry. Thanks!

[b4c15981]

Thank you! I had been considering doing a Project Catalog, so I will work on that, and add the brief descriptions for my employment records. 

I was thinking it may be a good idea to keep my earnings private since some of my initial projects had lower rates than I ideally want to land on, as I just got started a couple months ago. Does showing precedent of lower rates for similar projects make clients expect similar rates, in your experience? My total earnings if I make that set to public would be about $8k. Would showing that strengthen my profile, in your opinion? 

[c39be9eb]

It is good . Add me in it.

[williamtcooper]

Nicole,

When I started five years ago, my rates for a short period of time were $50 and then quickly went to $200 within six months. I can't think of any clients that ever brought that up as an issue.

If a client does bring the hourly rate up, you can state that you briefly gave a deep discount to get started on the site which is probably exactly what ocurred. Thanks!

[vicencioanne]

Hi William, 

Thank you for always helping out. I appreciate what you do for our community. You're a gem. No wonder you are getting tons of work. 🙂 

[williamtcooper]

Hi Anne,

Thank you so much for your kind words and have a blessed day!

[rgtdeveloper]

Thanks, William for taking the time to inspire and encourage.  Nice tips for all!

Continued success for everyone!

God Bless and Stay Safe

[williamtcooper]

Richard,

Thanks for the words of encouragement and have a blessed day also!

[rgtdeveloper]

Hi William,

Would review and rate my profile, when you get some time?  Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks for all your assistance to help promote us, Freelancers!

God Bless and Stay Safe

[derijejoamar]

Hi William, I tried to apply all of this but still got no view when I became top-rated in the past, although I just came back to applying again after 3years of long-term commitment with my previous client.

I would like to ask for some feedback on my profile if it is okay with you
https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01eea3dce95f72f60a..

[williamtcooper]

Hi Joamar,

Please focus on two keywords in the Title such as "Virtual Assistant and Administrative Support". Modify the Summary into four short paragraphs with the first sentence as the most important. For example, clients are not searching for "Don't let the daily grind hold you back from pursuing your passions and spending time with your loved ones!". Add a Project Catalog. Also consider reducing your hourly rate to $15 to be more competitive especially since most of your clients have paid $15 or less per hour. Thanks!

[92cc44c0]

Thank you so much for this post! I am working on creating an amazing profile and your tips are so helpful.

I want to make my skills shine for clients to see immediately. 

Thank you. 

[williamtcooper]

Lara,

Thank you so much for the kind words and have a wonderful day!

[sobiasamad]

Hey! Hope you're all doing well, I've been a freelancer on Upwork for more than 2 years now and I've not received any invites recently. 
I'm top-rated in my category and my JSS is 100% and has been for months. I still am not getting any invites

I've tried changing my titles, paying for the availability badge, adjusting my description and updating my rates and portfolio with newer much better work. 
So I was wondering if I was doing anything wrong.   ( I must add that I don't really do a lot of work on Upwork, but all the projects I take tend to be fairly long-term and end with good feedback.) 

look at my profile I would b very grateful to you: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/expertwordpresswebdeveloper

Have a nice day, Sobia Ali

[williamtcooper]

Hey Sobia,

Your Summary is way TOO long and looks like spam. Please modify into four short paragraphs and remove the emoticons. Get more Feedbacks and add a Project Catalog. Thanks!

[navidzafar]

Quality stuff! seen after a long time.

[williamtcooper]

Navid,

Thanks for the postive feedback and have a great day!

[buildmeacloud]

Hi William,
I'd love some feedback on my profile and process. I've been having trouble getting responses to my proposals. I push for the initial zoom consultation - I'm very good talking directly to customers. Any tips? 
https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~010a5d602e334a85c7

[williamtcooper]

Hi Daniel,

Please modify the Summary into four short paragraphs (not enough content), add your Portfolio and add a Project Catalog. Thanks!

[nikols]

Hello! After a year of absence, I did not receive orders. But I applied all of William's advice, I sent out a lot of offers, I wrote to all the old customers (and took a small order from them). I brought one new customer to Upwork, I created project catalogs. And I started getting new orders! This is quite achievable!

[williamtcooper]

Hello Tatyana,

Thank you so much for coming back and posting and the implementation. Congrats!

[nikols]

Thank you so much William for your help and support!

[williamtcooper]

You are most welcome and have an awesome day!

[nikols]

By the way, one more addition: now customers see me and send invitations for interviews. It remains only to return my Top Rated Plus

[williamtcooper]

Awesome!

[a_kolosovski]

Hi, William,

Can you tell specifically what exactly has changed in the Upwork algorithm in 2023 and where you got these data from?
I keep seeing you are saying this here and there on a forum, but you never say exactly what has changed and what is the source of this information.
I have the same observation that something has changed since Jan 2023 and I wrote numerous times to Upwork support asking about this, but they just deny any knowledge of it or blame everything on "the market shifts and AI".
Your recommendations very well may be helpful and I appreciate the effort.

However, while I am on the same side as you are, I would like to question your premises and source of information.
So, to summarize, my 3 questions are:
1) How do you know about the algorithm changes, while the Upwork support doesn't know anything about it, (or they got instructed not to tell freelancers for whatever reason)?
2) What exactly do you know has changed?
3) What is your source?
Thanks.

Respectfully,
Alexander

[williamtcooper]

Hi Alexander,

Please focus on two keyword phrases that are of interest to your clients such as "Architectural Rendering and 3D Product Rendering". Modify the Summary into four short paragraphs and check the spacing and paragraph breaks. Modify the Employment entry descriptions to one short description each.

BIGGER ISSUE: You are in a category that is directly competing with generative AI in 2023 and beyond. Consider upskilling to Upwork listed 2023 in-demand Skills at an expert level.

I am a AI Marketing and Sales, Financial, and Technology Expert so the changes occuring on the site are obvious to me because of my professional background.

[a_kolosovski]

Hi, William,
Thanks for your reply and free advice on the the profile optimization, especially considering that I didn't ask for it.
Will use some of your points, if you don't mind.
As for upskilling, you are right on that point and I am already upskilling in 2D/3D animation and Game Art. However, this is not a one-day switchover and will take at least a few months or more, to get to the expert level and build up a decent folio.

As for my questions, you have not precisely answered them:
1) You still didn't specify what EXACTLY has changed in the Upwork algorithm, while you claimed to know that it has changed.
2) As a source of this knowledge you refer to your authority as AI Marketing and Sales, Financial, and Technology Expert, which, academically speaking, cannot be accepted as a source of information or an established fact.
With all due respect to your expertise, if you want me to trust your statements, you must cite your sources or show your research and facts, not opinions, however authoritative they may be.

Respectfully,
Alexander

[williamtcooper]

Alexander,

Place me to the side as an Expert and ignore me for the moment.

What are you really trying to understand?

Are you disappointed that Support couldn't answer your questions?

[a_kolosovski]

William,
Regretfully, you keep evading an answer to those 3 questions from my initial reply.
Instead, you asked new questions and expressed assumptions about my disappointments without addressing my initial questions.

This way of conversation hardly can lead to a productive discussion.
If for whatever reason, you are not willing or able to answer, then just admit it and we can part ways as civilized people.

Respectfully,
Alexander

[williamtcooper]

Alexander,

Agreed - have a great day!