Why are clients not responding in spite of boosting proposals?

[m1mehta]

I have had a very smooth run since I started the Upwork account in Feb. However, since this boost proposal has been introduced, I have had absolutely a dry run for weeks now.

Albeit, I am bidding for 10-15 connect to every job but I am not getting any response whatsoever. I wonder what has changed drastically? Any tips shall be appreciated!

[martina_plaschka]

Maybe others are boosting more. 

[m1mehta]

Perhaps. However, it shows "Boosted" in my proposal, and in case someone outbids me, it shows in the proposal section as "Boost outbid". So frustrating this!

[financemark]

20% of your earnings is never enough Manish --- and now 15 additional connects isn't either - would be my guess.  

The true answer: publicly-traded company quarterly earnings growth !!!! 

[m1mehta]

How many connects do you think can work? This is just an act of extortion!

Should I just not boost the proposal at all and start covering more jobs? Any tips?

[lysis10]

---

Manish M wrote:

How many connects do you think can work? This is just an act of extortion!

Should I just not boost the proposal at all and start covering more jobs? Any tips?

---

idk you will just have to mess around and figure out what works. I just think for good jobs, you won't get there with 10 connects. 15 maybe you get 3rd but 25 will probably get you there. The only other thing is that maybe the client sees your bid boosted before you get outbid but who knows.

[lysis10]

I don't think 10 connects for a boost will get you in that list if the job is something attractive to a lot of freelancers. My guess is that 25+ will get you in there. There will be someone that goes for broke but then you only have to be 3rd. I would be curious what it takes, but I think you will need to go 25+ for something that looks good.

[m1mehta]

OMG 25+ connects. Still, if someone does not reply to me, all go into vein. This is extortion!!

[pgiambalvo]

Maybe someday, we can look forward to spending more on boosts than we actually make here in an attempt to pay for the boosts.

[m1mehta]

How true! Imagine, what a nightmare it could prove to be for the newbies. This is just not done. Thumbs down!

[hamzasajid]

I was happy when Upwork last time decided to shut down this boosted 'feature', but for some bizarre reason, it has been reintroduced. It highly unevens the playing field, for new freelancers who barely earn anything, they can't buy unlimited connects to boost their proposals. In the end, it only benefits those seasoned professionals who have been on Upwork for years, and are earning in thousands of dollars.

[ericaandrews · Accepted solution]

I'm not sure if the 'boosting' really has that much of an impact.  Just because somebody pays lots of extra connects to get to the 'top' of the list, doesn't mean the client doesn't look at the proposal and say "this is garbage" and archive it and continue looking at other proposals.  

Not all clients are dumb: Just because somebody paid extra to get to the 'front of the line' doesn't mean the client is going to take that person more 'seriously'.  

It might actually be having a detrimental affect:

My guess is there are probably lots of people excessively 'boosting' proposals that don't even remotely qualify for the job, and after a while, clients will start taking what shows up 'at the top of the list' with a grain of salt.  I think most clients would rather receive the proposals ordered by whose profile is the best MATCH for the job, not who "paid the most" to be "seen" first.

Also, I think 'boosting' the proposal could actually make the freelancer look 'desperate' and turn the client OFF.  It likely has the same effect as that silly 'Available Badge' now that makes people look desperate for work.  It says here that UW notifies the client when you have 'boosted' your proposal to nudge yourself to the top of the list.

https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406395531795-Boost-Your-Proposal

"Do clients know I have used Connects to have my proposal boosted?

Yes. We’ve included a note that is visible to clients so they know freelancers use additional Connects to have their proposal in a top spot with the “Highly interested” icon."

"Highly interested"?  I'm guessing most clients want the freelancer that is most qualified for the job, not the most interested in the job.  It's very possible clients might actually be simply 'scrolling past' all of the people that paid 'extra' to get to the top of the list.  I would, because I would  immediately assume a freelancer that 'paid extra' to be 'seen' didn't have enough confidence in their skills to let their profile/proposal stand on its own merit, but that's just me.

I don't 'boost' and I still get roughly the same number of interviews.

[j_sykora]

I'd like to know what services you offer. Because since this system started, my thriving business has come to a sudden halt and I'm sick over it. 

[j_sykora]

Tell that to my last week's earnings of $12. 

300 five-star ratings, working as a top-rated freelancer since 2017 has no bearing on the selection process now. I used to convert just about every proposal into a contract. Now, I'm at 50%. and I can tell you it is dropping quickly. 

[hamdyahmed90]

Wow thats extreamly informative and i've been thinking about that lately because since i started boosting my proposals i havent had a single interview 

[darrenwall74]

I won't be using it.

I have a good group of regular clients here on Upwork; however, they amount to 40% of my client base. If the $$$$s I pay per month in fees isn't enough, I'll plough it into marketing. I'd rather do that than have to spend extra on buying more connects.

[mike_zimmerli]

I'm done with boosting. It's a waste of my connects,and I don't need to waste anything anywhere. I want to chosen because I'm the best for the job, not because I spents $3 on more tokens to jump to the front of the line. I've been boosting for the last couple of weeks, and I'm getting nowhere. Things were much smoother before they brought them back. I guess I'll just have to hustle extra hard and do a few more proposals per day. Frsutrating because Upwork is the only one benefitting from people needing extra connects. I hate boosting. I'm done doing it. 

[zeeshan_baber25]

Yes, exactly same happening to me even I am bidding on some top-rated profiles too with all the relevant experience and quality proposals being sent from my side also introducing the solutions. I am only boosting maximum to 10 connects as I can't afford to buy more connects. I believe showcasing your work and experience to the project is much more important. 
But since this boost feature again I am very much having an issue, even I am thinking to do not rely only on Upwork rather than find another platform as well to earn. 

[nipuntrivedi9]

Poor... Very poor decision by Upwork to reintroduce the boost system. This means nothing for freelancers rather than an extra earning source for Upwork. Guys, in how many ways do you want to earn from freelancers? We are already spending much on purchasing connects, paying you fees on every transaction, Paying for profile upgrades for the plus members, paying for showing work availability and so many other things. 

Talking about the boost system, it is completely a waste feature. By this, a talented freelancer will be left with no work and the people who don't care about spending limit will keep winning the contracts because they can boost any proposals by spending 10-15-20 extra connects on a single job. This is not the right thing to get the proposal notice. A normal freelancer can't afford to spend a connects like water on boosting. Please let the right talent go to the right clients.

[glen-s]

But it's the perfect system for Upwork.

The reason they've introduced it is to make more money. As was the case with myself, I'm sure plenty of other freelancers had lots of stored connects and were never in any danger of using them all up and having to buy more - I haven't purchased any connects in years. Upwork clearly took note of that trend across the platform. However, now I am at my lowest total in years and will likely have to buy some.

I refuse to waste connects on boosting as it's a con designed to make you spend more on connects. But, like many above, my new client rate on this platform has fallen off a cliff since it started (and I did use the boosting method for a while). Thankfully I have a good pool of clients I work with direct away from Upwork.

[jules_durham]

The boosting system is clearly designed to get freelancers to spend more connects =$$$.
A client can clearly define how many proposals they would like to receive. If they're busy 5-10, If they're happy to explore a wider range of proposals 10-25? And this clearly negated the need to 'boost' a proposal - You're ripping off the very people that built your business!

[martina_plaschka]

---

Jules D wrote:

The boosting system is clearly designed to get freelancers to spend more connects =$$$.
A client can clearly define how many proposals they would like to receive. If they're busy 5-10, If they're happy to explore a wider range of proposals 10-25? And this clearly negated the need to 'boost' a proposal - You're ripping off the very people that built your business!

---

I've never heard of clients being able to restrict the number of proposals they want to receive. That functionality doesn't exist, and if it did, the uproar over it would be louder than (insert something really loud like an airplane). It would be unfair to people paying for connects (not everyone is, but if you pay for a service, you want to get that service, meaning the proposal landing in the client's mailbox.)

You might mean the number range displayed, that is the number of proposals the client has received and which he hasn't declined. 

[moonraker]

Yeah, it doesn't work like that.

[darrenwall74]

It appears that many of the new freelancer-facing updates are merely monetisation tools that offer no verifiable value to the user. Of course, if I am incorrect, I'd like to see case studies to prove it; but I don't see that happening!

[miriam-ocampo]

Obviously, they don't care if the customer gets the best freelancer. They make money from the connects from all the jobs boosted and also from the 20% of however spends more on connects. 

[davewatts88]

I'm experiencing exactly the same. My response rate up until July was great, but now I barely hear from anyone. Absolutely fuming, as I'm currently at the beginning of my journey with no reviews or client history on the platform, and I need sites like Upwork to get my first clients through the door. It's just self-serving and greedy!

[miriam-ocampo]

I'm done with boosting, I try it for two weeks and didn't get any jobs and just spent more money, same for the "availability" badge. This week I got zero jobs. My guess is Upwork needs a fast way to get more profit and that's why they introduced this "boost" option. I think it's time to explore something else.