Marketplace Updates: Boosted Proposals and Connects

[#1]

Two new Marketplace updates: 

1. Introduced a fourth slot in Boosted Proposals, increasing your chances of being noticed, while continuing to let clients see who is most interested in their job post.
2. Adjusted the range for the cost of Connects per job to better match the demand for jobs in the Marketplace.

Check out the product release for Marketplace Updates: Boosted Proposals and Connects and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

[#2]

I also am now seeing jobs for 8 connections. It's getting difficult to justify costs here.

[#3]

It just kills the ability to compete, a couple of applications and you are forced to buy connections again. Pay 8 connections for a request that the client overestimated in terms or rate. But what can I say, according to my statistics, 70% of requests are not even viewed.

[#4]

It seems now it costs more to apply.  I have seen few $5 fixed price jobs that costs 4 connects (those jobs guarantee 5 star feedbacks). Some jobs 100 -300 range now costs 6 connects.

[#5]

Well, yes.

Wondering if that's the only thing you've missed.

[#6]

Thanks. 4 connects for a 5 buck job and many people applied!

[#7]

The number of Connects is driven by demand for that type of job on the marketplace, not by the value of the job.

[#8]

I just saw one for 6 dollars,  12 connects point to apply.

the minum now to propose is 8 , with pick of 16 connects!

[#9]

Raise your hand if you are shocked...  SHOCKED!  To find there is gambling going on in the casino.   (Where are my winnings?) 

[#10]

Hi,

All Frustrating freelancers, I am also one of those, I think its a big stone burden on our head. When I check a job for 8 connects.

• Job hire rate is 50%.
• Upwork decides the connects as per their amount or high billing rate only.

if the clients' chooses us for job as per our score and our badges(they are top rated or top rated plus). Why not these rules for clients' jobs for their connects(if they have low rating or low hire rate)? But Upwork has no eyes on their clients his only eyes on freelancers who makes money.🙄 😂

•  if the job have 8 connects how far the connects for boosting, why upwork squeeze us very slowly 🙄. 

Hope you all agree with me 
keep raise your voice for it.

[#11]

They are dealing with freelancers as BiG CHANCES to scam their profits, even if they are already cutting shares of their profits already from 10-20% per done job.

Instead of delivering a good service for both Freelancers and Clients, it turns into an INSANE desire of demolishing freelancer's hopes. This is not a fair system.!

If they want to help they just can LIMIT the number of proposals, but as we can see it only help the site only and most of freelancers would go to another platforms or even find another job but freelancing.

[#12]

Limiting the number of proposals would mean—only people who have nothing to do but stare at their feed and jump on job listings instantly get a chance to propose

In my field I regularly see over 50 proposals within the first 20 minutes of a listing. What a firehose!!

Professionals who are doing work for their clients, may check in to their feed once a day (or less—when Upwork was functioning better for me I tried to check in only once or twice a week). Limiting the number of proposals would mean clients get only the lowest-quality, most desperate proposals, and clients would think that UW has nothing but such people to offer them. Already a large percentage of clients make no hire. Showing an even worse selection would be the kiss of death for the site.

Stopping proposals after X number just wouldn't help in the way it seems. Like turning off the firehose when only dust and sand has gotten through... before there's any water.

In my opinion (it should be) either random order, time order (with clients made aware that good freelancers aren't always jumping in first), or weighted by quality of freelancer. Weighted by who pays most, as it is now, is crap.

[#13]

I know, but I said that because this guy William T C said up there that one of the reasons for increasing connects for bids is making fewer freelancers bidders.

[#14]

I see where you were going with it. It's a tough problem.

[#15]

---

Abd El-Karim K wrote:

I know, but I said that because this guy William T C said up there that one of the reasons for increasing connects for bids is making fewer freelancers bidders.

---

It's not. If Upwork really had too many freelancers, they would stop accepting new ones.

[#16]

Great points, Kelly. I don't like to spend time prospecting - I like to work and do what I am good at, and it's definitely not my top priority to spend countless hours scrolling through proposals that have boosted proposals that would cost like 50$ just to bid and over 50+ people applied. And that could be a one-and-done type of job.

I think making changes that you've proposed would make it better than just showing those proposals from oftentimes people who have no clue how to approach the job, yet who spent 50-60 bucks to be #1.

And it's about clients. I think Upwork does little to nothing in terms of attracting new clients. If there's no demand, there's no supply. If we don't have good clients there's zero reasons to stay here, IMO.

[#17]

For the record that boosting proposals has yielded zero (0) jobs for me since its inception. I don't even bother bidding on jobs anymore it just costs more money. I normally only apply to jobs i am well suited to, why would i bother otherwise? Now the client isn't looking at the most qualified freelancers but the most desperate. I'm not here to play little bidding games and gamble connects. It's a big waste of time and clients i've spoken to don't like it either. Spend time on improving the functionality of the site. I spend more time explaining to clients how to hire me than I should.

Fix prefab questions suggested to clients that are not relevant to the industry.  "where do you get your inspiration from?" I'm a commercial artist. I'm trained to have inspiration. it comes from everything, everywhere all the time (not the movie although it was good!) it's so hard to answer that question without insulting the client. Or helpful tips for novice clients like how to end a contract and that releasing a milestone does not end a contract. I tell every client:
When the job is done and you are 100% satisfied, please follow the 3-step process
1. Release the funds from escrow
2. click the 3 dots ··· on the contract page  and scroll down to "end the contract"
3. you will be prompted to leave feedback.
I might also say:
Please note anything less than 5 stars is a demerit and a blight on my JSS that takes a year to go away.

Regardless of how many great outcomes I have, one client who tried to scam me has knocked my JSS down 3 points for a year. But this idea of boosting proposals to first second third and now 4th place is absurd. I am happy about the 10 percent across the board that works for me and it's fair.

I have ideas that will make upwork function better and make us all more money faster.
1. charge the credit card before allowing the post so people don't use stolen credit cards.
2. Weed out the people who post logo design contests where you only get paid if they pick yours.
3. teach novice clients what they need to do before hiring. Such as submitting a job ticket with all the relevant information at the start of the job.
4. Consult with freelancers in each profession on how to write relevant questions that help both client and freelancer understand the job. Questions like, "Describe a recent project you did that was similar to this one." That's what your portfolio and reviews are for. For me, as a logo design specialist every job is as unique as the client. 
5. Don't let clients post 5 dollar jobs. How can upwork or anyone make money on a $5 dollar job?
6. Don't let scammers blackmail freelancers with low scores. change the algorithm. When I give a client a refund because they are unreasonable and expect too much they should not be able to hurt my score with a bad review. They got their money back!
i have more.

[#18]

Yes totaly agree with you. Upwork must need to think about this.

[#19]

This is not a good update. Rather I think it'll be best to take off boosted proposals and ensure clients pay money into escrow before posting their job. 

Increasing the required connects to apply when most jobs posted actually end up without a hire only milks us the freelancers

[#20]

The max used to be 6 but now I'm seeing jobs with 8. Anyone else seeing the same thing? 

[#21]

Yes Anthony, here's the announcement - https://community.upwork.com/t5/Product-Release-Notes/Marketplace-Updates-Boosted-Proposals-and-Conn...

[#22]

Thanks for sharing the link. To the team at Upwork: require more of the clients. I'm seeing vague posts, posts with little information, and clients with little or no history posts that are for 8 connects. You might have reduced the number of proposals from the freelancer side, but now it's time to require more of the posters. If I'm going to spend 8 connects, the posting needs to be clear and quality. Right now, they aren't. 

[#23]

>>ensure clients pay money into escrow before posting their job.

I love that idea—oh, to apply only to serious jobs!! —but Upwork loves listings, so it'll never happen.

[#24]

Shannon,

Thanks for the Marketplace update on the Boosted proposals and connects!

For the freelancers reading this post, the net result of increasing the minimum connect bidding to 8 will be:

- Fewer freelancers bidding on jobs that truly are not a good match.

- Fewer freelancer submissions for client review which speeds the client decision making process.

- Increased revenues for stockholders. Upwork NEEDS to become profitable. Hopefully by  2024.

Increasing the minimum bid should make the professional freelancers, clients and Upwork shareholders happier.

It is highly likely that the bid system will need to continue to increase to the 12 to 18 minimum range to met the above goals. The data scientists and the economist at Upwork can optimize for the best outcome once the new data starts coming in. My best guess is that 8 connects will be very inelastic and bidding will need to go higher to have the desired outcome for all involved.

Thanks for all the hard work you and the Upwork team are doing!

[#25]

---

William T C wrote:

Shannon,

Thanks for the Marketplace update on the Boosted proposals and connects!

For the freelancers reading this post, the net result of increasing the minimum connect bidding to 8 will be:

- Fewer freelancers bidding on jobs that truly are not a good match.

- Fewer freelancer submissions for client review which speeds the client decision making process.

- Increased revenues for stockholders. Upwork NEEDS to become profitable. Hopefully by  2024.

Increasing the minimum bid should make the professional freelancers, clients and Upwork shareholders happier.

It is highly likely that the bid system will need to continue to increase to the 12 to 18 minimum range to met the above goals. The data scientists and the economist at Upwork can optimize for the best outcome once the new data starts coming in. My best guess is that 8 connects will be very inelastic and bidding will need to go higher to have the desired outcome for all involved.

Thanks for all the hard work you and the Upwork team are doing!

---

Well, I'm sorry, but I don't know how this will actually help when people are spending sometimes ridiculous amounts to power their proposals and there are still +50 proposals in a short time.
It's not something that benefits freelancers, it just increases Upwork's income.

[#26]

Maria,

Only 4 jobs can be Boosted not 50+ proposals.

The higher the minimum connect fee the fewer freelancers that apply for a job.

When fewer freelancers apply for a job, the higher the average probability of a getting hired.

Math 101 😁