Upwork: What the heck does this claim mean?

[tjmisny]

I would like someone from Upwork to explain this seemingly outrageous claim that pops up every time I open the platform:

"Rise to the top of the client's list.  Boosted Proposals deliver 10x more earnings on ad spend"

What does this mean?  Where is the data to back this up?  Boosted Proposals deliver 10x more earnings on ad spend... COMPARED TO WHAT? 

When it comes to the context of a client's list, which is the only place Boosted Proposals are relevant... there are no other ways to spend money for advertising.  So it could not possibly be a valid comparison (even if Upwork shared what they were comparing to).  Is this a comparison to other forms of advertising (paid social, TV/radio, street teams??), in a totally different context?   

Also - there's no way of confirming whether or not Boosting was the coefficient that drove the higher earnings.  Higher-earning Freelancers are more likely to spend more on Boosting, but those higher-earning Freelancers are more likely anyway to get higher-paying projects, whether they boost or not.  

This "statistic" seems specious at best and seriously misleading/nefarious at worst.... 

Upwork, please provide source and proof for this statistic claim, since I have to look at it every time I log in!  False advertising is not something I think you would want to be associated with.  

[celgins]

Upwork's claims might sound false because--as Christine stated--not all freelancers who boost proposals will notice a 10x increase in earnings as compared to their earnings from switching on the Availability badge and/or boosting their profiles.

I'm not even sure most freelancers can accurately measure either of these since so many factors determine why and how a freelancer wins jobs. My guess is Upwork can take these measurements and make these claims since they control all the data.

[tjmisny]

Right... so this is why I am asking to know what this statistic is purpored to mean, and where it came from.  (Other than from out of a high-priced marketing consultant's rear end)

[elisa_b]

Such a claim reminds me of those funny online ads promising to enlarge a certain body part 🤣

[tjmisny]

Exactly - it's a snake oil claim.  Not based in any reality.  Upwork Management, feel free to prove me wrong!  I'm waiting for a response.

[celgins]

Well, I'm sure you know they're not going to do that. They specifically state--in the link I provided above--that their boosted proposals and Availability badge are Upwork internal data from summer 2023. Most companies won't share this kind of internal statistical data or how they reached the numbers.

[tjmisny]

Incorrect - the specific claim I am raising an issue with is not cited on the link you sent.  This is a new claim I have not seen Upwork make before until very recently, and the source of that statistic is not listed anywhere.  

[celgins]

I didn't say your claim is cited in the link I sent. That link refers to what Upwork defines as ad-spend for freelancers (boosted profiles, boosted proposals, Availability badge).

If Upwork says--in that link-- that "boosted proposals increase the chance of getting hired by up to 24%" and it's based on internal data, can't we surmise that "boosted proposals deliver 10x more earnings on ad spend" is also considered internal data?

Upwork likely makes several statistical claims that are not posted or listed anywhere.

[tjmisny]

You are more than welcome to jump to that conclusion, but I will wait until an Upwork representitive responds here with (1) clarification as to what this statistic means and (2) the source and method of data collection.

[the-right-writer]

I suspect you will be waiting a very long time.

[tjmisny]

Yes, but there is no citation for the claim I am discussing in this thread, which just emerged recently and was not part of the initial marketing push for Boosted Connects.  

[atreglia]

Yea, one price suits all, no need to charge by the increment.

[maralvar]

Because 10 looks better than 7,9 or 11. It´s a nice number. The next number would be 20 and it´s too much.

Boosting proposals for jobs that don´t hire anyone?.
My last 3 messages from "clients" were scams.

Just a comment, "Rise to the top of the client's list" a client will be happy to see on the top a freelance that pay instead of the best freelancers for his job.

[axentrix]

Let's put aside the new casino bidding rules and practices for a while.

The main problem is that at the moment there are no clients.

Real clients disappeared.

Suddenly 80% of the job posters appear to pay an average of 3.50$ per hour, 10% have fake identities, post scams or AI-generated "jobs" and another 10% want you to work on "a test project" for $50 because their "board of experts" has estimated that the job would take 1 hour. This theatre of absurd started abruptly a few months ago.

Theorethically, boosting and investing in advertisment and other blah balh would work but only in the old Upwork "ecosystem". Currently this is not the right place for that and it will soon be 100% abandoned by experts and will just get devoured by its own greediness and short-sightedness. 

In brief, I now spend 120$ per week to get a 24% higher chance to get a job for the fixed $120 price...

[spectralua]

It is already abandoned. Experts and clients gone an year ago. But it was inevitable.

[tjmisny]

I agree with your assessment, Anna.  That's why this claim about Boosted Connects "10x more earnings on ad spend" I find so frustrating. 

The Boost system is part of the reason why many quality clients and some skilled Freelancers have left the platform.  The site has lost some credibility in favor of becoming a gambling hub which makes it harder for clients to discern who are quality Freelancers and who are not, and vice-versa.  In a way, Clients are gambling even more now too when they hire... This culture of gambling is so incompatible with the claim that you get 10X more in earnings by boosting.  That's why I think Upwork needs to be held accountable for this claim, if it turns out to not be based on sound data.  

[AndreaG · Accepted solution]

Hi all,

We've been following this conversation and appreciate your interest in further understanding this statement we're sharing with you. We'd like to confirm that:

Ad spend is the number of Connects you have spent on promoting your visibility. Your return on ad spend (ROAS) is calculated as the amount you earned from ads divided by the amount spent on ads. You get to decide when you want to use ads and are not required to submit a proposal. We offer ads as an optional way to get more visibility, win work you want most, and optimize your workflow to grow your earnings on great projects.

We are grateful for the open dialogue our community members engage in here. We want to remind everyone that the Upwork Community is a professional forum and encourage everyone to provide feedback constructively. Remember that when posting comments that specifically identify or address an individual, you refer to an actual person. Please keep the feedback coming and remember, we are a community of professionals. We appreciate the passion, but we should all take care to use a professional, respectful approach when posting in the forums.

[tjmisny]

Hi Andrea - 

Your message doesn't address either of the two things I have repeatedly been asking in this thread.

1) The claim that appears on the front page of Upwork for all Freelancers to see states: "Boosted Proposals deliver 10x more return on ad spend".  10x compared to what?  Compared to other forms of ad spend on Upwork (Availability badge and Boosting Profile?)

2) Where is the data citation / source for this claim?  What data is this statistic based on?  

The reason why myself and others here have been debating this claim is -- in our individual experiences, we are not seeing earnings increase by 10x.  In fact many of us are having a decrease in earnings since the debut of the Boosted Connect system (myself included).  If this statistic indeed means "10x more return" on ad spend compared to the other form of Upwork advertising..... in my view, that is a misleading claim.  Beacuse I personally haven't see any results whatsoever from using the Availability badge, or the Boosted Profile option.   

Many of us would love to see Upwork stop trying to entice Freelancers with misleading claims about Connects (including a recent e-mail saying, quote, "You have to bid to win!") when with the sheer number of unserious clients, it is a Casino or Carnival Game gamble to guess which jobs will have Clients who follow through to hire.  

[tjmisny]

Also I want to add that since I am the person who made this initial post, I do not accept this as a solution, beacuse this did not answer any of the two questions I've been asking in this thread.  

[crart]

Frankly, this is yet another cookie-cutter "we value your feedback but have nothing to say" reply. Dodging questions is definitely not an open discussion.

[tjmisny]

I also think it speaks volumes about the validity of my argument, that (1) the intention of the claim has not been explained and (2) no data/source has been provided.