From Skeptic to Success: How I Earned $10,000 in One Month on Upwork
When a person I revere as a marketing guru encouraged me to join the freelancer platform Upwork, I thought he had lost his mind.
I believed the platform was similar to Fiverr, where you can get decent work from freelancers in developing countries at about an eighth of the local (American) rate.
How could I compete with freelancers who were charging so little?
Most of my work at the time came from referrals. I received a steady beat of inquiries for resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and job interview coaching, but I knew I could handle more. (At the time, I didn’t have an angry octopus.)
I figured, what the heck? It will be fun to build an Upwork profile and see what happens. Plus, it’s good to have diverse lead sources.
I had nothing to lose by giving Upwork a try.
I followed the steps to set up my profile, including uploading a photo and sharing testimonials and work examples. I wrote some compelling marketing copy that said, “If you need an enthusiastic, experienced professional to help you get the job you want with a great resume, look no further!”
I also wrote an engaging, customizable introductory message that reinforced my value.
Then, I began applying. And applying. And applying.
I must have applied for 150 jobs that month. Upwork gave me about 100 credits to start and periodically sent me more credits to reward me for being such a busy beaver. I probably purchased another 100 for $10 or something. All in all, I didn’t spend more than $20 that month, but I netted nearly $2,500 from the platform. The following month, my net from Upwork was over $10,000!
Never doubt your guru!
Types of Freelancers who Thrive on Upwork
Upwork claims you can hire people for “just about everything” through their site. According to an article they published in 2022, these are some of the top-paying freelance jobs:
· Copywriter
· Web designer
· Digital marketing consultant
· Social media manager
· Editor
· Web developer
· Media buyer
· Photographer
· Data analyst
· Business consultant
· Programmer
· Videographer
· Accountant
· Virtual assistant
· Public relations manager
Upwork is not for everyone.
Freelancers who do best on the platform are experienced, skilled, and professional. They have a strong portfolio of work and excellent communication skills. It is not a platform for beginners or those looking for quick and easy money. Successful freelancers on Upwork are serious about their work and have a solid work ethic.
Job Length
You can find short-, mid-, or long-term engagements on Upwork. My client engagements generally last about 2 weeks, but I often have repeat clients when they need a different career service or an update.
Types of Clients
The clients who use Upwork are typically small business owners, entrepreneurs, and startups. They are looking for high-quality services at affordable prices.
Tips to Get Up and Go
A strong profile goes a long way.
Upwork does an excellent job of guiding you through profile creation. Make sure to complete every part. Think of yourself in the shoes of the typical person who would hire you as you create your content. How can you speak to your target client’s concerns? What solution are you providing? What would be some red flags that perhaps you should proactively mitigate? What differentiates you?
Your profile includes a headline and a summary section. People will judge you on your headline alone, so list what you do and make it powerful.
Mine says, “Five-Star Resume / LinkedIn Writer & Job Interview Coach.” Although I had no reviews on Upwork when I began on the platform, I had 5-star reviews on LinkedIn and Google, so I wanted to capitalize on that. Additionally, I listed the specific tasks I was there to do.
Regarding your summary, use line breaks and emojis to guide people toward the key information they need to see to close the deal. Mine begins with a short testimonial from a grateful client. It then enthusiastically describes what inspires me about my work and how I deliver value. From there, I list my expertise and more testimonials.
What other people say about you is far more powerful to prospective clients than what you say about yourself.
Let me repeat: What other people say about you is far more powerful to prospective clients than what you say about yourself.
As you complete projects on Upwork, you’ll get ratings and reviews, but in the meantime, incorporate testimonials into your summary to show that you don’t just like yourself; other people like you, too!
Grab attention with a personalized, high-quality introduction.
Start your message to the client acknowledging that you read their request by reiterating their specific need. The rest can be boilerplate but personalize this one line, at least.
Utilize emojis (tactfully), bullets, and short paragraphs to answer the following questions:
1. Why you? What have you done that makes you an expert? What are your qualifications?
2. What, specifically, are you offering them?
3. What’s a typical process and timeline?
4. What information do you need from them?
5. What freebies do you offer? (Hint: at the very least, provide a free consultation.)
6. What do you charge? (There are different opinions on this; given the nature of my work, I like to include my pricing up-front to weed out people looking for a lower-cost provider.)
7. Call to action: Give the person some next step to move the sale forward. (Hint: that free consultation, but make them give you something in exchange if possible, like for me, I request their resume and LinkedIn URL — this invests them in the process!)
Free advice: The easiest way to catch a person’s attention is to use their name.
When someone reaches out to you for a proposal, they usually send a direct message with their name, so be sure to say, “Hi, (Name)!” at the beginning of your message. I know this seems obvious…but apparently, it needs to be said.
If you do a good job, people will come back for more.
Encourage people to leave reviews for you. If you’re new to Upwork, offering $20 off their next service if they leave you a review might be worth it. It’s unethical to tell them what kind of review to leave, but giving an incentive for any kind of review is ok. If your work is up to par, you have nothing to worry about; and, of course, don’t ask for reviews from people if things didn’t go well!
You won’t be a perfect fit for everyone.
Just understand that regardless of your best efforts, you can’t be the perfect freelancer for everyone. I would say for every 50 people I delight, there are another 3 or so that are “meh” on our engagement, and there’s one that hates me. I tend to dwell on these 4, even though it’s the 50 I should celebrate!
Despite doing my best for everyone, occasionally, a client and I just don’t click. Maybe they had different expectations. Maybe their car broke down. Maybe their spouse just left them. Maybe I made a mistake! For whatever reason, it just didn’t go well, and hey, that’s ok. There are plenty more chances for me to make a great client connection and truly feel like I helped someone.
Bonus: When you’re a high-producing, top-rated freelancer, you can expunge a crappy review quarterly (or at least that was the rule last time I checked; I’ve only had to use it once a year).
Here’s what the robot advises:
I asked my “new best friend,” ChatGPT, what advice it had for people who want to join Upwork, and here’s what it said:
1. Complete your profile: Your profile is your first impression on potential clients. It should be complete, professional, and highlight your skills and experience.
2. Take relevant skill tests: Upwork offers a wide range of skill tests that can help you showcase your expertise in your field.
3. Start with small projects: Starting with smaller projects will allow you to build your portfolio and gain positive feedback from clients.
4. Be responsive and communicative: Communication is key on Upwork. Respond to clients quickly and keep them updated on the progress of their projects.
5. Price yourself competitively: When starting on Upwork, it is essential to price yourself competitively. Once you have established yourself on the platform, you can increase your rates.
6. Request feedback: Feedback from clients is essential to building your reputation on Upwork. Request feedback from clients after completing projects and use it to improve your services.
7. Apply for relevant jobs: Be selective in the jobs you apply for. Only apply for jobs that are relevant to your skills and experience.
In conclusion, it is important to be patient and persistent when starting out on Upwork.
Success on the platform takes time and effort, but with the right approach, you can quickly gain traction and establish yourself as a successful freelancer. Focus on providing high-quality services, communicating effectively with clients, and building your reputation through positive feedback, and you’ll be a “Top Rated” freelancer in no time!
