Using Upwork To Get Clients (DONE)

Using Upwork To Get Clients (DONE)

Upwork is one of the first places I’d recommend starting when you want to get clients as a freelancer as this website is specifically built for that. Unlike the cold email outreach and the IG and Linkedin 1-on-1 DMing, the great thing about Upwork is, your target audience is actively searching to hire freelancers. Remember, it’s always easier to turn someone into a client when they are actively searching for services like you offer rather than simply reaching out to people just because they fit your target demographic and your service COULD help them. With Upwork, we have that in that these people are actively looking to hire someone for a particular service. This is also better than job boards like Indeed because people that are searching to hire on platforms like this are usually looking for freelancers rather than full-time people (unlike Indeed typically) which is perfect for you. 

So, this is a GREAT way to clients and build your freelance business. 

So, let’s get into how to be successful on this platform so that you can start getting clients. 

  1. Create a strong Upwork profile
    1. Choose a compelling business name: Select a name that reflects your services and is easy to remember such as Sam’sSEO if you’re creating a business as a freelancer. Alternatively, you can just use your name of course if you don’t want to create a business and just want to show up as an individual.
    2. Craft a compelling headline: Create a headline that grabs attention and clearly communicates what you offer. Highlight your unique value proposition and it’s even better if you can mention your expertise or that you’re results oriented.
      1. 15 Year Digital Marketing Professional *Google Certified*
      2. Digital Marketing Strategist (9+ Years of Experience)
      3. Top Rated Digital Marketer | Google Ads | Facebook/IG Ads
      4. Top 1 Percent Digital Marketer & Copywriter Ready to Convert
      5. Results-Oriented Social Media Marketing and Advertising
      6. Smm/Seo/Sales Funnel Digital Marketer
      7. Experienced Content Writer, Social Media Marketer and Project Manager
      8. Top Rated SEO Expert 
    3. Upload a professional photo: Make sure your image is clear and you look happy in it as people want to work with those that look happy as opposed to those that don’t look friendly. 
    4. Write a captivating overview: In the overview section, describe your services, showcase your expertise, experience, and any specialized skills.
      1. Start with a strong opening statement: Begin your overview with a captivating sentence that grabs the reader’s attention and clearly communicates your expertise and value proposition/key results/guarantees. 
      2. Demonstrate your commitment to client satisfaction: Express your dedication to client satisfaction and highlight any processes or policies you have in place to ensure excellent customer service.
      3. Next, highlight your specialization: Clearly state your area of specialization within the broader field. Whether it’s social media marketing, SEO, content writing, web development, etc. specify your expertise to attract clients looking for your specific skills. Typically, you’re going to have more success here if you show that you’re a specialist in something as opposed to a jack of all trades. For instance, if you are a digital marketer, instead of stating that you can help them with Social Media, Email Marketing and SEO Marketing, you might want to consider just going after 1 market. A lot of people on Upwork go there because they can find a specialist. So, by you stating all different areas of digital marketing, you might not come across as a specialist in any one of these areas which could hurt your chances of getting clients. So, this is something you should consider when deciding what to highlight as your specialization. 
      4. Showcase your experience: This is big. You want to highlight your years of experience (assuming you have experience) in the industry and highlight key accomplishments, RESULTS, or projects that demonstrate your expertise and success. Showcasing your track record instills confidence in potential clients as there’s a lot of bad freelancers on this website. So, make it easy for potential clients to see your work within the platform and also by adding a link to your website or portfolio somewhere in your profile.
      5. Emphasize your unique selling points: Identify what sets you apart from other freelancers and mention it in your overview. Whether it’s a unique approach on how you do competitor analysis, how long you’ve been working in this field, all the top companies you’ve worked with, a specific skill, or a specialized niche, communicate your unique value proposition.
      6. Focus on client benefits: Instead of merely listing your skills and qualifications, emphasize the benefits clients can expect from working with you. This is KEY. You don’t want your overview to be all about how great you are. Instead, you want to try to frame it as though you’re results driven and goal oriented and all the ways you’ll help your potential clients grow their business or get better results. Explain how you can help them achieve their goals, solve their problems, or improve their business.
      7. Next, provide a brief overview of your services: Outline with bullet points (so it’s easy to skim) the specific services you offer and briefly describe what each entails. Be concise but provide enough information to give clients an idea of what you can deliver.
      8. Highlight relevant degrees, certifications or qualifications: If you have any relevant certifications, degrees, or specialized training, mention them in your overview. This adds credibility and demonstrates your commitment to staying up-to-date in your field.
      9. Showcase your industry knowledge: Demonstrate your understanding of industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies. For instance, if you’re a social media manager, you can mention that you’re constantly adjusting your strategies to Instagram’s updates to ensure you’re always providing your clients with the best results. Clients appreciate freelancers who are well-informed and can provide valuable insights and recommendations.
      10. Mention your communication and collaboration skills: A lot of companies that hire freelancers on Upwork experience communication issues. Set yourself apart from the competition and mention how communication is super important to you and mention how often you’re on calls with clients or how you communicate once hired. Clearly state how you prefer to communicate with clients (e.g., email, video calls, project management tools). This helps clients understand how to reach you and what to expect in terms of communication.
      11. Incorporate client testimonials: You will have a review section that will show all of your past clients reviews of you. The more positive reviews you get, the easier it will be to get more clients as social proof is an incredibly important part in getting more clients on Upwork. There are many people, myself included, that won’t hire people that have under a certain amount of reviews as we see there is no reason to risk it by hiring an unknown person when we can go with someone that has a lot of reviews. So, make sure you do a good job for your clients on here as it’s super important for your future success on this platform. Aside from the reviews that your clients are giving you, if you have a few amazing reviews that you want to highlight because you got them amazing results or it was from a really prestigious company, you may consider putting that testimonial in your overview section to make sure it stands out so others can see. 
      12. Use a conversational tone: Write your overview in a conversational tone that reflects your personality. Avoid overly formal or generic language. You don’t want to be too wordy in getting your point across and make sure you spread out your sections so it’s not 1 big block of text. The easier it is to read and the more concise you make your overview, the easier it will be for potential clients to see how you can help them and how good of a communicator you are. 
      13. Keep it concise: While it’s essential to convey relevant information, avoid lengthy paragraphs. Break down your overview into easily scannable sections or bullet points to improve readability.
      14. Include relevant keywords: Incorporate keywords related to your niche or industry throughout your overview. This improves your profile’s visibility in search results when clients are looking for specific skills or services.
      15. Set competitive rates: Research the market and set competitive rates for your services. Consider factors such as your expertise, experience, and the value you deliver to clients. Do remember, that a lot of business owners don’t like hiring people that have very few reviews. So, it is a common practice for freelancers to start off your services on the low side in order to start getting reviews as this will help your credibility for future clients. What you could try to do as a way to get reviews quickly is take on shorter length projects so that you can be in and out with that client and stack up your reviews. Alternatively, you can also take on longer projects and then after a couple of months working with the client, you can ask them if you guys can take the contract off of Upwork so that neither of you need to pay Upwork any fees when it comes to payments. If your client agrees to do this, once you move off of Upwork with them, they’ll be able to leave you a review thus adding to your review count which will help you get future business. Additionally, if you go with the strategy of starting with a low price to get some initial reviews, at this time you can also see if you guys can adjust the price to keep the contract going now that they can see your work product. They may be able to do this, or they may not depending on your relationship with them and how good you’ve been/what they can afford. Just be mindful not to do this too soon or ask for too much of an increase as this can rub them the wrong way as you all agreed on a set price so you should honor that unless you agreed upfront that that would be the price for x amount of time and you are now beyond that time. 
      16. Update and refine regularly: As you gain new experiences or skills, update your overview to reflect the most up-to-date information. Regularly review and refine your overview to ensure it accurately represents your current expertise. If you see a profile that you love offering the same services as you, incorporate some of what you’re seeing in their profile to yours especially if you see they’re getting a lot of business (based on the $ earned). 
      17. Proofread for errors: Before publishing your overview, proofread it carefully to eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished and error-free overview conveys professionalism and attention to detail. When people see errors on your profile, this immediately indicates that this person isn’t careful and will likely make errors with your company too. 
      18. DON’T start from scratch in creating your profile!!! With marketing, including marketing yourself, don’t ever feel like you need to start from scratch in determining what to write. I can’t emphasize this point enough!!! Look at other profiles that offer the same services as you that appear to be doing really well on the platform and see what they have in their profile. This will give you a huge head start on what you should have in your profile for that specific service. This, combined with all that I just mentioned will help you craft a good and attractive profile rather than you just guessing what to write.
    5. Example of a good Upwork Overview section:
      1. As you can see from the below, there are all different types of ways that you can write these but you should make it your goal to try to incorporate as much of the above in your profile as possible and remember, you want to focus on results, how you will help them, and any social proof or credibility that you can highlight to help you stand out especially if you don’t have a lot of reviews yet. 

Example 1: 

Top-Rated Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads Expert

$75.00/hr

✔️ TOP-RATED ELITE PPC Expert on UpWork, specializing in Google Ads, Google Shopping, Youtube Ads, Facebook Ads, Linkedin Ads.

I’m a full-stack digital marketing expert with 12+ years of experience strategizing and managing successful PPC/multi-channel campaigns in various industries and niches: E-commerce, B2B, Hospitality, Healthcare, Financial, Education, Travel, and more.

►12,000+ Hours On Upwork for PPC, Lead Generation and E-commerce for B2B and B2C

►AdWords Certified

►TOP 5% AdWords Experts on Upwork

►Successfully Managed Millions $ in PPC Spend

►100% Success Rate, Only 5 Star Reviews

====================================================================

MY SPECIALTIES ADDRESS ALL STAGES OF YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING FUNNEL

====================================================================

⭐ Digital & Performance Strategy

Competitive Analysis & Digital Brand Positioning Recommendations

Audience Targeting Recommendations

Full-Funnel Mapping & Strategy

Content Strategy

Keywords Research

⭐ Social Media & PPC Campaign Setup & Management

Google AdWords

LinkedIn Ads

Facebook Ads

Instagram Ads

⭐ Optimization

Analytics Customization & Reporting

Conversion Rate Optimization & Tracking

A/B Testing

Keyword & Ad Optimization

CPA, CPC, ROI Optimization

Marketing Automation

====================================================================

I PROVIDE CUSTOM, TAILOR-MADE SOLUTIONS THAT GROW YOUR BUSINESS

====================================================================

My approach is to create custom-made strategies and solutions for individual needs and goals, with success being measured by the growth of your business.

Recent UpWork Reviews:

“Alex is one of those Upwork gems. I can’t recommend him highly enough. He’s a pleasure to work with, extremely responsive, and very knowledgeable about PPC. If you’re still looking for a PPC consultant, stop! Alex is your guy. Thanks, Alex!”

“Alex is a very talented internet marketing professional. He knows Google Adwords and Facebook/Instagram advertising exceptionally well and did an incredible job helping us set up and manage our campaigns. He is easy to work with, communicates well and is reliable. I would highly recommend him!”

========================================================================

CONTACT ME TODAY TO JUMPSTART OR IMPROVE YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING EFFORTS

Example 2: 

eCommerce Growth Partner – Paid Media & Creative Strategy

$95.00/hr

Founder of XXXXX, a paid media and creative strategy agency that grew 250% in 2021.

We were awarded three marketing awards in 2022:

– Marcom Platinum Award

– dotCOMM Gold Award

– Clutch.co #2 Marketing Agency in North Carolina

_____________________________________________________________________________

More About Me:

✓ 6+ years running Social Media Campaigns

✓ Passion for analyzing data and driving results

✓ Take priority in two things; understanding your business and your audience

✓ Reputation and performance are non-negotiable. I do not accept jobs unless I am confident about bringing results. Take a look at the reviews left on my profile to understand the experience my clients had.

_____________________________________________________________________________

If you are ready to make a transition in your business and want someone with 6+ years of experience, send me a brief message telling me about your business and what goals you have. Please include a link to your website, the URL for your business Facebook Page, and the account name on Instagram. If you do not have one or more of those, please let me know in the message.

After reviewing your message, I will reach out to discuss what service opportunities would best serve you. I look forward to talking with you soon!

Example 3: 

15+ Year Digital Marketing Professional *Google Certified*

$95.00/hr

I’m a hard working, seasoned Digital Marketing professional with deep social media and search engine marketing experience and proven ability to deliver exceptional results. I have over 15 years of experience planning, designing, and managing digital marketing campaigns with clients of all sizes, industries, and budgets. A few of my accomplishments include:


 


▪ Successfully managed 100+ client SEM & SMM campaigns, some with budgets over $600K/mo

▪ Implemented an organic SMM campaign from scratch that now has 2M+ monthly audience and 205K+ Facebook followers, all without any ad spend

▪ Planned and launched dozens of successful client Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest campaigns

▪ Google Certified in several categories (Search, Mobile, Video, Shopping, Analytics, and Mobile Sites)

I’m the person that other agencies and contractors rely on to create and execute on their client’s SEM and SMM accounts. Skip the middleman and let’s work together. I know how to leverage digital marketing to drive sales and grow brands. In 2008, I Cofounded and led a software company from startup to $31M+ in total revenue over nine years. I will use these same techniques to drive measurable results for you.

Example 4:

ROI Digital Marketing Growth Partner PPC|Google Ads|LinkedIn|Facebook

$95.00/hr

Results-driven digital marketing PPC expert w/12 years experience. I have generated 10s of millions of dollars in revenue growth for various clients (with proof).

Services offered;

-Google Ads (search, PMax, shopping, discovery, video) Certified Google Partner

-LinkedIn Ads (sponsored content, bots)

-Lead generation (Sales Navigator, Email scraping, outreach, etc.)

-Account-based marketing

-Cold outreach lead generation

-Facebook Ads

-Analytics

-Retargeting Strategies

-Conversion Rate Optimization

-Strategy

Additional background:

I’ve been an entrepreneur since a young age (15), so I understand ROI is the only language that really matters when it’s all said and done. As the business owner you worry about the ROI, and I’ll worry about the CPM, CPC, CTR, CPA, CPL, EPC, eCPM, CPS, Conversion Rate, ROAS, LTV, AOV, and all the other metrics that make up the digital ad formula.

I’ve developed an optimization and scaling framework, using data, experience, and creativity to build and launch high-performing campaigns.

Business growth through digital marketing is my passion. I look forward to helping you with your campaign. Send me a message to discuss your project needs.

Example 5:

Technical SEO Expert | SEO Audits | Google Certified

$150.00/hr

Is your website on the front page of Google? If not, message me!

Working with me, your website will skyrocket to the front page of Google within 3 months by using my potent, business growth approach to SEO combined with my rock-solid white-hat Google certified SEO process. The best part? I will give you proven solutions that facilitate strong business growth, boost traffic, gain more business leads, and generate sales. Does this sound interesting? Read on.

I’m xxxx, a technical SEO expert with a knack for everything SEO. I have helped hundreds of companies find SEO solutions that WORK!

How?

According to John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate “Improve it or remove it.”

The improvements consist of expertise and well-thought-out strategies in the following areas:

Strictly White Hat SEO

Google Core Web Vitals

Google Page Experience

Accurate Analytical Data

Digital Marketing

Social Media Marketing

Focus points:

Technical SEO

On-Page SEO

Content SEO

Off-Page SEO

Local SEO – Google My Business

eCommerce SEO

Schema

Today is the day I teach you how to create brilliant and lucrative content strategies that feature your keywords in a meaningful way that your customers connect with. I also compile your analytical data from multiple sources giving you simple solutions to implement that create a significant impact. I will evaluate all areas of your SEO from the nitty-gritty technical SEO to the soft branding & messaging of social media and offer solutions to things you’ve wondered about for years. And, that’s just getting started. We can create a comprehensive SEO strategy that transforms your search engine rankings together.

My most requested services:

SEO Audits & Implementation

Are you ready for comprehensive, impactful, SEO solutions that will level up your business and leave competitors in the dust? Let’s do this! I will deploy my unique toolset to make SEO work harder for you by rigorously investigating all components of your business’s SEO presence and delivering a bespoke report containing powerful white hat solutions that will transform your business in a short time. When we employ the recommendations in your custom report, you will love the BIG boost in SEO rankings as you elevate organically, enjoy more engagement on social media, and relish fresh new leads that transform into long-term sales.

By now you have heard of many programs used to compile data about your SEO. You also know quite a bit about Google rankings and understand the goal: create SEO that Google devours and in turn lays eggs of gold. You’re in good hands, and here’s why:

Data Compilation & Analytical Reporting – SEO audit resources I am proficient in:

Screaming Frog

Google Search Console

Google Rich Results Tester

Google PageSpeed Tools

Google Lighthouse

Google Analytics 4

Bing Webmaster Tools

Schema Validator

YoastPro

SEMRush

MOZ

AHrefs

SpyFu

HotJar

CrazyEgg

Survicate

Google Trends

BuzzSumo

I am Google certified in:

Google Analytics & GA4

Google Tag Manager

Google Analytics for Power Users

Technical SEO Education & Certifications:

UC Davis SEO Specialization

HubSpot: Data-Driven Design

Competitive SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, to teach you how to define or tweak your competitive marketing strategy to keep you poised in your WINNING streak.

As with any business, you have competitors and need to know what EXACTLY they’re up to. I will identify your competitors while assessing their strengths and weaknesses, evaluate and report on what tactics they’re using in their effective SEO growth strategies, social media presence, content strategies, etc. and deliver solutions that keep you on top of your game.

Keyword Research with Google Trends & BuzzSumo

If you have ever used Google to find something and found it immediately, you are utilizing the benefits of someone’s diligent work on keyword research. Keyword research helps you understand, implement, and reap the benefits of what your future customers are looking for while spotlighting your company as the solution. Working together and learning what words are important to your business, I will create a comprehensive keyword research report niched down for your business and vertical. This report will contain recommendations and actions that will enhance lead generation and your overall SEO strategy.

SEO Consultation, Training & Support

My broad spectrum of SEO work with small to large (Fortune 50) companies enables me to offer many different levels of SEO support services. I am happy to train your team, meet one on one, simply answer questions or hammer out and implement a complex strategy together.

Are you ready to rock this? Invite me to your job to start a conversation!

  1. Applying for jobs on Upwork
    1. Okay, so your profile is now set up. If you’re lucky, some people might reach out to you asking to hire you without you having to do much on the platform. However, this usually primarily only happens to those that have been on the platform awhile and have amazing reviews and a high $ amount earned on the platform. If you’re just getting started on the platform, it will be very unlikely that people will magically start reaching out to you. Regardless of if you’ve been on the platform for a while or not, if you want to get clients, you should browse the job postings and apply to job openings. 
    2. If you find this too tedious, you can always hire a Virtual Assistant on Upwork to do this for you. However, you just want to make sure that if you’re doing it or if you hire someone to do it, that they are able to provide a quick little cover letter as to why they’d be a great fit for the role as your short little message detailing this or answering the questions the job poster put in their job post is important to us business owners so you’ll want to make sure that you are able to answer their questions effectively as this is your first opportunity to show off your knowledge and how you’ll be able to help. I recommend that with each response you give, save in a document the question and the answer as a lot of business owners will ask the same questions and you don’t want to have to keep rewriting the same answers if possible. Instead, you will be able to just copy and paste some of these answers to help make you more efficient with your time. 
    3. Read the job description thoroughly: Take the time to understand the client’s requirements, project scope, and preferred qualifications. Tailor your outreach to address their specific needs and focus your response on not why you are great, but on how you’re going to help their company grow.
    4. Personalize your proposal: Avoid sending generic proposals as us business owners quickly breeze past these as this shows right off the bat that you don’t really care about this project. Reference the client’s job description, mention specific project details, and explain how your skills and experience align with their requirements and how you’ll help their company achieve good results. 
    5. Start with a strong introduction: Grab the client’s attention with a compelling introduction that quickly highlights your expertise, expresses your enthusiasm for the project, and makes clear how you’re going to help them achieve what they are hoping to get out of a hire. 
    6. Next, showcase your relevant experience: If possible, you want to show that you’ll be able to succeed in this role because you’ve had a lot of success doing this exact same thing for a long time and/or have helped a very similar company successfully complete a project just like this so you know you’ll be able to do it for them as well. Highlight past projects or experiences that directly relate to the job requirements. Provide specific examples of how you have tackled similar challenges successfully. Demonstrate your ability to deliver results.
    7. Next, explain your approach: Briefly outline your proposed approach to the project on how you’ll execute it successfully. Show the client that you have a clear plan in mind and that you understand their objectives. By showing a plan on how you’ll handle this project, this lets us see if you know what you’re talking about our not. 
    8. Offer a timeline: If possible, provide an estimated timeline on how long you think this project will take to complete if they don’t state this in their job posting. A lot of companies will post jobs and see people’s hourly rates but not know how long the job will actually take and therefore, not know how much the total bill will come out to. So, companies appreciate this and this demonstrates your organizational skills and helps set realistic expectations for the client.
    9. Emphasize your unique value proposition: Clearly communicate what sets you apart from other freelancers. Highlight any previous results on similar projects, guarantees, years of experience doing this, specialized skills, or achievements/awards that make you the ideal candidate for the job. Show why the client should choose you.
    10. Address potential concerns: Anticipate any concerns the client might have and address them in your proposal. Reassure the client that you have the necessary skills and experience to overcome potential obstacles. These potential concerns will often come for those with 0 or very little reviews on the platform. So, you can offer to explain that you are new to the platform but you have been doing this for companies for years if this is true and offer to show them your portfolio so they can see your work product. 
    11. Provide pricing details: If the job posting does not include a fixed budget, propose your pricing structure or hourly rate. It can be really annoying when people don’t do this as companies need to have an idea of how much someone is going to cost them so set yourself apart here and show you’re going to be easy to work with by stating this upfront if you can. If you feel you need to, justify your pricing by explaining the value and expertise you bring to the project. Be competitive but fair.
    12. Offer a sample or portfolio link: If applicable, provide a link to relevant samples of your work or your portfolio on similar projects. These go a LONG WAY for business owners trying to make a decision. This allows the client to assess the quality of your work and make an informed decision. Visual evidence can really strengthen your proposal.
    13. Ask thoughtful questions: Demonstrate your understanding of the project by potentially ending it with an intelligent question(s) that shows you really understand what they are looking for in this project and your commitment to delivering the best results. 
    14. Keep your proposal concise: Be concise and to the point. Avoid excessive jargon or unnecessary details that may overwhelm the client. Aim for a clear and easily digestible proposal that communicates your key points effectively. 
    15. Proofread your proposal: Before submitting your proposal, proofread it carefully to ensure there aren’t any spelling or grammatical errors. A well-written and error-free proposal demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail. If you have errors here, potential clients are going to become worried that you aren’t careful and you’ll make errors on the project too. 
    16. Follow the client’s instructions: If the client has provided specific instructions for proposal submission, ensure that you follow them precisely. Failure to comply with instructions may result in your proposal being overlooked.
    17. Submit your proposal early: Try to submit your proposal as soon as possible after the job is posted. Early submissions often receive more attention as clients may start reviewing proposals before the application period ends.
    18. Be responsive: If the client responds to your proposal or requests further information, try to respond asap. Demonstrate your professionalism and commitment to open communication.
    19. Follow up if necessary: If you haven’t heard back from the client within a reasonable timeframe (typically 2-3 days), consider sending a polite follow-up message to inquire about the status of your application. Avoid being pushy or impatient.
    20. Keep a positive mindset: Rejection is part of the process. If you don’t get selected for a particular job, don’t get discouraged. Learn from each experience and continue improving your proposals and skills as this is a bit of a numbers game. 
    21. Learn from successful proposals: Analyze your successful proposals on Upwork to get insights into what works. Look for patterns, formatting styles, and language that resonates with clients. Adapt and refine your approach based on those insights.

There you have it. That’s what you want to do to set up your Upwork profile and with your application process so you can start getting clients as a freelancer. As far as 1-on-1 outreach is concerned, this is a much more effective process than DMing people on IG/Linkedin and than cold email outreach campaigns because these people are actively searching to hire for these services so this is a great time to get in front of them as it’s always easier to convert someone into a client when they are actively searching to hire someone for a type of service you offer as opposed to just getting in front of people that your service COULD help but that aren’t actively looking for this help.

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