How to make Big Money on Upwork
written by a Top-Rated Freelancer — Part 2 of 3
In Part 1, I told you two things to do if you want to make Big ol’ Money on the Upwork platform.
1. Rewrite your proposal cover letter and Upwork profile.
Right now, they’re just not good.
2. Apply to lots and lots of jobs.
And distinguish real job postings from scams, please.
After I did those two things, I landed three important jobs.
- Making final edits to conversion content for a digital course’s landing page: $300
- Curriculum development for a business course: $1800
- Writing a 2000-word article with an ASAP deadline: $750
These three jobs taught me quite a bit more about making money on Upwork.
3. Loudly promote yourself and your talents.
If you’re on Upwork to make real money, don’t be afraid to position yourself as the most excellent and experienced version of you. I’m not telling you to lie. But I am saying that, technically, I’ve been a writer for 26 years, because I learned how to write when I was 4.
You’re competing with people who think like this, I promise. People who not only think like this, but will put “26 years of writing experience” on a resume or Upwork profile and keep right on moving. That’s your competition.
Don’t feel guilty about loudly and proudly promoting yourself and your real, genuine talents. No one will take notice of you if you don’t demand some attention.
4. Apply to jobs with large proposed budgets or those requesting “expert” talent.
While we’re on the topic of self-worth, you’re gonna need a whole bunch of it when applying to jobs on Upwork. Why? Because you’ll want to target the most, uh, exclusive job postings if, in fact, you’re in it for the Big Buck$.
For instance, apply to job postings that…
- have large proposed budgets
- request “expert” talent — not entry-level
- express interest in a long-term working relationship
- detail specifics of the work required ($300 for a 1000-word blog post is a lot different than $300 for a 5000-word research paper)
- are well-written
Apply to jobs that are seeking out quality.
Of course, you must then be prepared to provide quality content/services.
In fact, for your first few jobs, work harder than you normally would. You’ll want to nail them and make your clients really happy in order to earn great written reviews and 5-star feedback. That’s the only way you’ll see your Job Success Score (JSS) grow.
If you want your JSS to grow faster and higher (which you do), you’ll want to secure some larger (i.e., better-paying) projects. The best way to do so?
5. Inflate your rates.
My hourly rate on Upwork is more than what I make at my full-time job.
How is that possible? Or is it possible that I’m earning what I’m truly worth on Upwork and being short-changed at my full-time job?
Honestly, it’s probably a bit of both.
But — for whatever reason — on Upwork, I’ve had a much better response from clients when I go high than when I go low.
I think this is because Upwork is saturated with freelancers willing to do almost anything for $5, so when you come at clients with a $500 price tag, their gut reaction is: Damn, she must really know what she’s doing.
This is in stark contrast with what I assumed they would think, but you know what they say — the client is never wrong.
At this point, you should be ready to reel in the clients.
