The other day, I saw a Facebook ad that caught my attention. It was about making money as a freelancer and the ad recommended that all freelancers get off Upwork immediately.

While that sentence may be eye-catching, I hate to think how many opportunities I would’ve missed out on had I taken that kind of advice.

And believe me, it’s advice I’ve heard repeated many times over the years. I once hired a freelance coach who told me I would never be taken seriously if I used Upwork. (Note: I no longer work with that individual.)

I have literally lost count of the number times I’ve heard that Upwork is full of bottom-feeding clients who only pay 1 cent per word.

Fortunately, the tide seems to be turning on that narrative. I’ve seen many well-paid freelancers talk about how they’ve made multiple six-figures using Upwork.

And in my opinion, making money on Upwork isn’t some sort of anomaly. You just need to know the right steps for getting started.

My experience with Upwork

I first learned about Upwork from a girl I met in a Facebook group. The platform immediately made sense to me and somehow, I just knew that if I kept sending proposals, eventually someone would have to hire me.

I literally made it my job to find a job, and it paid off -- I found my first job within days of those initial proposals.

I thought it would take a long time to earn any real money on the platform, but success didn’t take as long as I imagined.

Here is the Cliff’s notes version of my freelancing experience:

First month: $500
Second month: $1,800
Four months in: Consistent $3,000 months
Four years later: Between $10,000-$12,000 per month

Of course, I now find clients in a variety of ways but I still use Upwork on a consistent basis. And I’m passionate about teaching new freelancers about Upwork because I really believe it’s one of the easiest ways to get started.

5 steps to getting started on Upwork

I believe that making good money on Upwork is 100% possible for you as well.

I don’t know if using Upwork is the right strategy for you, but I know it can work if you want it to.

So if you’re tired of the negative Upwork story and want to make the platform work for you, then keep reading.

Here are five steps to getting started on Upwork:

1. Send new proposals every day

If you want to find great clients on Upwork then you need to send a LOT of proposals. I know this point sounds obvious, but it’s something that so many freelancers seem to miss.

Sending proposals and actively looking for clients is the only guaranteed way to find freelance writing work. Setting up an LLC, posting on social media, and writing the about page for your website is not going to lead to more freelance writing work.

If you want to make money as a freelancer, you have to reach out to potential clients and ask them to hire you.

I recommend sending a MINIMUM of three proposals a day, six days a week. If you can do more then I certainly recommend that, but three proposals a day is the absolute minimum I want you to commit to.

Do this every single week no matter what and I guarantee that you will find a client. And please don’t overthink this step -- just use a proposal template and start sending them immediately.

2. Create a strong Upwork profile

Okay, if you want to find great clients on Upwork then you’re going to need a strong profile. However, I want you to take note of the fact that I listed this point as SECONDARY to sending proposals.

Even if your current Upwork profile is terrible, I want you to send proposals anyway. You can always work on your profile as you go, but your goal should be to find clients now.

The most important part of your profile is your overview. Don’t skimp on this section -- make sure you articulate your value and what you have to offer.

Include all of your relevant job history and education experience -- even if it’s limited. Upload some writing samples to your portfolio -- if you don’t have any, you can make your own.

But most importantly, I want you to remember that a strong Upwork profile is created over time. But you can start sending proposals today!

3. Start small and work your way up

All right, this next point is controversial but bear with me.

If you are just getting started on Upwork, then the biggest thing working against you is that you don’t have any work history. That’s why I think it’s okay to take on one or two lower-paying jobs to get a really great rating and testimonial.

Once you get your foot in the door and find your first few clients, you can incrementally raise your rates over time -- that’s what I did!

Here are some tips for finding those first few jobs:

Look for jobs that say “new writers welcome.”

Look for jobs that are relatively easy like product reviews or shorter articles -- please don’t write a 3,000 word article for $5! You will burn yourself out.

Watch out for clients that just want to take advantage of you -- you’re not looking for scam artists, you want good clients with low budgets.

Over-deliver on those early jobs -- really make them awesome so you’ll get a great review.

Once you’ve landed some great testimonials, immediately raise your rates. I’m not suggesting you do low-paying work forever -- you’re just trying to get your foot in the door and establish yourself as a quality freelancer.

4. Don’t stress out over unanswered proposals

I often have new freelancers email me and tell me that they think they’re doing something wrong because no one is answering their proposals. This is completely normal -- most of your proposals will go unanswered.

I’ve been freelancing for four years and many of my Upwork proposals still go unanswered to this day. That’s why you constantly have to be on the lookout for new work -- so you can find that one person who is interested.

I’ve noticed there is almost always a pattern I go through when I start actively looking for new work. I start sending my three proposals a day, and nothing really happens at first.

I don’t get any responses or job offers, and some of my proposals will even be turned down. Then after about two to three weeks, it’s like the floodgates open up and people start responding to me and inevitably, I find a new client.

So don’t make the mistake of getting frustrated and giving up too soon! Success as a freelancer requires consistency and patience.

5. Start taking action today

The other day, I saw a post in a Facebook group where someone said they were waiting until 2021 to start their freelancing business.

That person thought it would be easier for tax purposes if they wait until the new year.

My best advice for you is not to wait -- start looking for freelance work immediately.

In fact, as soon as you’re done reading this blog post I want you to go set up your Upwork profile.

If it’s already set up and approved, great! Go send three proposals immediately.

Just find three jobs and go apply for them -- don’t analyze whether they are the perfect fit or not. Commit to doing this for the next 30 days and then email me and let me know how much money you earned.

Because if you take that kind of action, I promise you it’s not going to be zero.

Bottom line on making money with Upwork

I don’t talk about Upwork because I think every freelancer should use it. I talk about it because I want you to know that if you want to use it, it can work for you.

If you want to learn more about how to make money with Upwork, be sure to sign up for my free Upwork webinar. This webinar will teach you the exact steps I took to earn over $100,000 on Upwork:

Learn more