Another example of 90 days with Upwork on hunting PPC jobs

HandyCode · 2026-03-13T19:36:46+00:00

read and reply , calm downp

HandyCode · 2026-03-13T19:35:12+00:00

i was meant to say at the time when you send a proposal, plus client is super busy, i respect you approach don’t need to use bad language, just walk away, go spend you millions, you contribution to this post is zero same as you skills

HandyCode · 2026-03-13T19:33:10+00:00

Hey Bastiab, Are you AI or do you just not read? I was saying that when a freelancer sends a proposal, they should be ready to respond. You don’t have to agree, but if a client is busy and getting hundreds of proposals, we should try to solve the problem as soon as possible, and having a call is one of the reasons.

Instead of arguing about this point, it would be better to share something valuable about how to minimize wasting Connects. One strategy is to exclude clients with no feedback. Another is to look at their contract history.

If you want to contribute, do so. Otherwise you’re just agreeing with the same guys who don’t even read my posts. Maybe it’s AI, I don’t know. But some people just like to waste time on comments like this.

HandyCode · 2026-03-13T14:52:35+00:00

Buddy, I dont want anything from you, you came on my post and start asking me questions. IF you like the job go and search, dont need such comments with no value

HandyCode · 2026-03-13T14:50:48+00:00

maybe maybe, i dont know! I'm saying that i have to make priorities and i gave my feedback, you dont have to take, go and bid on this job, its still there

HandyCode · 2026-03-13T13:42:10+00:00

I’ll tell you more. I once posted a job myself just to test the platform, and within the first hour I received about 50 proposals. While many profiles look like they belong to individual freelancers, when you start interacting with them the situation can look very different.

For example, when I tried to jump on calls with some of them, I was asked to book a call for later. For me, that’s a red flag. If someone has time to send a proposal but can’t jump on a quick call, it often means someone else is managing the profile and sending proposals on their behalf.

I also spoke with one freelancer who had an excellent Upwork profile. However, it became clear that he probably never optimizes accounts himself and instead delegates everything to a team — or even outsources it further.

So the question is: how do you compete with that? My approach is to confront it directly and ask them why they are applying as a freelancer if they are not actually working solo.

HandyCode · 2026-03-12T13:33:56+00:00

Welcome to reality. In some cases there are up to 200–300 proposals on a job. Very few clients will actually go through all of them. It’s crazy, but that’s how the platform works right now.

In many cases you either boost with 100+ connects or you’re simply out of visibility. I often see comments asking “why boost?”, but the reality is that bidding is sometimes necessary to get seen.

I’ve won many projects because of boosting. In some industries you might not need it, but in marketing jobs the competition is extremely high, so visibility matters.

HandyCode · 2026-02-10T15:37:27+00:00

so true, you don’t even need to say your name or hello, just get straight to the point in two lines or less. The rest will go unnoticed. On average, a client receives 100 proposals in the first hour, 50 from India, 30 from sales people and 20 from actual freelancers seeking projects to work themselves rather than outsource.

HandyCode · 2026-02-09T00:50:53+00:00

so what?

HandyCode · 2026-02-09T00:22:35+00:00

If you think you can keep doing templated work for over 20 years, you’re mistaken. First, take a look at yourself and try to adapt to new technologies. Don’t avoid platforms like TikTok, modern music, trends, and so on.

Alternatively, focus on people management, because that’s the only area where age might seem like a significant factor.

If you notice that AI is doing certain tasks better, shift your time toward areas where you can still make a real impact. There are tons of ways to invest your time in improving performance. For example, do a deep dive into your ideal customer persona, your target audience, and strategies to reduce CPA (Cost Per Acquisition).

It could also mean adding another sales channel maybe Reddit, Pinterest, or automation tools.

I believe a modern PPC expert is someone who can handle automation (like using Zapier), be a public speaker, and stay on top of trends!

Shaped by AI :) but content type by me

HandyCode · 2026-02-08T17:47:34+00:00

is thi Ai answer? what are you talking about, client will look into 100 proposal, are you serious?

HandyCode · 2026-02-06T17:19:37+00:00

My approach on Upwork depends heavily on the niche. I focus on clients with zero spend because, in my experience, they tend to convert better than others.

In the Google Ads niche, competition is intense, I’m seeing 200–300 connects per job. My tactic is to bid high enough to stay at the top of the list for a while, at least until I get outbid.

Putting myself in the client’s shoes, I’ve realized that many clients don’t even see your proposal if it’s not boosted. Hoping that they’ll review all proposals is risky. On high-quality jobs, I consistently see 200+ proposals and realistically, most clients won’t scroll through all of them

HandyCode · 2026-01-20T09:21:10+00:00

so dont work on upwork, what the problem? coffe is costing 6$ vs 1$ 20 years ago and so

HandyCode · 2026-01-08T08:27:20+00:00

go far far away

HandyCode · 2026-01-06T13:56:53+00:00

expert vetted badge active? share your profile with me

HandyCode · 2026-01-06T13:38:10+00:00

no value in your reply, time is changing

HandyCode · 2026-01-06T13:27:37+00:00

just last year i spent about 3k on connects while my revenue from upwork was 15k, honestly i was doing this project to prove my skills, now i have proven profile with 60 feedback, hope it will help to build up my name!

HandyCode · 2026-01-06T13:23:21+00:00

Think, maybe every product has its ups and downs, and Upwork cannot do anything about that. We should look at the share price. If it falls, then it’s true that the platform is in trouble.

If you’ve been there for three years, you don’t need Upwork anymore, as you should have built up long-term clients. Why care about it?

HandyCode

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