Course: How to Make $100,000+ on Upwork
Aaand it’s here! My newest course on all the nuances and hacks I’ve learned for how to win at Upwork is now live on Udemy!
I have a lot of free resources I’ve put on this blog over the years, such as How I Made my First $10k on Upwork. I wanted to put together a course because I’ve learned a lot since then. While Upwork is no longer my main source of revenue (I get most of my clients through organic SEO straight to this website these days) I credit the platform for launching my freelance writing career and helping me gain confidence in my freelancing skills.
What’s exciting is that the trends in remote work has made freelancing more viable than ever, and I’m writing this from Rome, Italy where I’m going to tour the Vatican before I do my freelance meetings for the day. (Cushy, I know.) You don’t have to make a ton of money to be a digital nomad (especially in countries where the exchange rate is in favor of USD) and freelancing is more accessible than ever. If you’re brand new to freelancing, I always recommend starting with Upwork.
How to Make $100,000+ on Upwork
I’ll break down a few of the concepts in my course here on my blog to share more about what I’ve learned over the years.
First, having a strong Internet presence is key to “branding” yourself as an expert in your niche. I think branding can be a turn-off as a concept, so instead I try to liken branding to “what kind of things do you love to write and how can you signal that so the people who are looking for you can find you?” Not as concise as “develop your personal brand,” but you get the picture.
Secondly, knowing the basics of optimizing your profile can help you with Upwork’s algorithm and win more invitations to interview as people find you in search. Just as I found it super beneficial to optimize the SEO of my website to get more leads, I’ve found it helpful to take a similar approach to ensure I was tagging my profile and specialized profiles with the right keywords to get found by my ideal clients.
Lastly, creating a seamless workflow filled with automation tools like Calendly scheduling or Typeform surveys can make you stand out as a true professional. These things are critical as you grow your business and need to juggle more projects.
Upwork Hacks You Don’t Know About
There are so many, honestly, but I’ll mention a few of my favorites here.
One of the key ones I didn’t know about for awhile was how awesome Upwork’s payment protection is — but only if you use it right. Basically an hour worked = an hour paid, guaranteed. But you need to make sure you’re actually sharing your screen and using the Upwork desktop app to track time. They also cover milestones — which is why you should only have one single milestone instead of multiple, as if the money is put into escrow your client can’t scam you or back out of promised milestones. I elaborate more about this in my course as well!
Using specialized profiles is a great way to zero in on hyper-specific niches while still providing more general writing services. If a client is looking for a hyper-specific skill, they’ll often go with a writer whose profile heading perfectly fits their job. For example, if they’re hiring someone for homepage copy optimized for conversions, they’ll go with someone who’s heading is “Copywriter for High-Converting Web Copy” rather than “Creative Copywriter.” With specialized profiles, though, you can create multiple profile skews which is an awesome advantage. Start exploring those niches!
My Experience on Upwork as Freelance Writer
Overall, I’ve really enjoyed my experiences writing on Upwork. I’ve done everything from writing immersive theater shows to short films to online courses. I love meeting new people and helping them reach their goals, so it fits into what I love to do in normal life.
As an introvert, I also love being able to work from anywhere and not be in an office around people all day. Freelancing allows me to be my best with my clients, and work quietly on my own to create things they’ll love.
There are bad apples and difficult clients I’ve had in the past, but it’s part of the process. There are hard things across the board, and what’s important is that you choose the hard that is the most meaningful to you.
Living a Fulfilling, Full-Time Writer’s Life
You can apply all of the tips and tricks in the world but it won’t matter if you’re not fulfilled by the work you’re doing. When I found memoir ghostwriting, my brain was just so happy. I was able to get into a flow state with the work in a way that made it so enjoyable and fun, and I love helping my clients tell their stories.
Whether you’re in the early stages of your freelance writing career or crushin’ it on a daily basis, optimizing for happiness is never a missed opportunity.
Check out my freelancing 101 guide for more tips and tricks!
