Upwork is now the largest and most well-known freelancing platform in the world. People are flocking to the site to kickstart their work-from-anywhere lifestyle. As a result, Upwork became so congested that you had to fight against tens or even hundreds of freelancers for a single job ad. Thus, learning how to write an effective cover letter for Upwork has become an essential skill.
While many seasoned freelancers stay away from platforms like Upwork, I love finding clients there. It is because of the platform’s payment protection program. Upwork guarantees it will pay freelancers for every hour they spend working on a project. You can also find legit freelance work on this platform, and it presents many opportunities for every freelancer.
Because I know exactly how stressful it is to chase clients who don’t settle their invoices on time, I prefer to keep some clients on Upwork and work for others directly. I want a consistent flow of $$$ to project my monthly profit and set my annual revenue goals.
Right now, I can say that it’s ten times harder to get high-paying clients from Upwork compared to when there weren’t so many freelancers on the platform yet. If you have to compete with freelancers who can lower their rate by 30 to 50%, then you have to think about how you can set yourself apart and consistently secure new contracts.
Here are some tips for crafting a Winning Cover Letter For Upwork:
Don’t Use Templates
By templates, I mean a cover letter that you copy and paste when applying for jobs. Using templates is the best way to get your proposals ignored. If you want an effective cover letter for Upwork, make it more personal. You can have a main template, but you need to tweak it based on the needs and questions clients post on their job ads. For example, if I use this main template:
Hello James,
My name is Angeline, and I’m an SEO expert. Since you’re looking for a qualified individual to help make your website visible to your target audience, I thought I’d reach out to you to see whether we’re a good fit.
New websites are always a bit challenging to handle because we’re basically starting from scratch. This is the main reason why you need to find someone who’s experienced rather and not just an SEO specialist who’d just follow your lead and do what you asked them to do.
You require a real strategist, and I am confident I’m exactly the person you need.
When is the best time for us to speak? I’d be available to start the project anytime.
Cheers,
Angel
I’ll make sure to tweak this every time I apply for jobs. Templates make clients feel you’re lazy and don’t have what it takes to solve their problems.
Keep Your Proposals Short and Juicy
By juicy, I mean that your proposals should highlight what clients can get when they hire you. You have to communicate the value that you offer clearly. It’s not about how long and how detailed your proposal is (unless there are quite a few questions the client wants you to answer).
Nowadays, when CEOs and recruiters are wearing multiple hats for their organization, the best thing you can do is help them maximize their time. Not everyone has the time to read your long proposals. Also, avoid significant blocks of text and avoid sounding desperate.
Here’s an example of a job ad and how I constructed my proposal that led to an active contract:
Hello John,
I’m Angel Licerio, and I’m an SEO expert. For the past 5 years, I have been building whitehat links that drive traffic and boost websites’ ranking. I use different backlinking strategies and I utilize tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and BuzzStream.
I’m excited to know more about this project and I’m eager to know what your goals are and how I can help you achieve those.
Let me know when we can speak.
Cheers,
Angel
Put Your Best Foot Forward
The first one or two sentences of your cover letter for Upwork matter the most. You have to be witty and personal. You must address the client by his or her first name. Using their names in your proposal will let the client feel important because you exerted effort and crafted your proposal to address them and their specific needs.
The feedback section lets you quickly find details about the client’s name or company. Most freelancers leave feedback indicating the name of the client or their organization.
Provide Value
The feedback section lets you quickly find details about the client’s name or company. Most freelancers leave feedback indicating the name of the client or their organization.
Another way to provide value is to talk about what your past clients say about you and your work. Include the positive reviews you’ve had in your cover letter for Upwork. Mention your excellent feedback and the results you have generated for other clients.
Here’s another example of a job post and the proposal I have submitted:
Sample article I can pitch for a guest post on your behalf: Top 7 App Design Techniques for Developers
Hello Joe,
The document you sent is interesting.
While I really don’t go for timing the SEO tasks as specifically as you did in the document, I still think this gave you an idea about how much you’ll spend and what results you can expect.
For one, I was able to get a maximum of 8 guest posts in December for one client, but that took me 70 hours of prospecting, pitching, and editing of posts that will be submitted. It was a season when bloggers accept most guest post placements because they will be on a vacation, and on normal months, my target is 4-5 links on a 60-hour threshold. I have attached a case study for you to look at.
I don’t do blog comments and resource link building anymore, not that they don’t matter, but they can be done once guest post links have already generated great results. Also, you wouldn’t want to spend too much time on these strategies once you see the impact that whitehat link building can have on your rankings and traffic.
I have lots of clients now, but if we agree on a price and how many hours you can allocate for this project per month, I can definitely work with you. 🙂
Thank you,
Angel
Be Professional
Always double-check your cover letter for Upwork to ensure no errors. Make sure to construct your sentences in a way that is not pushy or rude. Some clients may appreciate humor or memes, but you cannot just put inappropriate jokes in your proposals, thinking it will make you stand out.
Your closing line should also be well-thought-out. It should reflect your confidence in securing the contract or an avenue to express your politeness and appreciation of your clients’ time. You can thank the client for reading your application or communicating your availability if he sends a job offer immediately.
It is challenging to find the best clients on Upwork because tens or even hundreds of other freelancers want to get clients’ attention. By keeping these tips in mind, you can craft a winning cover letter for Upwork and proposals that will help kickstart your freelancing career.
If you’re a newbie in freelancing, Upwork or Hubstaff are not the only freelancing sites out there. Some sites cater to freelancers who possess specific skills. It’s just a matter of trying some platforms and finding the right one according to your skills and needs. For more chances of success, you can also read our guide to creating an outstanding freelance portfolio so you are guaranteed to get more clients.
Happy Freelancing!
Angeline Licerio
Angeline Licerio is the blogger behind Dollarmize.com. After working online as a writer and SEO strategist, she decided to start this blog to give advise to people who would like to earn money online. She is also the founder of SEO Tutorials for FREE, a Facebook community that helps aspiring freelancers and SEO specialists to kickstart their work from home journey.
