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How to Leverage Upwork's New 'Project Catalog' Feature To Land More Freelance Clients
Discover how you can build an Upwork project catalog to to land high-paying clients...
Upwork recently launched a brand new feature called
Project Catalog™.
As a freelancer, this is an additional way for clients to find you and for you to sell more projects without having to go and send proposals out.
What is the purpose of Project Catalog™?
Photo from Upwork
The new Upwork project catalog feature has been launched and is now LIVE to the public for all freelancers to leverage. Upwork describes it as "where the work you love finds you".
If you have a well-optimized profile then you already know how Upwork is great for getting people to come to you. But if you're just starting or you don't have that much experience Upwork project catalog can be a very powerful feature to increase the amount of potential clients in your pipeline. Keep reading to discover how you can build a project on Upwork that helps you attract and land more freelance deals!
Upwork stated:
- “With Project Catalog” you can create a powerful new revenue stream, based on the work you love the most."
Their purpose with this project is to
“help you make the most of your time so you can do more of the work you love.”
This is a great way for a lot of people to land more high-paying clients and better utilize the platform.
How To Access the Project Catalog™
Once you're on your Upwork dashboard, go to the 'Find Work' tab and go click 'My Project Dashboard' from the drop-down menu. This is where you can see how the project catalog works and start to build out your first project that you will submit for approval.
Upwork also answers some of the
most frequently asked questions here
that go into further detail about what the Project Catalog is and how the process works.
How Can I leverage Project Catalog™?
If you're starting from scratch, then you’re going to click the 'create a project' button.
Then, this is where you will put in the title of your project. A good title is one that accurately describes the benefits of what the client's going to get if they work with you.
The next step is to select the best project category that makes the most sense for the freelance services you'd like to provide. It's crucial to chose the most relevant project category because that's how Upwork is going to find new clients for you and it's a large part of the algorithm.
On the next page is where you break down the different package tiers you offer. If you only have a single pricing tier you can deselect this option, however, for most freelancers it makes sense to create multiple tiers.
For example, I formatted my pricing tiers like this:
Keep in mind that this section will vary depending on which project category you chose and what skill you provide, so you will want to base your tiers off every service you offer. To have the most success here I suggest structuring your tiers so they funnel into each other.
For example, my tiers begin with a Google Ads Audit, the second tier moves up to an Audit and My Optimization Recommendations, and my highest tier includes a full month of Ad Management.
As you can see, this is designed to funnel people into the most profitable service package that is my ultimate goal. By offering a lower price tier you can show clients how much value you provide as a freelancer which increases the likelihood you will land long-term high-paying clients.
The next step is creating a stunning image gallery to showcase your project!
When it comes to graphic design and creating images, I highly encourage you to use a platform which you may have heard of called Canva:
Canva has both free and paid plans that allow you to easily construct visually appealing graphics with a drag-and-drop editor. I used it to create the images I used for my Upwork Project.
Important note: Do not include any text/words in your image like this or it will get disapproved by Upwork!
You want it to be a photo-based image without text describing who you are and what you offer in a visual format.
For me, I’m building a personal brand with freelancing so it is important to put my face in the photo. I also wanted to build relevance with people searching for a Google Ads professional so I included the updated Google Ads Logo along with my Google Partner Certification Badge.
When you are uploading photos you can pick which one you want to be the cover image of the entire project. Your cover image is important because it's what will get potential clients attention and build trust with them. That's why I strongly suggest that you put your face out there and build your personal freelance brand through your images and cover photo.
The next step is where you want to
summarize exactly what you're going to deliver in your project.
Having a well thought out project description can cut the length of the sales process down because it makes the on-boarding experience with your new clients much smoother. The client is going to know exactly what's required of them after seeing your project catalog and they're already going to have their most frequently asked questions answered. This puts your potential client in a better place to make the decision to hire you as their freelancer with all the information you provided before you even get on the first call with them.
Once you’re done with the project description and FAQs is when you will get into the more specific requirements of exactly what you need from the client to deliver your services.
The last step is the review and finalization process where you enter how many projects you can handle and agree to Upwork's copyright notice, terms of service, and privacy notice.
Pro tip: Be honest with how many projects you can handle at once but also be sure to not cut yourself short.
Before you save your project and submit it for review make sure you click the 'Preview Project' tab so you can see how it's going to look on the clients end. You can also see how your profile is directly linked up which is why your reputation is so vital in freelancing and especially on Upwork.
Final Thoughts On Upwork's Project Catalog™
Image by Upwork
In conclusion, utilizing this new feature to list your freelance service packages will help you maximize your exposure and give you more chances to close new clients. As Upwork continues to innovate and incorporate an easier to use front-end design for potential clients and e-commerce feel, the faster the freelance revolution will progress.
*You can find more information about the new Upwork Project Catalog by clicking here.
- Paul Mendes
Founder of Profitable Freelancer
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