5 Tips for Placing Winning Bids on Freelance Networks

One of the key factors in getting established and being successful on any of the popular freelance networks (see Resources) will be your ability to bid on and win lucrative freelance job postings.

Buyers need to know that you understand what the job being posted requires, that your bid is within the budget they specified and, most importantly, that you are qualified to do the work.

Since we do a lot of work on both sides of the freelance fence - both as a provider and a buyer - we see a lot of examples of great bids and, unfortunately, a ton of really bad ones.

Here are five tips that will help you win jobs and establish your online profile.

1. Read the Job Posting Carefully

This one really should go without saying, but it is amazing how often we get bids on freelance jobs from people that obviously didn't read the job description.

Remember, freelance buyers are usually on a tight budget for time and money. They will often include very specific criteria for the work to be performed and don't have time for someone who isn't paying attention. Missing even a small detail can cause them to pass you up.

2. Re-cap the Job in the Bid

One common trait of successful freelance bidders is to summarize the job in the bid. This demonstrates to the bidder that you understand what is required and are ready to provide it.

Don't just cut & paste the job description. Don't write a treatise on your qualifications or greatness, just re-state it briefly in your own words.

We've found this to be especially helpful when either the bidder or provider are not native English speakers.

3. Follow the Rules of the Network

Most freelance networks have very specific and strict rules about what you can and can not include in your bid. For example, most networks prohibit you from including direct contact details in the bid.

Not following the network's guidelines demonstrates a lack of professionalism and, in some cases, might make you appear to be unscrupulous or untrustworthy.

4. Bid Within the Buyer's Budget

This one should also go without saying, but again, it is amazing how often we post a job with a specific budget and get bid after bid that is over the specified limit.

The project price range isn't always the same as the real budget

This gets back to tip #1 - it's vital to read the posting carefully. Freelance networks like Get A Freelancer, GoFreelance and others allow buyers to select from a limited set of budget ranges like "$100 to $250" or "$500 to $1000", but that actual maximum budget might be $175 or possibly a rate like $0.50/word. Bidding over budget is usually a waste of the buyer's time and yours because they'll just move on to the next bid.

Occasionally, it might be appropriate to bid a little higher if the buyer is asking for less than a well-established rate for a given type of work, but you never want to bid more than the project range.

On the opposite extreme, don't bid ridiculously low either. This makes buyers wonder what sort of quality work you could provide or if you understand the job being posted.

5. Give Feedback, Get Feedback

Most freelance networks have a rating system that allows buyers to rate providers and vice-versa. A provider with a healthy number of positive ratings will almost always win over one with few or none - sometimes even if you are bidding higher.

Obviously, you won't have any ratings when you're first starting out, this makes tips #1-4 vital.