How to market on r/Upwork

Can you promote on r/Upwork?

Assume not. r/Upwork's rules don't mention self-promotion either way. Moderators treat unannounced promotion as spam, so the safe reading is that it isn't welcome. The closest the rules come:

“Due to the large amount of spam, outside guides and videos are not allowed.”

Rule 4: Off site guides are not allowed

The rules

As the moderators wrote them, shortened where they run long.

1. Don't be too meanWe all deal with too much already, be kind to new and uninformed people, or just avoid commenting.
2. Do not insult other membersThis is a subreddit about jobs and work: you can goof and gaff all the time, but insulting other people especially if unprovoked is not allowed. We are all adults
3. Hiring or finding work in this subreddit is not allowed.This subreddit was not made to find freelancers or find work, but to discuss Upwork-related matters. Other subreddits are ready to accomodate you, so do not post For Hire or Hiring posts or comments here.
4. Off site guides are not allowedDue to the large amount of spam, outside guides and videos are not allowed. If you wish to help other freelancers with your guides, you can write a reddit post and mention your website, but direct links are not allowed.
5. Don't be an immense douchebagIt's not hard. Don't be an immense douchebag. Leave your frustration out of this sub
6. Report the fellow member! Be a snitch!I'm a single mod and I don't want to read your comments all day; if you find any content that you think should be removed, report it! We are all adults, right?

Full text on Reddit: r/Upwork rules.

What people asked this week

65 of the 152 posts on r/Upwork in the last 7 days asked a question or for a recommendation. Here are 12, starting with people asking for a tool, a service or someone to hire.

• Looks like my computer was blocked, ideas and suggestions?
  r/Upwork · 22 Oct
• Does Contra's algorithm completely ignore Case Studies?
  r/Upwork · 24 Oct
• How do you get your first web development client?
  r/Upwork · 24 Oct
• How would you use 40 free Connects to land your first Upwork job?
  r/Upwork · 24 Oct
• How do i select one out of 290 proposal?
  r/Upwork · 24 Oct
• What kind of job title is this?
  r/Upwork · 23 Oct
• Why was my "Top Rated" badge removed? Is it because I haven't submitted any proposals over the past few months?
  r/Upwork · 23 Oct
• What's happening with Upwork? 200+ proposals but zero interviews?
  r/Upwork · 23 Oct
• Does Upwork have this service?
  r/Upwork · 23 Oct
• Can changing your Upwork profile picture trigger identity verification?
  r/Upwork · 23 Oct
• How can I get my first orders on Fiverr or Upwork?
  r/Upwork · 23 Oct
• Does this go against Upwork’s ToS?
  r/Upwork · 23 Oct

How to show up here without getting banned

• Don't post about your product. Answer questions in the comments with real expertise instead. People who find your answers useful check your profile, so say what you do there.
• Be careful with links. The rules are specific: “If you wish to help other freelancers with your guides, you can write a reddit post and mention your website, but direct links are not allowed.”
• Read the sidebar and pinned posts. Moderators often add rules there, and rules change. Check r/Upwork's before your first post.
• Build a history first. Comment helpfully on r/Upwork for a few weeks before you post. Accounts that only ever promote get filtered.

More on how this works across Reddit: Reddit's self-promotion rules, explained and the full Reddit marketing playbook.

Related communities

• How to market on r/forhire: clients hiring and freelancers offering their services.
• How to market on r/freelance: freelancers discussing clients, rates and running their business.
• How to market on r/webdev: web developers talking front end, back end and careers.
• How to market on r/web_design: web designers sharing work and asking for feedback.
• How to market on r/Wordpress: WordPress users and developers asking about themes, plugins and hosting.