Workana HERO 101 Guide: How do I become one of the best freelancers?

At Workana, we know we’re not the only freelance platform on the web. But we are the best for emphasizing quality, transparency, and scalability of remote and freelance work. In less than ten years, we’ve:

  • Registered almost 3,000,000 freelancers on our platform
  • Acquired almost 700,000 clients just in Latin America
  • 50%growth acceleration
  • Expanded to serve new markets in Europe and Asia

We’re proud of our achievements, we’re a launching pad for many, and we’re not afraid to say it. We’ve been able to achieve all of this thanks to our dedicated team of first-rate freelancers. That’s why we’ve created a new tiered system that promotes trust, merit, and continuous effort.

Being a Workana HERO will bring you more benefits than ever. It will also guarantee a continuous flow of exclusive projects, sustained growth, and stability in a freelance lifestyle that you won’t find on any other remote work platform.

What does being a HERO involve?

HERO is the highest level that a Workana freelancer can achieve. It basically means a professional who is:

  • Excellent at what they do
  • Extremely trustworthy
  • Always turns in their work on time according to specifications
  • Always puts in a bit extra
  • Constantly looking for new projects to work on
  • Loves what they do
  • Works full time as a freelancer

Since the beginning, our Workana ranking system has allowed to identify and reward special profiles, but we’re always improving our analysis methods, and now that we know more about what professionals and clients need, we can provide our HEROes with more benefits and exclusive advantages. Here’s how!

Eighty connects per week

The more proposals you submit, the more projects you’re likely to be hired for. At Workana, we want every proposal that a client receives to be high quality, that’s why we limit the number of connects that new freelancers can submit. That way, we ensure that Workana newbies can only apply to projects that will really fit their profile and experience level.

But as a HERO, you’ve already demonstrated that you’re capable of working on the projects that you apply for and submitting incredible proposals. That’s why we give you 80 connects that renew every week!

Considering that professionals are given two connects per week to start, increasing to 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 as their level increases, being a HERO basically ensures that you’ll have every opportunity possible to put your talent into action.

Unlimited projects

We don’t want freelancers to take on more than they can handle, compromise the quality of the projects, or compromise client satisfaction. That’s why HERO and PLATINUM members are the only member who can accept an unlimited number of projects at a time.

This is because these members have made it clear that WORKANA is one of their main work tools, and these members are 100% freelance.

Other advantages to limiting the projects to one, two, or three projects at a time that are available for BRONZE, SILVER, and GOLD respectively, is that a freelancer is more motivated to turn in the work as soon as it’s done. This helps things run smoothly for clients who are looking to find new, trustworthy people to work with, improving their experience on the platform and ensuring that they’ll continue to hire on Workana. It’s a win-win-win!

Eligibility to be a Recommended Freelancer

Sometimes clients don’t have a clear idea of how to choose the ideal freelancer for their project or sometimes they prefer that our team recommend a few profiles that would be a great match for their needs. When this is the case, our experts only choose among the members who have achieved GOLD level and above, that way we can ensure that each of our recommendation will come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

A lot of times, clients who ask us for recommendations are renowned companies who require extra support to create a strategic dream team or find a freelancer with super specific skills…like yours! Being eligible to be a recommended freelancer puts you on the clients’ radars so you can do what you love for the biggest names.

Appear first in searches and become eligible for project invitations

GOLD freelancers have the additional advantage of appearing at the top of search results when clients are looking for specific profiles.

It’s similar to SERP or a Google results page. When you search, normally you’ll find what you need in the first ten pages that show up. When was the last time you went to the second or third page of search results, anyway?

The same goes for Workana clients. Appearing among the first results will dramatically increase the likelihood that the client will hire you.

This benefit comes with invitations. If a client likes your profile, it’s not necessary to make them wait for you to tell them what you’d bring to their project; instead, they can invite you directly to work on a project. This option is only for GOLD, PLATINUM, and HERO freelancers. The purpose of this strategy is to provide the best experience possible to clients who trust our platform.

Eligibility for Smart Messaging

Here’s where the HERO benefits really count. Smart messages are automatic messages that you create to be sent directly when a client opens a new project that matches the qualities that you’re looking for.

Simply choose your profile’s categories and subcategories, write an attention-grabbing message, and your message is sure to be one of the first messages that the client reads.

Eligibility for the Verified Freelancer program

The Verified Freelancer program is “la crème de la crème” of Workana. It’s a badge that only the best of the HEROes can earn. In addition to exceptional performance, this badge shows that you’re completely trustworthy.

Being a HERO, Verified Freelancer, and TOP 100 is the highest status that you can achieve on our platform. If you add inn the Premium Benefits Plan, Workana can become everything you need achieve peace of mind as a freelancer.

How can I achieve HERO status?

Through work, effort, and consistency, every professional who takes their freelance lifestyle seriously can aim to be one of our most accomplished members. If you still haven’t started, don’t get discouraged! We all start from somewhere. Here are a few tips to help you achieve HERO status in our ranking system:

The first steps

To become a HERO, you have to fulfill the following prerequisites:

  • Have no suspensions or breaches in the past 12 months
  • Complete 95% of projects without any breaches
  • Pass a one-time video interview

For more information, check out or HEROic page: https://www.workana.com/hero

1.- The most important part: the profile

Just like your social media accounts say a lot about you, your Workana profile is a way to tell your clients about your expertise, your experience, your workstyle, your portfolio, and what you love about your job.

Here are some essential tips to make your profile HERO worthy:

  • A high-quality, professional-looking photograph. Remember to smile! (You can also use your logo if you’re camera-shy!)
  • A caption that represents your work philosophy. What separates you from the crowd?
  • A great “about me” statement with information that’s relevant to the client; remember to answer the question, “Who am I as a professional now,” not “What have I done as a professional?”
  • Skills that show what you specialize in. Maybe you work in “editing and translation,” but what’s your specialty? SEO? Writing persuasive copy? Translating legal documents?
  • A comprehensive summary of what you do and what your work can do for a client. Not every client will understand what “SEO optimization” is, but everyone will understand “increasing the number of potential clients visiting your website.”
  • A portfolio with your most successful relevant projects.
  • Enriching client reviews. If you’re just starting out, ask your clients to give you an extra boost when they’re writing their reviews so other clients will want to contact you.

Check out this article to help familiarize yourself with how to create a great Workana profile. We’ve even included some great examples!

2.- Perfect your personal brand

There are plenty ways to promote your profile as a Workana freelancer that go beyond submitting proposals. Use your website and social media to your advantage! If someone contacts you externally, asking them to use the platform is a great way to ensure your pay and protect your work. It’s also a great way to take your work to the next level. If you know that clients can hire you directly through the platform?

3.- Maintain your reputation

We know it’s practically impossible to please everyone because sometimes there are factors out of our control, like when a client doesn’t know what they want or has a bad attitude. However, we know from experience that when a freelancer is truly committed, they tend to get great reviews.

It’s not just about turning in high quality work; it’s about agreeing on the terms of the contract to the t before accepting any work and getting everything in writing in the chatroom.

Remember, if the project goes badly and you’ve fulfilled your end of the bargain, we will support you as long as we have the documentation of your agreements with the client and what you’ve turned in.

4.- Make the most of your proposals

It’s not the quantity of proposals that you submit that counts; it’s the quality. Just because a project is in your line of work doesn’t mean you have to submit a proposal. Before you submit a proposal, take these questions into account:

  • Do you have the SKILLS necessary to get the work done?
  • Do you even WANT to do the project?
  • Can you finish the project within the TIMEFRAME established by the client?
  • Does the project have too many PROPOSALS already?
  • Answering these questions allows you to give a PLUS or something extra that increases your chance of being hired.

Want to learn more about how to match with your dream project? Take a look at this article.

Why do some freelancers achieve HERO status while others don’t?

Here’s a quick guide to the measurable requirements that you’ll need to be achieve HERO status. You can also see a full list of requirements here.

  • Total earnings above $2500USD: This includes every dollar you’ve earned since you began working on the Workana platform. Although you may fulfill the rest of your requirements, you’ll need to earn more than $2500 USD to earn HERO status.
  • Recent earnings above $1000USD: In order to maintain your HERO status, you’ll have to earn at least $1000 USD per quarter.
  • More than ten satisfied clients: A satisfied client is a client who gives you 5/5 stars. Quality is king, so make sure you give every project your all.
  • An average score above 4.6 stars: Here, we average out every evaluation that clients have given you for every project.
  • No recent breaches:A breach is when, after arbitration, our team determines that you effectively didn’t follow through on what you offered the client. Avoid this at all costs to continue being one of the best freelancers.

In Conclusion

At Workana, we strive to be a community of the best and brightest. Now, more than ever, we’re convinced that this is what separates us from the crowd and allows us to provide the best opportunities for our freelance family.

“HERO” isn’t just a ranking or a number; it’s an honest, permanent commitment to the lifestyle of freedom, responsibility, and passion that you’ve chosen for yourself.

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