Pick a slice a client can verify
“I do websites” is invisible. “I fix WooCommerce checkout bugs under 10 hours” is a job someone can award. Put that slice into an alert. The live examples below show whether that slice exists today.
Bid on fresh, not famous
A two-hour-old job with four proposals is better than a popular post with forty. Alerts exist so you see the first group. If you only browse in the evening, you are late by default.
Offer a paid diagnostic, not a free rebuild
First hires often start as a paid look, then a scoped fix. Say the price of the look. Clients who want free work will drop off. That is a feature.
Do I need paid Upwork connects on day one?
You need some way to apply, yes. Spend them on fresh, well-matched jobs only. Alerts stop you from burning connects on stale posts.