1. Introduction
In Upwork’s fiercely competitive Email Marketing category, where dozens of agencies compete for the same leads, winning a client often comes down to who finds the right job first and who sends the most compelling proposal. This case study reviews how 15 real agencies improved performance across proposal visibility, reply rates, and estimated earnings using GigRadar’s job scanning and automation features.
By analyzing actual data from active agencies using GigRadar, we identified measurable improvements in engagement, response rates, and proposal efficiency key drivers of success on platforms like Upwork.
Metrics we analyzed:
- Proposal View Rate (PVR) - Proportion of proposals sent by the agency in a month that were viewed by the client
- Lead Reply Rate (LRR) - What portion of the outbound proposals got a reply
- Total Proposals Sent in a month
- Total Replies Received in a month
- Performance change over time since joining GigRadar
2. Industry Overview: Email Marketing on Upwork
Email marketing remains one of the most in-demand services on Upwork, with businesses across e-commerce, SaaS, coaching, and B2B sectors seeking freelancers who can create effective campaigns, automate customer journeys via platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and HubSpot, and drive strong engagement through personalized, segmented strategies. Clients increasingly expect not just copywriting skills, but also expertise in deliverability optimization, CRM integration, A/B testing, and analytics. However, the field has become highly competitive, with many freelancers bidding on each project. To stay ahead and meet growing client expectations, email marketers are now leveraging AI tools for faster copy generation, smarter segmentation, automation setup, and campaign optimization.
Among GigRadar agencies, the Email Marketing vertical consistently ranks as one of the strongest, stabilizing each week in the top 10 highest-earning verticals alongside Digital Marketing, Web Development, Software Development, and Graphic Design. For example, in the week of April 14–21, email marketing agencies using GigRadar successfully completed project work on Upwork worth a combined $28,350, thanks to automation, faster lead acquisition, and smarter proposal strategies powered by the platform.
Upwork Email Marketing Market Insights (2025)
- Active Job Volume: There are currently over 1,600 open email marketing jobs on Upwork, indicating a robust and growing demand for freelancers in this field.
- In-Demand Skills: Clients frequently seek expertise in platforms and skills such as Klaviyo, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, email automation workflows, segmentation, and copywriting. These competencies are essential for creating effective email marketing campaigns.
- Hourly Rates: The typical hourly rate for email marketers on Upwork ranges from $15 to $80, with a median rate of $35. However, top-tier freelancers with specialized skills and proven track records may command higher rates.
- Competition Level: The email marketing niche on Upwork is highly competitive, with many freelancers and agencies vying for the same projects. It's common for job postings to receive numerous proposals, making it challenging to stand out.
3. Segmentation: Who Are the Top Performers?
We grouped the agencies by performance tier to uncover what separated the best from the rest.
4. Agency Classification Based on Performance
We reviewed metrics from 15 agencies using GigRadar. Based on growth rate, reply volumes, scanner behavior, and timeline of usage, they fall into three groups:
Top Performers
Among the standout performers are Zolanah, In-boх, and Respect.Studio. Zolanah demonstrated exceptional growth, scaling from 11 replies in their first month to an impressive 73 replies in their best month. Their LRR remained consistently high, peaking at 23.8%, while their PVR reached nearly 44%. With sustained usage and optimized scanner setups, Zolanah’s total revenue over 5 months surpassed $21,000. In-boх, another top-tier agency, more than quintupled their replies—from 7 to 47—while improving their LRR from 4.4% to 13.8% and PVR from 19% to nearly 39%. They reached over $40,000 in earnings within 10 months of using GigRadar. Respect.Studio achieved similar results through consistent long-term use. Starting with 4 replies in their first month, they steadily grew to reach a best-month PVR of 57.1% and LRR of 23.8%, generating approximately $15,000–$17,000 in total revenue in 4 months.
Thanks to GigRadar, these agencies are consistently landing project work valued at $12,000–$14,000 per week on Upwork, automating their lead acquisition and dramatically increasing their project flow. Their investment in hyper-focused scanners, rapid proposal responses, and client-centered positioning clearly paid off.
Mid-Tier Growers
Ecom Mails, Boost Berry, Algofy, IMPRO Email Agency, and Bright Hues Media fall into the group of consistent performers with visible improvements and meaningful outcomes. Ecom Mails increased replies from just 2 in their first month to 32 in their best, growing their LRR from 4.6% to 15.5% and reaching $10,000+ in revenue. They have been using GigRadar for 6 months now. Boost Berry doubled their reply volume, reaching a PVR of 36.7% and LRR of 10.2%, and earning more than $7,000 within two months. Algofy and IMPRO Email Agency both showed steady improvements: Algofy achieved an LRR of 11.4% in their peak month, while IMPRO Email Agency reached a 9.1% LRR—each averaging around 5–7 replies in their best months and estimated earnings of $4K–5K in 3 months. Bright Hues Media mirrored this pattern, growing from a modest baseline and delivering around $4,000 in estimated revenue in 3 months. These agencies maintained solid engagement through consistent weekly proposal volume and steady scanner refinement.
Newcomers & Early Movers
WeClick Group, Outersale, Remotual, ROI JOLT, and RunJ Media are relatively new to GigRadar, having joined the platform 3 months ago, and they have already shown promising early results within their first three months of usage. WeClick Group doubled their replies while increasing their LRR from 2.1% to 5.9% and their PVR from 10.4% to 18.1%, generating over $3K in revenue. Outersale saw steady improvement, tripling their number of replies. reaching a best-month PVR of 16.2% with consistent engagement growth. Remotual and ROI JOLT followed similar trajectories, boosting their visibility and engagement in the first few months, with LRRs rising into the 4–6% range and estimated revenues between $2K–$3K. RunJ Media, the newest among them, joining GigRadar just a month ago, already doubled their replies from and shows early positive momentum in both LRR and PVR.
While still building momentum, these agencies have demonstrated strong initial traction and are well positioned to transition into the mid-tier and top-tier performer groups with continued use of GigRadar’s automation and optimization tools.
5. Engagement Wins: What the Top 15 Agencies Achieved
We tracked agency performance before and after joining GigRadar, highlighting growth trends across core engagement metrics.
Key Results:
- Average PVR increased by 42% within 3 months of usage
- Average LRR improved by 31%, meaning more meaningful conversations
- Top 5 agencies saw over 60% increase in replies per 100 proposals sent
6. Tools & Tactics Behind the Numbers
From scanner optimization to timing strategies, the most successful agencies on GigRadar consistently followed proven patterns:
- Hyper-targeted filters: Instead of spreading efforts thin, they used just 3–5 carefully selected tags (e.g., "Klaviyo flows", "newsletter automation"), making every scan count.
- Rapid response windows: Speed mattered. Agencies that submitted proposals within 30–60 minutes of a job posting consistently saw more views and faster replies.
- Consistent weekly output: Rather than sending random bursts, they maintained a steady pace of 20–30 targeted proposals each week, keeping their pipeline full without sacrificing quality.
- Clear client value propositions: Winning proposals focused directly on client needs—highlighting specific pain points and showing exactly how they would drive results and ROI.
- Smarter project targeting: High-performing agencies didn’t just chase volume—they selectively targeted higher-budget clients and projects with recurring work potential.
Importantly, these strategies weren’t guessed, they were built over time. Many top agencies iterated weekly, tweaking their scanner settings, refining templates, and learning from every interaction until their reply rates steadily climbed.
Insight: The agencies that dominated consistently used narrowly focused scanners and fast proposal submission tactics, rarely using more than 5 tags per scanner—and it showed in their reply rates.
Pro Tip: Proposals that specifically mentioned how the agency would contribute to revenue growth or ROI saw 15–20% higher reply rates. Clients don’t just want tasks completed—they want measurable outcomes.
7. Trends to Watch in 2025: Email Marketing on Upwork
What clients want now:
- Full-service automation: Businesses increasingly expect not just individual email campaigns, but complete automation setups that cover strategy, copywriting, design, trigger logic, and performance tracking. Clients value agencies that can build comprehensive customer journeys from scratch, optimize flows, and ensure that every interaction moves prospects closer to purchase.
- Platform migration expertise: With the rapid growth of tools like Klaviyo, many clients are looking to migrate from legacy systems such as Mailchimp or basic CRM email tools. They expect smooth transitions, minimal downtime, full integration with ecommerce or SaaS stacks, and migration strategies that actually improve deliverability and engagement rather than simply replicate old systems.
- Revenue-focused reporting and attribution: Clients no longer judge success by opens and clicks alone. They want clear, data-driven reporting tied directly to revenue outcomes—such as conversion rates, average order value uplift, or customer lifetime value improvements. Agencies that can implement multi-touch attribution models, track campaign ROI, and make optimization recommendations based on real revenue metrics are seen as strategic partners rather than just service providers.
8. Final Thoughts: GigRadar as a Growth Lever
From long-time users like Respect Studio to promising newcomers like runjmedia.com, GigRadar has proven to be a powerful lever for engagement, visibility, and revenue growth. The key isn't simply using the tool—but using it consistently and strategically.
If you're sending proposals manually or choosing jobs based on instinct, you're at a disadvantage. The agencies here chose to work smarter, not harder—and the results speak for themselves.
- Agencies that consistently used GigRadar's scanners got more eyes and more replies on their proposals.
- Micro-targeting job opportunities matters more than mass volume.
- Tools like GigRadar help agencies stay fast, focused, and relevant.
Want similar results? Join the growing network of Upwork agencies using GigRadar to grow smarter.
