I ran across Stephanie Caudle on Twitter and had to reach out for an interview because she’s using Fiverr (a site that has a sketchy reputation depending on who you talk to) in some really interesting ways. She’s got a really informative perspective, so read through the whole thing.
Stephanie is a freelancer and the founder of Black Girl Group, a micro job site (much like Fiverr) that was created to help connect African American women freelancers with companies struggling to hire diverse workers.
You mentioned on Twitter that you use Fiverr to test new skills that you’re considering adding to your service package. Can you expand on that process and how it works for you?
Anytime I have shared with people that I use Fiverr I always get the judgmental comments and quite frankly I completely understand because I too used to believe that I was overqualified for Fiverr. The key to being successful on Fiverr is to be very strategic. For example, for years I’ve known that I am gifted in video editing but never looked at my video editing skills as a service I could charge for.
As I began to notice that video editing was a high demand service on Fiverr I decided to give it a try. It’s $5.00 which was $5.00 more than I had been charging so what did I have to lose? As I began to get request after request for my video editing my $5 editing service actually became profitable because my clients ALWAYS tipped significantly higher than what they were paid for.
This great service has led several of my clients to take our relationships off fiver and directly to my inbox where I have been able to redirect them to my “bread and butter” Copy writing.
Is Fiverr the only site you use to experiment?
Yes, because I look at Fiverr as a site where you really don’t have anything to lose but everything to gain.
What other platforms (if any) do you use to find work?
Upwork (although you have to be careful because I actually had my identity stolen through Upwork which is another story in itself). Upwork really has some gems but you have to be able to adequately explain what you can bring to the table and samples that show your PROVEN work.
I also use ProBlogger, Linkedin Pro Finder and AdHuntr. AdHuntr is a gem that many people don’t even think of to use but I use it faithfully to identify new clients. AdHuntr is a platform that allows you to search every single Craigslist ad across the country based on specific key terms.
So for example if I’m looking for clients who need copywriting done I literally type “freelance copywriting” and from there I can see every single ad over the last 6 months that mention freelance copywriting. I’ve found over 50% of my clients using this technique.
What advice would you give people just getting started on Fiverr? What about those who are frustrated and unable to find work?
If you’re a full-time freelancer or even a part-time freelancer the key to being successful on Fiverr and actually getting gigs is to make sure you’re ALWAYS online and you can insure this by simply downloading the app to your phone. You don’t have to be literally available all day but just being “available” on the platform increases your chances of getting work because most clients who need things done would rather communicate with those who are online.
If you’re just getting your foot into the door with freelancing I definitely suggest that you search through “buyer requests” this can be found by clicking selling and then buyer requests. From there you can see what services clients need and pitch them. Fiverr is not a place to get rich (although lots of people actually do!); however, it is a place where you can get new and continuing clients IF you learn how to work with your clients once you see they are satisfied with the service you have provided them with.
Whatever you do, don’t give up, freelancing is a journey and you can’t get frustrated if the results don’t come over night.
A HUGE thanks to Stepahnie for this interview!!
I like the AdHuntr idea. I have also just used a RSS reader like Inoreader and combined a bunch of craigslist feeds into it. Not as easy as it once was, but it still works.
Can’t say I agree with fiverr, http://www.clarka.me/blog/blog/fiverr-is-not-for-me however if it works for you than that’s a good thing.
Interesting idea re: the RSS reader.
Yeah…it’s always good to see people using different platforms in ways that work for them.
Great post. Hadn’t thought of Fiverr as a resource. Re: RSS feeds. Yeah, i’ve always like that approach. I currently use the feeder.co (not feeder.com) extension for chrome. This way, i can just click on the rss button on a given feed’s page and it’s automatically added to my feedlist. Also, it puts the icon button in my toolbar, so i can see when new gigs are posted and scroll through them easily.
RSS is something I always have to push myself into. It can be so useful.