Can I do this kind of marketing?

[woofy31]

And once again for anyone who didn’t get the picture:

When a buyer asks me “hey dear, how can I build backlinks?”, am I or am I not allowed to answer them “hi dear, here’s an article I’ve written on this matter somesite.wordpress.com/how-to-build-backlinks” and eventually make that buyer curious about my other articles where they could find out about my other gigs and have more reasons to come back and even upgrade their orders (God this was a long question)?

[Guest offlinehelpers]

And once again for anyone who didn’t get the picture:

When a buyer asks me “hey dear, how can I build backlinks?”, am I or am I not allowed to answer them “hi dear, here’s an article I’ve written on this matter somesite.wordpress.com/how-to-build-backlinks” and eventually make that buyer curious about my other articles where they could find out about my other gigs and have more reasons to come back and even upgrade their orders (God this was a long question)?

No, you can’t because yourname.wordpress.com links aren’t in the allowed list, or at least, that’s how I’m reading it.

[woofy31]

No, you can’t because yourname.wordpress.com links aren’t in the allowed list, or at least, that’s how I’m reading it.

Links in Description

Again, that list is for gig descriptions & your profile page. I don’t want to put anything in those. Instead I would only mention “yourname.wordpress.com” in order page messages and inbox messages.

Here’s what I said:

I would also not use it as part of my Fiverr profile or gig descriptions because I know wordpress is excluded from the list of allowed profile/gig - pointing buyers to my blog posts would be done solely through order pages & Inbox messages.

[thecreativeguys]

[i see many are talking about outside traffic being sent to their Fiverr profile pages; I was hoping to create more of a place for my existing buyers instead…]

So, let’s assume a blogspot URL with no personal contact info:

1. can I refer to it when a buyer asks me a question that I’ve discussed on my blog?

2. can I put a link to Google+ & Twitter profiles that again have no personal contact info and are just extensions of my Fiverr profile?

3. sort of rhethorical, but: why, oh, why are behance & wordpress blog URLs not on that list? Almost everybody has a behance portfolio, and wordpress blogs are just like blogspot blogs, free hosted, only better looking. It makes no sense!

It makes no sense!

I don’t know why or who compiled the list of “speciality” URLS. (And now you know why I called them the Specialty Club!)

There are 15 permitted urls, and according to the support article, you may use any other link through messaging.

(So a Wordpress blog will be permissible if used within the messaging system!)

Note: If you use a URL, which is not in the above list, it will be removed from your profile. If used in your Gig, it will be denied. Repetitive violations may cause an account to be restricted.

Highlight:

“GIG” / “PROFILE PHOTO” It didn’t say messages or delivery comment.

Edit: These are assumptions and according to @fonthaunt and @offlinehelpers you may not use a Wordpress URL whatsoever.

[fonthaunt]

It makes no sense!

I don’t know why or who compiled the list of “speciality” URLS. (And now you know why I called them the Specialty Club!)

There are 15 permitted urls, and according to the support article, you may use any other link through messaging.

(So a Wordpress blog will be permissible if used within the messaging system!)

Note: If you use a URL, which is not in the above list, it will be removed from your profile. If used in your Gig, it will be denied. Repetitive violations may cause an account to be restricted.

Highlight:

“GIG” / “PROFILE PHOTO” It didn’t say messages or delivery comment.

Edit: These are assumptions and according to @fonthaunt and @offlinehelpers you may not use a Wordpress URL whatsoever.

You can try it if you want to risk it, but they didn’t let me use a WP URL in any way, not via inbox or otherwise. Like I mentioned, I had it just at the bottom of a PDF of sample work and I got a warning. I know what the URL list page says, but CS doesn’t really discuss these matters at length, they just tell you what you cannot do.

[thecreativeguys]

You can try it if you want to risk it, but they didn’t let me use a WP URL in any way, not via inbox or otherwise. Like I mentioned, I had it just at the bottom of a PDF of sample work and I got a warning. I know what the URL list page says, but CS doesn’t really discuss these matters at length, they just tell you what you cannot do.

It may not be permitted on your gig itself but Fiverr hasn’t put out any statement regarding sending links through messaging. (They did say emails & numbers are forbidden, not Wordpress urls!)

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UPDATE: @woofy31

I was told that sharing the Blogspot URL or domain i.e. mysite.com - is permissible throughout the Fiverr website.

(I’m assuming that means through messages and deliverables.) Thought I’d update you! (I know it’s a Fiverr permitted URL, but just to be sure I brought it up to CS and they responded in the affirmative.) So, instead of using a Wordpress site, create a blogspot site…

[eoinfinnegan]

I got the same answer as @offlinehelpers re a wordpress site despite the fact that there is a well-known, high volume TRS who has a direct link to a wordpress site in their gig description and have had for as long as I can remember.
The site does completely link back to Fiverr though and all content on it is specifically related to their service - ie. not blogs but talking about what their service includes etc.

I have often considered how to use the various permitted links:
Could I use soundcloud to do a podcast type verbal blog?
Could I use flickr but with images of text
etc.

My suggestion would be to do the blog anyway and direct it to your Fiverr profile/gigs, even if it can only be one way. I think it will be impossible to get a Fiverr SEO gig on Page one of Google for the primary search term and even “Fiverr SEO” as a keyword is likely to just bring up bad reviews and moan blogs. However, focusing on long tail and specific one-off SEO services (rather than SEO in general) may get you somewhere. Regardless, it is a relatively long term process and in the meantime, you could turn the content into a pdf and send that to your clients here instead or get some of our wonderful V/Os to read it out for a YT video. No doubt such workarounds shouldn’t be necessary but I suspect it once again down to the potential for abuse by some users.

Edit: Re sending links to a personal site - if it is seen you could be in trouble and if you have SM or any way to contact you on it then you are likely to be seen to have no excuse.

[fonthaunt]

It may not be permitted on your gig itself but Fiverr hasn’t put out any statement regarding sending links through messaging. (They did say emails & numbers are forbidden, not Wordpress urls!)

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UPDATE: @woofy31

I was told that sharing the Blogspot URL or domain i.e. mysite.com - is permissible throughout the Fiverr website.

(I’m assuming that means through messages and deliverables.) Thought I’d update you! (I know it’s a Fiverr permitted URL, but just to be sure I brought it up to CS and they responded in the affirmative.) So, instead of using a Wordpress site, create a blogspot site…

Do what you like. 😃 Everyone has told you what happened to them, no matter what Fiverr has said officially. Good luck!

[woofy31]

You can try it if you want to risk it, but they didn’t let me use a WP URL in any way, not via inbox or otherwise. Like I mentioned, I had it just at the bottom of a PDF of sample work and I got a warning. I know what the URL list page says, but CS doesn’t really discuss these matters at length, they just tell you what you cannot do.

Like I mentioned, I had it just at the bottom of a PDF of sample work and I got a warning.

Oh gosh, that’s horrible! I was so ready & eager to start marketing (sort-of) my work to my existing clients, and I’ve lost all my drive now 😦

And I still can’t use blogspot, it’s just bloody hard to even watch that interface, let alone write something on it…

Well, I could make the blog and connect it to my fiverr gigs/profile, but it’s the exact opposite of what I wanted and envisioned. I wanted a place to send my existing buyers to get more help from their seller through my articles, I did not want to create a blog just to generate offsite traffic, since that is almost impossible given the huge amount of seo blogs already out there that cannot be beaten in rankings.

[fonthaunt]

Like I mentioned, I had it just at the bottom of a PDF of sample work and I got a warning.

Oh gosh, that’s horrible! I was so ready & eager to start marketing (sort-of) my work to my existing clients, and I’ve lost all my drive now 😦

And I still can’t use blogspot, it’s just bloody hard to even watch that interface, let alone write something on it…

Well, I could make the blog and connect it to my fiverr gigs/profile, but it’s the exact opposite of what I wanted and envisioned. I wanted a place to send my existing buyers to get more help from their seller through my articles, I did not want to create a blog just to generate offsite traffic, since that is almost impossible given the huge amount of seo blogs already out there that cannot be beaten in rankings.

Maybe you could create a blogspot blog and your only post will review your WordPress blog. 😃 Sounds sneaky, though, it might still come back to haunt you!

[woofy31]

Maybe you could create a blogspot blog and your only post will review your WordPress blog. 😃 That is very sneaky indeed!

[jamesbulls]

The reason I asked is because @jamesbulls has a blog linked back to Fiverr and a Google+ profile for it, and with some good looking marketing success, and his approach seemed a valid marketing strategy that @eoinfinnegan approved from what I remember while reading their posts on this matter .

If you guys want to see how I’m using my Google+ page, YouTube channel, and blog to all support my Fiverr account, check out my seller profile and then follow the link to my YouTube channel. It should become pretty clear after that. Only thing I’ll say, though, is to keep in mind that I recently re-branded and launched a new brand page plus a new YouTube channel - I had to divorce my business activity from my personal activity - so you won’t see a lot of videos there. It’ll fill up pretty quickly - I’m planning about 5 live stream video hangouts every week - and by volume alone the videos should turn up pretty quickly in YouTube search results.

[dasarg]

If you guys want to see how I’m using my Google+ page, YouTube channel, and blog to all support my Fiverr account, check out my seller profile and then follow the link to my YouTube channel. It should become pretty clear after that. Only thing I’ll say, though, is to keep in mind that I recently re-branded and launched a new brand page plus a new YouTube channel - I had to divorce my business activity from my personal activity - so you won’t see a lot of videos there. It’ll fill up pretty quickly - I’m planning about 5 live stream video hangouts every week - and by volume alone the videos should turn up pretty quickly in YouTube search results.

Or, simply click on your profile picture or username here on the Forum and the link will appear.

[jamesbulls]

Or, simply click on your profile picture or username here on the Forum and the link will appear.

Oh, yeah - that, too. I completely forgot that the forum let me link my website LoL

[woofy31]

CS got back to me with some clear answers on all the above matters! 😉

Me: The blog would not have personal contact information. It would only link back to my Fiverr profile, a Google+ profile made specifically for my Fiverr services, and it would be like an extension to my Fiverr services. Would that be OK?

it would be OK

Me: I also wouldn’t mention the blog in my profile or gig description - I would only mention it in Inbox messages or order pages when a buyer asks me stuff that I already wrote about on my blog. Would that be OK, too, even if it’s a free hosted wordpress.com blog?

it would be OK to exchange through the inbox. However, your wordpress.com blog will have to be reviewed by our Editors have it is created. Wordpress is not on the approved lists for URLs that was provided. Blogger and tumblr are two blogging platforms which are on the approved links.

Me: Regarding communications, being a blog it would have a comments section where people can leave comments - would that count as external communication since it happens on my blog?

it should be fine as long as no order related comments are discussed outside of the platform.

Me: why is the free hosted blog platform wordpress.com not on that list since tumblr and blogspot are also free hosted blog platforms and still they are allowed? and why isn’t behance on that allowed list either since almost everybody has a behance portfolio?

The existing list was not that long at the first place. Our Market integrity and Editorial team reviewed and approved these links. Maybe the list will be change with additional URL’s that can be used and maybe some will be removed from the list.

We are developing and making changes every day to provide mush secure and much more pleasant environment for our users so suggestion like this are more than appreciated.

So, @fonthaunt it seems you have to get CS’ approval first in order to use a wordpress blog link on Fiverr 😉

[fonthaunt]

CS got back to me with some clear answers on all the above matters! 😉

Me: The blog would not have personal contact information. It would only link back to my Fiverr profile, a Google+ profile made specifically for my Fiverr services, and it would be like an extension to my Fiverr services. Would that be OK?

it would be OK

Me: I also wouldn’t mention the blog in my profile or gig description - I would only mention it in Inbox messages or order pages when a buyer asks me stuff that I already wrote about on my blog. Would that be OK, too, even if it’s a free hosted wordpress.com blog?

it would be OK to exchange through the inbox. However, your wordpress.com blog will have to be reviewed by our Editors have it is created. Wordpress is not on the approved lists for URLs that was provided. Blogger and tumblr are two blogging platforms which are on the approved links.

Me: Regarding communications, being a blog it would have a comments section where people can leave comments - would that count as external communication since it happens on my blog?

it should be fine as long as no order related comments are discussed outside of the platform.

Me: why is the free hosted blog platform wordpress.com not on that list since tumblr and blogspot are also free hosted blog platforms and still they are allowed? and why isn’t behance on that allowed list either since almost everybody has a behance portfolio?

The existing list was not that long at the first place. Our Market integrity and Editorial team reviewed and approved these links. Maybe the list will be change with additional URL’s that can be used and maybe some will be removed from the list.

We are developing and making changes every day to provide mush secure and much more pleasant environment for our users so suggestion like this are more than appreciated.

So, @fonthaunt it seems you have to get CS’ approval first in order to use a wordpress blog link on Fiverr 😉

Makes sense to me. There are lots of things they will approve on a per-user basis. I think it’s just the fact that WP isn’t on the BIG LIST that makes it so that we can’t just tell everyone on the forum to go for it. When I got warned for it my WP blog probably would have passed but I didn’t want to bother with it. I kept it in case they ever change it, but I reproduced the content on Blogspot/Blogger. I like to roll with what they say unless I really need permission for something special.

Thanks for the update!

[chaabane]

I totally agree with you. I did the same thing and I get my first order using buyer requests. and I think what made the client buy my gig is the fact that I told him that I have a long experience outside of fiverr on the gig I am offering and I give him a better price and told him that I am just looking for good feedback right now. I am not looking for money.

[jamesbulls]

CS got back to me with some clear answers on all the above matters! 😉

Me: The blog would not have personal contact information. It would only link back to my Fiverr profile, a Google+ profile made specifically for my Fiverr services, and it would be like an extension to my Fiverr services. Would that be OK?

it would be OK

Me: I also wouldn’t mention the blog in my profile or gig description - I would only mention it in Inbox messages or order pages when a buyer asks me stuff that I already wrote about on my blog. Would that be OK, too, even if it’s a free hosted wordpress.com blog?

it would be OK to exchange through the inbox. However, your wordpress.com blog will have to be reviewed by our Editors have it is created. Wordpress is not on the approved lists for URLs that was provided. Blogger and tumblr are two blogging platforms which are on the approved links.

Me: Regarding communications, being a blog it would have a comments section where people can leave comments - would that count as external communication since it happens on my blog?

it should be fine as long as no order related comments are discussed outside of the platform.

Me: why is the free hosted blog platform wordpress.com not on that list since tumblr and blogspot are also free hosted blog platforms and still they are allowed? and why isn’t behance on that allowed list either since almost everybody has a behance portfolio?

The existing list was not that long at the first place. Our Market integrity and Editorial team reviewed and approved these links. Maybe the list will be change with additional URL’s that can be used and maybe some will be removed from the list.

We are developing and making changes every day to provide mush secure and much more pleasant environment for our users so suggestion like this are more than appreciated.

So, @fonthaunt it seems you have to get CS’ approval first in order to use a wordpress blog link on Fiverr 😉

Fiverr needs to make up its mind about external links, even for portfolios. Their insistence that websites that they’ve white-listed not have any method for direct communication with the seller is absolutely inane.

They want us to be “doers,” and for us to be truly successful we have to run our own social media / ad campaign and recruit our own clients. But what are we supposed to do? Insist that every person on the Internet who finds our business page only ever communicate with us through Fiverr? Dumbest shoot you ever saw. They want us to link our FB, G+, and other profiles for confidence? Sure! But hey, you better not let anybody talk to you on those platforms - you have to do everything through Fiverr.

It’s impossible to be a “doer” who recruits his or her own clients and stay within Fiverr’s terms of service.

In doers we trust? Actually, no - because if Fiverr did trust doers, they wouldn’t be placing these hilarious restrictions on sellers’ portfolios, external websites, etc. If we’re going to be freelancers, then Fiverr has to let us be FREE to recruit our clients and do what needs to be done in order to get our business handled.

[thecreativeguys]

Fiverr needs to make up its mind about external links, even for portfolios. Their insistence that websites that they’ve white-listed not have any method for direct communication with the seller is absolutely inane.

They want us to be “doers,” and for us to be truly successful we have to run our own social media / ad campaign and recruit our own clients. But what are we supposed to do? Insist that every person on the Internet who finds our business page only ever communicate with us through Fiverr? Dumbest shoot you ever saw. They want us to link our FB, G+, and other profiles for confidence? Sure! But hey, you better not let anybody talk to you on those platforms - you have to do everything through Fiverr.

It’s impossible to be a “doer” who recruits his or her own clients and stay within Fiverr’s terms of service.

In doers we trust? Actually, no - because if Fiverr did trust doers, they wouldn’t be placing these hilarious restrictions on sellers’ portfolios, external websites, etc. If we’re going to be freelancers, then Fiverr has to let us be FREE to recruit our clients and do what needs to be done in order to get our business handled.

The interesting observation I made was the existence of a portfolio tab on the left side of our pages - which was removed last month. Fiverr explained to me that it is “a work in progress.”

Better yet, yesterday I saw an infographic created by Fiverr which stated: “It’s preferible that we don’t accept payments outside of Fiverr because then Fiverr won’t help out in an event that there is an issue.”

I thought their stance was against it, but clearly here it suggests otherwise?

[jamesbulls]

The interesting observation I made was the existence of a portfolio tab on the left side of our pages - which was removed last month. Fiverr explained to me that it is “a work in progress.”

Better yet, yesterday I saw an infographic created by Fiverr which stated: “It’s preferible that we don’t accept payments outside of Fiverr because then Fiverr won’t help out in an event that there is an issue.”

I thought their stance was against it, but clearly here it suggests otherwise?

I’m all for using Fiverr as my point of sale machine: unified message system, easy bookkeeping for tax-time, all my work in one place (that isn’t my Gmail inbox), etc? It makes my workday a LOT easier.

But this insistence that sellers treat Fiverr like a one-way, entry-only, no-escape crab pot is ludicrous. It’s so dang flipping generous that Fiverr kindly grants us permission to have portfolios of our work outside of Fiverr, but what are we supposed to do? Put our complete trust and confience in Fiverr that they’re going to recruit all the buyers we need to pay our bills, feed our families, and live above minimum wage?

Fiverr has demosntrated repeatedly in the past that they’re willing to shut down even top-rated sellers for minor infractions of the terms of service and even delete gigs without warning because they’re “outside the editorial focus.” Where does this leave a seller who’s gone to the work of creating a good gig, recruiting buyers from outside Fiverr, and has even done business with the gig for well over a year when suddenly POOF Fiverr waves its magic wand and pulls a disappearing trick with the seller’s income? Hahaha, what a good trick! With a swish of my wand, I can disappear your car payment! Or with a wave of my hand, I can make your groceries - DISAPPEAR!

Been selling on Fiverr for almost three years, and for reasons I’ve stated before I’d love to keep doing so, but if they’re going to place conditions on the ways we’re allowed to recruit and communicate with buyers outside of Fiverr, then this might be my last year.

[mahadihasanmera]

OK, so many of my buyers ask me SEO-specific questions, and I thought I could make a blog where I’d regularly post about my work, SEO, etc., and whenever a buyer asks me something I’d point them to my blog article that would answer their questions (and they could then get interested in my other articles, they could become subscribers, find out about my other Fiverr gigs, etc.)

The blog would be a free-hosted wordpress.com blog with no personal contact info - only a link to my Fiverr profile page, a link to a Fiverr-dedicated Google+ profile that would also link back to my Fiverr profile, maybe a Twitter profile for my Fiverr services as well…

I would also not use it as part of my Fiverr profile or gig descriptions because I know wordpress is excluded from the list of allowed profile/gig URLs - pointing buyers to my blog posts would be done solely through order pages & Inbox messages.

Therefore, I would use this blog to market my gigs, help buyers when they ask questions by pointing them to the right article, keep them updated in case I make new gigs, etc.

Can I make this happen without getting into trouble? (also looking forward to hearing from @jamesbulls, @eoinfinnegan & @trishafor5)

Wait, so we can’t have a website/blog that has a link to our Fiverr page? I have a wix website that has a link to my Fiverr 😛 I recently asked if it was ok, someone said yes but now I’m confused

[misscrystal]

Wait, so we can’t have a website/blog that has a link to our Fiverr page? I have a wix website that has a link to my Fiverr 😛 I recently asked if it was ok, someone said yes but now I’m confused

You can put a link to your fiverr gigs or fiverr page anywhere.

[thecreativeguys]

I’m all for using Fiverr as my point of sale machine: unified message system, easy bookkeeping for tax-time, all my work in one place (that isn’t my Gmail inbox), etc? It makes my workday a LOT easier.

But this insistence that sellers treat Fiverr like a one-way, entry-only, no-escape crab pot is ludicrous. It’s so dang flipping generous that Fiverr kindly grants us permission to have portfolios of our work outside of Fiverr, but what are we supposed to do? Put our complete trust and confience in Fiverr that they’re going to recruit all the buyers we need to pay our bills, feed our families, and live above minimum wage?

Fiverr has demosntrated repeatedly in the past that they’re willing to shut down even top-rated sellers for minor infractions of the terms of service and even delete gigs without warning because they’re “outside the editorial focus.” Where does this leave a seller who’s gone to the work of creating a good gig, recruiting buyers from outside Fiverr, and has even done business with the gig for well over a year when suddenly POOF Fiverr waves its magic wand and pulls a disappearing trick with the seller’s income? Hahaha, what a good trick! With a swish of my wand, I can disappear your car payment! Or with a wave of my hand, I can make your groceries - DISAPPEAR!

Been selling on Fiverr for almost three years, and for reasons I’ve stated before I’d love to keep doing so, but if they’re going to place conditions on the ways we’re allowed to recruit and communicate with buyers outside of Fiverr, then this might be my last year.

It would really be interesting having a Fiverr product manager tune into this discussion! Hopes high!