Shadow-Ban on Fiverr: An Open Appeal to Navigate Unseen Obstacles

[ezeomanwaneri]

Dear members of our Fiverr community,

I write this open letter today from a place of deep concern, which I believe many of you can empathize with, given our shared experiences on this platform. I have been a proud seller of album cover design gigs on Fiverr since 2017, pouring passion, time, and dedication into every piece I create.

In the year 2020, I achieved my highest earnings on the platform, but this coincided with the onset of the pandemic - a challenging period that cast a cloud over us all. The volume of work, coupled with the generally tense atmosphere, led me down a path of burnout. In response, I chose to set my status to "out of office" for a few weeks. This, I deemed necessary, to mentally rejuvenate myself and come back stronger for my clients. However, my return marked the beginning of a troublesome downturn.

Ever since then, my sales have taken a substantial hit. No matter the effort I exert to regain my previous momentum, I grapple with a persistent downturn that seems inexplicable. I even resorted to what I call my 'day-one' tactic - directing individuals from my social media platforms to purchase my Fiverr gig. All these efforts, unfortunately, feel like they've done more to enhance the platform's visibility rather than advance my own business.

I've appealed to the customer service team on several occasions. Their advice, although well-meaning, has been limited to directing traffic from my social media platforms to my gig - a strategy I have been employing already. I stand firm in my belief that I am not a subpar album cover designer. On the contrary, I have received peer accolades that attest to my skill and proficiency, and the creation of over 600 album covers under my belt stands as a testament to my commitment.

Last year, I took the step of investing in the Fiverr Seller Success Program, hoping this would provide the lifeline I needed. Unfortunately, this measure did not provide the intended results. My assigned coach concluded that my gig was 'unredeemable' and advised me to attract sellers from social media, essentially placing the onus on me to do what I believe should be the platform's responsibility. To add salt to the wound, the program was abruptly terminated, leaving me feeling stranded.

Now, I find myself in a situation where I hardly appear on searches, and if it weren't for my established clientele outside of Fiverr, I might have lost all hope. It feels as though I'm subjected to an unseen penalty, with no valid reasoning provided, and left outside the competitive arena.

While I persist in seeking redress from the powers-that-be, I'm also eager to hear from you, my fellow Fiverr users. How have you navigated such challenges? I've perused posts on similar issues, and a common piece of advice seems to be "wait and hope." Some even bring up the topic of 'private ratings,' a system that, if true, is quite problematic, since it lacks transparency and offers no protection to sellers from possibly unfounded reports.

Such practices have adverse implications for our business ventures, not just for me but for all sellers who may fall victim to arbitrary and potentially unjust decisions. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate your insights. Is there a path to improvement, to regain visibility and stand tall in the search rankings, beyond the usual, vague advice to 'perform better' or 'advertise externally'?

Your support and shared experiences would be invaluable in these challenging times.

Yours sincerely,

Eze Wan (@EzeWan)

[ezeomanwaneri]

Dear Fellow Fiverr Creatives,

It is with profound concern that I address you today. Since 2017, I've been a committed Fiverr designer, specializing in album covers. My dedication to my craft has never wavered.

However, post-2020, my previously thriving sales have faced a dramatic downturn. That year, amidst the global turmoil, I simultaneously experienced peak earnings and subsequent burnout. I took a brief, necessary hiatus to rejuvenate, expecting to bounce back stronger. Yet, my return was marked by an unexpected plunge in sales.

I've resorted to redirecting traffic from my social platforms to my Fiverr gig – a tactic from my early days – only to witness an inadvertent boost to Fiverr's visibility instead of my own. Customer service, while supportive, reiterates the same strategy I'm already employing.

My proficiency as an album cover designer is not the issue here. A portfolio of over 600 album covers and a collection of peer accolades support this assertion. Despite enrolling in the Fiverr Seller Success Program, I've been met with further disappointment.

Today, I find myself barely appearing in searches. Without my clientele outside Fiverr, the situation would seem hopeless. The inexplicable penalty I appear to be under has left me feeling excluded from the competitive landscape.

I extend this message, both as an appeal to Fiverr's administration and as a call to you, my fellow designers. How do you navigate these murky waters? Any shared experiences or advice would be invaluable in these trying times.

 

Eze Wan (@EzeWan)

[catwriter]

17 minutes ago, ezeomanwaneri said:

My assigned coach concluded that my gig was 'unredeemable'

Huh? Why?

18 minutes ago, ezeomanwaneri said:

Some even bring up the topic of 'private ratings,' a system that, if true, is quite problematic, since it lacks transparency and offers no protection to sellers from possibly unfounded reports.

It's true.

18 minutes ago, ezeomanwaneri said:

Is there a path to improvement, to regain visibility and stand tall in the search rankings, beyond the usual, vague advice to 'perform better' or 'advertise externally'?

Based on what I've read on the forum, it might help a lot if your existing buyers leave a great private feedback. Of course, you're not allowed to ask them for great private feedback, but you can ask them to fill out the survey that Fiverr sends. It's a matter of how your word it; I think that @vickiespencer was very successful with this, and perhaps she'll share her experience.

[donnovan86]

20 minutes ago, ezeomanwaneri said:

Some even bring up the topic of 'private ratings,' a system that, if true, is quite problematic, since it lacks transparency and offers no protection to sellers from possibly unfounded reports.

Most likely it's due to private ratings. People might leave a great public review because they feel they should do that, however with these private reviews they tend to speak the truth and say how they really feel. The main issue is that first time buyer private reviews are even more important, to the point where a bad private review from them will burry your gig for months if you don't have a ton of orders. 

21 minutes ago, ezeomanwaneri said:

Is there a path to improvement, to regain visibility and stand tall in the search rankings, beyond the usual, vague advice to 'perform better' or 'advertise externally'?

The only thing you can do is to either invest in Promoted Gigs hoping it gives you some orders, and ensure you go overboard to keep clients happy. You can also bring off-platform clients to Fiverr, in an effort to try and acquire better reviews. 

Also, you're dismissing AI. The rise of AI killed a lot of Fiverr businesses, and it crippled thousands, including mine. Experience matters, true, but at the end of the day people are going toward less expensive options and AI is certainly such a thing..

[rare_art]

I have been designing book covers for a few months. All clients are happy. My gig went from page one to page 15 for some reason. I called the help center to tell me the "reason," and they acted like they had no idea. I invested in Fiverr; I had clients I asked to join and order there. I felt very insecure for the first time. Although I can give professional service, I am unsure about continuing on a platform that does not work on transparency.
 

My best advice:

• Invest in other freelance platforms - 99designs, Upwork, etc.
• invest in making your own website and taking orders from there. use Fiverr seller plus to extract targeted keywords for your website.
• sells premade covers on e-commerce platforms.

[ezeomanwaneri]

On 7/2/2023 at 3:06 PM, donnovan86 said:

Most likely it's due to private ratings. People might leave a great public review because they feel they should do that, however with these private reviews they tend to speak the truth and say how they really feel. The main issue is that first time buyer private reviews are even more important, to the point where a bad private review from them will burry your gig for months if you don't have a ton of orders. 

The only thing you can do is to either invest in Promoted Gigs hoping it gives you some orders, and ensure you go overboard to keep clients happy. You can also bring off-platform clients to Fiverr, in an effort to try and acquire better reviews. 

Also, you're dismissing AI. The rise of AI killed a lot of Fiverr businesses, and it crippled thousands, including mine. Experience matters, true, but at the end of the day people are going toward less expensive options and AI is certainly such a thing..

Investing in Promoted Gigs and ensuring client satisfaction are certainly good strategies that I'll continue to employ. Bringing off-platform clients to Fiverr is something I've been doing, but as you rightly pointed out, a greater focus might help improve my standing.

Regarding AI, I understand how this technology can influence businesses and consumer choices, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness. However, as creatives, I believe we offer something unique and invaluable that technology can't replicate - the human touch, imagination, and personalized attention. Nevertheless, I appreciate your insights and will continue to ponder the role AI plays in our shared marketplace.

On 7/2/2023 at 3:04 PM, catwriter said:

Based on what I've read on the forum, it might help a lot if your existing buyers leave a great private feedback. Of course, you're not allowed to ask them for great private feedback, but you can ask them to fill out the survey that Fiverr sends. It's a matter of how your word it; I think that @vickiespencer was very successful with this, and perhaps she'll share her experience.

The concept of private ratings was brought to my attention through this platform, and it's concerning to think it could be a significant factor in my gig's visibility. While this system might have its merits, the lack of transparency leaves much to be desired, making it difficult for sellers like us to understand the real impact on our work and respond effectively.

[donnovan86]

4 minutes ago, ezeomanwaneri said:

Nevertheless, I appreciate your insights and will continue to ponder the role AI plays in our shared marketplace.

Well I can tell you for a fact that artists, writers are the most affected. Voiceover people too. Everyone is seeing a consistent drop in sales, especially since January-March. 

[ezeomanwaneri]

4 minutes ago, donnovan86 said:

Well I can tell you for a fact that artists, writers are the most affected. Voiceover people too. Everyone is seeing a consistent drop in sales, especially since January-March. 

I hear you, it's a tough time for all of us creatives. 

[catwriter]

19 minutes ago, ezeomanwaneri said:

Regarding AI, I understand how this technology can influence businesses and consumer choices, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness.

Oh yes, there are people happily bragging that they've saved money by using AI for their book cover instead of paying an artist to do it for them.

[vickiespencer]

1 hour ago, catwriter said:

Based on what I've read on the forum, it might help a lot if your existing buyers leave a great private feedback. I think that @vickiespencer was very successful with this, and perhaps she'll share her experience.

My SPM did suggest I ask buyers to leave private feedback. I only asked my regular buyers, who I was positive would give me a positive review.

According to my SPM, it did help to improve my Buyer Satisfaction Rating.  However, it is important to ask every time, which makes me feel like I am bothering the buyer.

She added that buyers score sellers on a 1 to 5 scale, and having perfect 5s is rare. I also learned that we are being evaluated compared to everyone else in our subcategory, so a score of 5 is unnecessary. We only need to do as well or better than others in our subcategory. I assume that if a buyer leaves a poor private review for a seller, it messes with the seller's averages, and there are consequences. 

[nickj2013]

On 7/2/2023 at 2:42 PM, ezeomanwaneri said:

I write this open letter today from a place of deep concern, which I believe many of you can empathize with, given our shared experiences on this platform. I have been a proud seller of album cover design gigs on Fiverr since 2017, pouring passion, time, and dedication into every piece I create.

In the year 2020, I achieved my highest earnings on the platform, but this coincided with the onset of the pandemic - a challenging period that cast a cloud over us all. The volume of work, coupled with the generally tense atmosphere, led me down a path of burnout. In response, I chose to set my status to "out of office" for a few weeks. This, I deemed necessary, to mentally rejuvenate myself and come back stronger for my clients. However, my return marked the beginning of a troublesome downturn.

Ever since then, my sales have taken a substantial hit. No matter the effort I exert to regain my previous momentum, I grapple with a persistent downturn that seems inexplicable. I even resorted to what I call my 'day-one' tactic - directing individuals from my social media platforms to purchase my Fiverr gig. All these efforts, unfortunately, feel like they've done more to enhance the platform's visibility rather than advance my own business.

I've appealed to the customer service team on several occasions. Their advice, although well-meaning, has been limited to directing traffic from my social media platforms to my gig - a strategy I have been employing already. I stand firm in my belief that I am not a subpar album cover designer. On the contrary, I have received peer accolades that attest to my skill and proficiency, and the creation of over 600 album covers under my belt stands as a testament to my commitment.

Last year, I took the step of investing in the Fiverr Seller Success Program, hoping this would provide the lifeline I needed. Unfortunately, this measure did not provide the intended results. My assigned coach concluded that my gig was 'unredeemable' and advised me to attract sellers from social media, essentially placing the onus on me to do what I believe should be the platform's responsibility. To add salt to the wound, the program was abruptly terminated, leaving me feeling stranded.

Now, I find myself in a situation where I hardly appear on searches, and if it weren't for my established clientele outside of Fiverr, I might have lost all hope. It feels as though I'm subjected to an unseen penalty, with no valid reasoning provided, and left outside the competitive arena.

While I persist in seeking redress from the powers-that-be, I'm also eager to hear from you, my fellow Fiverr users. How have you navigated such challenges? I've perused posts on similar issues, and a common piece of advice seems to be "wait and hope." Some even bring up the topic of 'private ratings,' a system that, if true, is quite problematic, since it lacks transparency and offers no protection to sellers from possibly unfounded reports.

Such practices have adverse implications for our business ventures, not just for me but for all sellers who may fall victim to arbitrary and potentially unjust decisions. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate your insights. Is there a path to improvement, to regain visibility and stand tall in the search rankings, beyond the usual, vague advice to 'perform better' or 'advertise externally'?

Your support and shared experiences would be invaluable in these challenging times.

This goes back to what I said previously about the 'higher tier' programs. The coaches, assigned mentors, or what have you are really not a good selling point at all.

On 7/2/2023 at 3:25 PM, donnovan86 said:

Well I can tell you for a fact that artists, writers are the most affected. Voiceover people too. Everyone is seeing a consistent drop in sales, especially since January-March. 

Once all this WGA/SAG strike business gets settled in Hollywood, us writers will really see just how AI impacts the marketplace going forward.

[donnovan86]

30 minutes ago, nickj2013 said:

us writers will really see just how AI impacts the marketplace going forward.

Well that's related to movies and entertainment. I doubt a lot or any writers here on Fiverr are a part of that organization. But either way, AI has already impacted writers and it will get worse. But as always, quality writers will alwasy prevail. 

[wayne_mt]

It's a bit unclear in your message if your gig is completely dead or on life-support. Today, are you getting leads or orders originating from the fiverr's search? And, have you tracked any modest improvement over time using FSSP or any other attempts? And, thank you, for sharing your experience. I respect your passion for your art.

 

[chronos_1]

10 hours ago, catwriter said:

Oh yes, there are people happily bragging that they've saved money by using AI for their book cover instead of paying an artist to do it for them.

I do not understand what is wrong with it. If an AI helps people do things which they normally have to pay for then why is it bad?

[catwriter]

1 hour ago, chronos_1 said:

I do not understand what is wrong with it. If an AI helps people do things which they normally have to pay for then why is it bad?

Heh. Do you think that a writer who used AI for a book cover instead of paying an artist would be happy if readers decided to read books written by AI instead of buying his/her books?

Would you be happy if someone decided to get AI to write the code they need for their game instead of hiring you to do it?

[nickj2013]

14 hours ago, catwriter said:

Heh. Do you think that a writer who used AI for a book cover instead of paying an artist would be happy if readers decided to read books written by AI instead of buying his/her books?

Would you be happy if someone decided to get AI to write the code they need for their game instead of hiring you to do it?

AI writing tools were really meant for a scholastic environment. Teachers from Junior High and up, often have to put together samples for certain classes. Work normally passed on to a TA (teacher's assistant), if they have one. An AI writing machine can help with that. By creating the necessary literary specimens, and help the teacher or professor lighten their work load a bit. I don't think it was ever intended for writing content fit for mass scale public consumption, such as books or films. Some people are going to learn this the hard way. 

[donnovan86]

15 hours ago, chronos_1 said:

If an AI helps people do things which they normally have to pay for then why is it bad?

You also pay for AI tools. Most of these have limitations that you need to circumvent by paying. So it's not free. However it's cheaper than some talent. 

 

[vickiespencer]

1 hour ago, donnovan86 said:

Most of these have limitations that you need to circumvent by paying.

This statement reminded me of the the sellers who use Grammarly Free and do 💩 work. 

[chronos_1]

On 7/3/2023 at 3:20 AM, catwriter said:

Heh. Do you think that a writer who used AI for a book cover instead of paying an artist would be happy if readers decided to read books written by AI instead of buying his/her books?

Would you be happy if someone decided to get AI to write the code they need for their game instead of hiring you to do it?

I do not think this is a valid argument.

1) Any book which would be good to read will do good regardless of it being written by AI or real person. 

2) Its like saying you took the job away from people who wrote by introducing computers. 

3) I have not idea about writing book, etc and do not enough knowledge about can AI do those. But, currently AI cannot make the games so this is not an option for users currently but as the AI advances it will become an option and we would have to pivot accordingly. 

On 7/3/2023 at 5:57 PM, donnovan86 said:

You also pay for AI tools. Most of these have limitations that you need to circumvent by paying. So it's not free. However it's cheaper than some talent. 

I get that, I was just stating the fact that why would people not look for cheaper and better ( in some cases ) option when it is available to them.

[catwriter]

9 minutes ago, chronos_1 said:

1) Any book which would be good to read will do good regardless of it being written by AI or real person. 

But the same writer who used AI for a book cover would complain if people chose to, say, read free books written by AI instead of buying his book after he's invested so much time and effort to write it. I'm talking about hypocrisy here: the same person who wants to get paid for their art brags about not using (and paying) an artist and using AI instead.

[shahidfreelanc]

On 7/3/2023 at 12:42 AM, ezeomanwaneri said:

Your support and shared experiences would be invaluable in these challenging times.

I think the past is passed since the review is very important for us so you have to need more aware in future.

[donnovan86]

On 7/4/2023 at 2:07 AM, chronos_1 said:

I get that, I was just stating the fact that why would people not look for cheaper and better ( in some cases ) option when it is available to them.

Most of the time AI tools are not better than what people would handcraft. Especially when it comes to writing, and even design. But each person is free to spend their money the way they want. 

[chronos_1]

On 7/4/2023 at 11:53 AM, catwriter said:

But the same writer who used AI for a book cover would complain if people chose to, say, read free books written by AI instead of buying his book after he's invested so much time and effort to write it. I'm talking about hypocrisy here: the same person who wants to get paid for their art brags about not using (and paying) an artist and using AI instead.

We do not have enough data to support that hypothesis. Again, as per my opinion anything good will sell itself whether written by AI or human but it is wrong to force someone to pay a certain group whether they be developers/ designers/ writer, etc when a better or cheaper alternative ( as per the buyer, not necessary it would be better or cheaper ) is available to him/ her.

[chronos_1]

On 7/4/2023 at 12:43 PM, donnovan86 said:

Most of the time AI tools are not better than what people would handcraft. Especially when it comes to writing, and even design.. But each person is free to spend their money the way they want. 

Exactly my point, if a buyer wants to move forward with using AI tools even though it would bad he/ she is free to do. I am not familiar with writing nor do I have any knowledge about that field but designing is one of my fields and I can say with new AI tools it is much cheaper and better to do in several cases for my field.

[donnovan86]

29 minutes ago, chronos_1 said:

I am not familiar with writing nor do I have any knowledge about that field

AI writing is pretty bad, especially when it comes to research. But some prefer to just use that and repair the content using their own research. Others just prefer to hire people.