Fiverr's Changing ...Are You?

[vickieito]

28 minutes ago, seo_nasirbd said:

as per fiverr update I need to change myself

I (bravely) shut down one of my gigs today. It was tough to do and I almost unpaused it. Almost. (Now I won't because I mentioned it here)

It's a step in the right direction though.

What changes are you going to make, @seo_nasirbd?

[sabinespoems]

14 hours ago, vickieito said:

AI can't write anything deep, moving, and meaningful - so when it comes to writing things from the heart, AI's not going to cut it.

My thoughts exactly! But I might be biased haha. I did have one client who had 3 different AI's write a poem and came to me & ended up liking my piece much more. It gave me a little hope 💪

14 hours ago, vickieito said:

That does make a difference. Living in Hawaii ended up being much more expensive than I thought, especially with a tween and high-school teenager, and somehow my Fiverr income has to cover all of our expenses and have enough to spare for emergencies. So I think about my Earnings a lot more than I'd like.

I understand that definitely makes you way more conscious about your Fiverr approach! A bit deviating from the topic but are you close to the fires that are happening? Hawaii is of course quite big, so I hope you and your family are safe 😕

14 hours ago, vickieito said:

So maybe you could start offering your poetry to professionals and businesses

Thank you so much for your kindness and the time you've spent sharing these ideas with me, that means a lot! I've been a bit tunnel-visioned and couldn't see the forest for the trees (this is a Dutch saying so I googled it and apparently it exists in English too? 🤓). I'm definitely going to make a game plan with these ideas, specifically the ones focusing on business clients! I already had many clients for the jewelry insert cards, so you're spot on with that angle. 

14 hours ago, vickieito said:

Life Coaching gig - serve as an accountability partner, supporter, and friend in the order chats, and then you can send them a personalized poem in the finalized delivery. Charge them for your time (1-hour chat) and the cost of the poem.

I actually did think about going into this area, but wasn't sure if it was allowed. I remember messaging CS about the 'friend' angle and I remember them saying because I'm not a professional I couldn't give advice etc. Although that wouldn't have been the angle (unfortunately I can't find the email). I'll dive a bit deeper into it!

[vickieito]

17 minutes ago, sabinespoems said:

are you close to the fires that are happening? Hawaii is of course quite big, so I hope you and your family are safe 😕

Thanks for asking! I'm on the Big Island, so I'm not on Maui where the wildfires occurred. However, I do have family and friends living on that island (and luckily they are all safe).

The town of Lahaina looks like the aftermath of a war zone and the death toll so far is 93. Thousands of people are still unaccounted for. It's crazy and saddening. I lived in Maui before moving to Japan, so to see picture of Lahaina in that state is surreal and saddening. It doesn't look like anything is left. 😟

[vickieito]

33 minutes ago, sabinespoems said:

I actually did think about going into this area, but wasn't sure if it was allowed.

Correction: It'd have to be under Lifestyle > Other (not Lifestyle > Life coaching). Sorry for the error!

34 minutes ago, sabinespoems said:

I've been a bit tunnel-visioned and couldn't see the forest for the trees (this is a Dutch saying so I googled it and apparently it exists in English too? 🤓)

And yes, this is a very common saying in English (and represents me as well)!

Edited August 13, 2023 by vickieito

[sabinespoems]

1 hour ago, vickieito said:

so to see picture of Lahaina in that state is surreal and saddening. It doesn't look like anything is left.

It's so disheartening to read/see things about it indeed, also the fact so much of the history that Lahaina holds has been destroyed (if I read it correctly). My thoughts go out to your friends & family, and of course everybody there 🙏

[sabinespoems]

1 hour ago, vickieito said:

Correction: It'd have to be under Lifestyle > Other (not Lifestyle > Life coaching). Sorry for the error!

No worries! So if it's in that category it would be okay? I'll look into it, thank you again so much for your valuable insights Vickie 🤗

[vickieito]

38 minutes ago, sabinespoems said:

So if it's in that category it would be okay?

Yes, it should be, since you're not calling yourself a life coach. 😊 You can be an accountability partner, online friend, supporter, motivator, or however else you'd like to be called. And the personalized poem at the end is really nice. No one else offers that (or even has the ability to do it). ...I'm getting excited just thinking about this gig! 🥰

Edited August 13, 2023 by vickieito

[smartdezigns]

In my 9 years of Fiverr's journey, Fiverr has rolled out numerous features/rules but honestly, I have tried none of those new features yet not even a "Paid Consultation" or "My Portfolio" features.. Probably, I have been doing fine without those features or I am an old-fashioned lady on Fiverr lol.. One thing is confirmed that my creativity (my niche is Graphic Design) is getting improved or better with the passage of time, on the other hand, AI is really affecting Graphic Design niche too (along with other niches) which is sort of frustrating..

 

On 8/11/2023 at 7:33 PM, vickieito said:

📈 Have you felt the need to change, as I have?

🏃Are you pursuing things that you wouldn't have, but now are, because of the new announcements that were made?

💗 And what new hopes or apprehensions do you have for your business?

 📈  Not yet but I think that it's time for me to try new things such as Portfolios, Seller Plus or any other feature in order to improve my services (not referring to getting orders, just want to work harder or improve my gigs).. Still in deciding phase I am..

🏃 New announcements were nothing and they did not bother me a single time ever.. It's just me that I can adapt to new things (environment) very easily and quickly too. However, I will have to think about those things which I have not accomplished yet (new skills - unable to do because of personal reasons)

 💗 I just hope and pray that everyone's business flourish on Fiverr (and outside the Fiverr too) including mine. Hope for the Best!!

[vickieito]

1 hour ago, smartdezigns said:

New announcements were nothing and they did not bother me a single time ever.. It's just me that I can adapt to new things (environment) very easily and quickly too.

I think this is a trademark of a great seller - they are able to roll with all the changes that have been announced and pretty much carry on in the same fashion as before. Not many changes (or features) are needed because these sellers are already delivering high-quality services and experiences for their customers.

1 hour ago, smartdezigns said:

One thing is confirmed that my creativity (my niche is Graphic Design) is getting improved or better with the passage of time

I think it's awesome that you are doing so well in this field! It's super competitive ...especially in the categories you are in.

I'm actually migrating out of doing design. 😅 I just shut down my Presentation Design gig and will probably shut down my eCourses gig (where I've created videos, ebooks, worksheets, course thumbnails, and landing page designs). I'll just stick to designing technical documents such as resumes, SOPs, forms, and manuals.

It's best to leave designing to the experts! 😊

[sabinespoems]

2 hours ago, vickieito said:

I'm getting excited just thinking about this gig! 🥰

That's so adorable haha, but I am too! Especially since I gave up on the idea but with your perspective & angle I think it might actually work. This will have my priority in setting things up. Let's see how it will go! 🥳

[smartdezigns]

1 hour ago, vickieito said:

I'm actually migrating out of doing design. 😅 I just shut down my Presentation Design gig and will probably shut down my eCourses gig (where I've created videos, ebooks, worksheets, course thumbnails, and landing page designs). I'll just stick to designing technical documents such as resumes, SOPs, forms, and manuals.

It's best to leave designing to the experts! 😊

Thank you for your compliments 😊

Sometimes designing comes in handy when you are really a writer or when you need to design a document and want to make it 

Wish you Good Luck with Everything! 🙂

[melanielm]

I constantly vacillate between staying basic and offering more 'easy' services (editing AI, etc.) or diving fully into the pro side of things with all the other skills I have and use elsewhere. Fiverr isn't my primary income or interest, to be honest. What I do know is that, as Fiverr evolves, I can't keep vacillating forever or I'll be left behind. I've been a professional writer for more than 20 years now. Things are much different now than they were before. It's good to have options.

[vickieito]

13 hours ago, melanielm said:

I constantly vacillate between staying basic and offering more 'easy' services (editing AI, etc.) or diving fully into the pro side of things with all the other skills I have and use elsewhere.

Are you going to turn any of your gigs into Pro gigs now, @melanielm?

[proconsultn2035]

Thanks for the great insights. I have done a couple of touches on my gig titles, images, packages and descriptions. As Fiverr and its Community Standards evolve, so do my gigs and I. Hoping for the best. 

[coolwebdevelop]

I'm confused with new update

[vickieito]

On 8/11/2023 at 12:29 PM, smashradio said:

I've certainly had to shift aspects of my business to keep pace with not just Fiverr's changes, but broader shifts too.

That's a great point @smashradio!

On 8/11/2023 at 12:29 PM, smashradio said:

I see genuine human talent and experience as our ace in the hole.

I'm seeing this as well - my clients are craving human attention (in the form of Zoom and other personal touches in the customer experience).

On 8/11/2023 at 12:29 PM, smashradio said:

I firmly believe that the survivors will be those who adapt faster than their clients.

On 8/11/2023 at 12:29 PM, smashradio said:

By the time they get there, I intend to have a stronghold in all my niches.

On 8/11/2023 at 12:29 PM, smashradio said:

Because I want to be the "crème de la crème" solution, I've upped my rates, gone Pro (well ahead of the Pro relaunch), and I always look for ways to offer more human value.

This is something I'm trying to do as well - but change can be hard. I have a lot to work on if I want to be TRS or Pro. 

On 8/11/2023 at 12:29 PM, smashradio said:

I'm not jostling for a spot against AI; I want to be the go-to when AI falls short.

Love this. 😍 Thanks again for your awesome comments. I think I quoted almost every line! 😂

[vickieito]

On 8/12/2023 at 5:40 AM, kawsar_log said:

Yes, everything is evolving, including Fiverr; we must also stay updated!

How are you evolving @kawsar_log?

I started broad (offering services in data entry, virtual assisting, proofreading, writing, presentation designs, etc.). It took me a year to change my bio from "full-time freelancer on Fiverr" to "freelance writer." I'm now comfortable with calling myself a technical writer. 😊

[vickieito]

8 hours ago, proconsultn2035 said:

I have done a couple of touches on my gig titles, images, packages and descriptions. As Fiverr and its Community Standards evolve, so do my gigs and I. Hoping for the best. 

That's great @proconsultn2035! Keep us updated on how those changes are helping you! I wish the best for your business, too! 😊

[vickieito]

30 minutes ago, coolwebdevelop said:

I'm confused with new update

Hi @coolwebdevelop - can you explain what you're confused about?

[newsmike]

@vickieito  I've been watching this thread and keep wondering , "Is Fiverr changing, or is Fiverr promising to change like a spouse that gets caught cheating."

We saw the spiffy new "Briefs" replace the horrible swamp of buyer's requests and the end result is the same lousy content, just in a new template.

We were promised "Fiverr Business" was to be an elite, vetted, pay wall sanctuary where actual pro buyers and sellers could collaborate, until they chucked it and said, "It's free and open to anyone." 

Now we have been promised a shiny new PRO 2.0 experience with enhanced traffic and opportunities. However, all we've seen so far is a lowering of the TRS requirements, and thousands of new "PRO" badges being handed out to people who didn't even ask for them, or in some instances, qualify for them. 

As to site security and professionalism, we are in the same place where we were 5 years ago. I can hop a plane to a village that only has power 4 hours per day, use a burner phone to create an account and post a gig that claims I am a "PhD in SEO", or even the "CEO of Fiverr", and get it approved with no question, remember those both actually happened. As a sideline, I can also offer a gig which will claim to resurrect a dead relative from the grave for only $5, and it will be approved.  That also happened, and remained up till we mocked it off the site. I suppose taking $5 for promising to make a supermodel fall in love with you is OK, but promising to make Abe Lincoln tap dance at Mardi Gras is the step too far.

It seems the only thing that Fiverr has taken a real starry eyed shine to is AI.  They are stuck between being sure to include the statement "AI guided by talented and valued humans" every time they mention it, but if you look at the number of AI related webinars, blog posts and initiatives, it is clear that they are gaga n love, and can't wait for Fiverr 4.0, where blades of servers and bots do all the work and don't ask for 20%, don't bug CS for level increases and don't complain about revision requests.  All orders will come with unlimited revisions by subscription. I suspect that this why they allow obvious AI fakery in wholesale levels on a tremendous number of gigs.  

They have launched an AI art contest this morning with a $1,500 prize. Note: Human created art need not apply.

I know they are promising change. But we have heard that before. 

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by newsmike

[vickieito]

39 minutes ago, newsmike said:

"Is Fiverr changing, or is Fiverr promising to change like a spouse that gets caught cheating."

That made me laugh. 😂

...But you do bring up very good (and very true points). 

I think the most major change I've seen Fiverr make is the fact that they actually are holding discussions with their sellers through posting on the forum and through roundtable discussions. It's wonderful knowing the names of Fiverr management and staff by name and I love seeing this level of engagement.

But is this all fluff? I hope not. Fiverr does seem to be cracking down on quality, but there are still many questionable gigs that are still on the platform.

I also want to see the level of professionalism and quality to be elevated among the sellers. One of the things that attracted me to Fiverr was all of the amazing talent that is on this platform. I'm really blown away with the creativity and skill that can be found on Fiverr.

However, there's still a huge stigma that Fiverr is a cheap, $5 platform where you can get cheap services. There's still a lot of dishonestly in sellers and buyers. Not too many people I know think of "quality" when they think of Fiverr.

I just turned on Promoted Gigs this morning and got a message from a Promoted Gig client asking me to "fake" their resume:

Quote

So I really want Fiverr to work on cleaning up the professionalism and skills of their sellers and start elevating premium talent so that we can see less of those buyers who are looking for cheap, dishonest, work (or looking to manipulate or cheat sellers into giving them what they want).

Like @smashradio said, it's the human talent (not AI) that's really Fiverr's "ace-in-the-hole."

I really hope Fiverr sees that.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by vickieito

[donnovan86]

36 minutes ago, newsmike said:

They have launched an AI art contest this morning with a $1,500 prize. Note: Human created art need not apply.

 

Yeah, that one I don't like at all. Sure, more people can enter, but I would much prefer to have category-related contests where people with actual talent can earn, not someone that takes some online queries and has AI create great art for them. It's sad to see that even Fiverr is encouraging the use of AI instead of rewarding talented people. 

[donnovan86]

1 minute ago, vickieito said:

Not too many people I know think of "quality" when they think of Fiverr.

It all stems from the name. Which, if they rebrand, might be very bad for them since they will lose clients for sure. 

Also, if they remove low-priced gigs, more than half the sales on this platform (if not more) will go away, because I am certain most sales are under the $50-$100 pricepoint. And there's no denying those people with lower prices can find other places to sell. 

Fiverr could remove some or all those questionable gig categories, but they are intrinsic to their identity. Plus, some of them are great revenue generators. And this is a service platform, you have professional services, but there are also services "for fun". Could they go ahead and split the platform into "fun" and "professional", each with its own part of the website? Maybe. 

I don't think their changes to Pro were major, if anything they are doubling down on AI and I am certain there's a major decline in revenue due to AI fulfilling a lot of services. I for one have way less revenue than last year, and I see a major decline in sales for most sellers at least within my category. But it is what it is, we need to adapt, in this case Fiverr can do very little. I skip the AI webinars in general, there was one for writers but all I learned from there was how can I use AI as a business owner to write my own content, not as a writer. So yeah, those webinars are a clear skip at least for me. 

[vickieito]

2 minutes ago, donnovan86 said:

Fiverr could remove some or all those questionable gig categories, but they are intrinsic to their identity. Plus, some of them are great revenue generators. And this is a service platform, you have professional services, but there are also services "for fun". Could they go ahead and split the platform into "fun" and "professional", each with its own part of the website? Maybe. 

I don't consider the gig categories questionable - I was just watching some of the Happy Birthday shower gigs videos this morning just for kicks and giggles.

I only wanted questionable gigs removed - the ones with obvious issues (e.g., the Ph.D.'s in SEO's and those offering to take medical exams for you so you can get certified without having to take the training yourself).

It's those gigs that give Fiverr a bad reputation.

[newsmike]

42 minutes ago, vickieito said:

I don't consider the gig categories questionable - I was just watching some of the Happy Birthday shower gigs videos this morning just for kicks and giggles.

These are enough to put major ad agencies off using Fiverr though. They have made it so much worse by not dealing with the separation of professional services and goofy crap years ago, before launching "Fiverr Business," or PRO sellers. Now they are stuck because no one takes the push toward professionalism seriously when obvious fraud is allowed.