My First 6 Months on Fiverr [ARCHIVED]

[thewriteones]

As I opened up my dashboard today, I noticed that I’ve hit a milestone; I reached my 100th order on Fiverr! As exciting as that is, I also feel that it’s a great time to reflect a little on where I started as a seller on Fiverr, and what the last 6 months has been like trying to build a personal brand in the world of micro-transaction commerce. I’m sure there are folks out there scouring the forums, Fiverr Academy, and the internet in general, trying to find all the information they can about the best way to make a living via Fiverr. I felt that by sharing my story, maybe I can provide a bit of insight into what I did to land my first 100 sales. And if I share any info that someone else finds helpful, then it was all a worthwhile cause.

First, a little background information on myself. I’ve always loved to write, but never considered it as a way a viable career path. I’ve spent the better part of two decades involved in sales, and somewhere along the way, I picked up a degree in physical therapy. Two career paths, two opposite ends of the spectrum, but neither satisfied my passion for writing. Writing was a hobby, and nothing more. I had resigned myself into believing that only famous authors and company-employed copywriters were the only ones that got to turn words into wealth.

Awhile back, I was introduced to Fiverr. I was intrigued at the possibility of being able to actually profit off of something that I loved. I could start this as a side venture, without having to leave the stability of a full-time job. But was I good enough to actually charge money for my writing services? What if everybody hated what I wrote or worse yet, never even purchased one of my gigs? There was only one way to find out …

[thewriteones]

“We’re Off to the Races” – Month 1

I remember my first sale as though it happened only yesterday. It was for a client that had posted an opportunity for a ghost writer gig on the Buyer’s Request Forum. I quoted a price, he countered with a different offer, and just like that, I had my first order. It took about a week to land my first sale.

I remember being intimidated by the number of sellers who were offering the same services I offered, so I needed to set myself apart. My first goal was to get that Level 1 seller badge, even if that meant giving away my first 10 orders for well below what I thought they were worth. I needed 5 star reviews to lend some credibility to my name, and show potential clients that I was a seller that demanded to be taken seriously.

So I formed a plan of attack. I bought a great looking logo from a designer here on Fiverr (https://www.fiverr.com/*************) and had my fiancée incorporate it into my gig image. Instead of waiting for sales to come to me, I went out and found them. I would go into the Buyer’s Request forum, and reply to few opportunities every day. At the time, I only offered one basic writing gig, so my focus was spent on growing it. When I would land a job, I would stop applying to buyer requests until I had that one order finished, delivered, and signed off on by the client. If there was a problem, I fixed it. Immediately.

Was it slow and tedious? Yep. But I NEEDED that Level 1 Badge, and those first 10 reviews had to be stellar, nothing less than 5 stars. I was (and still am) learning the ins-and-outs of Fiverr, and how to build my personal brand, so I only focused on one gig and how to make that one great. I didn’t want to run the risk of getting overwhelmed by offering too much, too soon.

By sticking to my plan, I did eventually earn that Level 1 badge, but it didn’t happen in my first month. Stay tuned for my next post!

[Guest plural_spot]

Nice story! Your story has generated an interesting fact for us.We started our first order on 25 April.Since then till this day, we have completed 18 orders with 5 stars rated.Also, we already have 30 days active on Fiverr.So my question is: Will I be promoted to Level 1 Seller till the end of the mouth?
Thanks in advance!

[mrproofreading]

According to this, yes: Levels

[ryancaldarone]

@thewriteones Nice story Kevin! Thanks for sharing! I could really relate… I think I’m at month 8 right now. I always had a pull towards marketing, adverts, and thought it would be cool to be a copywriter. I found myself picking up a degree in Comparative Literature, and in school I’d always be helping my peers (a lot of them in the fine arts) polish up their artist statements, or LinkedIn bios and stuff.

I thought I might try out Fiverr, and figured it would at least help me practice writing professionally and I could build a portfolio along the way. I’m glad it’s working out for you! From reading your client reviews it’s clear you really deliver valuable work and care about their projects. Excellent customer service!

Cheers!

[Guest rakib1969]

Lesson from reality train the human.
Thanks for sharing

[logokings123]

Nice story. thanks very much!!

[thewriteones]

Thanks Ryan! It seemed like I always had a knack for creating product descriptions, and when I launched a gig catering to that, it quickly became my best seller.

[thewriteones]

I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I invite you to stay tuned for the rest!

[david_ff]

Thanks for sharing. Great story. It’s cool that you can remember your first sales so clearly… I think I have a bad memory because looking back to when I started Fiverr… it’s just a blur to me. 🙂 Reading your article brings back memories!

[thewriteones]

I’ll never forget that first order! The client and I were so far apart on price, but eventually concessions were made (as in, I really wanted the sale and review more than the money), and it turned out to be a fairly interesting piece of content.

[harrisonjacobs]

Thanks for you story, I hope you will hits 1000 sales one day

[annieanimation]

Nice read @thewriteones … I’m looking forward to reading the next installment of your journey.
I’m only in my first month… and only a few sales along.sigh.

One comment of yours tells me what I need to be doing to get more sales.
thanks

[sabedinmeha]

Thanks for sharing. One thing I am considering much more now is to reduce my GIGS to only 2 or 3

[best_works]

Thanks for sharing…!

[best_works]

Thanks for sharing…! Its great that you remember your beginning. 🙂

[thewriteones]

Thank you, and I’ll return the great wishes and hope you hit 1000 as well!

[thewriteones]

I’m glad you found a tidbit in there that you can use. Fiverr Academy and the forums are great resources, but you’re always more than welcome to send me a message if you need some advice. I’ll help where I can!

[thewriteones]

I started with only one gig, and probably stayed that way for about 2 months. I have a few more now, but it just seemed easier to try and focus on making that first gig into something special.

[Guest article_profits]

Great story. I also got my first order through buyer requests

[ellenval]

Look forward to hearing more! I am a Level 1, hoping to get to Level 2 soon! My first sale was through my Gig but have gotten multiple sales through Buyer Requests. I’m hoping to do more work with other Fiverr sellers, primarily whiteboard animators and video creators, since I do Voice Overs.

[thewriteones]

Month 2 is up now! Check it out at http://forum.fiverr.com/discussion/my-first-6-months-on-fiverr-month-2/

[thewriteones]

Check out Month 2 at http://forum.fiverr.com/discussion/my-first-6-months-on-fiverr-month-2/

[sevenstyleseven]

Great motivation, I did my first gig within couple day now, it felt great. I totally agree you may have to cut prices to get clients, it the teething pains of starts -up.I am praying to God this works and become successful.

[camveysey]

Great motivation, this helps me understand I’m not the only one having to start small. I joined fiverr eight days ago and have handled four gigs with four 5star reviews, the first one was for way less than it was worth but I just really wanted to get started so I took it. It is still a bit difficult getting orders but I know it will get easier soon.