Knowing the mind of a buyer = Success

[david_ff]

I really need some content written for my website. Hmmm… let’s look under this writing and translation section.

OK, I don’t really see anything on websites, maybe I’ll try this business copywriting section.

Alright… looks like some of these people write website content…

Oh, look at this guy he has lots of reviews. Let me click on his gig.

Looks like he’s a top seller, that’s a good sign I suppose.

No video… hmmmm.

He does have 14 orders in his queue, that’s a good sign.

Looks like it takes about 5 days on average for him to deliver… I would like it a bit sooner than that.

OK, let’s keep looking…

[emmaki]

What, “keep looking” is a tip for sellers on a platform where buyers can click an order button?

Why are you instilling doubt over meaningless stuff? I’m a TRS. I don’t have a video. Making bank.

Sun Tzu thinks your advice is a browner shade of brown, too.

[emmaki]

Dave, if you’re looking for website content, you don’t need a sucky video. And if you want me to deliver at the cheap prices here, it’s gonna take a damn sight longer than 10 days.

Sail on, sailor. Enjoy this song while you’re at it from one of the world’s greatest seafaring nations. It’s a hymn to the widows of sailors. Itane mia fora = once upon a time…

[emmaki]

I understand successful people, not bloody losers.

[emmaki]

Some lyrics. Once upon a time, people thought for themselves.http://www.stixoi.info/stixoi.php?info=Translations&act=details&t_id=1638

[ahmed14270]

Respect, But from my point of view the buyers is only looking for fast delivery and cheap prices.

[emmaki]

Have you not considered that this is because your gigs are catered for them, Ahmed?

[david_ff]

FACT:

Videos increase your sales.

If you’re doing well without one, you’re the exception, not the rule.

FACT:

Turnaround for a quality product takes time… I take on average 7 days… but that doesn’t change reality. Buyers want delivery as soon as possible.

I understand buyers, not bloody losers.

David_ff 1, emmaki 0

[shoaibashraf12]

Honestly speaking, It really doesn’t matter that you have the video or not. Buyers usually look at the feedback you have on your gig or just the description of the services you are providing. This is what i have experienced in my case

[annieanimation]

Perhaps fiverr might give your gigs more loving if you have a video… put one up and give it a try.

[david_ff]

Saying people look at how fast you deliver, whether or not you have a video, how many orders you have in your queue… and then say, “hmmmm” is indeed spectacular advice.

Elenchus is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical THINKING and to draw out ideas and underlying presumptions. It allows someone to speak to a diverse audience on multiple levels, providing benefit for both the novice and the expert.

But I suppose I’m asking too much to think sellers on here want to actually THINK about their individual situation instead of having someone simply lay out steps 1,2, and 3 on how to tweak their gig.

But now that I know better… let me clarify so everyone doesn’t have to strain their brains or reference their Sun Tzu book for help…

Do you need a video? Maybe… It might help, it might not. But the simple facts tell us, you’re about twice as likely to get a click on your gig if you do have one. So maybe this is something to think about when evaluating your situation.

Should you try to improve your delivery time? Maybe… It might help, it might not. Again it depends on who you’re catering to, and what your objectives are. Generally speaking people want their product delivered quickly, and generally speaking, the faster you can turn a gig, the better.

There. Now the lowest common denominator among us can understand this post.

[emmaki]

The thing is Dave, nobody actually has any actual proof that videos convert better. If you’re offering VOs or something else that’s related to videos, then yeah, good idea because people need to see what you produce. If you’re a writer or some other provider, then it’s not necessary.

Fiverr can say that people with videos convert 200% better, but based on what? You can say it’s about twice as likely a click will happen, but what is this based on? A tiny sample of your gigs and careful investigation of your click through rates pre and post video?

Show me the simple facts that that you’re using to bolster this argument. The data. Bringing up the Socratic method doesn’t seem like it’s relevant, especially if you’re then going to tsk about Sun Tzu.

Simple facts are simple to prove. So, go ahead.

[david_ff]

Yes, simple facts are simple to prove. Especially these days. A simple Google search will provide all the statistics and proof that you want. But since I’m on a roll thinking for everyone on this post, and easily doing what you could do… here it goes…

blog.hubspot.com

16 Video Marketing Statistics to Inform Your Q4 Strategy [infographic]

Discover these concise, compelling video marketing statistics, and how they can inform your strategy.

Reading time: 1 Min Read

And yes, Fiverr claims that having a video improves your conversion by up to 225%. I don’t have access to their data, but I don’t need it. Based on everything I know from being even slightly perceptive of my surroundings in the year 2016, I have no reason to believe they are throwing out bogus statistics.

The truth is… I’m surprised you’re arguing this point. You seem bright enough from previous posts I’ve read, but you need to step back and actually think about what you’re saying. Videos don’t help convert???
What’s next? Are you going to try and convince us that the sun doesn’t rise every morning?

I understand you have an element of pride wrapped up in this argument because you don’t have a video, and you’re doing “perfectly fine”. But just because you’re situation is the exception to the rule, doesn’t mean it’s good advice for the majority. (Writers and every other type of gig here on Fiverr.)

Bottom line…

You’re not thinking logically. Sun Tzu would be very disappointed.

Oh, and for good measure… here’s a video about how effective video is for marketing 🙂

[emasonwrites]

I get what you’re trying to say, but I don’t think the situation you’re describing is universal. If it was, no one would order from me. No one would have ever ordered from me back when I was a newbie.

There’s also a disconnect between the “there’s 14 orders in his queue” thought and the “I need it faster than 5 days” thought. Either it’s good that a seller is busy or it isn’t…so…which is it? I’d say that there are very few sellers that can offer something that is both good and cheap and also offer it with a 24 hr. turnaround, unless it’s a pre-made product that they can deliver as soon as someone orders.

I think part of the reason people are disagreeing with you is that most of us have dealt with buyers that actually have a very different mindset from the one you’re describing.

[eoinfinnegan]

Your attitude to people who disagree with you on a forum is quite astounding. Your assumption that everything you say must be correct really does you no favors but anyhooo, on to the actual topic…

I have bought over 100 times here, I once checked some seller’s videos because the service I was looking for was video related. For everything else I don’t bother. There is only so many times I can listen to/watch videos with the same crappy stock music or the same embarrassed people with the “I really didn’t want to make a video but Fiverr said it helps so I must do it” faces.

Video is good for services that video helps to market. For writing, proofreading, translation etc, it makes no sense to have videos.

The delivery time is a factor in terms of how many inquiries you get, that’s true. The simple application of the search filters shows that if your gig delivery is longer than a certain amount of days then you won’t be shown. Exposure will be less. What you do not consider is this:
How many well run, professional, easy to deal with people come to Fiverr looking for something last minute?
How many disorganized, complicated, difficult to deal with people come to Fiverr looking for something last minute?
I would imagine considerably more of the latter, certainly that is my experience. Now who do you want to deal with? Which are more likely to value your service and price accordingly? Definitely the former.

Finally, the gig that has made me most money in the past 2 months has been my 30 day delivery gig. What’s more, the clients have been excellent to deal with and the majority buy again. You see, for SEO, those clients who want something done in a couple of days really have no idea of what SEO is or entails - I don’t want to deal with those buyers, the link-wheel and 10 bazillion backlink guys can have those buyers and deliver their rubbish within 2 days.

In summary, you have a method, it works for you. However, you do not completely understand the mind of all buyers, neither does anyone.

Accept that @emmaki is right in what she is saying - it doesn’t mean you are wrong necessarily, just that you both have different experiences.
Oh, and do ask yourself, how many exceptions to a rule does there have to be before the rule is not a rule any more?

[emmaki]

Well, I’m not alone in my statements. Two opinion blogs doesn’t a case make. Hubspot has a free eBook to flog in exchange for your email address (the infographic is just the lead…), while your YT is just a VP company seeking to leverage YouTube’s status as the world’s third largest search engine (NB: I have no idea if that’s true, but people do use it as such). Your evidence is little more than marketing–not factual.

Just to be clear, I know video marketing is the new cool thing, and I’m not against it myself. I just don’t accept that we “must” do it as it will somehow switch the lead’s mind over to us.

As I said, if you offer gigs like VO or animated whiteboards or stuff like that, sure, the video is pretty much a necessity. For writers? It would be more useful to have samples of your best writing.

I am not the exception to the rule here–go and check out the “business copywriting” area of the marketplace, or the press releases section. There are some videos, but not many. Most top sellers–not all–haven’t done so yet for various reasons. Me, I would first need to learn how to use GoAnimate or something and I don’t have time for that (and yes I could outsouce, but I’d rather learn new skills to monetize–it’s the logical thing to do).

Video does convert–but so can writing. What you’re forgetting in your haste to trumpet your idea as the only real idea here is that bad videos won’t help your marketing at all.

Fiverr wants videos because as the umbrella that we work under, it’s one thing that makes them stand out from the competition, and without the data–let alone claiming you don’t need it to support your point–it’s just marketing crapola.

The sun rises every morning as it sets at exactly the same time elsewhere. I’m sure I could come up with a ridiculous argument to prove something with that but bleh.

Make a video for yourself if you want, but personally, before I got around to that, I’d get around to getting writing samples online.

No pride here. Perhaps you need to take a step back and look at what you’re trying to achieve with this post? Stuff works for some people and not for others. My original post, while harsh and a little boastful, is far less wordy than this but no less honest.

Sun Tzu says deception is key to all warfare. Socrates played the idiot, or at least not the role we would expect a super-clever beardy old Greek philosopher too, many times to win a debate. If just about everyone disagrees with your post on various points, then it’s time to reflect that you could be wrong (at least in part), rather than hunkering down with whatever Google coughed up.

But sure, make videos for your gigs. I’m not a n**i! Just don’t make crappy ones. If you do, I can guarantee your sales will not increase: they will either stagnate in place or plummet.

[Guest raimi86]

Wow, everyone has so much to say. No orders in the queue then 😉

[david_ff]

So we do agree that video marketing is the new and cool thing and you’re not against it. Good. You had me worried.

Not sure why you and all your anti-video buddies are coming out of the woodwork with foaming mouths at the mention that videos could possibly help market your product…

Let me also be clear. Never once did I say you MUST have a video, or trumpet my idea as the only idea. In fact, I believe my words were, “Do you need a video? Maybe… It might help, it might not.”

And obviously a bad video doesn’t help. (BTW… The fact that I had to actually type that sentence makes me lose faith in humanity.)

And the garbage about my links not being credible… come on! I know… you know… video is generally a very valuable tool to market your service. It doesn’t matter what your service is, or what platform you offer your service on. Whether it’s Writing, SEO, Whiteboard videos, geez… even if you want to provide crocodile hunting expeditions. Video generally increases conversion. And since everyone is having a heart attack at the mention of this… let me emphasize GENERALLY!!!

It’s like I’m arguing the sky is blue with someone that lives in Scotland or Seattle. OK… I get it… it’s probably not blue most of the time where you live, but IN GENERAL… the sky is blue!

So maybe we should consider if video could be useful to us (and perhaps you’ll come to the conclusion it isn’t valuable for you.) when evaluating our own particular situation. Just because the world looks flat from your balcony in Greece doesn’t mean the world’s flat. That’s my point, and it’s 100% true, 0% wrong.

Now let’s move on shall we. Our sparring match was quite fun. I hope you agree. Kudos and let me know if you ever need help making a video 🙂

[emmaki]

Ah, I love the smell of fresh backtracking in the morning. A spirit effort, my friend.

Personally between the mozzies, humidity and stiflling heat, I don’t care for blue skies and this weather, yet tourists flock to it.

Provide the evidence, not other people’s mktg vid–and the “anti-video buddies” kind of statements aren’t doing you much of a favor either.

[david_ff]

The evidence is there… However; I can’t help it if you’re blind to it. Enjoy those tourists!

[emmaki]

I’m not blind to evidence–I am willfully blind to marketing bs presented as evidence though.

I do not enjoy lobstered Northern Europeans sweating all over everything while wearing tiny bathing suits while waddling about in with yelp in one hand and a shit opinion in the other. I generally hate summer.

Incidentally, very few people believed the world was flat in the Middle Ages.

[optimalwriter]

This is why Many buyers get shabby project delivery and at the end they head downhill. Everyone wants something for FREE but somehow they expect to be paid well for what THEY do. Its ridiculous

[emmaki]

Either you posted this in the wrong place, you just want to rant or your reading comprehension is less than optimal, shall we say?

[fonthaunt]

david_ff: But I suppose I’m asking too much to think sellers on here want to actually THINK about their individual situation instead of having someone simply lay out steps 1,2, and 3 on how to tweak their gig.
The tips you have were closer to 1,2,3 and your own interpretation of a buyer’s mind than explaining to a diverse group HOW to think about their individual situation.

That by itself is no big deal. I’ve bought maybe 4 gigs this month. If any of those sellers had hinted that other sellers couldn’t be asked to think (implying stupidity?) I’d have cancelled and reported them. That’s my buyer’s mind. I chose carefully and got varied quality but no one rude. The one that offered the fastest delivery time advertised actually delivered late, so perhaps that was a technique to get the button clicked.

[fonthaunt]

It’s not video that’s bad (and I’m not anti-video so I’m not an anti-video buddy. Most of my Gigs have them. What’s bad is this forced idea that all buyers care about video. What’s worse is statements like {david: }since I’m on a roll thinking for everyone on this post" because all of us at any intelligence level can and do THINK. All the pretty words from books don’t make you better or worse at anything and they don’t define the cognitive abilities of others.

Videos are fine and they do have a use. Great videos are especially nice. You can slap a Newcastle label on a bottle of Coors light and it looks pretty, but it smells like a skunk. All right, I’m done, continue with your rhinestones.