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[Guide]How I reached level 2 and Featured Seller in 6 Weeks


mrspanda

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If you’re anything like me, you weren’t blessed with having your gig on the front page from the get-go, rotated there constantly and having Fiverr basically direct all traffic to your gig. Well, I did reach level 2 in less than 2 months (manually selected by the Fiverr team) and also Featured Seller… but it was far from easy. Since we seem to have a bunch of new sellers lately, all facing the lack of sales, I figured I’d share my ‘secrets’ with you guys. Some of this stuff may sound a little ridiculous, but hey, it worked for me.



Stop self-pitying.

No really, stop it. Do you really think that other sellers here care that you haven’t made an order yet? Complaining here on the forums shows (whether it is true or not) that 1) you lack marketing skills, 2) you take no pride in your gig(s) 3) there must be something wrong with you/your gig if no one is ordering.

It looks bad on you as a seller and you could actually drive potential buyers AWAY from you.



Have some pride in your work.

Goes hand in hand with the first point. Don’t beg for orders. Present yourself as a businessman/woman. I mean, would you walk outside and hand out flyers, crying for a sale? I hope not. Also, never PM random people trying to get sales. How would you like it if people constantly rang your doorbell trying to sell you a new blender? I’m sure you’d get annoyed too.



Have a professional profile.

Put your credentials in your ‘About Me’ in your profile. Use a logo. That ‘sheep’ that is your picture by default kind of screams “Hey guys! I’m a newbie! LOLOL!” I believe that the ones that will connect you to buyers the best are either logos that show what you do (maybe your username, a picture representing your gig, an image with an example of your work) and the other popular one is a real life picture of yourself- in a professional manner of course (unless you have a goofy gig and want to present yourself in a goofy manner.)



Check your spelling and grammar.

English isn’t my first language- can you tell? Even if you are not native to this language, you can make efforts to seem like it is. Communication is KEY on Fiverr. If you cannot do something as simple as checking your grammar and spelling, it gives buyers a headache to try to figure out what you are trying to say. The easier you make it on your buyers, the better. Also, this goes back to professionalism. If you care enough to check your spelling and grammar, it shows that you care enough to deliver a wonderful gig.



Upload a video.

I can’t stress this enough. People LOVE videos. Most people hate reading. Again, make things EASY for the buyer. Create a video with either yourself explaining your gig or create a video showcasing your work/what you do. There are sellers that create videos too, so if you are stuck, invest that measly $5 into buying a gig that will create a nice video for you! Sound professional! I have a terrible New York City accent (I grew up in the same place half the members of the ‘Jersey Shore’ tv show did, to give you an idea what my accent sounds like) but I masked it in my video just to maintain that ‘professional’ sound.



Join some private Facebook groups.

I got my first 5 sales this way- all on the same day that I created my first gig. I heard of Fiverr from a private Freelancing group I am a part of (and no, I will not give you a link, out of respect for the other members) and it inspired me to create my gig. Then, I linked it to them, asking them to check it out and I also asked them to give me some feedback on how to make it better. There was a top rated featured seller in the group already so I picked her brain. Target your buyers. If you do writing gigs, join some freelance writing groups. If you do graphics, join some freelance artist groups. Example: You have a writing gig and so do I (I really don’t.) I am swamped with work and real life just threw a wrench in my plans. I need help. What do I do? I go to this Facebook group: Help! I have a Fiverr gig that I need done NOW. I will credit you. You see it, you take the gig. I deliver the gig and write your Fiverr username on it and explain what happened. This is just one example of how this could help you.

Also, buyers often will join these groups just to purchase services and keep in touch with their favorite sellers.



Make a Facebook Page.

Yup, devote a whole page to this. I only have 175 'likes; after 5 months of having it, but hey, it helps! Every little bit counts! Don’t do it half-heartedly either… remember, you are using this to market yourself! You want people to look at it and WANT to click on your Fiverr link.



Make a Pinterest/Twitter/Tumblr/etc Account.

Pin and create boards that are related to your gig and link your gig to every one. Tweet about your gig. There are so many different alternative ways to market yourself.



Join some forums related to your gig.

If I am an artist, I want to join some forums where people talk about art. This way, I gain some tips about how others in my niche are marketing themselves and I also am able to get my link out there. For example, I search ‘Tattoo artist’ on Google and run across a forum where artists are all showcasing their work. I like yours and I see in your signature, your Fiverr link. I click on it. Wow, only $5? Impulse buy!



If you can ‘express it,’ express it!

This is my ‘claim to fame’ right here. Most gigs in my niche are not express gigs. People like speed and quality work. If you can deliver your work in 24 hours and maintain amazing quality, do it!! Especially with the option now to view ‘Express gigs only,’ that is a huge leg up! Take advantage of this. This is how I managed to compete against the already top and featured sellers in my niche. I did it faster, with the same quality work, if not better.



No sales at all? Make an deal!

My original newbie offer (which I took down in 2 weeks because I got too many sales to keep up with this) is that if you purchase 2 of my gigs, I will throw in 1 for free, as a bonus. When you are absolutely dying for sales and you need feedback, what is doing one or two gigs for free going to hurt?


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Post on THIS forum.

I’ve never posted on a ‘collection’ thread. I don’t see what the point of it is… if my gig is one of a hundred in a collection, what are the chances of it getting exposure? About the same chance as you hitting the front page. It’s a waste of time, in my opinion. Instead, just take part in the community. Trust me, after the millionth time of seeing the same user on the forums, I always wonder “Who is this person and what are they about?” I click on their profile and check out their gigs. I promise that at least half of you will check out my profile after reading this article, just out of sheer curiosity. That being said, do NOT post spam and do not constantly link your profile after every post. That is unprofessional, yet again. Also, never hijack another person’s thread with your own link. That’s rude and shows poor sportsmanship.



Be courteous wherever you are.

Whether you are on the forums, whether you are writing your gig description, be courteous. Honestly, who wants to work with someone that is constantly berating others or always complaining? If you’re mean to others on the forum, how should I expect to be treated well if I purchase from you?



Ask Fiverr Customer Support for a bump to the front page.

I wouldn’t bug them unless it’s been like… a month, and you still have no sales. Ask if you could be put on the front page temporarily to get some exposure. I’ve personally never done this, but I’ve heard from the other users here that they will actually help you. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t rely on this solely as your form of gaining traffic… because Customer Support is basically god here on Fiverr. You don’t want to ask for too much or constantly bug them because you only get one shot to have a good reputation with them. They make or break you.



Check out your competition.

I am guilty of checking out just about every gig in my niche and then changing my gig description to make it better then my competition’s, offering more and attempting to do it better. I would not copy/reword another person’s gig description because it just looks like you are being unoriginal, and if they report you, you could have your gig taken down or account yanked from you. Someone had copied my gig description word for word before and a few faithful buyers messaged her and told her that she was a phony. Customer Support also deleted her account. However, changing your description to trump your competition is all fair game. That being said, it is also alright to make friends with people in your line of work. Sometimes, I have even recommended other sellers that offer the same thing I do, to my buyers and vice versa.



Do not think that you can just jump right in and offer the same thing a Top Rated Seller is offering.

Example: Top Rated Seller’s gig: 350 words for $5. Wow, that’s SO little for $5, but that seller has proven to be able to deliver something amazing and has over a thousand positive feedbacks to prove it. You can’t expect to jump right in and make $5 for doing so little. You have to work up to that. My own gig has changed since the day I started. I went from charging $5 for 6 questions (wow, right?) to $5 for 3 questions, and now I charge $5 for 1 topic only, but unlimited questions. But- I have a steady flow of buyers so I am able to pull it off. I could never have done that as a brand new seller.



Love what you do.

Some sellers will tell you that they are not here to have fun, they are here to make money. Well, I don’t believe in having that attitude. I truly love what I do and I’d gladly do it for free if I wasn’t producing my own Tarot deck, paying for two degrees, paying a credit card bill, and spoiling by baby. Loving what I do makes me really want to deliver good work. If I am putting my name on it, I want to ensure that i am proud of what I am giving my buyer. I wake up every morning, eat breakfast, play with my son, and when he naps, I look forward to working on Fiverr. It’s not something I dread and not a burden on me. I’m not one of those people that roll out of bed, hating the morning and hating the fact I have to ‘go to work.’ If you work online, it is most likely because you choose to, isn’t it? Might as well choose something that you can really embrace.

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That’s all, folks. That is my recipe to success. Sounds overwhelming and sounds like it’s a lot, but it brought me what I have now. Sure, most people don’t have to go out of their way, like I did, to really get traffic and to get exposure, but for the unlucky ones, here you go! Feel free to share your own tips or share your questions/comments/concerns.



Have a great day. 🙂

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What a well thought out post…I’ve been here a month or so. I signed up, saw the green thingy window on the right and started trolling for jobs there. Not bugging anyone, just saying “Hi, noticed you were looking for a 500 word review” or “Howdy, if you haven’t found anyone for your website content, let me know…” I had my first gigs within a day and have been going strong since. Along with my out of Fiverr writing gigs, I am close to overwhelmed.



I appreciate the tip on Facebook forums/pages for Fiverr users…that’s a keeper for me! I am heading there now. Fiverr should hire you to keep whiners in check!



Nice work!



Fitzy

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Thanks everyone. 🙂 Just sharing the wealth!



@tarotkatya Thank you!! That means a lot. 🙂



@vedmak She’s been on fiverr for 4 months, and I’m really happy for her. I don’t look at her as a competitor, but as a friend. We share our knowledge privately. I’ve been on Fiverr for 5 months. I wrote this post for all the new kids on the block. When are you gonna hit Featured seller? 😉



@fitzythird Hehe, I whine a lot myself… like when I clean my house and my husband walks his dirty boots through my pristine kitchen floor…


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lol, and just so you know, it sometimes takes EVEN more than that, I have a super high rating, great client relations, and still no Top Rated Seller/Featured seller. MrsPanda, you have something SPECIAL that the admins recognized. A truly giving heart 🙂

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vedmak said: Around same time I hit TRS. Never.

Always the pessimist! Watch, you're gonna get it the day you suspend all your gigs and leave Fiverr. xD =)) And yes, I do remember that comment xD

 

kiffinyjean said: MrsPanda -- you are so awesome

Thanks kiffy! You're pretty awesome too xD I think they only feature a certain number from certain niches... maybe. Did you try asking Customer Support?

 

 

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Great post! Thank you mrspanda!!!

I like what you write, especially as I recently made a fiverr community page on facebook where I promote for free my collection here on fiverr (happyspace’s starred gigs). Of course I include my own gigs (as they are my favorite too-otherwise I would do them) but the whole idea is to let more people know about the work of some fiverrs I really admire. Can’t give you the link here according to the rules but it is easy to find my page in search:-)



happy gigging to all 🙂

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mrspanda said: I did reach level 2 in less than 2 months (manually selected by the Fiverr team) and also Featured Seller

 

First of all, congratulations! I'm in the same niche as you are & honestly I believe it takes specific skills and traits in order to maintain such a solid positive record as yours! Getting your first clients as an "Astrology and Fortune Teller" seller is -to my mind, at least- not that hard, since all people (more or less) have the need to find out "what's next" cultivated in their lives, but it definitely takes a lot more in order to manage exceptional feedback and repeated customers. So, again, well done to you!

 

The piece of advice you shared with us, I feel it will particularly help most of sellers here, irrelevant to whether they are in the same niche as we are. With your permission I would like to add something on the facebook part, it's no astrophysics - just what I did and worked for me.

 

So, when I first signed up on fiverr, I had the luck to get a couple of orders the very same day when I released my service. However, I knew that I would not stand a chance to compete the "sales-monsters" like you and a couple of more if I wouldn't invest in promoting my services (something that I had never done before, when occupied in the same niche offline). What I did is to build a facebook page and promote it to targeted groups of people. In my page I started interacting with fans and giving away pieces of my main service, while advertising my fiverr gig. I could not invest much money so I decided to invest time. And it worked! I'm still on level 1 (around 40 days on fiverr) but technically I've reached level 2, with over 50 sales (okay it's not like I managed hundreds of sales, but slowly and steadily I believe I build trust with clients). So, what you say is correct, a facebook page in addition to participating in other pages and groups is definitely worth the time!

 

Anyway, don't want to waste anyone's time, congratulations on your accomplishments once again - to my mind you are one of the 2 more trustworthy niche sellers...excluding myself, of course, hehehe! :)

 

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MrsPanda you are amazing! Your posts are always well written with amazing ideas! I somehow thought I was doing everything I could, until I read your posts. There are things in there that I wish I thought of a month ago! Thank you for that! One thing that works very well for me, is to be professional but personal. It might sound odd, but what I mean is to be professional in the sense that you present yourself as a business owner. YOU are the CEO of your gig. A successful CEO will not stomp all over his clients, will not show rage or disrespect. He will work with them, tell them what needs to be done if the client is misunderstanding, in a kind way.



The amazing thing about Fiverr is how easy it is to message one another, send each other files like screenshots or a word document detailing what they need because they wrote it on their own time for you so you can present them the project they see in their head. The project they’re trusting you with. Fiverr is about trust, it’s about bringing your personality into a professional online environment. We’re not robots, I bought from buyers who were TOO personal or TOO professional. Too personal meaning “Look I did what you asked, I took the time and it’s only 5 bucks. >:[ Why are you so picky?” That’s too personal, too mean and people are easily offended and it’s easy to misunderstand emotions and tones on the internet. I was offended when a seller said that to me.



He also offered something that clearly said 5 revisions. He thought it was perfect, my vision which he didn’t listen to, yet didn’t want to do another revision because he spent the time? If you offer something, stick to it. If you said UNLIMITED REVISIONS and they ask for 50 revisions, you do those 50 revisions until they’re happy. If you do not like it, change your description and instructions. I see this happen a lot, I’ve seen posts on freelance websites I’m a part of that complain about these exact things. Some of these people are level 2 sellers with mostly good reviews and rating. They’re clearly veteran sellers and should know that just because you’re on a website that offers 5 dollars for something, that it’s ok to be lazy and then not entirely live up to what you’ve promised? Your description is a promise to every buyer.



My most successful gig is a voice over gig, I have made sure to be professional and personal equally, taking all the positive aspects of both professional/personal relationship with my buyers. I’ve gotten nothing but thank yous and things I never thought I’d hear. Buyers coming back because not only did they love what they got, they trust me and want to talk to me and they know I’m not going to let them down and that I’ll communicate with them. I’m active, always answering questions, giving them progress updates, etc etc. Sorry I seem to be saying ‘I’ a lot but I’m basing all this off my success as a seller. I can’t believe I registered last year, did one gig for a month, became level 1 seller then I stopped fiverr due to the weather and personal reasons. Many many months later, I’m back and in 2 weeks I become a level 2 seller recovering from a mistake I made as a new seller. I went from 82% rating to 93% in about 2 weeks. I am proud of that and I will never make my mistake again.



Long story huh? Well I just hope someone can learn from my experiences, my story and my personal insight to help sellers make their Fiverr dreams come true! If anyone ever needs to talk, brainstorm, collaborate on a project or just say hello! Please do! 🙂

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