The Fiverr Formula: A Seller's Guide to Fiverr Jobs for Beginners

Getting Fiverr jobs for beginners is not as difficult as you might think. Fiverr is one of the most popular platforms for freelancers across the globe. According to SEMRush it has 9.6 million users per month (as of September 2023). It's a great sidehustle platform but you're also able to earn a full time living from it as well.

Fiverr enables people to get relevant gigs, earn a stable living, and build a clientele that they are truly proud of. What separates this platform is how it facilitates the process of connecting sellers and buyers.

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Here is a summary of my best tips for how to make money on Fiverr.

1. Use Seller Coupons for buyers (Seller Plus only): Seller Coupons are a way for Fiverr sellers to distinguish and reward their favorite buyers by offering them a discount on an order.
2. Start with a compelling profile description: Craft a concise and engaging description that highlights your skills, experience, and what makes you unique. Do research on your ideal customer and understand what tasks, and issues, they need the most help with.
3. Showcase your expertise with a strong portfolio: Include samples of your best work to demonstrate your capabilities and attract potential clients. Include media such as screenshots, links, and YouTube videos to demonstrate your skills.
4. Optimise your gig titles and descriptions: Keep the simple and to the point. For example: "I will automate your Google Sheets with Apps Script". Use relevant keywords and phrases to improve your visibility in search results and attract the right audience. Provide a step by step approach for how you work and your own unique approach.
5. Offer unique and niche services: this is an important step to consider. Identify a specific area where you excel and focus on providing services that cater to a specific target market. Look for services that are in high demand and have low competition. You can use Fiverr's search bar to see how many sellers are offering a particular service and how many buyers are searching for it.
6. Set competitive pricing: Research the market and price your services competitively to attract clients while still valuing your time and expertise.
7. Provide exceptional customer service: Respond promptly to inquiries, communicate clearly, and go the extra mile to exceed your clients' expectations.
8. Utilize Fiverr's buyer requests section: Regularly check and respond to buyer requests that align with your skills and interests to increase your chances of landing new gigs.
9. Leverage social media platforms: Promote your Fiverr profile on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to expand your reach and attract potential clients.
10. Offer package deals and extras: Create different packages with varying price points and include additional services or perks to provide more value to your clients.
11. Focus on positive reviews and ratings: Prioritize client satisfaction and encourage happy customers to leave reviews, as positive feedback can significantly impact your profile's reputation.
12. Stay up to date with market trends: Continuously educate yourself on emerging trends and technologies to offer in-demand services that attract a larger client base.
13. Collaborate with other sellers: Partner with complementary sellers to offer bundled services or refer clients to each other, expanding your network and enhancing your offerings.
14. Utilize buyer requests as a source of inspiration: Browse through buyer requests to identify common needs and develop new gigs that align with those requirements.
15. Leverage Fiverr's promotion tools: Take advantage of Fiverr's promotional features like Gig Extras, Featured Gigs, and Fiverr Pro to increase your visibility and attract more clients.
16. Offer exceptional value: Always strive to deliver high-quality work that exceeds your clients' expectations. Going above and beyond will lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

These are just a few tips to consider but also check out the Fiverr help articles for sellers who are just starting out. It's packed with all the info you need

#1. How to Setup a Fiverr Profile

Signing Up, Activating the Account, and Onboarding

1. Once you’ve signed up to the platform, you must choose your account type. You can choose the buyer account, the seller account, and the buyer and seller account. While there is Fiverr Pro, it is meant only for buyers. Being a freelancer, you must select a seller or the buyer and seller account.
2. Once you create your account, you must activate your seller account. You can do so by going to the dropdown list box after clicking your profile picture. Here, you must choose “Become a Seller.” You will have to watch three videos about the platform, how it works, and the dos and don’ts.
3. Now, you must enter your information and fill in all the fields marked with an asterisk. This will include education, experience, bio, and more. You must also link your account to other social platforms. Finally, you must verify your account with your phone number, and you’ll be eligible to create your first gig.

Make sure to check out the Fiverr help guide for sellers which has all the guides and best practices.

#2. Creating a Professional Fiverr Seller Profile

Profile Photo

You must add your picture or your company’s logo if you have one. Ensure that you use high-res images, and if it’s your photo, look toward the camera, sport a warm smile, and dress sharp. These things create a good first impression for buyers.

Use a professional headshot for your profile picture.  This will help you make a good first impression on potential clients. People and businesses want to know they'll be working with a real human, not some faceless stranger. Especially if they'll be giving sensitive info and logins to access their website or platform.

Bio

Concise. Crisp. Call to Action. These are the three words/phrases you must remember while writing your bio. You must include what you do, which industries you work for, your experience in terms of years, the kind of projects you have worked on, and what you’re looking for on Fiverr. The last part must be CTA (Call to Action) for all buyers who want your services. Ensure you include the right keywords in your bio. One way to do that is to look at the bios of your competitors and well-established freelancers on the platform.

Occupation and Skills

You can choose up to 2 fields and 5 skills in Occupations on Fiverr. All your skills must be interconnected or similar and must not be too dissimilar. For instance, you can’t choose content writing and software development in one profile. It confuses the buyers and Fiverr’s algorithm, leading the platform not to highlight your profile as you would like. Choose niches/fields that you wish to work for and have worked for before.

Below are some of the most popular categories and in-demand niches on Fiverr:

1. Social Media Marketing
2. Content Writing and Editing
3. Graphic Designing
4. Full Stack Development
5. Virtual Assistant
6. Video Editing
7. Product Management
8. Financial Consulting
9. Transcriber
10. Travel Planner

Education and Certifications

Once you’ve filled the above spaces, you can move on to education and certifications. You enter where you’ve studied and the certifications you’ve done. These parts are important as they boost your credibility on the platform.

Personal Website

Finally, you can add a personal website link. This can either be of your business website or your portfolio. Ensure that whatever you showcase here has to captivate the buyers’ attention and intrigue them to give you the gig.

Seller Video

Above and beyond everything else, this is another aspect of your profile that will help you. Your seller video should introduce you to the sellers and be an extension of your bio/description. You must be dressed sharply, introduce yourself well, and give a comprehensive overview of what you do. One trick you can follow is to address the seller more than yourself. Go with the word “you” more than “I.”

With these steps, your profile is created, and you can move on to creating your first gig.

#3. How to Get the First Gig with No Experience on Fiverr

Overview

In the overview, you fill in the fundamental details, which include:

• Title
• Category
• Service Type
• Metadata
• Search Tags

One of the best ways to get ahead is to understand the platform and leverage the SEO. Always think from the customer’s perspective. What kind of tags and searches would they make for a particular service?

For instance, if your gig is about writing technical content for Web3 blogs and social media, your title could be Web3 Content Writer or Web3 Copywriter. Your category would include the industry and the niche. So select the relevant ones. You can also see Fiverr’s recommendation.

Service Type is not available for all categories, so if your category has options, choose the relevant one. The same applies to metadata as well. Search tags also refer to what searches people would make. This is another space where you can score higher. Earlier, we mentioned that you must look at competitors and well-established freelancers in your field. You can apply that here as well.

Pricing, Deliverables, and Terms

You will be provided space to define your pricing package, deliverables, timelines, and extra services. Based on your field, specify the details. A few things you need to remember are:

1. Do not price too high or too low. In the former case, people will find your services too expensive, and in the latter case, they might feel you’re not legitimate. As a newbie, you can price a little low as you don’t have a prominent body of work. But as you go, start revising and increasing your prices.
2. When it comes to deliverables, always be clear about what you offer. These must be realistic and should set the right expectations for the client. Furthermore, ensure you add extra value to distinguish yourself from others. This is important because it shows that you will go the extra mile that others don’t, and buyers like that.
3. Like your deliverables, your timelines must also be realistic. You must not promise something you can’t do as this might lead to a bad experience for the client. They might give you bad reviews and ratings, which Fiverr will recognize and not list you higher for potential gigs.
4. Always give room for a little customization. If the client needs the work done faster, you can charge more and offer that service. Besides this, if they require additional services, you can give options for those too.

In the end, fill in all these details after doing thorough research. This is because once you study what the norm on the platform is, you will know how to meet those norms and how to break those norms and set yourself apart.

Gig Description

Describe your gig to the customers and be direct. Offer a clear understanding of what you provide, and never beat around the bush. Clients do not get the time to read more than a few words. So, your first two sentences must act as hooks that intrigue the client to read further. The only way to do so is to mention what the client will get in the first line and the additional value you provide in the second line. Once you do this, you can delve into the details of how you do it and other intricacies. You can also add FAQs to answer common questions buyers might have.

Requirements from the Buyer

In this section, you can ask the buyers what is required for the gig. This could be material to write an article, an understanding of the goals to develop software, and more. This is also a way to showcase that you understand the buyer’s requirements by asking the right questions.

Pictures, Videos, and Documents

In this section, you can provide the right samples for your service. While having at least 3 images on every gig is mandatory, you can leverage other spaces, such as videos and documents. For instance, if you’re a video editor, having previously edited videos is important. If you’re a writer, then PDFs will be your best friend.

With the above 5 steps, you can finish creating your first gig and publishing it.

#4. How to Persistently Get Gigs on Fiverr

As a newbie or seasoned freelancer on Fiverr, your biggest tool is your competitive analysis and understanding of the platform as it grows and evolves. It will help you target the right buyers for the right pay packages and also help you convert better.

Besides this, another interesting pro tip is to match the deliverables with the price packages. Ensure that yours is competitive and your deliverables include something others don’t for a given price package.

As a newbie, you must be patient, as it can take anywhere between 7 to 45 days. Even if it takes longer, assess what you can do better, and you’ll be able to get your first gig. To sustain a living from Fiverr, you must constantly take up clients, actively update your work, get good client reviews, and grow through the different seller levels.

Common Questions for New Fiverr Sellers

1. How much can I earn on Fiverr? The earning potential on Fiverr differs greatly depending on several factors such as your skills, expertise, the demand for your services, and the effort you put into marketing yourself. Some freelancers on Fiverr make a few hundred dollars per month, while others earn thousands of dollars. It's important to note that building a successful freelancing career on Fiverr takes time, effort, and dedication.
2. How much does Fiverr take? Fiverr takes a 20% commission on the total order value from sellers. This means that if you earn $100 from a gig, Fiverr will keep $20 as their fee, and you will receive $80. It's important to consider this fee when setting your prices to ensure that you still earn a fair amount for your services. See the Fiverr commissions guide for more info.
3. What are the most popular categories on Fiverr, and which are less popular but have the most promise as a niche? The most popular categories on Fiverr include graphic design, digital marketing, writing and translation, video and animation, and programming and tech. These categories have a high level of competition but also offer a large customer base. However, there are several less popular categories that have the potential to be lucrative niches. These can include voiceover services, podcast editing, UX/UI design, social media management for specific industries, niche programming languages, and specialized content writing (such as medical or legal writing). Exploring these less saturated categories can help you find a unique selling proposition and target a specific audience.
4. How long does it take to get your first few gigs? The time it takes to get your first few gigs on Fiverr can vary depending on several factors, including the demand for your services, the competitiveness of your category, your profile quality, and your marketing efforts. Some freelancers receive their first gig within a few days, while others may take several weeks or even months. To increase your chances of getting hired quickly, it's important to create a compelling profile, showcase your expertise through a strong portfolio, and actively promote your services on and off the Fiverr platform.
5. Is Fiverr safe? Fiverr has implemented measures to ensure a safe and secure platform for both buyers and sellers. They have a comprehensive review system where buyers can rate and provide feedback on sellers' services, helping to establish trust and credibility. Fiverr also offers a resolution center to address any disputes that may arise. However, like any online marketplace, it's essential to exercise caution and use your judgment when dealing with clients. Read reviews, communicate clearly with buyers, and be mindful of potential red flags. Overall, Fiverr can be a safe platform if you take the necessary precautions and follow best practices for online freelancing.