This blog post is by Rhys Wynne of The Blogging Dojo.
The forum and myself have gained results, some good, some not so good, from the site. As a result, here are the five things I’ve learned from Fiverr.com.
1. Use it to test software
There is a plethora of blogging software on the market, from ebook creators to social bookmarking software. How do you know which get results? I use Fiverr.
Use the search box to search for the name of the piece of software, and you will get a list of people who will offer to run the piece of software on your behalf. I use this with various link-building pieces of software (such as directory and article submission software). If I get a stream of links back from them, then I know the software is good, and I’ll probably buy it.
Secondly if you need to do something once or twice (such as create an ebook cover from a static image), it can be more cost effective to buy the work off Fiverr than purchase the software yourself.
2. Combine “gigs” to get what you want
A good friend of mine told me about this idea. Basically, a number of Fiverr gigs (particularly an audio track or a video message) are offered on a time-limited basis. Say you want a two-minute narration of a video, but the buyer only has one-minute slots. Simply buy two one-minute gigs from them.
Most are okay with doing two minute jobs; you can also contact the seller to ask if they’ll give you a bulk discount. I’d recommend this if you are need a longer piece done—say ten minutes or so.
3. Use it for low-level social proof
Here’s something I use Fiverr for when I’m starting a new project. I usually create a Facebook fan page along with a website, then pay through Fiverr to get 25 “likes” on the fan page. Why 25? Well, if I get 25 likes, I can secure a shorter, brandable URL.
Once I have that URL, it will never be taken away from me. I don’t care if I get unliked by those 25 people. It doesn’t matter, because once I can more effectively target people who would be interested once I have my branded Facebook URL.
4. You get what you pay for
Overall, you get what you pay for. A lot of things in life seem too good to be true, and often they are. My advice is don’t expect to get written blog posts that will go viral, or graphic design that will make your blog jump out, on Fiverr. However if you keep your expectations low, you should get exactly what you want.
5. The most important skill I’ve gained from Fiverr
The most important thing I’ve learned from using Fiverr is experience in dealing with people who you are paying to do a job for you. This skill will be transferable to more highly paid people associated with your blog in the future (such as contractors or even direct employees).
While I can’t give you a definitive list for dealing with contractors, here’s what Fiverr has taught me about managing gigs on the site.
- Specify clearly what you want: Use simple language to clearly explain what you want. A good idea is to use examples of previous work that’s similar to what you want to achieve. That way, there’s no confusion.
- Analyze failures: Often you won’t get exactly what you want back. Analyze where the communication breakdown occurred, and learn from your mistakes. It’s far better to do this when you’ve lost $5, rather than $500 (or more).
- Have fun with it! Fiverr is fast becoming a guilty addiction of mine, and I use it to prank people (such a record ranting videos on my mates, or getting them “Facebook Girlfriends” for a week). It helps the day go faster!
By learning these skills for such a small amount of cash, you’ll be more effective with outsourcing later on … and that’s worth a fiverr of anybody’s money.
Fiverr.com is one of the strategies of link building discussed in the free e-book “How I Ranked Page 1 In Google For Under $50“. In it, Rhys Wynne – the writer of this blog post – discusses an SEO strategy that can help you get a site running and earning in your blog empire. Rhys Wynne is a 7 year blogger and an SEO with over 4 years commercial experience, and you can follow him on Twitter at @bloggingdojo.
