Paid reviews are forbidden by most websites, and when a big website gets fed up with paid reviews, they start suing those who write and sell them.
There's the matter of ethics, too. Readers would like to see some real reviews before buying a book, and if they get deceived into buying something that's very much not what the review promised, they feel disappointed. They feel that somebody openly lied to them to get them to spend their money on something they ended up hating (and can you say that they're wrong to feel that way?). And then they return the goods and possibly complain to the website. Mass complaints and refunds are, of course, an incentive for the said website to strictly forbid paid reviews.
Several years ago, I wrote some paid reviews for a website, but they were purchased by them, and used for promotion (and I still refrained from claiming that the books were good or bad, I merely stated some easily verifiable facts about the topics, the plots, the characters...). On Fiverr, I don't offer book reviews, only book blurbs (the obvious promotional piece placed on the cover). Paid reviews are forbidden, anyway. There was even a big lawsuit because of paid reviews. And yet, someone wanted me to write a review of their book, so the bit of news that I mentioned in the title is that I've changed the FAQ of the book blurb gig to add that no, I do not write reviews. Why is it even necessary to state that I don't offer a forbidden service? I don't know, but it apparently is, and I can only hope that it will help. Another thing I've added to the FAQ is that I don't offer discounts; with the base price of $5 for a service that can't be automated, offering a discount doesn't make sense, no matter the size of the bulk.
And the friendly reminder? I've got a Facebook page, and I even post stuff there sometimes! If you wish, check it out and like it.
Monday, July 10, 2017
Friday, July 7, 2017
Why I Don't Offer Advice/Consultations
Sometimes, buyers don't know what they want, and they ask for the seller's advice on the matter. Some sellers are happy to advise their buyers, while others offer consultations as a separate service, and suggest to the buyer to purchase it (some buyers do it, and some believe that they're entitled to free endless consultations).
Me, I state in the gig description or FAQ that I don't offer ideas/advice/consultations/suggestions.
Why?
Because it's a hassle, and the kind of hassle that often leads to unpaid work. In my experience, it's not that buyers don't like my advice; they love it, but because they'd entered the whole thing without knowing exactly what they want, they change their mind, and they usually do it after I have delivered the work. And then? Then they ask me to redo it from scratch, and refuse to pay for additional work. Because, hey, they have already paid for the script, and they have a revision available (never mind the fact that a new script can't be a revision).
Could I simply redeliver the same work, explain to the buyer that, if they want a new script, they have to purchase it first, and risk a bad review? Certainly; with my current rating, one bad review wouldn't change things. However, it would still be a hassle, and with my prices, that kind of hassle is neither worth my time, nor does it help the buyer. Actually, even if my prices were higher, dealing with undecided people who keep changing their mind would be too much of a headache; they still wouldn't know what they want, and they would still be unhappy with whatever I send them, no matter how many times I modify it.
It's much more efficient to work only with those who know what they want, so that's what I do. On top of that, the questions and explanations I send to the potential buyers before I tell them that we're not a good match (because I don't offer consultations) sometimes actually help them realize that they're not ready yet to place an order, and that they still need to think things through before they can get something that would help them and something they will love. Will they get it from me? Probably not, but, hey, I've helped them, and I've avoided something that neither the buyer nor yours truly would enjoy.
Me, I state in the gig description or FAQ that I don't offer ideas/advice/consultations/suggestions.
Why?
Because it's a hassle, and the kind of hassle that often leads to unpaid work. In my experience, it's not that buyers don't like my advice; they love it, but because they'd entered the whole thing without knowing exactly what they want, they change their mind, and they usually do it after I have delivered the work. And then? Then they ask me to redo it from scratch, and refuse to pay for additional work. Because, hey, they have already paid for the script, and they have a revision available (never mind the fact that a new script can't be a revision).
Could I simply redeliver the same work, explain to the buyer that, if they want a new script, they have to purchase it first, and risk a bad review? Certainly; with my current rating, one bad review wouldn't change things. However, it would still be a hassle, and with my prices, that kind of hassle is neither worth my time, nor does it help the buyer. Actually, even if my prices were higher, dealing with undecided people who keep changing their mind would be too much of a headache; they still wouldn't know what they want, and they would still be unhappy with whatever I send them, no matter how many times I modify it.
It's much more efficient to work only with those who know what they want, so that's what I do. On top of that, the questions and explanations I send to the potential buyers before I tell them that we're not a good match (because I don't offer consultations) sometimes actually help them realize that they're not ready yet to place an order, and that they still need to think things through before they can get something that would help them and something they will love. Will they get it from me? Probably not, but, hey, I've helped them, and I've avoided something that neither the buyer nor yours truly would enjoy.
Monday, July 3, 2017
5 Things Not to Do When the Search Algorithm Changes
Fiverr's search placement algorithm is changing, or, perhaps, something else is changing – Fiverr does experiment more and more often, after all – and your gig is no longer where it used to be. You're not getting as many sales as you used to get. Maybe you're not getting sales at all. It's certainly scary, especially if you've come to depend on Fiverr, but there are things that you shouldn't do, because they won't help, and might hurt you in the long run.
What are they?
1. Repeatedly Complaining on the Forum
While voicing out your concerns is perfectly fine, it's enough to do it once. Complaining over and over about the same thing, all over the Fiverr Forum, or even creating several topics about it, won't help you get sales. It will only get you labeled as a whiner and a spammer, and, if you're a marketer of any kind, be prepared to get the inevitable You're a marketer, use your expertise to market your services and get sales.
On a side note, if you claim to be an expert marketer (digital marketer, social media marketer, email marketer, copywriter, or anything related to marketing), and you complain on the forum that you're not getting sales, you will be seen as incompetent. After all, if you can't successfully market your own service, your gigs can't be really useful to your customers, either.
2. Demanding the Same Spot in the Search That You Had Before
As Customer Support will tell you if you ask them, there's no guarantee that you will have a certain spot in the search – or that you will show up in search at all. On top of that, there's a limited number of spots on the first (or any other) page: you holding one of those spots means that thousands of other sellers are not there. You making sales just because you're on the first page means that others are not selling; in other words, by demanding to be on the first page in search, you're demanding to be put above others, and you're demanding (if you believe that you're getting sales solely because of your position in the search) that all the sales go to you at the expense of other sellers. And if, after all that, you say something like I just want Fiverr to be fair – well, does it sound fair to you to get sales at the expense of other sellers, who also have bills to pay and families to feed?
3. Bashing Other People
Being rude or unpleasant to other people isn't going to help you. Offending other Fiverr members or Fiverr staff, or accusing other people of ruining you, will do absolutely nothing about your position in the search; it will just make people see you as unpleasant/unreasonable/selfish. On top of that, if you're rude to other Fiverr members or Fiverr staff, you could get in trouble, because Fiverr is meant to be friendly place.
What about The Ranting Pot on the forum? Sure, it's meant for ranting, but keep in mind that the forum rules still stand, and that there's a limit to what you're allowed to say before you get suspended.
By all means, discuss things through, talk to others about possible strategies and solutions, but remember to remain courteous.
4. Begging for Orders
Begging is a no-no. People order from you because they need something, and you can provide it. Crying that you need money/have a family to feed is highly unlikely to land you sales. You might get a few, out of pity, but pity isn't a good foundation for a business. You need money? So does everyone else, except for a very small number of Fiverr sellers who do it just to occupy their time. You have bills to pay, you need to put food on the table? So do the others. However, except for a few pity cases, nobody will order from you simply because you need money; if you don't find a way to reach people who actually need something from you regardless of where the search algorithm places you, you are not going to have sales, and no amount of begging will change that. Quite the contrary: you will appear desperate, and nobody wants to work with desperate people.
5. Expecting the World (or Fiverr) to Just Give You Whatever You Want
Should I even say that it's not going to happen?
But, wait, what does it have to do with Fiverr's search algorithm?
This: some people who have lost something that was never guaranteed to them in the first place (like a specific place in search, or any place in search) seem to believe that they're entitled to that thing, that they have every right to demand it, and that it should be given exclusively to them. Just because. Or because they have worked for it, and came to believe that it's now theirs to keep forever.
The thing is, the world doesn't work that way, and neither does Fiverr. There are no guarantees for anything, so expecting to get something just because you want it (yes, you have worked for it; other people have worked for it and want it, too) is futile.
The only thing you can expect for certain is change. If you're not able to adapt, if you're not able to keep finding new, more efficient ways to get what you want, you will fail.
Don't be that person.
Learn how to adapt, learn how to find a way to get what you want, and win.
What are they?
1. Repeatedly Complaining on the Forum
While voicing out your concerns is perfectly fine, it's enough to do it once. Complaining over and over about the same thing, all over the Fiverr Forum, or even creating several topics about it, won't help you get sales. It will only get you labeled as a whiner and a spammer, and, if you're a marketer of any kind, be prepared to get the inevitable You're a marketer, use your expertise to market your services and get sales.
On a side note, if you claim to be an expert marketer (digital marketer, social media marketer, email marketer, copywriter, or anything related to marketing), and you complain on the forum that you're not getting sales, you will be seen as incompetent. After all, if you can't successfully market your own service, your gigs can't be really useful to your customers, either.
2. Demanding the Same Spot in the Search That You Had Before
As Customer Support will tell you if you ask them, there's no guarantee that you will have a certain spot in the search – or that you will show up in search at all. On top of that, there's a limited number of spots on the first (or any other) page: you holding one of those spots means that thousands of other sellers are not there. You making sales just because you're on the first page means that others are not selling; in other words, by demanding to be on the first page in search, you're demanding to be put above others, and you're demanding (if you believe that you're getting sales solely because of your position in the search) that all the sales go to you at the expense of other sellers. And if, after all that, you say something like I just want Fiverr to be fair – well, does it sound fair to you to get sales at the expense of other sellers, who also have bills to pay and families to feed?
3. Bashing Other People
Being rude or unpleasant to other people isn't going to help you. Offending other Fiverr members or Fiverr staff, or accusing other people of ruining you, will do absolutely nothing about your position in the search; it will just make people see you as unpleasant/unreasonable/selfish. On top of that, if you're rude to other Fiverr members or Fiverr staff, you could get in trouble, because Fiverr is meant to be friendly place.
What about The Ranting Pot on the forum? Sure, it's meant for ranting, but keep in mind that the forum rules still stand, and that there's a limit to what you're allowed to say before you get suspended.
By all means, discuss things through, talk to others about possible strategies and solutions, but remember to remain courteous.
4. Begging for Orders
Begging is a no-no. People order from you because they need something, and you can provide it. Crying that you need money/have a family to feed is highly unlikely to land you sales. You might get a few, out of pity, but pity isn't a good foundation for a business. You need money? So does everyone else, except for a very small number of Fiverr sellers who do it just to occupy their time. You have bills to pay, you need to put food on the table? So do the others. However, except for a few pity cases, nobody will order from you simply because you need money; if you don't find a way to reach people who actually need something from you regardless of where the search algorithm places you, you are not going to have sales, and no amount of begging will change that. Quite the contrary: you will appear desperate, and nobody wants to work with desperate people.
5. Expecting the World (or Fiverr) to Just Give You Whatever You Want
Should I even say that it's not going to happen?
But, wait, what does it have to do with Fiverr's search algorithm?
This: some people who have lost something that was never guaranteed to them in the first place (like a specific place in search, or any place in search) seem to believe that they're entitled to that thing, that they have every right to demand it, and that it should be given exclusively to them. Just because. Or because they have worked for it, and came to believe that it's now theirs to keep forever.
The thing is, the world doesn't work that way, and neither does Fiverr. There are no guarantees for anything, so expecting to get something just because you want it (yes, you have worked for it; other people have worked for it and want it, too) is futile.
The only thing you can expect for certain is change. If you're not able to adapt, if you're not able to keep finding new, more efficient ways to get what you want, you will fail.
Don't be that person.
Learn how to adapt, learn how to find a way to get what you want, and win.
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