You have an upcoming event and are looking for a unique, eye-catching image. Perhaps you’d like to commission a retro poster?
Or how about hiring a celebrity impersonator voiceover of Donald Trump, for a parody video you hope will go viral?
Or even “coloring outside the lines” with a marketing message carved on a banana? Yes, you can actually hire someone to artistically carve a banana and create an image of it to use in your marketing.
You can get this and much more on Fiverr, the creative services marketplace.
These are just a few examples of the more than one million services or “Gigs” sold on the Fiverr marketplace each month. They’re the type of fresh idea that makes Fiverr a rich and deep resource for small businesses — and a great place to buy creative services.
Fiverr is the largest creative services marketplace in the world, according to Aimy Ngo, business development and market strategist at Fiverr. She recently sat down with me in an interview to explain what has made Fiverr such a thriving creative services marketplace.
Fiverr in One Word: Value
Aimy, who’s been with Fiverr for a little over one year, told me, “As a platform, Fiverr is about getting value.”
Entrepreneurs and small business people tend to make up the majority of buyers (and sellers) on Fiverr. Being able to purchase a service quickly and easily on Fiverr is valuable because it saves time. That’s time you can put toward growing your business.
What Can You Buy on Fiverr?
Well, as it turns out, you can buy almost any small business creative service you might need — and some you might never have thought of.
“We have over 150 categories,” said Aimy. “Really, the imagination is the limit.”
Of Fiverr’s million-plus monthly transactions, many of them fall into the Digital Marketing and Graphics & Design categories — two of the most popular categories. Creative design work, video and marketing-related services are in high demand on Fiverr according to Aimy.
When Fiverr was founded back in 2009, every service was $5, but since then the pricing has evolved. “Pricing today depends on the services provided,” said Aimy. Each Fiverr seller sets his or her own prices.
“You don’t have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on Fiverr to get a quality creative service such as a logo or website design,” said Aimy, who herself is a Fiverr user. “And Fiverr stands behind the transaction to make sure a service is actually delivered.”
Why Use Fiverr – And What Makes it Unique
When I asked Aimy what makes Fiverr unique, she didn’t miss a beat. “It’s speedy transactions for quality services,” she said.
“Fiverr transformed services into an e-commerce model,” Aimy said.
Traditionally, hiring a freelancer or service provider involved a lengthy process. You’d have to wade through providers’ qualifications to find one that hopefully could deliver what you need. Getting a creative service done through traditional methods could be daunting.
What’s different about Fiverr is that the creative services are already packaged up for sale like a product, called a “Gig.”
That makes it easier and faster to get a service.
Aimy Ngo, Fiverr business development and market strategist
When you find the service you need from a Fiverr seller you’re comfortable with, you simply hit the order button to buy it.
Of course, you’re not limited to Gigs listed for sale.
“If you don’t see exactly what you need, there are two things you can do as a buyer,” explained Aimy. “First, find sellers who offer services in the general category of what you need who have good feedback and portfolios, and message them about your specific need. Or you can post a request on Fiverr and sellers may make offers to deliver what you need.”
4 Solid Tips On How To Use Fiverr
According to Aimy, Fiverr can accelerate your business’s growth. She pointed to the example of Adam Harrington, who grew his business through getting cost-effective and speedy services on Fiverr.
Harrington created Tuggo, a water-weighted dog toy that has won several awards. When he started he had no budget for marketing, so he turned to Fiverr to help grow his business rapidly, without losing financial control over it. Today his company is successful enough to have a marketing budget, but he still uses Fiverr because of the great relationships he’s built with sellers and because he can get what he needs within 24 hours. He estimates he’s saved hundreds of thousands of dollars using Fiverr. Not only has Fiverr saved money, but it’s enabling him to expand into 3D printed products.
So, could your business leverage itself by using Fiverr?
Aimy offered these tips for small businesses looking to grow their businesses:
- Start with your digital assets – Fiverr, Aimy said, is a great place to get help with developing your website, your logo, your social media profile, content marketing graphics and more. Focus on creating a set of quality digital assets first because they are the building blocks for the rest of your marketing efforts.
- Save time by using the search filters – “It’s easy to narrow down your search on Fiverr. You can search, for example, for providers that can deliver a service within 24 hours, if you need something fast. Or you can search for providers that provide specific services or expertise.”
- Review the seller’s portfolio – Look for someone whose work matches your style, by viewing their portfolio. “Even new sellers will have a portfolio. One of the best experiences I ever had on Fiverr was with a first-time seller. He was creative and delivered marvelous work,” said Aimy.
- Try new things to add punch to your marketing – Be open to fresh ideas, advised Aimy. “The beauty of Fiverr is its ability to trigger creative marketing ideas you might never have thought of. Just come over to Fiverr and browse the site.”
Finally, Aimy offered one other tip for entrepreneurs and small business people in Chicago, San Francisco and New York City. “If you’re in one of those areas, apply for the Small Biz Digital Makeover. We’re excited about this program and the winners will get $3,000 worth of marketing services through the Fiverr marketplace.”
You can learn more about the makeover:
[“source-smallbiztrends”]