How I got my first Fiverr order

If you give me a brand new washing machine, I am the type of person who would toss the manual on the side and go straight to operating it.

And that’s the mistake I made when I first opened a Fiverr account. I went straight into it, rushed setting up a profile and posted a gig without much planning, and then hoped it worked out somehow.

And as you guessed. No, it didn’t work out.

Why? Because I gave minimal effort on it.

No messages came in, no orders… Eventually I stopped caring for it.

A life changing realization made me change how I deal with things. That’s right, I decided to start picking the washing machine manual.

And let me tell you, with that mindset I began to reap the maximum benefits of everything that I decided to get into.

When I revisited Fiverr at the end of last year, I decided that I was going to put 100% into it. I deleted my old account and started a new leaf.

Before I made a new profile, I read everything I could about Fiverr from bloggers and YouTubers. I learnt their struggles and how they overcame it. I learnt the pros and cons of Fiverr so I could be prepared and know what to expect.

I evaluated my existing skills and researched the industry and competition (I admit it was a bit intimidating). I took Fiverr class on Skillshare, read Fiverr 101 on Kindle Unlimited and did a lot of research from whatever resources I came across.

Here’re some of the key points I took from me, and decided to implement from my research:

• Picking niche and services that are in demand but not too high in competition
• Investing time in properly setting up my profile
• SEO is a thing in Fiverr too and I must use it my gig descriptions
• Like the descriptions, Gig image quality must be eye catching

After deciding what services I wanted to offer, I went and opened up an account. This time, I am much more prepared and confident than the first time.

I took time to practice and learn more about copywriting and graphic designing

I was patient and told myself I’d enjoy every step of the journey. I practiced and learnt more on copywriting and graphic designing just so I could set up my gigs properly. Surprisingly, I ended up using those skills later in my gigs, too.

I set up my profile and wrote a compelling bio. I set up a few gigs with attractive images I designed on Canva. And not to mention, I crafted the gig descriptions to the best of my copywriting knowledge and ability.

Some people may not have the patience to put so much preparation into something, especially when there’s so much to do. But I told myself I’m also learning new skills. So even if things didn’t work out it was an investment.

If you do, however, still struggle, you can always ask someone for help. I know I lack in graphic designing despite my efforts to be at least somewhat okay at it. So whenever in doubt I ask my family and friends who are graphic designers or post in a group asking for feedback.

Fiverr forum is the best place to consult and you’ll find a lot of support from experienced Fiverr sellers. I haven’t posted anything there but I do go to it to find people who have similar problems and how other members deal with it.

With no reviews as a new seller and many competitions it was still difficult 

As a new seller, I have little credibility. So even if my profile was outstanding and well-polished, with no reviews it was hard to convince buyers to order from me.

I didn’t want to just wait. There must be something I could do. I could ask a family member or a friend to order and leave me a review, but I didn’t want to do that. I felt like I had something to prove.

Fiverr Buyer’s Request was my friend

For the first week upon completing setting up my profile and gigs, I checked the buyer request religiously and whenever I saw a request I liked, I pitched.

I made sure each of my pitches was genuine (not copy-paste).

I made sure to write a good pitch for each request I was interested in on Fiverr Buyer’s Request

For each seller offer, I wrote a brief intro on myself, acknowledging their problem and offering some details in ways I can help them. Then I added a little CTA to chat with me so we can further discuss their needs.

A few messages rolled in! However, I was met with disappointment when they proved to be scammers and people looking for free labour. Nonetheless, I continued sending my pitches every day.

One thing I learnt about buyer requests is that the more variety of category your gigs are in the more job ads you get. So I changed things up and redid some of my gigs.

As a Virtual Assistant, I made sure I covered some categories like writing, basic graphic designing, and general admin work.

Finally! My first Fiverr order!

My waiting paid off and I got my first Fiverr order! Someone had a low quality business card image they wanted to convert into various file formats. It was such an easy task that I bidded a lower price for what they were offering and told them I could even redesign their business card for them (it needed a lot of work).

They were happy with my offer, and placed the order.

I was nervous, but worked really hard to make sure they were satisfied. And they were, which made them place another order soon after.

However, that person never left a review to potentially kickstart more orders coming in. But it was fine, and I continued to use the buyer request.

Most of my early orders came from buyers’ requests. And I got many longer term buyers from there as well.

And soon enough, I didn’t need to use it to get more orders. People started finding my gigs on Fiverr search and within two months I got promoted to a Level 1 seller (honestly, I didn’t expect to reach it that fast).

My take on how to get your first Fiverr order

• Put 110% in what you do. Put time (and learn new skills if necessary) to porperly set up your profile and gigs. Learn to pitch well, t oo.
• Don’t consider a step you must take as a waste of my time, but an investment in experience or skill. So if you have a block that prevents you from moving forward, the resources on the internet are unlimited, learn, practice and use it.
• Find new ways to improve and if something doesn’t work out don’t be scared to change things up.
• Hard work does pay off, but it pays off way more when you have a plan, a goal and a no give up mindset.

Are you still struggling to get your first Fiverr order as a new seller? Link your Fiverr profile down below and I’d be happy to help and offer constructive feedback 🙂