I get it, you are building your niche blog and waiting for that traffic to spike and see those dollars come rolling in. BUT, how do you make money online while waiting? Maybe you just need a side hustle.

In this article, I will show you how I was able to leave an ordinary 9-5 and make my own money BEFORE my websites started making money.

The best part?

You can absolutely do it too (not clickbait).

Where Did I Start?

Once upon a time….Just kidding, I’ll spare you the drawn-out version and get to what matters.

I joined the Army just 2 weeks after graduating High School in 1999 (don’t age shame). I spent a total of 11ish years in the Army with my time between Active Duty and Reserves.

I had a combat job, so, naturally, I left the military and became a police officer in 2011.

Well, for a guy who spent time in combat and dint have time to decompress, that move wasn’t the best one. I was good at it per say, just found myself at a stress point that wasn’t healthy.

Soon after a few years of patrol, I found myself needing to leave and do something a bit more….safe.

I then left for a non-armed investigative position with the US Government doing boring personnel investigations. I worked in DC, wore a suit, and within a few years was miserable…but….going back to poilice work was off the table.

See, I lied, I’m rambling…

Long story short, I got a microphone and started doing freelance voice-over for various projects on Fiverr.com. I was pleasantly surprised I was able to bring in a few hundred a month just doing voice-over.

Here is the kicker…I’m not even good (honestly) I cringe when I hear my reads sometimes.

But that’s the BEST part, Fiverr people don’t need pros, they need anyone to read their script whether it’s because they are foreign, maybe they hate their own voice, maybe they are a small company with a budget for a VO.

Within about 6 months I was clearing about 2k a month and realized, I could start to go all-in and make some good money.

So I did!

Couple the Fiverr work and then within a year the websites making over 1-2K a month and before you know it, you have a legit income pieced together.

You Have A Skill Even If You Don’t Know it

Fiverr is very unique because you can make money doing all sorts of things, even things you didn’t know made money!

Like to eat clean? Meal Plan for people on Fiverr!

Good at editing videos? Do freelance video editing! There are TONS of Youtube channels that need logos, editors, voice-over, etc and they all turn to Fiverr for a quick job.

Maybe you are only great at video games? Perfect! You can make a killing just tutoring game strategy for whatever popular game is out. Kids’ parents are literally paying people like you to teach their kids to be gamers.

How To Get Your First Orders On Fiverr

Look, you may be the BEST graphic designer in the world and your work is only worth $100 or more. However, on Fiverr your just another new gig looking for work, oh and you have ZERO reviews…..

You’re not going to get work with fair prices…..at first!

You need to set your prices to $5 and a 1-day turnaround. When people are searching, they often filter by price and turnaround time. If you make those the most appealing, you will at least get a look.

Make a great gig thumbnail that has YOUR face. i know people hate that BUT it does build a small amount of trust when people think they can at least see who you are. A professional-styled headshot with some graphics does great.

if you can’t make a good thumbnail, take a selfie that looks professional and have another $5 gig on Fiverr make you one and you will have it in 1-day.

Also, your gig page description needs to be GOOD, it’s basically a sales pitch for your skill. Don’t just tell people you are a great graphic designer, tell them WHY you are the best.

Your gig portfolio is also a huge factor. Put your BEST work on that gig portfolio. If someone likes your thumbnail, then clicks reads your gig description, and is still interested, none of that will matter if your work in your portfolio sucks!

How To Level up Fast On Fiverr

So, you got a few gigs, made a couple bucks, but now what? This won’t pay the bills!

This is where most people lose hope, the jobs are just too infrequent and low paying to stay on Fiverr. But, if you take the following tips and use them, it can drastically help your work increase and your level to rise.

Over Deliver: This is the MOST important one. Give them more than they paid for. Yep, in voice-over, that means providing a few alternative reads so they have options to pick from. You can apply that in any category to make it work for you.

Log-In every day: People will often sort search results for gigs that are currently online. If you are online more often, you will get more leads.

Answer Questions FAST: Fiverr measures your response time as a metric on where you are shown in the search results. So, when you get a question about a gig, you should answer it fast.

Check your competition: Take a look at the most successful people in your category and check their gig out. Look at their gig descriptions, thumbnails, prices, and take notes.

Doing these may feel like you are short-changing yourself, but, you are actually investing in your future growth on the platform.

The Frustrating Parts of Fiverr

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows on Fiverr, in fact, it can be quite annoying sometimes.

There are days I don’t want to respond to low-ball offers. Maybe I am on vacation and miss a few messages? All of that will affect your visibility in the Fiverr SERPs.

Also, there are people who are just demanding, want it all for $5, and are flat-out rude. Well, Fiverr needs buyers and frankly, they don’t need sellers as much as we need them, so they protect those buyers and if you are rude or snappy, it will affect your rankings.

In the beginning, just grit your teeth, smile and be polite, hell, give in to their demanding needs……once the order is done, you get your 5-star review, block that buyer, and eventually, you can raise prices to the point that the low-ballers don’t even bother.

They will go find the next newbie to take advantage of.

Final Word

Making money is the easiest it has ever been. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still hard work and it takes a while to level up. But, once you get there, you can have a 4-hour workday and start making more than you would think.