5 Ways to use Fiverr as a Musician

As a musician, there are going to be lots of instances that you need some creative jobs done, like a poster, a lyric video, or a quick logo. With all the hats you have to wear, you can’t expect to be a pro at performing, songwriting AND Photoshop. Sometimes you need an extra hand at these projects when you don’t have the expertise or time.
 
A site that I’ve found handy with clients is Fiverr.com (http://www.fiverr.com) . It’s where you can hire creative experts for one time projects, starting at $5.00. It’s perfect for when you need a poster done for an upcoming concert or a lyric video to promote a new single, or business cards for the next conference.
 
I recently worked on a special project with a client to create a whiteboard video promoting their online store, and we wanted to use Fiverr as our source for the talent. Whiteboard animation can cost upwards of $2,500, so with that out of our budget, Fiverr was a good option for us. During the project and getting familiar with the site, I was seeing how musicians could use this service, either to benefit their business by providing marketing materials or even creating an extra revenue stream for themselves.
 
So if you’ve never heard of Fiverr, or only browsed the site and want to learn more, here are 5 ways I discovered that musicians can use the site:
 
1. Lyric Videos – Lyric videos are a really great way to promote and market a new album or single, and there are more and more being produced today by every artist, big and small. Youtube is one of the top visited sites, your fans are going to be one it, so it’s a great tool to use for your music. You can find creatives to make a lyric video in a few days and boom, you have a great promotional video.
Pro Tip: When sending instructions to the person making your video, pick a font for them to use to save modification time. You can select and download fonts to send via Google Fonts or DaFont.com
 
2. Logos – While it’s not my favorite recommendation for a place to get a unique and stand out logo, it can be a place to get a quick new look on your name. Be careful, there have been rumors that some creatives steal copyrighted font or images, so just make sure they aren’t ripping someone off so it won’t hurt you in the end.
Pro Tip: Make sure you have your brand’s message in place and send it to the designer. You want to make sure your logo reflects your brand, no matter who is designing it!
 
3. Posters – Venues typically ask for you to send concert posters to post around their town to promote your show. But if you’re on the road or in the studio, it’s going to be hard to sit down and design a poster that reflects you. Send off the task to someone on Fiverr.
Pro Tip: Send 2-3 examples of posters you LOVE. This will help make the process go faster.
 
4. Business Cards – Everyone needs a business card for networking events or conferences, so you should have them handy, too. While these look easy to put together, Photoshop can get frustrating and you certainly shouldn’t be spending hours figuring out the program when someone comfortable with the program can whip out a card in minutes.
Pro Tip: Grab the template from Vistaprint, OvernightPrints or wherever you’ll be printing the cards to avoid any sizing errors later.
 
5. Share your talent & sell your service – Last but not least, create a profile and offer your services to potential buyers. Businesses are always looking for unique jingles for commercials or individuals looking for a special song to use for fun or for that special someone. In a discussion with Fiverr’s co-founder and CEO, Hypebot posted examples of how artists are using Fiverr for extra revenue to support their tour, next album and their business. If writing takes a ton of energy out of you, maybe this isn’t the best fit, but if you thrive on being able to write short melodies or light lyrics, you could really create a way to exercise your talents for extra income.
 
In addition to ways you can use Fiverr, or sites like it, be wary of some best practices I learned from my experience.
* You aren’t always going to pay just $5 for a service. Most of the gigs require add-ons to get the results you need, say HD posters or longer videos. I first attempted hiring the a person to create a video for $25, which ended up being a disaster, and we ended up hiring someone to create a great video at $60. While this is a far cry from $5, with whiteboard animation costing more than $2,500, it was a steal.
* Be selective and study your choices. Take the time to really watch their examples and read their reviews. You’ll be happy you did when you save the time of having to find a replacement from your first or second choice.
* Try to plan ahead and don’t procrastinate when hiring someone. Getting results isn’t going to be a day or two so expect at least 3-5 days to get the finished project. And that doesn’t include any time for modifications you might have. Give yourself time to work with the person to create a great product.
 
Utilize these sites and embrace the system, but be careful and smart, and you can create some great relationships with these designers to take some of the things you need done off of your plate. You’ll save time and the aggravation of learning Photoshop. 😉
 
I’ll see you next time.
 
Cheers!
fionazsig

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