How to Use Gigbucks

 gigbucks

Gigbucks is a website where people online can go to offer “gigs” in exchange for cash. You can provide almost any service, as long as it’s internet based. Gigbucks differs from Fiverr and Tenrr in one important way: Unlike these sites that specify your price for you, Gigbucks allows you to set your own price.

You can sell your services for anywhere between $5 and $50. If you’re selling a relatively easy to deliver service, you could just sell it for $5. If you’re doing something more in depth, you can sell it for $50.

This Makes One Big Difference

The ability to sell products for higher prices allows you to do one thing that you can’t really do on the other sites: Upsell.

You can create multiple gigs and use smaller gigs to “feed” into your larger gigs.

For example, you can offer to do a logo design for $5. If someone gets your logo design and loves your work, you can then upsell them on your website banner + business card + eBook cover design for $40.

In addition to selling your products for higher price points, you can also sell recurring gigs where your buyers are automatically billed every month for a gig you’re providing. This can turn into some serious passive income opportunities.

The Payout System

You can withdraw the money you earn from Gigbucks after 14 days. This is the holding period Gigbucks required to make sure the buyer doesn’t refund or complain after making their purchase.

Payments are made via PayPal. Gigbucks collects a 20% fee on all the transactions done through their system.

The Review & Levels System

Gigbucks has a user review system that can help you separate reputable sellers from the chaff. When a buyer purchases a gig, they have the opportunity to review the seller. The number of positive to negative reviews is expressed as a percentage.

In addition to a review system, Gigbucks also has a levels system. All users start at Level 1. In order to move to level 2, you have to sell 10 gigs at $5 and complete the gigs on time. You also have to maintain a 90% or higher rating.

At level 2, you can sell gigs for between $5 and $30. Once you’ve finished 25 gigs in total, again keeping up a 90% rating and doing all your gigs on time, you then get to level 3.

Once you’re at level 3, you can charge anywhere between $5 and $50 for your gigs. You also gain access to recurring gigs.

Here’s how to use Gigbucks to make money online.

Step 1: Become a Member

Go to: http://www.gigbucks.com

Click “Join” along the top navigation bar.

1-Click-Join

Fill out the extremely simple membership form:

 14-Delivery-Shipping

You’ll receive an email upon completing your registration. Confirm your email.

Step 2: Start Selling

Click “Start Selling” in the top navigation bar.

 3-Start-Selling

Then click “Create a New Gig” on the next screen.

 4-Create-New-Gig

Step 3: Write Your Title

Write a title that’s both descriptive and attention catching. Take a look at what some of your competitors are saying and see if you can write something even better.

 5-Write-Title

Step 4: Pricing

Click the drop down menu to set your pricing. Keep in mind that you’re restricted to only $5 gigs until you’ve done 10 gigs and gotten your account to Level 2.

 6-Pricing

Step 5: Select a Category

Choose which category you want your gig to appear under. Choose your category carefully, as your target market will often be browsing gigs by category.

If you’re unsure which category to put your gigs in, spend some time browsing around Gigbucks to see where other people offering similar services put their gigs.

 7-Category

Step 6: Description

Describe your service. Make it as detailed as possible. Try to pre-empt questions and objections that people might have about your service.

 8-Description

Again, when in doubt, take a look at what your competitors are saying. Then try to make it better.

Step 7: Instructions

What directions do you need from your buyers to fulfill on your order? These instructions will be sent to buyers after they’ve placed their order.

 9-Instructions

Step 8: Tags

Tags are like keywords. Tell Gigbucks what your tags are, so that when people search for a service like yours, yours will show up.

 10-Tags

Step 9: Steps to Completion

How long is it going to take to finish the gig? Be conservative when estimating this time period. Remember: If you’re late in delivering, it could prevent you from moving up to the next level. Customers can cancel and it can result in a bad rating.

11-Days-to-Completion

Step 10: Add an Image

Add an image that both catches attention and gives people more information about your service. Try to upload a real image rather than synthetic image wherever possible.

 12-Add-Image

Step 11: More Images, Add Video

If you want to add more images or add a video, just click “Add More Images / Add Video.”

 13-Images-or-Video

A video can really help increase your conversion rate and sales. Adding a video is quite simple. Just create your video, then upload it to YouTube. Then place the link to the YouTube video in your Gigbucks gig.

Step 12: Delivery & Shipping

If your product is a digital delivery product that can be instantly downloaded, place the download link here.

If you’re selling a physical product and need to charge for shipping, you can set that here. Note that if you try to sell a digital product and charge for shipping, your gig will get disabled.

 14-Delivery-Shipping

Creative Ideas for Making Money on Gigbucks

Want to make a little bit of extra money on Gigbucks? Here are a few ideas.

  • Become a reseller. Find gigs on Fiverr for $5, then go on Gigbucks and sell those same gigs for $10 or more. You don’t have to do any extra work except passing the orders along.
  • Teach a skill. Good at math? You can offer your math tutoring services on Gigbucks. You can do the same with science, with Photoshop or with just about anything else.
  • Share business experience. If you have job experience in any industry, you can offer to coach someone around that business. For example, if you’ve been a salesperson in the past, you can coach someone on how to sell better.
  • Writing. This is one of the easiest ways to get sales. Just offer to write unique content around certain topics.
  • Graphic Design. You don’t need to learn the ins and outs of all the different aspects of graphic design to do well on Gigbucks. You just need to learn one thing. For example, you can learn just logo design and still do very well.

That’s all there is to signing up for and posting gigs on Gigbucks!

How to Use Fiverr

 fiverr

Fiverr is one of the most unique websites for making money online. What makes them different? Everything on this site sells for a “fiver” – $5 dollars.

This allows buyers to browse the site and pick out gigs with almost a snap decision kind of mindset. Instead of carefully considering whether or not they want to buy something, since it’s just $5 they’ll often just buy it and see how it goes.

Fiverr allows you to post your gigs in the typical text-based manner, as well as in video form. You can also link to an external portfolio.

What Kind of Jobs Are Posted?

Fiverr features just about every kind of gig that can be sold on the internet. That includes:

Video: There are people doing all kinds of different video gigs on Fiverr. For example, one provider offers to create a 30 second video intro for $5. Another provider offers to animate a logo for $5.

Graphic Design: Logo designs go for $5. Banner designs are the same price. Want someone to draw out a concept for you? $5. Want someone to turn a picture into a hand pencil drawing? Same price – $5.

Lessons: Want someone to practice your Spanish with? A 30 minute lesson costs just $5.

Voice Acting: Need someone with a great voice to read out your script for you? This also costs $5; though the length is usually limited. For example, you might only get 1 or 2 minutes for $5. To go longer, you need to buy multiple gigs.

Marketing: Want to build 1,000 backlinks? That’s $5. Want to get 3,000 Facebook likes? That also costs $5. Want a single medium PageRank backlink on a .edu domain? Also $5.

The list goes on and on and on. Literally any service you can think of that can be offered at scale online can be sold for $5 on Fiverr.

The Fiverr Infrastructure

Fiverr pays you by PayPal. You receive $4 for every $5 gig that you sell. PayPal takes a 2% fee out of your total transaction value, so a $4 withdrawal will cost you $0.08 cents. In other words, for every gig you do, you’ll take home $3.92.

Fiverr has a feedback system that allows users to give you a thumbs up or thumbs down, as well as leave a short paragraph of feedback for you.

Here’s how to get started as a seller on Fiverr.

Step 1: Create a New Account

Start by going to: http://www.Fiverr.com

Click on “Join” at the top navigation bar.

1-Click-Join

Create a new username and password combination.

Step 2: Click Start Selling

Once you’re logged into your Fiverr account, click “Start Selling.”

 2-Start-Selling

Step 3: Click Create New Gig

You’ll be presented with a short introduction to selling on Fiverr. Once you’re ready, click “Create New Gig.”

3-Click-New-Gig

Step 4: Create Title

Type in a compelling and descriptive title. The title needs to stand out from all the other providers providing the same service. Someone reading the title should instantly understand what you’re offering.

 4-Title

Step 5: Enter Your Description

Describe your Fiverr gig in as much detail as possible. Demonstrate credibility and explain why they should choose your gig rather than anyone else’s.

 5-Description

Step 6: Give Buyers Instructions

What do you need from the buyer after they’ve placed an order?

For example, if you’re providing a design service, you’ll probably need their website and a description of the kind of look they’re looking for.

If you’re doing a voice over, you’ll need a link to the script.

This is where you put any special directions you have to someone who’s bought your Fiverr gig.

 6-Instructions-to-Buyer

Step 7: Tags

Enter as many tags as you can think of that describe your gig. This will help people find you.

 7-Tags

Step 8: Completion Time

Tell buyers how long it’ll take you to complete the average gig. Naturally, the faster you can deliver the more buyers you’ll get.

 8-Completion-Time

Step 9: Add Image

Your image should catch attention and get people to click on your gig. You can use it to upload samples, or to add an attention catching image that’ll get people to click on your page.

 9-Add-Image

Step 10: Gig Completed

Once you’re done, click “Save” and you’re finished! Your gig will then go into the review queue. This is the screen you’ll see once your gig is up and running:

 10-Finished

Step 11: View Earnings & Withdrawals

To view how much you’ve made so far from a gig, click “Revenues.”

 11-Click-Revenues

You’ll be presented with all your earnings data so far. You can also make a withdrawal from this screen.

 12-Earnings

 

4 Quick Tips for Success

Making money on Fiverr isn’t difficult, considering how everything is $5. Your biggest challenge will be standing out from the crowd. Here’s how to do it.

1)     Demonstrate credibility. If you’re doing a gig on consulting for example, make sure you tell them why you’re qualified to give advice. If you don’t tell them what sets you apart, you’ll just blend in.

2)     Consider doing a video. Videos take a lot more time and effort to make, but can help you really differentiate yourself from everyone else.

3)     Have a portfolio. Put as many samples as you can in that portfolio. Your samples will speak louder than your words.

4)     Always deliver on time. If you say you can complete your gigs within 3 days, never go over 3 days.

 

That’s how to sign up for and make money with Fiverr!

How to Make Money from Podcasts

money

Advertising is one of the best ways to make money from a podcast. It’s one of the most common ways to make money from a podcast. Advertising allows you to get paid for each podcast you produce, earning much more per visitor than you would from web advertising.

In order to get advertisers interested in your site, you need to have a podcast that gets at least a moderate amount of traffic. Unlike AdSense, where just anyone can get started even with next to no traffic, most podcast advertising deals tend to be with at least somewhat established podcasts.

Your website needs to look professional and your brand needs to be positive. Advertisers and sponsors will advertise in part because they want the exposure and the traffic, but also in part because they respect your brand and want to be linked to your podcast.

And remember: Unlike standard ads which are put up and taken down over time, an audio inserted into a podcast generally lasts forever. Advertisers love that.

Here’s what you need to know about landing advertising deals and keeping advertisers happy.

Where Do You Find Advertisers?

whoThere are a few main places you can find potential advertisers.

First, look within your own industry. Look for people who have money and might benefit from exposure to your audience. Start to build a relationship with them as early as possible, even if you’re not ready to ask them to advertise yet.

There isn’t a real directory of potential advertisers. Instead, you have to do some thinking about who to reach out to.

Look within your own network. Are there people who already love your work that might want to be associated with your company? Start a conversation with them about potential advertising opportunities.

Look through your Twitter feed. Look for people who’ve commented a lot on your content or retweeted your content frequently. See if they’re tied to any company that might become an advertiser.

Download shows from all your competitors, as well as all the other shows in your industry. Listen for what sponsors and advertisers other shows have. Contact those advertisers and let them know you’re open for advertising as well.

Mention advertising and sponsorship opportunities in your show. Don’t do it every show, just every two or three shows so potential advertisers who listen to your podcast will know about the advertising opportunity. Make sure you phrase it as an opportunity and whatever you do, don’t sound like you’re desperate for advertisers. It’s simply an opportunity you want to inform them about.

These are just some of the places you can look. Because there’s no set place to look, you always have to keep your eyes open. A lot of sales will happen through relationships, so always keep an eye out for influential people you can connect with.

Create a Podcast Advertising Page

On your website should be a podcast advertising page with all the details about advertising. On this page, include:

  • Audience numbers. This is one of the things your audience cares about most. Include your website’s traffic, your downloads per episode and your subscriber counts.
  • Talk about your demographics. Who tends to listen to your podcast? What are their age ranges? Are they die hard fans or just anyone in your industry? Are they hard to reach through other kinds of media?
  • Talk about your brand. How is your website and your podcast perceived in your industry? People advertise and sponsor websites that they’re proud to be associated with.
  • Unique things about your audience. What sets your audience apart? For example, if your audience has proven that they’re willing to try new products, make sure you mention that on your advertiser page.
  • Publishing schedule. How often do you publish? How often will the advertiser’s ad be inserted in the show?
  • Prices. Consider mentioning prices, though many podcasters choose to withhold this information until they’re on the phone with a potential advertiser. You can also just put up web advertising prices and leave podcast advertising prices for an actual conversation.
  • Contact information. Make it easy for advertisers to contact you by giving them your email and your phone number.

 2-Media-Kit

Source: http://prettygoodpodcast.com/the-pretty-good-podcast-2011-media-kit.html

How Much Should You Charge Advertisers?

As a rule of thumb, you can expect to charge between 2 cents and 5 cents per download for a 30 second advertising spot. The actual rate you charge depends on a few things:

  • When in the podcast is the advertisement played? Ads played in the beginning of the show are more valuable, because everyone hears the ad. Ads in the middle or the end of the show are less valuable because a certain percentage of your audience won’t get to that part of the show.
  • If you (the podcaster) read the ad rather than the advertiser, you can often charge a little more for that.
  • The length of the ad. The longer the ad, the more you can ask for.
  • Your brand and your audience. The more established your brand and the larger your audience, the more you’ll be able to ask for per-download.

For example, let’s say you average 10,000 downloads for the average show. You’re charging 3.5 cents per download, which brings in $350 per advertiser, per download. If you have two advertisers per show and one show a week, that’s $2,800 a month.

These are just rules of thumb. You can also charge on a monthly basis or charge a flat fee per episode produced. The 2 to 5 cent guideline is just a starting point for you to set your prices. You can also start low, with the understanding that as your show gains popularity prices may rise.

 3-Podcast-Ad-Prices

Source: http://robocaster.com/help_files/patriotsdaily/podcast_advertising_rates_prices.aspx

Different Types of Podcast Ads

There are quite a few different ways you can promote an advertiser on your podcast. These are the most popular types.

  • Audio provided by advertiser. Your advertiser simply records their own audio segment and gives it to you. You insert it in the beginning, middle or end of your podcast.
  • You read the promotion for your advertiser. This helps build your advertiser’s credibility, because your audience already trusts you. Your advertiser might choose to write the script for you, or you can both co-write the script for the best results.
  • A “brought to you by” segment. You might have a specific part of your show be “brought to you by” the sponsor. For instance, let’s say you run a science experiment podcast. Right before you embark on the experiment, you’d say something like “This experiment is brought to you by XYZ company.”
  • A simple sound bite. Instead of a 20 to 30 second ad, your advertiser might simply want a 3 to 5 second ad saying something like “XYZ podcast sponsored by ABC.” This allows them to pay a lot less for air time, while getting their brand exposure out to a lot of people.
  • Advertising on your website. Instead of having their audio inserted into your podcast, they can advertise on your podcast website instead.

In addition to these five types of ads, there’s one more type that deserves special mention. That’s the response driven affiliate advertisement.

4-Sponsored-By

Affiliate Advertisements on Podcasting

Did you know that you can do affiliate marketing or performance-based marketing through podcasting?

The easiest way this is done is through coupon codes. The ad in your podcast will say something like “This podcast brought to you by XYZ. To receive a free ______ product from XYZ, go to XYZ.com and enter the code 1234ABCD.”

Audible.com does this brilliantly. They advertise on prominent shows like NPR and offer a free audio book download to their subscribers. Each podcast gets their own unique coupon code, which allows Audible to track where each sale comes from.

Often time’s the payment from these kinds of programs is blended. That means you get a certain amount per download, plus a commission fee for every purchase made from your visitors.

Unlike web affiliate programs, getting on these kinds of affiliate programs requires you to actually pick up the phone and build a real advertising relationship with your advertisers. It’s a more involved deal than just generating a link online.

Ask for the “biz dev” (business development) department when you call, if you’re calling a larger company.

5-Redeem

Help Your Advertisers Succeed

Advertising on your podcast should be a win/win deal for your advertisers. If they’re not getting a good deal, if they’re not seeing a return on their money, if they can’t track their results, if they aren’t sure that advertising with you is a great deal – Then eventually, they’re going to cancel their advertising deal.

It’s your job to help your advertisers succeed. How do you do that?

  • Help them track their results. Use coupon codes, as described above, to give them concrete numbers how their ROI.
  • Survey your audience. Use online survey tools to ask them about products and services they want, as well as products and services they like or don’t like. Include your advertiser’s brand in your survey. Use this information to help inform your advertisers about ways they could improve their ads or their offerings.
  • Help them record great ads. Ads recorded by you will almost always have more of an impact than ads recorded by your advertiser.
  • Vary up their ads. Your audience will get used to an ad after hearing it a few times. Help your advertiser get more attention by rotating ads or varying the ad up every couple months.
  • Help hone their ads. Is the message right? Does it strike your audience’s emotional cords? How could it be improved? Use your knowledge of your audience to help your advertisers succeed.
  • Talk to your advertisers. Are they happy? Are they getting the results they want? If your advertisers are getting disgruntled, you should find out as soon as possible. Don’t wait until they’re ready to cancel to talk to them. Stay in contact and make sure your advertisers are happy at all times.

 6-Help-Advertisers

Source: http://mixergy.com/are-you-using-my-sponsors-tell-me-i-want-to-talk-about-you/
You now know where to find advertisers, what information to give them, how to price your ads, the different ad formats you can use and how to keep your advertisers happy. That covers everything you need to know to use your podcast to generate a consistent stream of income.