Support Your Local Freelancers and SMBs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Millions of people around the world have the felt of the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including the owners and employees of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). In the U.S., a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business found that 23% of SMB owners have been hurt by COVID-19[1], citing supply chain disruptions, slow sales, and sick employees as the top issues. Across Europe, the closures of pubs, cafes, and restaurants have threatened a critical part of the economy. All over, many SMBs have closed to help stop the spread of the virus. As a result, they’ve had to cut wages, lay off staff, and search for new revenue sources to stay afloat[2].
During uncertain times like these, Fiverr is an extremely important resource for freelancers and businesses. Businessowners can outsource their day-to-day duties so they can focus on mission-critical tasks. Experts who now need a new way to offer their services can find their footing in Fiverr’s marketplace. SMBs can enlist the help of talented sellers to make the move from offline to online.
Through your work, you too can play a huge role, by helping all of these groups achieve their goals and find strength during this tough period.
How you can lend a helping hand to freelancers and SMBs
You already play an important role for sellers on the platform – you elevate their Gigs and introduce their services to potential buyers. When you boost your own earnings, you help boost sellers’ earnings as well. But in this moment, there’s a huge opportunity for you to do even more, by supporting both local freelancers and local businesses from your home country.
We are all in this fight together, and as a way to further aid your marketing efforts, we’re offering two special payout increases for helping local freelancers and SMBs.
When you promote local freelancers, you’ll earn an extra 10% payout for every First-Time Buyer (FTB) from your home country. And when you promote select services to SMBs, you’ll receive an extra 20% payout.
Eligible service categories include: E-Commerce Development, E-Commerce Marketing, Product Descriptions , Website Content, and Web & Mobile Design. These limited-time promotions run until May 31.
To receive your 10% increase for FTBs from your home country, email affiliates@fiverr.com and write “I want to support (the name of your home country)” in the subject line. Please include your Fiverr Affiliate username in the body of your message.
To get started, there are plenty of ways to extend a helping hand to those in need. You can assist local freelancers by incorporating their Gigs into the content you publish, and you can help local businesses by introducing them to services that can aid their transition from offline to online. This is an area where SMBs need a lot of help.
For example, think of local cafes and restaurants that have been forced to pivot to takeout and delivery business models. They need help with app programming and design and digital marketing to meet demand. Or think of small retailers who are now selling exclusively online. They need compelling e-commerce storefronts and catchy product descriptions to convert visitors into buyers. And, the coronavirus has affected offices of all kinds as they’ve shifted important meetings and conferences to the web. These businesses need help with everything from tech tutorials and web security tools to website content creation.
In this critical moment, you can help businesses and freelancers connect, not just to generate revenue, but also to provide a sense of hope and give them the tools to move forward.
Start supporting local freelancers and SMBs today
Promoting local freelancers involves just a few steps:
1. First, go to Fiverr.com and choose your preferred service category. Just under the page title, click the ‘Seller Details’ dropdown menu and choose your country of residence.
2. Copy the URL.
3. Then, you’ll create a deep link. Login to your Affiliate account and go to your Affiliate Dashboard. Select ‘Marketing Tools’ from the main menu and select the ‘Default and Deep Links’ option.
4. Paste your copied URL in the ‘LP URL’ box and click the ‘Copy to Clipboard’ button.
Additionally, to help SMBs move their businesses online, direct them to the Build Your E-Commerce Business step-by-step guide.
Then, it’s time to start creating content to boost the sales of your homeland freelancers. Your content can take any form – YouTube videos, blog posts, social media posts, etc. Just be sure to provide value for SMBs.
Some helpful topics include: how to start an e-commerce business, how to buy services on Fiverr, the business benefits of outsourcing, and how to run successful digital marketing campaigns. Also, don’t forget to include your affiliate deep-link in every piece of content.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic may be scary for most of us, there are plenty of ways to inspire positivity and provide comfort for those around you. By supporting your local freelancers and SMBs, you can help them find stability and start building a better, brighter tomorrow.
[1] NFIB. (March 13, 2020). NFIB Study: Coronavirus Impact on Small Businesses. Retrieved from: https://www.nfib.com/content/press-release/coronavirus/nfib-study-coronavirus-impact-on-small-businesses/ [2] Sahadi, Jeanne. (March 15, 2020). How to help your favorite small businesses survive the coronavirus crisis. Retrieved from: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/success/small-businesses-coronavirus/index.html