Success Stories

Explaining Fiverr's Impact, from "Mr. Explainer"

By
Katherine Penta
|
July 20, 2016
family walking on the beach||Mr.Explainer, Fiverr

Lee or as you may know him on Fiverr, Mr.Explainer, has spent over 20 years in the design and marketing industry. When one of his client’s needed something called an “explainer” video done, he took on the task and years later has brought his explainer video talents to Fiverr. Now he’s able to travel and spend time with his family, while still earning an income. This is Lee's Fiverr story.

Tell us a little about yourself. Who you are, where you're from, and what you do on Fiverr.

My name is Lee, and I’m originally from London. I’m currently living in Birmingham, UK with my wife and two teenage daughters. I’ve been involved in the design and marketing industry most of my working career - over 20 years. I have a wide range of web design and online marketing skills, and have been specializing in animation for the last four years.I freelance from my own home studio, specializing in creating animated explainer videos and infographic videos. The animations I create are made using all my own graphics, which I’ve created in my own animation style. I offer a range of different Gigs on Fiverr designed to help my buyers whether they have $5 to spend, or $1000.

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How did you get into animation?

I studied graphic design at university, and focused on animation and what was called multimedia then (20 years ago) and is now known as digital media. Professionally, I worked for design agencies producing corporate branding, digital media e-learning portals, and social media marketing. During one project we needed to make an explainer video for a product we were launching and so I took on the task. The video turned out so well that other businesses started asking me to make videos for them, and I’ve been making explainer videos ever since!

How did you hear about Fiverr? What inspired you to create your Gigs?

I was working in for a small design company which had to close, so I was looking for work and wanted to get back into freelancing. I had always dreamt of working online and believed that it was possible to use the internet to work from anywhere and build an online global client base, but I needed to find a platform to get started.I had come across some blogs, vlogs, and podcasts featuring Fiverr. One podcast, in particular, featured a Top Rated Seller on Fiverr ( I think it was Adam aka twistedweb123). In the interview, Adam explained how it was possible to make a living working on Fiverr.So I decided to create an account and got my first sale in less than a week. Within a few months, I was earning a reasonable living from Fiverr and other work through my online freelance business.

How have your animation skills grown since joining Fiverr?

The nature of Fiverr and the fact that most projects require a very quick turn around push you to work in a very unique and streamlined way. This has caused me to invent my own systems and working methods, to speed up the process of scoping new projects and delivering the work. Because of it, I would say I have become much more organized and efficient as an animator![embed]https://youtu.be/9LTyFrk2Arg[/embed]

Can you share some of your favorite project you've worked on?

There have been so many fun projects including everything from children’s clothes charities to global conglomerates, and even Fiverr themselves.For the custom services I offer on Fiverr I do not offer scriptwriting services as my focus is completely on the animation. I have written scripts in the past and I appreciate how hard it is to write a good script. In fact, a good script is the basis of a really good explainer video.So when I get a good script I get so excited as this provides the opportunity to have some fun creatively. One project that really stands out in my mind is a video (which had a really good script) was for an online dog poop accessory store. The video’s focus was dog litter bags, and the video included a scene where the dog did his business in the park! The video was a lot of fun to work on and my family still talk about it to this day!

What advice would you give to a newcomer on Fiverr looking to achieve success?

If you are starting out I recommend starting with one Gig related to your skillset and something you really enjoy doing. Focus on getting your first sale and build from there. Once you get a sale go out of your way to communicate with the buyer! Say thank you for the order and remind them when the delivery will be. This may sound time-consuming but Fiverr has a tool called quick response which greatly speeds up the process of communicating with your buyer. So I always communicate with my buyer and try and respond as quickly as I can! I answer messages at least twice a day! Also, deliver on time or early! Never! ever! late! Look to build a brand for yourself something that represents your skills and personality and that will make you stand out! Think about how your whole profile page looks to the buyer! Be creative unique and original. There are lots of opportunities for new Gigs which do not exist and that buyers need! Make lots of tweaks and adjustments to your Gig titles and profiles until you find something that works. I also spent a lot of time working on pricing to make sure I was clear about what my service offered and did not offer. I also strongly recommend learning from other sellers, especially Top Rated Sellers, try implementing the tactics and strategies many of the successful sellers share openly on the blog and forum. Rather than mimicking what they are doing learn from what they are doing, and make it unique to your business. The Fiverr podcast is an amazing resource and I learn something new in every episode. I am also part of a Facebook group for Fiverr sellers where I learn loads from some of the best sellers!

What impact has Fiverr had on your life? Has it changed the way you think about your profession or career?

Fiverr has changed my life in that I am able to work from anywhere. We recently went to Australia to visit family for 3 weeks. I was able to take the first week off from doing Gigs and have a holiday with the family and catch up with family who live in Australia. The second and third week I was able combine working on my Gigs and still have a great holiday it also gave us extra spending money!

Mr.Explainer, Fiverr

Fiverr has completely changed my mindset of what work is, and what the traditional working pattern should be. In many ways, I am still subject to the 9 to 5 because my daughters get up and go to school and my wife works a 9 to 5 job so my working pattern fits in with that so that am free when they are. My dream is that one day soon my wife will also be working from home and that my daughters are home-schooled and that we can live and work altogether. I totally believe that we as society are at the beginning of a revolution of how, where, and when we work. I think these are exciting times to be working online as a freelancer and this is just the beginning! If you’d like to share your story about how Fiverr has impacted your life, please send it to us by email at community@Fiverr.com.

Katherine Penta
Brand and copy expert with over six years of experience developing brand personas, managing content, and writing copy for brands like Neutrogena, Visa, and Adobe.
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