The online freelance marketplace Fiverr has decided to get into the e-learning game.
The company announced the launch of Learn from Fiverr, an e-learning program built directly into the Fiverr platform and offering courses that are tailored to freelancers.
With costs ranging from $19 to $38, the digital courses cover skills freelancers use most, such such as copywriting, graphic design, branding and viral marketing. Specific courses now available include Instagram Ads Fundamentals, Craft a Logo By Hand, Blog Content Strategy and Google Analytics.
There are also classes that aim to help users work more efficiently as freelancers. They cover topics such as market research, proper ways to brief clients and how to deliver a stellar end product.
According to Brent Messenger, Fiverr’s global head of community, studies done by the company show that around 67% of its users consider continuing education important — but only 25% have access to training that applies to their specific freelancing needs.
The company turned to Fiverr freelancers to determine what courses to launch the program with, Messenger says. Offline Fiverr workshops gave insight to what skills users were most interested in learning.
“We also looked at what was popular — what categories people were selling services — and we thought those might be good places to start,” he says. “Going forward, we’ll be listening to the community and taking feedback about what they would like.”
Messenger says the company recruited instructors that have previous teaching experience and have also worked with major brands, such as Apple and Google.
The users can access the courses for as long as they need once they have purchased them.The number of sessions varies by course, and each comes with exercises and quizzes. Upon completion, students get a badge that shows up on their Fiverr profile.
This reward system could be what makes Learn courses more desirable for Fiverr users, rather than other e-learning programs such as Udemy.
Freelancers on Fiverr have overall rankings that are influenced by factors such as client reviews and past assignments. Badges for completed Learn courses will boost a user’s ranking, which could potentially lead to more sales. Also, the platform’s algorithm will recognize that a seller has completed training and, as a result, boost their exposure, according to Messenger.
By offering courses that strictly apply to freelancing skills and can boost rankings, the company’s intention is that freelancers can monetize this training almost immediately.
“What we want to do is offer something that [is] affordable, accessible and quick, that people could turn into profit as quickly as possible,” says Messenger. “It’s just sort of the opposite of the formal education we’ve had in the past.”
For freelancers who use Fiverr to generate a major source of income or are considering joining the platform, Learn could be an easy and relatively inexpensive way to not only grow skills but also boost business.
Kaitlyn Blount is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.