Fiverr Acquired ClearVoice: Why Freelance Writers Can’t Rejoice

Is this the good news or the bad news for freelance writers?

Let’s use a common sense approach to come up with a useful and unbiased answer for our fellow freelance writers.

First things first, Fiverr and ClearVoice didn’t team up or merge. That’s important to emphasize. Fiverr bought ClearVoice, plain and simple. Truth to be told, ClearVoice will operate as an “independent entity” within the Fiverr business structure for some (limited) time.

So, this isn’t a case where oDesk and Elance went through a business fusion to give birth to a freelance platform with a new name — Upwork. This situation is more similar to the one when Freelancer dot com consumed vWorker.

Why I’m bringing up these examples? To which extent they’re relevant to the question I asked at the beginning? Let’s find out.

Does Anyone Even Remember vWorker?

On the one side, we have a small online workplace that puts a strong emphasis on the quality — ClearVoice. On the other side, we have a freelance giant that has built its reputation on the cutthroat race to the bottom pricing and working models — Fiverr.

Now, what’s going to be the most probable outcome of this takeover? Do you think that Fiverr is going to follow the ClearVoice’s business model or it’s going to be the other way around?

The big fish eat the little fish!

Some freelance writers may say, but hey wait, Fiverr has made a promise that the business will be as usual for ClearVoice’s clients and freelancers. True! But, it’s also true that ClearVoice won’t be able to maintain its business independence indefinitely.

You don’t buy a company just to admire it. Right? You have some plans. Your own business plans that don’t have to be on the same page with your newly acquired company’s objectives and priorities.

This is exactly what happened to vWorker. This used to be one of the pioneers in the freelance industry. One day, a freelance giant came with the offer they couldn’t refuse. The rest is freelance history in which no one remembers vWorker.

There’s No Room For Emotions In Business Acquisitions

Much sooner than later, Fiverr is going to say, OK ClearVoice guys you had your fun, now it’s time to play by our rules.

The trouble with Fiverr is that they haven’t changed their “business models” from day one. Fiverr without the five buck gigs isn’t Fiverr.

On Fiverr you can buy an article for $5. On ClearVoice you could do the same, but for the price of $50 or even $500.

When the freelance writers, who used to charge $5 for five words, face a new reality on Fiverr where they will have to write 500 words for this amount, then we will have one hell of a freelance party.

My Dear Freelance Writers Nothing Will Be The Same, And Fiverr Is To Blame

Fiverr has just eliminated its competitor in the writing gigs field. I think that’s only a matter of time before the exodus of the ClearVoice writers begins. Some freelance writers may decide to stay and give it a try on Fiverr. Good luck with that because you’re going to need it in the endless ocean of countless five dollar writing gigs.

I also have every reason to believe that Fiverr clients won’t have an understanding for the high-quality standards ClearVoice writers brought with them. They are after the lowest prices possible. That’s why they’re buying the gigs on Fiverr in the first place.

What’s going to happen with the former ClearVoice clients? Well, they will hire quality writers somewhere else. The reason they worked on ClearVoice in the first place was that they didn’t mind paying extra for the top quality work. Fiverr won’t make them change their old habits.

So, my dear fellow freelance writers where are you going to work next?

Are you already packing your freelance bags?

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Fiverr Acquired ClearVoice: Why Freelance Writers Can’t Rejoice was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.