Freelancing has been on the rise for years, as more and more people look to make money outside of their traditional full-time jobs. If you’re thinking about becoming a freelancer, but aren’t sure where to start, these five skills are among the most in demand—meaning that if you master them, you can easily find freelance work in no time at all! This blog post will cover exactly what each of these skills entails and why they’re so important.
#1: Digital Marketing
Digital marketing skills are always in demand because every business needs to be visible online. If you have experience with SEO, social media, email marketing, and Google Ads, you’ll be able to find clients easily. Good communication skills are also essential for this role, as you’ll be working with clients to help them achieve their goals. There are also opportunities for freelance writers who are passionate about digital marketing. Depending on your experience, you can choose to write for blogs, websites, or even social media. To find clients, check out sites like Problogger and Contena or list yourself on Online Writing Jobs. You’ll need great communication skills to work with clients remotely, so be sure to build up a portfolio of relevant projects and post them online.
If you’re more of a visual person, you might enjoy creating content for social media. Posting on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram is essential for any business looking to build their brand online. While there are tools that can help with social media posting such as Hootsuite or Buffer, it’s much better to be consistent with your postings by doing them yourself. If you have great communication skills and experience editing photos, you could offer your services to small businesses as a social media manager who does all of their posts and monitoring in exchange for a salary or percentage of ad revenue.
#2: Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is a freelancer who provides administrative, creative, or technical support to clients remotely. As businesses increasingly look to cut costs, the demand for virtual assistants is on the rise. To be successful in this role, you’ll need excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to use technology. You may also want to consider taking classes in basic programming languages like HTML, CSS, Java Script and XML.
Virtual assistants typically work with many clients at once. This gives you a lot of opportunity to expand your business and establish valuable connections, so it’s important to maintain high standards for yourself and your clients. In order to land more clients, it’s important to have strong social media presence and participate in networking events. Make sure that you have some type of marketing plan in place before getting started because success will largely depend on how well-known you are online.
Virtual assistants can provide a variety of services including handling email inquiries, completing tasks around the office (like organizing files), answering phones and booking appointments.
#3: SEO Copywriting
You can make a killing as a freelance SEO copywriter. Companies are always looking for someone who can help them improve their search engine ranking, and as a result, they’re willing to pay top dollar for the right skills. If you’re good at writing compelling copy that includes the right keywords, you could be sitting on a goldmine. The demand is high because most people don’t know how to write with SEO in mind. So if you have some spare time on your hands, this could be a great way to supplement your income. As long as your copywriting skills are up to par and your content is optimized, you’ll have no problem finding clients that need what you offer. And if it doesn’t work out, it’s easy enough to find other things to do; this particular niche has so much room for growth that even if all of the work were already taken by freelancers like yourself, there would still be plenty of opportunity left over!
If you’re interested in exploring a career as an SEO copywriter, Find a niche where search engine optimization is lacking. There’s so much demand for effective SEO that it’s hard to argue against investing your time and energy into it as a way to bring in extra income. Just make sure there aren’t many other people offering what you want to do first, or else you’ll be competing with someone else for most of your work. If there are plenty of freelancers and agencies already doing what you want to do, pick another niche or find a new angle on an existing idea that isn’t currently being targeted by others. Develop good writing skills and learn how SEO works.
#4: Web Development
No matter what industry you’re in, chances are good that a website is involved somewhere. That’s why web development skills are always in demand. If you’re not a web developer yourself, now is the time to learn. The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there to help you get started, including Codecademy’s Learn Web Development course. It will take some dedication on your part but once you’ve finished and can build your own basic sites from scratch, your freelance career will be set for life.
Web development skills can be applied to any number of industries, from e-commerce sites to online stores to simple websites for individuals. Since web development has such a broad appeal, it’s one of those freelance skills that will always remain high on demand. The trick is getting started and learning as much as you can about web development so you’re prepared when an opportunity arises. Luckily there are plenty of free or low-cost resources out there that can help anyone looking to gain these essential skills for their future career. Codeacademy is a great resource for beginners, but if you’re already an experienced programmer then enrolling in a full course at your local college or university might be worth your while if you want more depth and hands-on experience with it all.
#5: Blogging
If you’re a strong writer with something to say, then blogging could be the freelance skill for you. With a blog, you can share your thoughts and ideas with the world, build an audience, and even make some money through advertising or affiliate marketing. But beware: blogging takes time and effort to be successful. You’ll need to commit to regularly publishing new content, promoting your blog, and engaging with your readers if you want to see results. One way to get started is by setting up Google AdSense on your site and monetizing it.
One way to get started with blogging is by setting up Google AdSense on your site and monetizing it. Whether you’re a budding fashionista who wants to share your latest style finds, a foodie who’s always got a great recipe to share, or just someone who loves to talk about politics, starting a blog could be for you. Check out my guide on how to start a successful WordPress blog for everything you need to know about starting and maintaining one of your own. And if you want more help after that, consider hiring someone on Fiverr for some SEO tips and tricks.