Despite what some sketchy pop-up ads may try to convince you, making money online usually requires you to work. More often than not, you also need to have the appropriate skills for the task. Compiled here is a list of some of the most in-demand skills for online freelance work. If you already have any of these skills you can take advantage of this and immediately start signing up on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer to name just a few.
Graphic design
This is a skill that has for the most part always strived on freelancing. Few companies, except for media and advertising ones, have access to in-house graphic designers. However, this has not stopped the modern increase in the demand for graphic design work. Logos, photo-editing and certain web or app elements all require the work of graphic designers. Nowadays a lot of companies are also active on social media and many recognize that even seemingly mundane visual posts may greatly benefit from professional input.
Sales
Sales are essential to every business’ survival. If you think you have a flair for salesmanship, you can go on the internet and find companies which are looking for independent sales representatives. These will not be online jobs per se—yes you will meet your employer through the internet but your job will usually also take you into the real world. A lot of companies out there are looking to break into new markets and are actively looking for people who can help them achieve this.
Digital marketing
Digital marketing is big nowadays and fortunately for those who have a firm grasp on it, there are a lot of businesses and individuals who don’t. This means that digital skills, experience and knowledge such as that needed to market through channels such as email, content, social media, SEO etc. will net you jobs on the internet. With few, if any, actual professional qualifications required, all you need is to be tech-savvy, experienced and have a habit of leaving behind a trail of happy clients and positive testimonials.
Social media marketing
If you are good with social media i.e. you are one of those people who have massive amounts of Twitter followers, pat yourself on the back because you have a massively valuable skill in today’s world. Whether painstakingly or unwittingly, if you have developed the ability to grow and engage sizeable audiences on social media, businesses are looking for people just like you. You can also become an influencer on the side, if just so that your accounts can bear testimony of your abilities to potential clients.
Customer service
Companies have always been eager to outsource customer service and support. Thanks to technology, nowadays you don’t need to get employment at a call centre to get some of that customer service offloaded to you for a fee. Companies of all sizes need teams to respond to their customers’ queries and complaints on any of many channels, which may include email, website forms, chats, social media etc. There are also companies which can relay actual phone calls to your home workstation. If you have a great command of language and think that you also have the temperament for dealing with someone else’s irate customers, this may be right up your alley.
Writing and editing
From the massive size of the World Wide Web, you may already have guessed that writing is a skill whose demand is still as big as ever, if not more so. You can choose to try out your fortunes in freelancing writing if you have knowledge in a certain domain or are just a good writer. Web content, technical manuals, journalism and advertising are just a few of the areas which will always require writing services.
Web design and development
There are a lot of freelance opportunities available online for web developers and designers (two skills which can be very different, it turns out). Web development has grown big enough to have opportunities for both programmers and their more artistically inclined counterparts who know how to design great looking sites. If you are a designer or a developer, you can put together a portfolio of your work and start trying out your luck online.
Video production
As internet speeds get faster, more and more people are now consuming web content in video form. A lot of companies and media outlets have awakened up to this fact and now demand for video production skills is increasing. If you know how to create great video content—not just the camera work but the editing, effects and so on—your talents are in demand by everyone from Youtubers to news blogs which want to start producing visual content.
Illustration
Many brands are moving away from stock images to produce custom graphic work for their brands and products. This comes from the recognition that illustrations can make for more playful, consumable and interesting content. If you are a great illustrator, you can find work online.
Animation
This is yet another skill whose demand is very high in the online world. You can produce animations for a variety of purposes such as product demos, commercials, instructional videos, explainer videos, animations to accompany tutorials etc. Animations can also be produced as standalone video content.
