Freelancing has been popular for a while – it’s nothing new. However, this way of making money experienced an incredible expansion in recent years. There are over 70 million active freelancers in the United States at the moment! More importantly, the rest of the world doesn’t fall behind. This article should help you discover which freelance skills are the most popular so you can start working toward your dream career.
What Are the Most Popular Freelance Skills?
Any person in the world with any background can easily start a freelance career. There’s a wide array of jobs to pick from. If you’re tired of your 9-to-5 job or just want to try something different, then freelancing is worth looking into.
Regardless of the type of freelancing career you decide to pursue, all freelance jobs share the same benefits. These include a flexible schedule, workload control, location flexibility, and more. Here’s all you need to know about the most popular freelance skills to help you earn money online!
Writing (and Copywriting)
If writing sounds like your cup of tea, then the first step toward your new career is choosing between content and copywriting. Obviously, content writers can cover all sorts of topics for any purpose. On the other hand, copywriters are focused on marketing texts that aim to persuade and influence a target audience.
Many businesses need written content so you can find plenty of consistent work. If you’re just starting out, you can apply at any “content mill” and hone your writing skills or contact local companies that you think might need some fresh content. You can also use Fiverr or UpWork to build your portfolio.
Graphic Design
Although it was traditionally focused on printed media, graphic design quickly shifted toward online work with the expansion of the internet. It’s also very popular among freelancers, making up 90% of the freelance industry! While that doesn’t sound encouraging, there’s plenty of work and countless platforms that cater to freelance graphic designers.
While a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a similar field helps, it’s not a must for freelance work in this industry. There are numerous online courses you can take or look into local art classes while building your portfolio. Finally, being familiar with design software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator is a must!
Video Editing
If you have an eye for visual design, but the previous two sections don’t sound like something you’d be interested in, then video editing might be the right fit for you. Moreover, if you’re skilled at putting together clips for your YouTube channel or the family archive – even better! A video editor’s job is to turn a client’s idea (and a heap of unedited footage) into reality.
We consume so much video content on a daily basis, so the demand for skilled video editors is not surprising. More importantly, it’s the type of work that allows you to work on content you care about. You don’t need a degree to get into this type of work – experience is what matters. Still, it’s best to start by editing your own videos and creating a portfolio so you can show off your skills to your potential clients.
Social Media Marketing
A social media marketer or manager is a person focused on increasing engagement on particular accounts. This involves getting more views, growing the follower base, organizing events, and more. This might be a great way to turn your passion into a successful freelancing career if you enjoy social media platforms.
Social network marketing is an expanding field, showing no signs of slowing down. Moreover, you can start small and slowly build your skills with single projects before expanding. While you don’t need a degree for this type of work, some communications or marketing courses could come in handy.
Data Analysis
When they hear the word “freelancing,” most people don’t think of data analysis as a possible career. However, the market demand is on the rise and it’ll only grow in the future. Data analysis covers a wide range of skills, including data mining, machine learning, visualization, and more.
All sorts of businesses gather data for different purposes, so a data analyst must know how to turn messy, unstructured information into clear insights. While there’s no formal education for this type of work, you can find a lot of data analytics courses and certification programs to get you on the right track.
Bookkeeping
While bookkeeping may not sound as exciting as the other options, you can make it work since there are various project types you could work on. Besides, every company needs some type of bookkeeping, so you don’t have to worry about running out of work. You can offer your services to local businesses or look for work on platforms like Indeed, Freelancer, or UpWork.
When it comes to honing your bookkeeping craft, a bachelor’s degree in accounting, math, or statistics is probably a good idea. After all, some of your potential clients might require this certification. Finally, being familiar with QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Xero, and other payroll software is necessary, so look for tutorials or MOOCs covering these topics.
Taking Surveys
Completing surveys with Pawns.app may not make you rich, but it’s definitely worth checking out while you’re preparing to start your new freelancing career. You can share your opinions with our partners and help them shape new products and services while getting paid for it. The best part? You don’t need any special skills or qualifications to start!
Also, Pawns.app allows you to share your unused bandwidth and have a truly passive income source to boost your budget. It’s completely safe, available to everyone worldwide, and you can use as many devices as you want as long as they’re on different networks with different IP addresses!
Final Thoughts
Freelancing has its benefits, including setting your own schedule and choosing projects you’ll work on. However, there are a few things to keep in mind before you decide to try it out. Firstly, you need to avoid distractions at home (or wherever you plan to work) and be highly motivated. Secondly, you’ll need to manage your own schedule to make time for vacations and unexpected events.
Thirdly, it’s essential to understand that this type of work comes and goes. Finding enough clients to ensure a stable income stream can be challenging at times. And most importantly, this type of work rarely involves any direct human contact. An easy way to deal with this is by working in shared public spaces and spending more time with family and friends.
