5 Skills You Can Learn Online and Strart A New Career Without Leaving Home

1. Local SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) might sound very technical and daunting, but it is actually quite easy to learn. Local SEO helps businesses advertise their products and services to prospective customers in their area. Businesses can do this most effectively by joining Google My Business, optimizing their website, and adding location and contact pages, creating local blog content, making sure the website is mobile-friendly, and implementing social media. Small businesses might not have the manpower to accomplish all these tasks, so they likely will need outside help, making this a prime opportunity for working from home and SEOs are in high demand according to LinkedIn data.

Furthermore, local SEO is not a very competitive field in a medium-sized city. All you need to do is hone your expertise in the areas of website optimization, content writing and social media.  

2. Social Media Advertising

All companies need to have a social presence in this day and age, so the demand for this skill has never been higher. Platforms for social media advertising include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube, and the type and content of the ad vary drastically depending on the channel. Many of the platforms have space limitations or would be more effective with a visual than with text, so it is crucial for companies to be educated on the different platforms and their requirements. To help meet this need, you can learn how to help companies understand their audience, design mobile-friendly ads, build awareness, measure results and drive website conversions through social media advertising.

3. Customer Support for Digital Agencies

Many companies are currently looking for remote customer service agents because most of the job responsibilities of a customer service agent can now be accomplished through the internet at home. Some of those duties include answering calls and online chats, doing technical support, processing returns or possibly even selling products. One of the major benefits of this work-from-home career option is that the hours are quite flexible, depending on the time zone and working schedule of the company. Best of all, once you learn the required technical skills and hone your communication expertise, all you need is a strong internet connection and a working phone.

4. Ghostwriting/Voice-Overs

Thanks to the increase in voice-recording software, there is an opportunity to do voice-overs for commercials, audio books, movies and television programs, video games and live events—all from home. Many people who do voice-overs from home offer their skills on freelancing websites and social media, but some also work for agencies. In addition to the recording software, you will need a microphone with a stand and headphones to get started. If you are interested in being the voice for someone else, but you do not actually want to speak, another option is ghostwriting. Ghostwriters learn how to write in the voice of their client to complete writing projects from an email or speech to a short blog or article to a full-length book. If you have a talent for writing and want to develop and implement that skill, you can work remotely for clients ranging from aspiring authors to virtually any company.

5. Video Editing

In 2019, videos accounted for 80 percent of all consumer internet traffic, which is why that form of media is seen as the most lucrative type of advertising by many marketing professionals. Facebook videos alone receive a total of billions of views every day, which means there is a high demand for quality video content that companies can use. Filming and editing videos can be quite time-consuming for businesses if they do have a designated employee for that specific task, which is why many companies are hiring freelancers. Once you learn the typical video editing software used, such as Adobe Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro, this skill easily can be accomplished remotely.

Learning platforms

If you are wondering how to go about learning these skills, there are several helpful online learning platforms available, including Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning and Udemy. Skillshare is an online learning community that offers courses on several different topics through subscription or certain free classes. LinkedIn Learning provides more than 16,000 online courses taught by professionals, offering users a monthly subscription to all classes for $19.99 or the option to buy individual courses. Udemy is a website that presents online courses in an extensive range of subjects, including local SEO, advertising and video editing, starting at approximately $20 per course. All three of the websites are useful, with Udemy having the largest variety of courses, but LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare being more cost-effective.

In conclusion:

There are many profitable skills you can learn online and develop into an at-home career. The right choice for you depends on your interests and the investments you are willing to make, as some of the freelance careers might require equipment or expensive software. If you have a passion for social media and advertising, local SEO and social media advertising are two fields that you might be well-suited for. If you possess a high degree of patience and a pleasant voice, customer support or voice-overs could be the best options for you. If you enjoy writing, a career in ghostwriting might be the right choice. Lastly, if you are fascinated by video production and like watching a video come together through the editing process, a career in video editing would be a worthwhile pursuit. No matter which skill interests you, online learning platforms are there to support you and help you build your competence in that field so you can pursue a successful career from home.