Marketing: Profitable skills for Remote Work (and where to learn them)

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Nowadays, marketing has gone beyond television commercials and print advertisements. In the age of Internet, more people are into social media and online websites. Unlike before, when you needed technical knowledge and proper equipment to shoot a commercial, nowadays you can fully produce ads on your computer. It doesn’t take a college graduate to become a savvy marketing specialist, but the job does require a certain type of skills.

If you’re a Facebook whiz or a gifted writer, this kind of job might hold green pastures to you. Discover the numerous types of marketing specialists available nowadays. Learn the necessary skills and develop your new career on the internet from the comfort of your home.

Here is the list:

Content Marketer
Copywriter
Social Media Manager
SEM Specialist (SEO and PPC/SEA)
E-Mail Marketer

Content Marketer

It takes some knowledge in planning to executive effective SEO.

What is it?

A content marketer is pretty much a jack-of-all trades. The position calls for someone who can create content, choose a platform, and promote a product in such a way that the audience turns into customers.

The goal is not to just come up with advertisements to entertain or inform people; it’s actually about creating something people love to consume, which will then turn consumers into customers.

As a content marketer, you can work on a variety of media outlets. A content marketer can write, choose to produce a board on Pinterest,  create a weekly podcast, or post amateur videos on Youtube.com. These are only some examples of the various ways you can promote content. Whatever way you choose, however, the end goal remains the same: it’s to sell the product. If you want an idea of what you’re trying to achieve, Donald Miller’s excellent book, “Building a Story Brand” is a great book about Marketing, and telling a story about your company.

Is it hard to learn?

Content Marketing is half talent and half hard work. While it takes a gifted storyteller to draw in people, knowing how to make them buy a product or get a service needs someone who can gain people’s trust.

To learn the basics of selling, check out the course offered by Dayna Rothman, a leading content strategist, on Content Marketing Foundations at Linkedin.com. If you want a certificate course, you can also take up The Strategy of Content Marketing which was developed by Copyblogger and the University of California – Davis Extension.

To learn more about marketing techniques that create popular brands, enroll in Jonah Berger’s course “Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content.” Lastly, build profitable strategies and multiply the power of your content with the course “Content Marketing: Marketing Techniques and Proven Strategies” offered on Udemy.com

How much can I earn?

The rate as a content marketer varies based on your proven track record and experience.  Truth be told, this industry is quite challenging as many companies offer peanuts in exchange for a well-research content. At times, some companies pay $40 for an 800-word blog for people who are just starting out. The key, however, is learning how to market yourself as well. Mridu Kullar Relph, founder of the International Freelancer, says that the average rate of a content marketing writer is over $200 an hour (although that estimate seems a bit high).

Copywriter

What is it?

A copywriter is not your typical writer who produces poems, books and news articles. In the marketing world, copywriters produce information that guides people to take action.

His aim is not only to inform, it’s to push people to try a certain product or service. His aim is to gather information and speak to customers in a way that promotes a message effectively and closes a sale. 

Is it hard to learn?

In order to become a copywriter, you need to be able to have a good grasp of grammar and vocabulary first. Beyond knowing how to write, however, you need to equip yourself with the capacity to sell ideas.

A good course to get you started on your feet is The Complete Copywriting Course offered on Udemy.com. It’s also worthy to check out the course Copywriting – Become a Freelance Copywriter, Your Own Boss.

If you want to delve into more in-depth training, check out the guide offered by the American Writers and Artists Inc. – The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting. It’s considered one of the world’s most popular copywriting courses and was developed by Mark Ford, a hugely successful copywriter. If you prefer books, you can check out The Copywriting Bible and The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells

copywriting-as-a-marketable-skill
Being able to write is never going out of style.

How much can I earn?

According to Upwork.com, copywriting fees depend upon the type of article you would be producing. The average fee range for a 3-panel brochure ranges from $800-$1,300, for a website copy $200-$500 per page, a PPC ad $50 – $200 per ad, and a blog post $700-$1,500. Depending on the agreement with the client, you can choose to charge on a per word, per hour or a fixed rate basis.

As a copywriter it is pretty easy to leverage succes to command higher rates. If you make someone 10.000$ through your sales copy, it’s not so hard to ask 5.000$ for your service.

Social Media Manager

What is it?

For millennials and Instagram addicts, this seems like the dream job. Contrary to popular belief, however, being a social media manager extends beyond posting messages on Facebook or creating boards on Pinterest. You have to be constantly aware of emerging trends and new technologies.

As a social media manager of a company or brand, you are in-charge of maintaining the image and popularity of your client. Some of your responsibilities are responding to user comments, fostering partnerships with other brands, and posting related videos and content on your client’s page.

More often than not, you would also be expected to execute marketing campaigns online and analyze results from these campaigns. It is essential for you to know how to drive and effectively use traffic to a company’s website for profitable gains.

social-media-marketing-on-stress-free-home-office
A good Social Media Manager will have people hooked to their phones (even more than usual).

Is it hard to learn?

A basic grasp of popular social media sites is key to this job. That means that the time that you have invested in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like can come in handy here.  As an introductory course to the potentials of this job, check out the open-source training boot camp offered on socialmediatraining.com.

To develop the capacity to use these apps for marketing, customer service, and public relations, however, it would be useful to take the course “Social Media Marketing – Complete Certificate Course” offered on Udemy.com. To learn techniques on how to become a social media influencer, try the specialization course offered on Coursera.org.

How much can I earn?

A social media campaign can last up to 6 months, depending on the scale of the audience you wish to reach. Rates of a social media expert vary, depending on the experience level and location of the specialist.

For small business rates, an account manager taking care of all types of customer services can pay as much as $400 – $2,000 per month. Blogging with social shares can command $400 – $1,200 per month. Campaign creation itself can deliver $300 -$1,000 and customer outreach $200-$1,000 during the campaign months.

For a larger company as client, the earnings can go twice the price than the ones stated above. Account management can command $2,500-$10,000, blogging with social media shares $2,500 – $7,500, campaign creation $2,000 – $5,000 and customer outreach $800- $4,000. Take note though that these figures apply to U.S.-based freelancers and can vary elsewhere in the world.

SEM Specialist

search-engine-marketing working remotely
SEM specialists have to discover their love for numbers.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) generally refers to paid search marketing. Businesses pay Google to appear on users’ search pages upon their entry of certain keywords. It is quite an effective way of selling a product because your client’s website appears before potential consumers already interested in what your product offers.

SEM is an umbrella terms that includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay per Click (PPC) listings. It is believed to be the fastest way to drive traffic to a client’s website.

SEO Specialist

What is it?

If a website is a house, the SEO specialist is the person that tidies it, makes it presentable to guests and puts up the mailbox. An SEO specialist makes a website user-friendly to search engines. He or she ensures that the website uses clean code, has quick loading times and meets search engines’ criteria in deciding top search results.

As an SEO specialist, your common tasks include researching effective keywords, writing interesting content, improving loading times of web pages and making the website interesting enough for users to visit many pages and linger through it.

Is it hard to learn?

SEO is as difficult to learn for the college student as it is for an enthusiastic self-learner. Marketing classes in universities don’t dive too deep in this subject, so it’s best to research and educate yourself on the skills needed in this expertise.

As a beginner’s guide to SEO, check out this free crash course from Moz.com. It would also be wise to take this SEO 101 course from practicalecommerce.com. Lastly, if you plan to work with Google itself, it would be the best to study exactly how this search engine works and how you can use it for your client’s benefit. Visit Google’s General Search Console Help to learn about the criteria and rules this popular search engine uses to filter search results.

How much can I earn?

Upwork.com says that a typical U.S.-based SEO specialist can earn anywhere from $35-$95 per hour in keyword research/ analysis. On-page SEO Audits can command $45-$150 per hour while link building $50-$175 per hour. Content management can cost $55 – $150 per hour and website development $75-$185 per hour. The average time it takes to optimize a company’s website is 1-3 months, although at times a full-blown website renewal can take a year to complete.

PPC/SEA Specialist

What is it?

A PPC specialist basically focuses on pay-per-click advertising campaigns. Unlike SEO, traffic generated from a pay-per-click campaign is not free and commands cost per user attracted. Pay-per-click advertisements are the website links you see at the top of the Google search labeled as “Sponsored”.

In this role, your basic responsibilities include researching keywords, designing landing pages, and keeping track of trends. A PPC specialist is expected to deliver user traffic fast as each visitor to the client’s website translates to earnings for the freelancer.

Is it hard to learn?

Similar to SEO, becoming a PPC Specialist requires you to have a keen desire to learn on your own. Get certification training with simplilearn.com to learn the basic skill set. To focus on mastering Google Adwords for the purpose of driving user traffic, try enrolling in the Online Google Adwords Training Course offered by Udemy.com.

How much can I earn?

According to Payscale.com, the average hourly rate of a PPC specialist is $17 per hour. That means you can expect your wage to fall between $11 and $23 per hour. The job can be paid per hour or on an fixed-rate basis, usually per campaign.

Earnings can be much higher, depending on the client’s budget and your success. This again is a field where results can be clearly tracked, and more success for your client can easily translate to higher earnings for you, also reaching into the thousands for bigger campaigns and accounts.

Email Marketer

What is it?

email-marketing-stress-free-home-office

Unlike SEO and PPC specialists, this kind of marketer adresses potential clients directly. Email is the most direct way you can reach a user on the internet, and emails are considered to be the most valuable asset a business can have by many online marketers.

Search Engine algorithms can change, social media platforms may change how you can reach your followers, but emails are reliable. E-mail marketers help businesses reach their audience through their E-Mail lists.

Often the lists are collected through signup forms on websites, other times E-mail marketers buy email lists or use email marketing service platforms to contact users who would most likely be interested in what they have to offer.

Is it hard to learn?

To be an e-mail marketer, you would first have to know the ropes of email platforms. After which, you must be able to identify your marketing strategy and goals in conducting a campaign.

Learn the ropes of email marketing with this 101 crash course from Optinmonster.com. To create effective emails and design marketing strategies, try this course from academy.hubspot.com. Lastly, try these courses from Lynda.com to study specific aspects of this kind of marketing.

How much can I earn?

The earnings of an email marketer can vary depending upon the scale of the mailing list and the campaign. According to webfx.com, a mid-size business can pay anywhere from $9 to $1,000 per month on e-mail marketing if it only requires minimal management. If you have an agency that specializes in this type of campaign, you can command a price of $300-$500 per month.


If this was all a bit overwhelming for you, and you’re not quite sure where to start, Hubspot Academy and Google Academy will be a fantastic intro into Online Marketing, and bring you a (huge) step closer to your goal of working remotely.

Which field is most interesting to you? What are your experiences? Do you have any questions or advice you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments below.

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