10 Easiest Skills to Learn for Starting Freelancing
If you’re planning to start freelancing, but you’re not sure what skills you need, we have good news for you—you already have everything that’s required! In fact, many skills are so easy to learn that even your non-tech friends can help teach them to you, which will make things go much more smoothly when it comes time to work on your first assignment. Here are 10 of the easiest skills to learn if you’re thinking about starting freelancing as soon as possible.
1) Writing
If you have writing skills, that’s a huge boost. It’s not unusual these days for freelancers to take on many different types of freelance jobs; writing is a big part of that. From blogging and copywriting to journalism and e-book authorship, freelance writers have been in high demand since before I was born—and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
2) Research
In most cases, you won’t be able to give up your job without having some idea of how you’ll earn money. So your first step should be to research potential options. Look at what other people are charging, consider what you might enjoy doing and look into any certifications or licensing requirements. Do as much research as possible so that by the time you quit your job, you can start immediately.
3) Customer Service
The ability to provide good customer service is essential for freelancers. You may not have a boss, but you will still have clients that pay your bills. Treat them right and your business will thrive.
4) Design
Many people think that design is just about being a graphic designer but in reality, design is much broader than that. Anyone can learn how to create great designs - whether they’re building a website, writing an ebook or creating a flyer or brochure. If you have any interest in design and understand your audience, it can be one of the easiest skills to teach yourself.
5) Logo Design
Businesses rely on logos more than ever before, so there’s never been a better time to branch out into logo design. You don’t need any formal training or qualifications – just create a portfolio of your work and start marketing yourself! To get started, visit Dribbble or Behance, search for ‘logo design’, and take inspiration from what you see.
6) Photography
If you have a good eye, and a few tricks up your sleeve, you can make some money as a professional photographer. Many people are happy to pay top dollar if they want excellent photography of an event or trip they cherish. You don’t need any formal training, just enough skill that you can show some great examples of your past work.
7) Video Production
Video production is a great skillset to have as a freelancer. If you can produce videos that are entertaining and engaging, you could potentially create original content, sell video ads and make decent money from YouTube’s ad revenue sharing program. It’s not easy (or quick) to become a successful video producer, but it does pay well if you succeed. Even better, some businesses hire video producers on retainer. That means more stable income!
8) Branding & Business Strategy
How do you become a freelance writer? It’s not necessarily easy, but with some creativity and hustle, it can be fun. When I started my freelance writing career, I didn’t know any other writers. And there wasn’t a ton of information on how to find them. Thankfully there are tons of articles out there on how to launch your own freelancing business these days; here are some of my favorites that helped me learn what I needed in order to get started.
9) Copywriting & Copy Editing
If you can write a compelling email, you can start freelancing as a copywriter. Create content that sells your client’s products or services—whether they’re B2B (business-to-business) or B2C (business-to-consumer). Copywriters are also called article writers, so if you enjoy blogging, there are many ways to apply your skills professionally. Writing is an essential skill and well worth brushing up on if you want to take freelancing seriously.
10) Marketing & Advertising
Advertising is as much an art as it is a science, and many would argue that it’s more of an art. To begin, you’ll want to get familiar with marketing terminology and tools—Google search engine optimization (SEO), Google AdWords (Adwords), Facebook and Instagram ads, YouTube Advertising etc.—so you can speak with confidence when pitching clients.