This article will give you a basic starting on how to become a digital nomad. This best part of this is that anyone can do this, it doesn’t matter how old you are, your current skill level , your current job. All you need to do is to be willing to be able to learn and put the time in. There are many article that offer high priced courses on this subject.
You don’t need to pay thousands to learn and there is no such thing as a get rich quick scheme. As a digital marketer myself I am going to start with these options that are open to you. There are many types of digital marketing which can be used and I am going to list them then talk about how accessible they can be and how you can get started right away.
In just 6 months time you could be on a Sunny beach away from the busy 9-5 grind. All you need is a laptop, a goal and a clot of persistence.
How to Become a Digital Nomad using Digital Marketing
So, by now you know what digital marketing is but what can you do to make yourself some money and bring clients in that will pay you and enable ou to work remotely ? Well lets look at the business models which will work freelance and go from there;
- Social Media Management
- Paid Social Media Services
- Copywriting Services
- Content Creation
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Web Design
- Wildcard Suggestion Do you have what it takes to be an influencer ?
Well it is an extensive list but if you want to know how become a digital nomad then listen carefully. You should start with one area and hone your craft. As the old saying goes “You don’t want to be a jack of all trades on master of none”. This is certainly true int he beginning but paradoxically you may find as a digital marketer you will need to become a master of at least some. We’ll get to that later but in the meantime lets break it down.
How to Become a Digital Nomad with Social Media
Social Media Management
This could range from helping to growing a brand organically through social media by creating engaging content. This could be in the form of social media posts and further content to be created and shared through social media. For example, Blogs and Vlogs. Additionally you may want to focus on 1-2 specific platforms to begin with to get an idea of how they operate. You will be responsible for engaging with potential customers which means engaging with posts and responding as the human for messages set to chat bots possibly.
Paid Social Media Services
This is a very popular route for beginners in digital marketing and those who want to start remote freelance businesses or agencies. The reason for this is that it’s easy to pick up but you need to be willing to make mistakes and learn. Many businesses do not like spending money on marketing as they fear they are throwing money away so they often tend to be on the lookout for someone to do it or them. This is where you come in, you can help them become more profitable and if you do a good job it’s likely you will retain them as a client.
Content Creation
Are you a good creative writer, are you good with cameras and creating images and video content? Well, this might be the avenue for you. This is one of the more exciting ways of how to become a digital nomad. There are many ways to make money in this field as you may have a specific niche you’re knowledgeable which you can write about. Additionally, there is plenty of work available online using freelance networks such as Fiver and Upwork.
Many marketers want to focus on certain key areas and may look to hire content creators for their projects for clients. The key here is they will want this properly, so if they don’t have the time or knowledge then they will look to hire someone who does. This is where you come in. You can solve their problem. Bear in mind that you might want to start building your portfolio. This will help you close client more easily.
Copywriting
Many businesses could use help with their copywriting for their business. You can find work through freelancing sites such as Fiver and Upwork. It can be difficult to get a good pay for copywriting services so make sure you can demonstrate good writing skills through a portfolio. This will be key to gaining and maintaining clients.
SEO
This full term for this is Search Engine Optimisation. Furthermore, this is the practice of optimising client websites so that they are search engine friendly. Additionally, companies will want you to help them move up the rankings. Ideally all businesses want to be on the first page of Google. As the old saying goes ” If you want to hide a body, put it on the first page of Google”.
As an SEO professional, in order to be successful at this you need to put the time in learning. Therefore, free online courses in SEO are available at;
- Hubspot.com
- Semrush.com
- Ahrefs.com
- Yoast.com
additionally, if you’re like me and want to delve a little deeper and do it the old fashioned way then you can also read these books;
- SEO 2024: Learn search engine optimization with smart internet marketing strategies by Adam Clarke
- Search Engine Optimisation For Dummies
- SEO Blueprint
How will SEO help you? There is plenty of info about how to get started online but it is important you can deliver a service properly.
Study the knowledge above and the best way to learn SEO is to build a page and get it to rank. There are many platforms you can build a responsive page with. You don’t need to be able to code ( although some technical SEO will require a basic understanding of that). However, as a beginner the important part to understand is On Page SEO. There are 3 main pillars of SEO which are;
- On Page SEO
- Off Page SEO
- Technical SEO
To begin it would be best to choose one are of SEO and offer this is as a service. However, for more competitive niches some knowledge of all 3 is a must. Many sources say you should target businesses local to you to begin with , which may be a good idea but you also need to make sure businesses see the value. Furthermore, this is because SEO services are expensive and many people target small businesses not realising they will not have the budge. Additionally, they may need instant results which makes SEO a difficult option. The reason for this is that it can take 3-6 months for SEO to take effect. However, targeting more medium sized businesses with little expertise in SEO would be a better option.
Web Design
The first thing you may be wondering is ” Do I need to know code?” No, absolutely not. There are many good platforms to build websites on. My personal favourite is Word Press. If you are interested in paying for a website and do want to learn how to build one the click here. This would be a great site business, there are many hosting servers now who allow you to set up hosting plans for your website on a sub server.
This includes platforms such as;
- Hostinger
- Bluehost
- Siteground
My personal recommendation of the 3 to use would be Hostinger, its fast affordable and easy to use, to sign up for a membership click here.
You can offer many services with your website and chare add-ons for services such as;
- Web Design
- Website Maintenance
- Hosting Plans
- Business Emails
- SSL Certificates
- Enhanced Security Options
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Google ads
Word Press is a great platform as you can create passwords and usernames for each accounts for clients. Not all of the other platforms allow this but since the popularity of Word Press, some others have followed suit. You can also use platforms such as;
- Wix
- Squarespace
- Jooma
- Droopal
- Magento Open Source
However, I am now going to speak briefly about how to build a Word Press website. Word Press is uses 43.5% of websites globally. Additionally, it operates using an easy to use CMS ( Content Management System ). There are many plug ins which you can use depending on the type of site you want to have. There are a number of SEO plug ins such as RankMath and Yoast which will help you optimise your website for the search engines. Additionally, it has it’s own built in plug in called Woo Commerce if you want to build an e-commerce type store. Alternatively, there is also Shopify plug in.
Types of Websites You can Operate Remotely
Affiliate Marketing
You will see this advertised online a lot, beware of pricey courses here promoting network marketing and online pyramid schemes. Many sources online will coin this phrase to see you a get rich quick scheme and you should be wary and avoid this. You can opt for a affiliate marketing through creating content in the form of vlogs, blogs and building your own website. Affiliate marketing is businesses paying you to sell their products for them via commission structure. There are some great affiliate sites such as ;
- Click Bank
- CJ Affiliate
- Amazon Associates
- Ebay Partner Network
Drop-shipping
This is another great choice if you are looking to be travelling as you act as the middle man by advertising products for another company. Many people who want to become a digital nomad opt for this and are able to grow their e-commerce platforms. By using Woo Commerce or Shopify you can connect to services like Ali Express and Alibaba= to select your products. This is a great option as there is no up front cost for the products. Additionally, you do not have to store the products either..
Online Courses
This is a great tool to use. You may want to create some free content to begin with and then offer premium versions of your lessons. You do this using sites such as Udemy. Furthermore, you could look to promote yourself through a You-tube channel to gain a following. Many people teach sided hustle tutorial online. The key thing here is to provide good value for your customer. How to courses in a specific niche are a great choice.
TEFL
Teaching English as a foreign language is a great option for native English speakers. It is also an option if you are and experience and fluent English speaker. Many travellers opt to do this as it can be taught via online classes through a laptop. Furthermore , the pay can be quite competitive and a decent amount per hour. You could be teaching in the morning for 4 hours and then sunning it up on the beach from the afternoon until sunset.
Maybe think even bigger and work on becoming an Influencer
Are you an actor or do you have a quirky personality, many people in the creative industries use influencing as a second source of income. You can do this to and al you really need is a phone with a camera and a hobby you can leverage as your niche. That is is , simple eh ? Well, it may take time to build as an influencer but think of your core audience and target them. For example, you could take inspiration form @adell.explores. This influencer is a photographer and a digital nomad (maybe ) who documents her travels through, vlogs and professional photography.
Here are just some of her photos from her travels. Just think a year from now this could be you.
So How Will You Become a Digital Nomad
Well the choice is yours. One thing to remember is that you should always try to utilise the freelance networks such as Fiver and Upwork. However, you should also look to network and market yourself online. Another thing you can do is join some of the digital nomad networks. Here are a few;
- The Digital Nomads Network
- Digital Nomad World
- Nomad Pick
Through these sites you gain more insight and may even be able to join even more informative communities.
There is a whole world out there waiting to be seen. There is more to life than rotting in front of the tele, get out there while you still can. Enjoy the World for everything its worth. Shake up the norm, be brave , be adventurous.