Top 10 Highly Profitable Skills to Make Money:
1. SEO
When you type something into a search engine (which you might have done before you landed here), the search engine, let’s say Google, makes some complex decisions about which pages–of the millions that might fit–it’s going to show you.
And there’s a lot of strategies to make websites BETTER so that Google moves them up the list. We call this Search Engine Optimization (AKA SEO). This page was high enough up in Google for you to click on it. If it was on page 57 of your search results, you never would have seen it.
SEO is in high demand as companies try to bring in organic views to their websites and products.
Organic views are super valuable, since the alternative requires bringing in traffic through social media posting or advertising. But organic traffic is different; it’s made up of people who are driven to find the answer for the questions they’re asking.
2. Blockchain
Blockchain is a way of storing valuable information across a system in which each computer stores a record.
In non-computer speak, it’s simply that information is shared and duplicated across a system, making it harder to compromise, versus the model of storing information on a server that each computer accesses. Each computer has a record of any transactions, which makes it way more safe than a centralized server. Get it?
Blockchain is in high demand and continuing to grow. Because of this, there are a TON of courses and resources of there for learning, with many companies creating their own programming in a desperate bid to get more qualified workers.
3. Video Editing
I freaking love video editing… weird as that may sound. And in the age of the pandemic, when more companies are moving online, decent video editors are in short supply.
Although a Video Editor’s salary on ZipRecruiter isn’t huge, $47,000 yearly, talented Video Editors on Upwork can make $40-150/hourly. This is good news for talented video editors who want to work freelance, especially if you’ve got chops and the ability to market yourself.
With phones now capable of making ridiculously high-quality videos, there’s a low barrier of entry to become great at video editing. You can take your phone out today and start playing around. There are a few free video editing programs, I’ve used FilmMaker Pro.
4. Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a term that encompasses a lot. It might even include SEO (above). But developing your skills as a digital marketer will pay off.
Digital marketing used to be the job companies gave to the intern. “Post this on Tweeter for us.” But no longer. Companies are throwing big budgets at digital marketing, recognizing that it has the potential to overtake traditional marketing.
You can learn digital marketing. But make no mistake, this doesn’t mean tweeting all day. If you’re serious about becoming a digital marketer, I’d recommend doing a deep dive on learning advertising across different platforms, especially Facebook. Learn Pixel, retargeting, and get serious about metrics and analytics.
Where do you do this? Well, again, I’d give a shout-out to SkillShare, which is where I learn most of the things I want to learn.
5. Sales
Selling has been around for thousands of years. Unlike most of the other things on this list, it’s not fancy and it’s not strictly tech. But sales isn’t going anywhere. Companies need to sell things.
Sales IS changing though. Like everything else, it’s been upended by tech. From fancy AI customer databases to email lead generation software, sales will keep evolving. But at the base of sales is a relationship. As the famous saying goes, “people do business with people they know, like, and trust.”
As far as the money goes, sales is a tough salary to pin down. After all, that pushy guy at the cellphone booth in the mall is a salesperson, but might not make that much.
I’m not sure if everyone is cut out for sales, but if you think you might be, you can always improve your abilities. And don’t just assume that because you’re great with people you’ll be able to sell.
6. Coding
It’s not surprising that coding is still a valuable skill, and it’s also something you can learn yourself. Developers are in high demand as we transition to a tech economy. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to have a computer science degree to be a developer.
Anyone can learn to code!
There are so many free coding courses out there, particularly because everyone needs coders. Codecademy is a great place to start.
If you’re wondering what language to learn, it’s important to choose one that fits within your career goals. The most popular language is python, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you.
7. Copywriting
Are you a writer at heart? Have you always imagined living in a Starbucks, writing for a living?
Now imagine that life, but with a solid income.
Copywriting is the skill of using words to sell things, and it’s valuable. It’s one of those skills that a lot of people think they have, but few actually do.
It’s hard to write bulletproof prose that perfectly captures your ideal customer, stopping them in their tracks and helping them overcome objections to buy something. And that’s why companies pay.
The average copywriter salary's on ZipRecruiter is $59,084/year.But this is another one of those skills that will command you top dollar if you’re the best. Great copywriters are in high demand and charge a lot—the average copywriter salary on Upwork is around $100/hr.
If you want a taste of amazing copywriting, drop by Laura Belgrade's blog, Talking Shrimp She’s one of the best copywriters around, and a read of her homepage will tell you why. I also love Eddie Shleyner's blog,Very good Copy.
Copywriting is about selling. But go read the best wordsmiths in the business, and you’ll see why they’re great. There’s none of that “But wait, there’s more” crap.
Just beautiful, crafted words that make you smile and fall in love with a mission or company.
8. User Experience (UX)
User Experience is a rapidly growing field, and it’s perfect for people with advanced degrees. It requires a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research. This means that most degree holders have some point of entry, but it’s an especially great choice for grads with social science and humanities degrees.
Hold your breath, because UX Designers make an average of $98,816 in the U.S. UX Managers make $125,712 while UX Directors make $166,940. Who said you weren’t going to be able to use that anthropology degree? UX is the perfect place for it.
9. Project Management
Project Management is a bit of a catch-all title. Project Managers might do anything from designing a new road to overseeing a research project. So, if you want to move into project management, you’ll need to figure out what type you’d like to do. The type of projects that interest you.
It’s important to recognize that you might not be able to do every type of project management out there. If you’re a history grad, becoming a project manager is probably NEVER going to mean overseeing a bridge project.
So your goal is to figure out which domain you’d be applying project management skills in. You can do some free project management courses, there's a good list here, get a sense of the requirement and the discipline. You might even choose to invest in a PMP (Project Management Professional) certification, which is widely recognized.
10. Content Marketing
If you’re creative and love to write and/or edit, content marketing might be another skill for you. Unlike copywriting, content writing isn’t strictly designed to sell. Copywriting is a type of content.
But content is a much bigger bucket. When a company writes a blog post, its goal might not be immediately to sell… “get it now for a limited time!” In fact, it’s goal might be to educate, create brand awareness, inspire, tell stories, or any number of things.
Content writing and copywriting are, therefore, two distinct skills. It’s not a guarantee that copywriters are great content writers, and vice versa.
According to ZipRecruiter, Content Managers make an average salary of $63,000/year.
Conclusion
If you feel like you’re stuck in your career, especially if you have a degree that feels useless, why not learn one of these in-demand skills and level up? They’ll help you define the value you offer in the marketplace, and get paid more! Good luck!
Well-written.
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