Within the context of the Digital Nomad lifestyle, the previous articles have focused on how the internet has created a new way of working. It has changed the way that business is done and the way that job tasks are completed. In addition to offering a new way of working, it also created hundreds of jobs that were previously non-existent. Because of the digital foundation of these jobs, they are innately conducive to the Digital Nomad lifestyle and to working remotely. In this article, three of these positions are explored further along with an example of a Digital Nomad who is currently making a living in this ever-changing field.
Digital Nomad Example
André Gussekloo is a Dutch Digital Nomad is a copywriter who specializes in Search Engine Optimization. He runs his own business and is therefore also an entrepreneur. Since 2007, André has lived as a Digital Nomad and now runs his website http://werkenvanuithetbuitenland.nl/ targeted to Dutch nationals. His current location is in the Canary Islands.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Jobs
Search Engine Optimization is often used interchangeably with SEA. Though there is a relationship between the two, they are completely separate ideas. SEO is also referred to as ‘organic search results’. These search results are determined by Google’s ‘spiders’, which crawl the internet exploring websites and searching for keywords. The premise of SEO is to determine how pertinent a given website is using the information found by the spiders and Google’s complicated algorithm called PageRank. This secret formula also takes into account how often other websites link to a given website.
What does a Search Engine Optimization Specialist do?
A Search Engine Optimizer is the strategist behind the website. By utilizing keywords, enhancing product descriptions, increasing the ease of site navigation, and providing information that the end users of the website consider to be useful, you can create more potential customers. With these methods, the listing of your website in the unpaid (‘organic’) section of the Google results may move closer to the top of the list of websites displayed, therefore, generating more clicks to your website, and more potential customers. Much of what a Search Engine Optimization Specialist does includes writing copy that is attractive to the Google spiders that are crawling the internet. It should be noted that the algorithms that rank listings in Google are secret and constantly changing. That makes search optimization a mix between a science and an art, analyzing data and using it to craft a search-engine friendly message. There are entire certifications aimed at helping people to understand the best way to do this.
SEA (Search Engine Advertising)Jobs
Search Engine Advertising refers to what are known as ‘inorganic search results’. The search engine that is the main focus of Search Engine Specialists is Google. In March 2014 according to a Comscore report, Google controlled 67.5% of all internet searches. Secondary search engines include Bing and Yahoo. For the purposes of conciseness, the focus of this explanation will be on Google. When a Google search is done for a product or service, the very first and very last listing on each search may have a little yellow box within their description that says ‘Ad’. It is of these listings that we speak when talking about Search Engine Advertising (on Google).
What does a Search Engine Advertising Specialist do?
A Search Engine Advertising Specialist works with acronyms. SEA, SEO, PPC, and CTR make up the secret language of online advertisers. SEA Specialists who use Google work with a program called Google AdWords. Through this tool, the SEA specialist focuses on the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) concept. The premise is that you are paying to advertise with the hopes that someone will click on your advertisement, which will lead them to your website, where they will buy your product or service. Therefore, you only pay for each person who clicks on your advertisement and starts this process. The number of times this happens compared to the amount of times that your advertisement is shown to people who are searching is called the Click Through Rate (CTR). There are many things that influence the price paid for each click, also known as Cost Per Click (CPC), which is closely related to the PPC concept. Within Google AdWords, you choose which words that are searched will bring up your advertisement. These words are known as Keywords. You also choose where within the list of other advertisers your advertisement will be listed, your maximum PPC rate and the words chosen to describe the company and product (within character limits). Google AdWords also allows you to analyze campaigns and keyword usage to determine which descriptions provide the highest CTR.
Social Media Marketing Jobs
Social media marketing is an essential part of any business today. If a company does not have a presence on social media, they may be perceived as outdated and behind the times. On the contrary, most businesses want to create an image of innovation and cutting-edge approaches. Therefore, an extensive social media presence is a crucial part of any modern marketing strategy.
What does a Social Media Marketer do?
A Social Media Marketer engages, communicates, informs, entertains, writes, researches, and much more. As the voice of the company on social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, a Social Media Marketer brings the message of the company to the public in a professional but informal way. Through this position, a company is able to provide a more personalized feeling to customers and stakeholders. Social media redefined the marketing and advertising industry and re-formed the idea of mass media. Formerly, mass media reached people through television, radio, and printed material. This method of outreach is completely passive, with the consumer only listening, seeing, or reading about the product. A Social Media Marketer taps into the new era of marketing by mediating a conversation between the consumer and the company. Social Media Marketers have the new opportunity to reach out to consumers, respond to their questions, requests, and demands, and to engage them in a conversation about the development of products and services. This empowers both the consumer to become more informed and the company to respond to the needs of the market.
Where can I find online marketing jobs?
Our default answer to all online freelance jobs and project based work are websites like Elance.com and Odesk.com. Flexjobs.com and weworkremotely.com are good places for Digital Nomads of all professions to find positions. Of course, a search for ‘remote jobs’ on any traditional job website (such as Monster.com, Indeed.com or Careerbuilder.com) will also offer up many job listings. However, there are no websites we know of focused only online marketing positions specifically but if you find any let us know in the comments below.
Conclusion
Online marketing is a fantastic field for a Digital Nomad because it is, by its very nature, digital and therefore can be done remotely. Additionally, the need for these skills will continue to grow and change with the internet. A good online marketer can help a company gain recognition, engage current and potential customers, and increase visibility and market share. We’ve only covered 3 jobs above and there are for sure a lot more areas you could specialize in such as YouTube marketing, Facebook Advertising and you can become an expert on a chosen social media of your choice liked Instagram or Linkedin.
Another option if you have online marketing skills is to utilize them for your own online business. I have successfully used my online marketing skills to create a simple, automated affiliate marketing business that I can run from anywhere. If you don’t have the skills yet, well I can also show you how to do it. If you want to learn how to escape the rat race like click here.