Nice, nice. You sit on your ass and wait for the money to fall into your pocket. I would like that too, unfortunately it is just as unrealistic as low fuel prices. We all know that it is getting harder and harder and the prospects for the better are slowly blurring, overshadowed by new devastating news from the country and the world. But enough whining. I’ll show you a few ways to make money using your head, keyboard and some free software available on the market. Remember, however, that these methods are not a panacea for poverty. However, they are a chance to improve the material situation, and thus also the quality of life.
Writing Texts, i.e. Popular Copywriting
One of the first assignments I carried out in my career concerned writing texts. I wrote back-up texts (to improve the position of websites in search results) and the so-called pretzels (texts for pre-sales pages). I already had some experience with writing, because before doing a regular job I wrote a lot of e-mails. However, I am dysgraphic and dyslexic and I still write, despite my imperfections. So even if you have problems with writing grammatically and stylistically good constructions, it does not mean that your texts will not have a positive value.
In the era of text-writing machines and automatic translators, it is increasingly difficult to get a good salary for such work. Prices range from PLN 10 for 1000 characters with spaces up to thousands of PLN for a decent, unique, specialized article. Why am I talking about this? I mean, you must have some hobbies, even if it’s video games or floristry. Finding freelance writing jobs is still not difficult. This is a solid foundation for the further path of a copywriter, content creator or editor. As the saying goes, you have to start somewhere.
Writing articles and descriptions allows you to develop thematic knowledge, improve your editorial skills in general, because if you write about a topic, you learn it using source documents. I don’t have to explain where to find the sources 🙂 At the beginning you will also need someone to read your text and point out areas for improvement. Therefore, simple orders for advertising agencies or SEO will be a good start.
Commercial Graphics
With the start of activities in the area of copywriting, I began to polish my graphic skills. You really don’t have to be an ace to make a specific advertising graphic. Sometimes the concept itself holds up so well that the means or images used don’t matter that much. Graphics are much more difficult than writing, often due to the fact that the recipient may not like it, which in turn means no remuneration.
To start working in graphics, you need to have an idea of the tools that are used to produce graphics on a computer. You can even start with the Paint app as it has basic features to help you further develop your tooling skills. You also need to distinguish raster graphics from vector graphics and from 3d graphics. The most complicated is the three-dimensional one, but currently there is a huge demand for it due to the spread of 3D printers. Yes, knowledge of printing techniques and materials can also be helpful. I was employed for a short period in a printing house to acquire the necessary technical knowledge in practice. You don’t have to create graphics for printing right away, you can start from the Internet. Graphics for social media also have their own design rules, so it’s worth getting to know them before you start creating in this area. The demand for it is still huge and it could be a good start.
Learning to create graphics is pleasant for people who are interested in drawing, have artistic talents, etc. However, it is not a necessary condition. Designing has its own rules that you will learn with your first projects. Watch tutorials on YouTube, there are plenty of them. On the Freelancer.com website you will find graphic competitions in which you can participate for free. People will rate your work, including with a comment, so you’ll know what you’re doing right and wrong. An interesting aspect of learning in the field of graphics are current trends and styles of design. It’s a very nice world if you show some interest in it. Take a look at http://studioejvi.eu, it’s my website dedicated to part of my work as a graphic designer.
Graphics also opens another door, namely the creation of animations and advertising films. It’s a great thing, you can have fun. By creating videos and animations and posting them on your personal profiles, you can see if what you do is positively received by your friends.
Audio and Video Processing
In the era of Tik Tok and Youtube Shorts, everyone would like to go above the surface and become at least an influencer promoting well-known brands. Of course, this can also be learned. I, on the other hand, chose the way of backing up such films and their production. I know a thing or two about video and audio processing, but I started from scratch, just like everyone else. Contrary to appearances, creating a good movie is not easy at all and requires a lot of work. There are still plenty of orders on the market for private Youtube channels or for videos on Tik Tok. Of course, to implement them you need knowledge of software, for example the free flipaclip available for smartphones.
Such skills also open the path to show business. Working on music videos or lyric videos is very fun and creative but also demanding. Over time, you will certainly be able to carry out such tasks if you choose a similar career path.
Creating Websites
There are still jobs for website creation on the market. These are not as lucrative as they used to be, but you can learn it yourself, also from free online courses. You will be helped by the basics of html and css style sheets. Of course, there are website builders like WIX or WordPress where you can build pages without knowing html, but trust me, it’s really worth knowing the basics. To create a useful website, it is also worth knowing the basics of web graphics. And issues such as UX, UI or material design. The first website I built was such a nightmare that when I look at it now after 12 years of working for myself, I cry. Not only from sentiment but also from laughter 🙂 I have it saved somewhere in the form of html on my hard drive.
Search Engine Optimization and Online Advertising
All the above described areas in which I had the pleasure to work pushed me to launch an SEO/SEM agency – https://semsos.eu.
As the owner of SEMSOS, I conduct website audits, constantly develop tipsandtricks.pl and implement advertising campaigns in search engines, on Youtube and in smartphone applications. I learned everything myself, from publicly available materials on the web, and on thematic forums devoted to given issues. It wasn’t easy but thanks to this I can earn money online. You can too. If I learned it, anyone can learn it. I keep my fingers crossed and wish you every success, especially in these difficult times.
