The Online Gold Mine

                      

Nearly every one of us is online at one time or another during the day. Some of us spend countless hours browsing mindlessly on Social Media. In the same breath, there are many who are making a killing and earning big bucks every time they are online. What are some of the ways in which these people are changing their financial situations and how can you get in on the action? What are they doing differently? What do they know about the online space that we don’t? How can we inculcate mindfulness into what we do online so that it brings in the big bucks for us as well? Here are a few things you can do.

Expand your mind and see possibilities

The world became a global village long ago. While it was inconceivable to work for a company thousands of miles away 30 years ago, today remote jobs are all the rage. Whether you think about it as an employee or a freelancer the opportunities are no longer restricted to your locality. That alone should tell you how unlimited the whole deal is. If you remain open minded, there are possibilities for you from all four corners of the earth.

Hone your Craft

One of the downsides of operating and competing at the global stage is that the pool is far much wider and with the best players you can imagine. Standard skill does not cut it t this level. If you want to ‘chill with the big boys’ as they say, your skill needs to be at elite level. While people competed locally in the past, today, a graphic designer can be hired from the Philippines by a Start Up right here in Nairobi.  The only way to play in the same league is to embrace the discipline of constantly honing your skill and craft. Do it by practice, study, exposure and everything you can leverage to become not just the best but the only who does it a certain way. Grant Cardone is an advocate of ‘Only Practices’ as opposed to best practices. Distinguish yourself by doing what no one else is doing in your industry or sector and people will beat the path to your door.

Consume Elite Content

We live in the best of times for anyone who wants to learn and grow. Anytime I open my Twitter timeline, I am bombarded with boatloads of wisdom from threads and singular tweets. Same happens on YouTube and a host of other platforms. This is the best age for self-directed learning. You can become adept at anything without needing to pay a penny if you are willing to put in the time and work.

Niche down

Become Super specific about what you want to be known for and good at. In a world where people are becoming pretty choosy about what they want, you want to be as specific as you can be. You shouldn’t put people in a position where they have to guess what your expertise is. When there’s ambiguity about it, it is possible for people to bypass you.

Eliminate Mediocrity and negative energy from your timeline

I love the mute button on Twitter and use it on a daily basis. All forms of Social Media have options that can help you cut off content that doesn’t add value to you. In the midst of all the noise, there are great pieces of content that would make a huge difference in your life. If you find yourself struggling to listen to what someone is saying because it doesn’t edify you, then give yourself the liberty to turn down their volume so that you have the energy to take in what is helpful.

Opportunities

There are plenty of opportunities you can take advantage of online. These include.

Content Creation

There is no shortage of opportunities to create content which can then be monetized. Content can be written, filmed or recorded. Some of the people bringing in the big bucks are into content creation. Think about bloggers, vloggers and pod casters who are making a killing in their respective areas. The key is to position yourself in a space where people need expertise and become the one who offers it. You have opportunities to earn through charging a subscription fee for your content either through a paid Newsletter, YouTube Premium among others. You can also get ad revenue once your numbers are good enough to attract the attention of advertisers. Better than advertising is paid partnerships where a company chooses to work with you because you are dealing with a demographic that captures the people they are interested in. There is a guy calling himself the farmercist on Twitter who is doing a pretty good job at this with Davis & Shirtliff. Content can also help you market your own products.

Virtual Assistance/Remote Work

The rise of Covid-19 has pushed virtual work into the limelight. While people have worked remotely for a long time, it is now becoming mainstream. Without living the comfort of your home, you can work with companies from across the globe and earn a living. There are companies that have chosen to go completely virtual while others have given their employees the option to choose whether to go back to the office or remain virtual. If you search diligently, you are likely to find a lot of companies willing to hire talent. If you are good at a particular skill, don’t limit your job search to your locality. Realize that opportunities are available on a global scale. Among the people doing a lot on virtual work in Kenya is VA Africa. You can check them out to know more.

Gig work

On sites like Upwork and Fiverr, you will find loads of opportunities to earn decent bucks. Whether you are looking for a part time engagement or want to do it full time, the number of opportunities is inexhaustible. What distinguishes you from the crowd is your level of skill and the ability to pitch for jobs. Developing these two will see you attract clients in large numbers.

Writing

There are tons of publications looking for article writers. Whether you have a way with words or not, you can develop writing skills and use them to earn a living. You can work as a ghost writer or choose to write for yourself. You can do Ebooks on topics you are proficient at and offer them for sale on platforms like Amazon Kindle and booksformysoul. The world could do with your wisdom and you could do with some extra bucks. See what a combination that makes? Walter Akolo has a very interesting and enlightening course on writing and tons of other resources that you can take advantage of.

Courses/Coaching

With everyone seeking to grow their skills, if you have something you are good at, you can find tons of clients online willing to pay top dollar for it. Identify your area of expertise and develop a course or coaching program around it. There are numerous platforms where you can put up courses for purchase. Some of the popular ones are Teachable, Udemy and Coursera. Coaching is boosted by certifications which help you stand out from the crowd.

Influencing

If there is an avenue that requires you to have a niche in order to stand out, this is it. The people who are making it big as influencers have narrowed their focus and become exceptionally good at serving their demographic. As a result, brands are willing to invest top dollar on them knowing that their word carries a lot of weight within their demographic. Is there a place where you can position yourself as the go to person? Are you passionate and willing to put in the work in a particular area? If your answer is yes, get down to work and begin to build a profile for yourself.

Sell and market online

This one is pretty old by all standards but there are people who are still leaving a lot of money on the table. If you are selling anything whether a good or service, it is important that you position yourself well digitally. Seek to understand how each medium works and how you can take advantage of it to have enough people finding you and your offers.