So you want to become a digital nomad, but you ain’t got no technical skills?

I hear ya loud and clear. So many location independent workers talk about programming as an easy way to break into the digital nomad scene, but what if you don’t program?

Thankfully, there are lots of non-technical jobs out there aspiring digital nomads. I, myself, have a non-technical job.

I wanted to take some time to document the best ones with the highest earning potential and that are pretty easy to perform anywhere. You literally only need your laptop to get started in these career paths.

I hope you enjoy this article, and I also have one that’s a bit more in-depth regarding the entire digital nomad career choices that you have.

1. Online Writer

When I was in 9th grade English class, my teacher told me that writers don’t make any money. Oh boy, was she wrong.

I’ve had teachers and family members tell me my entire life that writers don’t make good money, but they have all been proven to be incorrect.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that becoming an online writer is one of the most lucrative career choices out there in the non-technical category. I built my entire online business off of writing.

There are different forms of writing which you should be aware of:

• Blog post writing ($25 to $150 range for one article): Informative or entertaining articles, blog pots, news, and online content. Example rate.
• SEO-optimized writing($100-$125 for 600-750 word): blog posts that are designed to attract traffic from search engines. Typically 1k – 2k words, but not always. Example rates.
• Long-form content writing ($0.10-$0.20 per word): ebooks, white papers, guides, and ghostwriter published work. Example rates.
• Copywriting ($80 – $120/hr): marketing emails, sales pages, opt-in pages. Example rates. 
• Technical writing ($0.25 per word): explanation and material related to technical products. Example rates. 
• Marketing writing ($50 – 100/hr): press releases, social media, package inserts, etc.
• MISC writing ($50 – 150/hr)): grant writing, resumes, quizzes, legal.

I haven’t even touched the service of editing, but obviously each of these verticals also include editing.

The reason why I listed out all the form of writing is that the actual words and strategy that you use is different.

For example, a news article might be 500 words, but a SEO optimized blog post might be 2,500.

A blog post might be wordy with lots of links and explanation, but a sales page has very few links, a distinct format, and the use of evocative emotional imagery. One is teaching and one is selling.

If you’re looking to follow in my footsteps to become a six figure writer, then I’d recommend getting started learning how to write blog posts and seo optimized blog posts. You can learn how to do that in this course or by reading this book.

Then, I would begin to learn about copywriting, as copywriters can command a much higher rate than other forms of writers.

2. Online Marketing

Every business needs free social media traffic, and you can be there to deliver it to them. There are a lot of things that fall under the umbrella of online marketing, and lots of skills.

For example, you could become valuable from a design perspective, making people’s FB page look pretty, or you could use effective tools to automate all of their social media and manage replies.

I’ll list down below some opportunities that I see in this industry

• Social media management ($500 – $1,000 per client per month): You may have a few clients. You can manage their Facebook, FB Group, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others app that their customers are on. You’d be in charge of updates, content, and engagement. Example rates. 
• Paid FB/Google Ads (percentage of spend): You would be in charge of using paid Facebook or Google ads to deliver traffic to a client’s website, generate leads, or build up their Facebook fan page. Example rates.
• PR and Media Outreach ($60 – $120/hr): You gotta know what you’re doing, but if you’re able to get media hits for companies and individuals, this can be a valuable asset for many new product launches. Rate advice. 
• Video creation and design ($1 – 3k for video, 5-8k upper tier): You can make or edit videos for a client’s social media, ad campaigns, or YouTube channel. This may take knowing how to use an editor. Example rates.

As you can see, there are lots of potential career paths. It comes down to your core skill set, and if you want to work in organic or paid marketing, as they are very different.

3. Virtual Assistant

You can become a virtual assistant and work for a CEO or a company doing various tasks that they need. There are a lot of functions that fall under the category of a virtual assistant. Also, different companies have different needs.

Typically, I’d group these needs together in a few different categories:

• Data entry
• Email outreach and coordination
• Scheduling
• Customer service
• Organizing internal company documents
• Logistics (flights/travel)
• Community management
• Database building

A lot of smaller companies, like mine, will use Virtual Assistants in a few different areas. They typically work for a few different companies. Here is a great list of some of the things you can do for companies.

4. Design & Illustration

While designers might not have been able to travel in the past, now a days, with powerful graphic design tools and the persistent need for good design, it’s become a very lucrative career. All you need is your laptop and an internet connection.

Here are a few different type of design and illustration jobs:

• Website design (non-technical): I mean the layout, look and feel, color scheme, etc.
• App design: The user interface, colors, and overall look.
• Social media: Designing things like YouTube headers, Facebook covers, Infographics, etc.
• Product Launches: Designing product mockups, the look and feel of sales pages, logos.
• Product Design: Working on physical products and how they hold in the hand.
• Comics, Animations: Creating characters and illustrations to be used in animations or visual storytelling.

As you can see, it really depends on how you want to use your skills. Typically, if your work is tied to a large project, like a new up and coming product, you’ll earn more money.

5. Online Business Owner

This is the route that I chose to go. Really, it’s combining a few of your talents together to offer services, but also to create products, like books or courses, in order to make your keep.

You can also do things like affiliate marketing or making money from ads and sponsorships.

Usually, it would be best to pick one core skillset and work outwards from there. For example, if you’re a good designer, why not make a WordPress theme and then sell it on a marketplace like Themeforest.

These are a few simple online business owner expert ideas:

• YouTuber: Create youtube videos, sell merchandise or your own products, make money from ads and sponsorships.
• Blogger: Earn your keep from freelance writing, affiliate marketing, ads, and digital products
• Podcaster: Make money from sponsorships, membership sites, coaching, and more.
• Instagramer: Get attention through your photos and sell promoted posts, affiliate marketing, and your own services.

The reason why I like the business owner choice is that it gives you a tremendous amount of freedom compared to the other options.

6. Coach or Consultant

This is a very popular service now a days. As a consultant, you’re using your existing knowledge to help companies solve problems. I do this occasionally with my own business.

The role of a coach is to help someone step by step through a process, where they’re trying to achieve an end result. You help hold them accountable, but you also give them the tools to get there faster.

The great thing about being a coach or a consultant is that you can easily do phone calls with your clients through Google voice or Skype, even if you’re in a different country.

What’s more, you can typically bundle other services as a coach, and upsell your services with things like online courses or books, which fit nicely into coaching packages.

These are the most popular industries for coaches:

• Life Coaching
• Dating and Relationships
• Business, Sales, Marketing.
• Spirituality
• Health and Wellbeing
• Career Achievement

You can find a lot of great niches in this article.

7. Talent Jobs

When I say talent jobs, I’m referring to things like voice acting or video presenting. These usually are based off of an inborn talent that you have, be that modeling or speaking a certain way.

Talent jobs are a bit more difficult than some of the others out there, because the gigs and come and go. Your success will depend on your ability to maintain long-lasting clients and rapidly find new ones.

Here are few examples of talent gigs:

• Voice acting or voice over
• Video presenting or spokesperson
• Modeling
• Photography as you travel
• Video taking for businesses as you travel
• Teaching language
• Performing, selling jewelry, etc.

Throughout my travels, I have met people who do these types of things to earn their money as a digital nomad, but they usually aren’t making very much. It’s more of a “gig” model. I wouldn’t depend on this one for a good income.