10 Not-so-difficult Digital Skills to learn in 2023

It's 2023, and if you're yet to learn a digital skill, you're leaving a lot of money on the table.

However, whenever we talk about learning digital skills, people are often frightened because they think all digital skills involve learning how to code/program.

And for as long as they've known it, coding (or programming) is very difficult to learn and requires focus over a period of 6–9 months before you become confident enough to take on jobs.

As someone learning to code, you’d have to learn how to write code in several programming languages, like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.

Thankfully, all digital skills do not involve learning how to code! All digital skills do not take so long to learn! Some can be learned in just three months or less, and pay off for a lifetime.

So, what exactly are these not-so-difficult digital skills one can learn in 2023?

• Copywriting
• Graphics Designing
• Video editing
• Content creation
• Social media management
• Blogging
• Social media advertising (Media buying)
• Photography
• Social selling
• Virtual Assistance

1. Copywriting

Have you ever read an email, visited a landing page, or seen a digital banner and instantly gotten sucked in?

Those short, witty texts that persuaded you to check out the product’s landing page or business website are known as “copies” and are often developed by copywriters.

Copywriters are very useful in helping businesses of all sizes reach their marketing and sales goals.

What exactly does a copywriter do?

As a copywriter, your responsibilities within a business include some of the following:

• Write clear, attractive copy with a distinct voice
• Interpret copywriting briefs to understand project requirements
• Collaborate with designers, PR, and other professionals on large- and small-scale marketing projects (e.g. email campaigns and landing pages)
• Conduct high-quality research and interviews
• Edit and proofread copy as needed
• Use SEO principles to maximize copy’s reach
• Source images and other content

Different organizations might have specific responsibilities they want their copywriters to carry out, depending on the nature of the business and how many copywriters they have on board.

How much does a copywriter make?

A copywriter’s earnings are often influenced by the following factors, including the size of the company he/she works for, His/her level of experience

c) How many clients he/she takes up as a freelancer

On average, a copywriter can make:

• 981,135 to 1,320,000 NGN per annum in Nigeria.
• 58,269 to 72,048 USD per annum in The United States of America.
• 45,000 to 60,000 GBP per annum in The UK.

Sounds great? Of course!

How can one learn copywriting?

Learning copywriting can happen in less than three months, but becoming a master in it can take a lifetime.

There are tons of resources on the internet in the form of blog posts/articles, email newsletters, and videos (on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram), that would give you practical tips on how to get started in copywriting.

However, if you're anything like me, and prefer to learn things systematically, there are tons of both short and long courses on some websites, that give in-depth knowledge about copywriting. While some are paid for, some are free.

Take a course or two on copywriting, attend a copywriting boot camp, do mock exercises, and volunteer your skills... You're on your way to becoming a 6- to 7-figure copywriter!

2. Graphic designing

If you don't think copywriting rocks your boat, then you should probably check out graphic design.

With the world becoming more and more dependent on the internet and lots of SMEs seeking attention and trying to attract their target audience, there's never been a time when graphic designers who know their craft have been in such high demand as now.

Graphics designers often use tools like Canva, Pixel Lab, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Figma, and so on. They often use graphical illustrations to tell stories about a brand or drive home a message.

What exactly does a graphic designer do?

Just like copywriters, graphics designers are charged with several responsibilities depending on the size and/or nature of the organization, as well as, whether they is working as freelancers or in-house.

Generally, here are some tasks you might perform as a graphics designer:

• Planning concepts by studying relevant information and materials.
• Illustrating concepts by designing examples of art arrangement, size, type size, and style and submitting them for approval.
• Preparing finished art by operating necessary equipment and software.
• Coordinating with outside agencies, art services, web designers, marketing, printers, and colleagues as necessary.
• Contributing to team efforts by accomplishing tasks as needed.
• Communicating with clients about layout and design.
• Creating a wide range of graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and websites with software such as Photoshop.
• Reviewing final layouts and suggesting improvements when necessary.

How much does a graphics designer make?

Once again, how much a graphics designer makes is dependent on your country/region, the company/clients you're working for, the complexity of your tasks, and your level of experience.

• In Nigeria, graphics designers make between 34,608 to 174,414 NGN per month.
• In the United States, graphics designers make 3,700 to 6,700 USD per month.
• In the United Kingdom, graphics designers make from £25,000 to 55,000 per annum.

How can one learn graphics design?

Like copywriting, there are a lot of resources available on the internet that can give you a head start in graphic design. However, there are a number of beginner-friendly courses you can take on learning platforms like Coursera, Udemy, Skillshare, and so on. Even Canva has a free course for newbies called Introduction to Graphics Designing. That could be a great start!

3. Video Editing:

After COVID-19, there was an exponential increase in the consumption of video content around the world. Businesses have learned to create more video content while trying to connect with their customers on social platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and even Facebook. More than ever in the history of mankind, there's a high demand for people who know how to put raw footage, pictures, and so on together, to make a single, interesting video.

There are various software available on both mobile and desktop devices that help video editors produce a final result. They include Adobe Premiere Pro, Lightworks, Capcut, Inshot, iMovie, Adobe Creative Cloud, and so on.

Each software has its own unique function. To become successful as a video editor, you might need to master the use of two or three software and combine them in your work.

What exactly does a video editor do?

A video editor is a professional who has an eye for beauty and pays close attention and employs these skills in manipulating and arranging video shots/camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, and so on, to produce a final film or video product.

Within an organization, here are some responsibilities you might be expected to take on:

• Manipulate and edit film pieces in a way that is invisible to the audience
• Take a brief to grasp the production team’s needs and specifications
• Review shooting script and raw material to create a shot decision list based on scenes’ value and contribution to continuity
• Trim footage segments and put together the sequence of the film
• Input music, dialogues, graphics, and effects
• Create rough and final cuts
• Ensure logical sequencing and smooth running
• Consult with stakeholders from production to the post-production process

How much does a video editor make?

How much you make as a video editor largely depends on your experience, your skills, and how much work you put into an organization or for a client. Video editors can work either as freelancers (taking on multiple clients) or as full-time staff with a company.

Generally, video editors can make up to:

• 121,000 to 357,000 NGN per month in Nigeria.
• $50,000 to $70,000 per annum in the USA.
• £30,000 to £45,000 per annum in the UK.

How can one learn video editing?

Once you're ready to learn video editing, decide whether you'd love to learn video editing on mobile or on desktop. Whichever one you chose, you'd have to commit time to learn how to use the software of your choice.

There are so many free tutorials on YouTube and even social channels on how to edit videos, but if you want something more systematic, you can decide to follow through with a course or two on Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning, or Coursera.

Like copywriting and graphic design, video editing can be learned within 1 to 3 months, but becoming a master might take forever. Therefore, as a video editor, stay kin to keep improving your skills and learning how new video editing software works.

4. Content Creation

A very important skill in today's creator economy is Content Creation. Content creators are basically individuals who take it upon themselves to create content (in certain niches), and amass hundreds, thousands, and millions of followers around the world.

Content Creators can be found on various channels, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Medium, Twitter, Quora, Substack, etc.

Content creators create platform-specific content, which could be written or video content. More recently, audio content has become part of the content creation ecosystem, with podcasting becoming more and more popular.

What exactly does a content creator do?

Basically, a content creator is anyone who creates entertaining or educational material to be expressed through any medium or channel. A content creator is a specialist in creating digital content such as blog posts, videos, pictures, podcasts, etc.

Over time, a content creator who has built authority in a certain niche or platform can get approached by brands who want to promote their businesses to the content creator’s following. This is actually one of the major ways a content creator can make good money.

Businesses cash out on the KLT factor these content creators have built with their audience over the years and can pay the creators without feeling pressured. This is also known as "influencer marketing," and it is currently one of the most profitable marketing strategies.

How much can one make as a content creator?

How much you make as a content creator varies based on the following:

• The platform(s) you built your authority on
• The number of followers you have/your popularity
• Your Niche
• How often you create content
• Whether or not you have other income skills

Most often than not, content creators build several income skills/businesses from the audience they've amassed by:

1. Selling online courses
2. Selling one-on-one/coaching packages
3. Creating a paid membership community
4. Starting an online merch store
5. Hosting in-person or virtual hangouts for their followers
6. Speaking at industry-specific events
7. Creating sponsored content for brands

In Nigeria, the average content creator makes around 708,000 to 1,200,000 NGN per year.

In the USA, the average content creator makes around $45,000 to $60,000 per year.

In the UK, the average content creator makes around £25,000 to £35,000 per year.

How can one become a content creator?

Becoming a digital content creator is easy, but remaining a content creator might be quite a hassle. Here are some important tips to keep in mind:

1. Decide what content format you'd find most easy (video, written, or audio)
2. Decide what platform you'd love to build your presence on, and study it religiously.
3. Identify your target audience and start creating content that resonates with them.
4. Decide how often you want to share content with your audience (it could be daily, weekly, or bi-weekly).
5. Build a content creation and idea generation system so that you don't ever run out of content ideas.
6. Create, Post, Interact and repeat the process.

Because these social platforms are all borrowed, it's very important that content creators have a primary platform, and then one or two other platforms to share the same or repurposed content. Creators are also encouraged to build a mailing list of their followers.

5. Social media management

With every business struggling to build a social media presence, this is a golden skill to have in today's world.

As a social media manager, you help businesses manage their social media presence, - content creation and posting schedules, community management, and optimizing for better results.

In the last 5 years, there's been a very high demand for both in-house and freelance social media managers across various social channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, Quora, Reddit, YouTube, and so on.

What exactly does a social media manager do?

The following are some responsibilities social media managers are charged with:

• Using social media marketing tools to create and maintain the company’s brand
• Working with marketing professionals to develop social media marketing campaigns
• Interacting with customers and other stakeholders via the company’s social media accounts
• Analyzing the company’s digital marketing plan and social media strategy and identifying strategic weaknesses and making recommendations for improvements
• Researching social media trends and informing management of changes that are relevant to the company’s marketing activities
• Setting key performance indicators (KPIs) for social media campaigns, such as targets for a certain number of shares or likes and measuring a campaign’s performance against the KPIs

How much do social media managers make?

The amount of money social media managers make is tied to their level of experience, what social media platforms they're handling, how much content they're creating per week, and how many clients they work with.

• In Nigeria, social media managers make around 80,000 to 200,000 NGN per month.
• In the UK, social media managers make around £30,000 to £55,000 per annum.
• In the USA, social media managers make around $45,000 to $60,000 per annum.

How can one become a social media manager?

Social media management can be learned within 1–3 months. However, to become a good social media manager, you'd need to practice managing social media for individuals or businesses.

As a social media manager, you must not know everything about all social channels; however, you can choose to become an expert in one specific channel and be paid handsomely as a specialist rather than a generalist.

There are tons of resources available on the internet that would give you a head start in social media management. However, I highly recommend checking out the following courses:

• Digital marketing by HubSpot Academy.
• The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing by Google Digital Garage.
• Facebook (Meta) Digital Marketing Associate Certificate.

6. Blogging

Some bloggers identify as content creators (and that's okay). As businesses learn the art of content marketing, bloggers (content writers) have become indispensable in today's world.

Most businesses need bloggers to create long-form articles, which serve as a base script for videos, social media content, and other repurposed content forms.

As a blogger, you can decide to work as a freelancer or as an in-house blogger for a company. You could also decide to start your own personal blog on WordPress, Blogger.com, Wix, or whatever hosting platform you choose and drive traffic to it using your social channels.

Bloggers often develop written content around certain topics or areas of interest. The more "nichy" you are as a blogger/content writer, the higher in demand becomes.

What exactly do bloggers do?

Here are some responsibilities bloggers are expected to carry out within an organization:

• Generating, researching, and pitching ideas for posts.
• Writing, editing, publishing, and promoting content.
• Promoting new posts using advertisements, emails, social media, and other methods to alert and attract new readers.
• Advocating and educating others about interests, products, or services.
• Maximizing site traffic by utilizing Search Engine Optimization keywords.
• Inviting other bloggers, experts, or other notable guests to contribute content to the webpage.
• Monitoring responses to posts via the website, social media, or other platforms to better understand the audience.
• Staying current on industry trends for possible opportunities to attract new readers or create stronger, more engaging content.

Some bloggers have advanced knowledge of on-page SEO, and are therefore called SEO writers.

How much do bloggers make?

• In Nigeria, bloggers make around 120,000 to 200,000 NGN per month.
• In the UK, bloggers make around £30,000 to £45,000 per annum.
• In the USA, bloggers make around $35,000 to $50,000 per annum.

How can one become a blogger?

Once you can put words together to make sense, you can become a blogger. Blogging is not a difficult skill that necessitates any academic qualifications. All you need is a combination of creativity and originality, and you're good to go!

Most bloggers make money from Google AdSense, so, you might want to learn a thing or two about SEO, so that your blog shows up at the top of a search engine results page whenever someone searches for the right keywords.

This can be learned within 1–3 months.

7. Social media advertising

Google Ads have been around for a long time. However, as more people spend time on social media channels, businesses' advertising efforts have shifted to social media. Hence, the high demand for social media advertisers.

Social media advertisers are professionals who help individuals and businesses run profitable advertising campaigns across social channels like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, Quora, Snapchat, and so on.

As a social media advertiser (or media buyer), you need a good understanding of content creation, targeting, and budgeting.

What does a social media advertiser do?

A social media advertiser should be able to do the following:

• Help identify target audiences and plan social media advertising campaigns
• Studies benchmark data to estimate the right budgeting for an advertising campaign
• Optimize plans and budgets according to the best media mix
• Match campaign objectives to business goals
• Experiment with new platforms and channels
• Ensure ads are creative and displayed appropriately
• Run A/B testing
• Monitor costs and return on investment (ROI) using the platform's native analytics tools or other third-party tools
• Report to clients and build long-term relationships

How much do social media advertisers make?

Like all other digital skills, social media advertisers can choose to be either freelancers (for multiple brands/clients) or in-house staff (for just one brand).

• In the USA, social media advertisers make around $55,000 to $70,000 per annum.
• In the UK, social media advertisers make around £30,000 to £45,000 per annum.
• In Nigeria, social media advertisers make around 120,000 to 250,000 NGN per month.

How can one become a social media advertiser?

You don’t need any special training or a graduate-level degree to become a social media advertiser. However, most agencies seek candidates with an experience in communications, PR, statistics, or marketing.

As s social media advertiser, you are expected to have strong writing skills, the ability to effectively track and analyze metrics, and a passion for all things digital, including:

• Ability to appropriately budget and report.
• Clear and succinct cross-departmental communicator.
• Knowledge of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing).
• A genuine passion for technology.

There are so many free and paid resources that can give you a quick start in the world of social media advertising. Use search engines like Google and YouTube and find them!

ALEPH runs a 3-month cohort-based program known as Digital Ad Degree. I highly recommend it if you’re interested in becoming a digital ad specialist.

8. Photography:

Another digital skill you might consider learning this year is photography. This is because there's a high demand; for photographers for weddings, vacations, to all sorts of events. With an Instagram and YouTube-heavy generation, photographers have become so sought-after.

Almost every business wants their social media pages full of high-quality, properly shot pictures as well as videos. Photographers can now choose to specialize in a wide range of niches, including:

• Fine-art photography
• Wedding photography
• Photojournalism
• Fashion photography
• Commercial photography
• Documentary photography
• Sports
• Food photography
• Advertising photography, and so on.

Most photographers make their money as content creators, having social media pages/websites where they post their work. They can also get brand ambassador deals.

How much do photographers make?

The earnings of a photographer are largely determined by his or her experience and niche. On average:

• In Nigeria, photographers make around 200,000 to 500,000 NGN per month.
• In the UK, photographers make around £30,000 to £45,000 per annum.
• In the USA, photographers make around $35,000 to $55,000 per annum.

How can one become a photographer?

To become a photographer, you don't need a university/college degree. You need an eye for beauty and basic knowledge of how cameras and lenses work. You can decide to work onsite as an apprentice for an already established photographer in the niche you'd love to work in, or better yet, go online and search for paid/free photography courses.

9. Social Selling

With social media marketing and advertising becoming increasingly popular, there's never been a better time than now when skilled salespersons are in high demand.

Do you have traditional selling skills? Do you know how to convince people to take desired actions? If this describes you, thousands of businesses around the world are seeking your skills.

They're looking for skilled salespeople who can send cold DMs to their target audience, respond to inquiries, and use social media to find and follow up on prospects! The job of a social seller starts where that of a social media manager ends.

What does a social seller do?

A social seller's job in four parts:

• Generating leads
• Qualifying leads
• Nurturing leads, and
• Closing leads.

Lead generation:

There are a number of ways social sellers attract potential customers. The most common routes are organic and paid social media posts.

Another route social sellers take is sending out cold DMs, and telling prospects the value of the brand and how it could generate more profit or help them do business better.

Social sellers are very, very important to B2B brands, and leverage platforms like LinkedIn to find their prospects.

Social sellers might trigger lead generation by leveraging community engagement e.g. Dropping valuable comments on the profiles or pages of brands/people where your target audience is found. The goal is for your brand page/account to get discovered and then followed.

Qualifying of leads:

Not every lead generated is a potential customer. At this stage, the social seller has a checklist of what his potential customer should look like, and matches the leads generated against these metrics. For instance, let's say the social seller has sent 500 cold DMs and only 200 responded. Out of the 200 that responded, 120 are not interested in your product/service (or are already using another brand), and only 80 become your qualified leads. This is the group that would up to the next stage of your sales funnel.

Nurturing leads:

This is where you address the pain points of your qualified leads, and show them the benefits of using your products/services. The intent of a social seller here is for the lead to take a specific action, like checking out a live demo or jumping on a discovery call. This is the stage where your prospects ask all the questions about your products and services, and you have to be as convincing as possible. Avoid misleading your prospects! If your product/service doesn't include certain features, don't say it does, just so they make a purchase.

Closing leads:

This is the final stage of the funnel where the prospect has made up his/her to purchase your products/services. It's just your job to guide your lead through the payment process and other important information he/she must know.

How much do social sellers make?

• Social sellers make around $45,000 to $60,000 per annum in the USA.
• Social sellers make around £25,000 to £40,000 per annum in the UK.
• Social sellers make around 120,000 to 200,000 NGN per month in Nigeria.

How can one become a social seller?

Like other digital skills mentioned in this article, social selling doesn't really require a college degree or intensive training for years. All you need is:

• A previous sales experience
• An experience with social media and content marketing
• Having a good social network and engagement
• Having team spirit, and
• A great personality and charisma.

Platforms like LinkedIn have some good resources you could check out on your way to becoming a professional social seller.

10. Virtual Assistance

Virtual Assistants are skilled professionals who provide administrative, technical, or creative support to clients remotely. Many senior-level executives often have a lot to attend to all at once. By having a virtual assistant, they're able to free up time from their hands and focus on more important things.

What exactly do virtual assistants do?

The following are administrative/creative support provided by virtual assistants:

• Scheduling meetings, booking travel, organizing calendars, and even answering phones via a connecting line.
• Helping manage a budget, make purchases, and track expenses.
• Booking vacations, organizing a calendar, and purchasing gifts for friends and family are some of the more common personal duties.
• Responding to comments and communicating with followers on social media, but they can also maintain a posting schedule and even analyze account data.
• Help manage a production calendar, organize writing resources, and facilitate various elements of the publishing process, making it easier for you to focus on growing the content program.
• Assist with compiling this information.
• Compile data, check for accuracy, and delete unnecessary records.

The following are some technical support provided by virtual assistants:

• Creating reports and presentations.
• Doing basic website updates using a CMS.
• Doing simple social media management tasks.
• Managing email lists.
• Database cleaning and maintenance.
• Managing online marketing campaigns.
• Building out or finding out new tools for your business.

How much do virtual assistants make?

How much a virtual assistant makes depends largely on the kind of support they provide, how many clients they take on, and how much they charge per hour.

• Virtual assistants make around 100,000 to 250,000 NGN per month in Nigeria.
• Virtual assistants make around £24,000 to £48,000 per month in the UK.
• Virtual assistants make around $30,000 to $45,000 per month in the USA.

How can one become a virtual assistant?

There's a very high demand for VAs. And as long as you're available to provide the services, there's always someone out there who is willing to pay for it.

Like all the other 9 digital skills already mentioned in this article, becoming a Virtual Assistant doesn't require a college/university degree or some rigorous training.

In today's technologically advanced world, even as an administrative VA, you have to be familiar with computer basic operations and understand the use of things like Google Workspace or Microsoft office.

There are tons of resources available on the internet that teaches you how to become a Virtual Assistant in 3 months or less. I highly recommend ALX Virtual Assistant Program, an intensive 8-week Bootcamp that trains aspiring VAs for free!

Conclusion

As the new year unfolds, there's no better way to achieve your financial freedom dream than you learn a skill.

Learning digital skills provides you with autonomy, confidence, and money to fund your dreams. Digital workers (or entrepreneurs) have no barriers and can work for clients from around the world and get paid in foreign currencies.

Looking for a community of aspiring digital entrepreneurs like you, where established digital entrepreneurs come from time to time to inspire you and answer your burning questions, join the SCHOOL OF DIGIPRENEURS today! Our goal is to help young Africans like you earn $500 to $5,000 monthly from the comfort of your home.