Kick 2020 off with a bang and get ahead of the curve!
Remote work has been gaining much popularity over the years. 2020 has been even more refreshing in terms of remote work trends. Like I always say in my 90 Day VA course: all you need today, is a laptop and an internet connection to build your workspace anywhere in the world.
It also applies to learning new skills and to be aware of the new trends that come up every year.
Remote work has been growing steadily since 2005. According to an annual survey by FlexJobs, remote jobs are the most popular and flexible work type. With many businesses incorporating the remote work style and the technological advancements boosting our advantages, working from any part of the world is not just a dream anymore.
If you’re working online or aspiring to work online like so many others, the latest remote work trends of this year will keep you at the forefront of the virtual assistant world.
Curious about working from home but not sure how to start?
I’ve got a FREE class that walks through ALL the basics of working from home plus comes with a fun, free bonus!
1. Results Only Work Environment [R.O.W.E]
The trend that holds it all together, that already exists and will continue to grow in 2020 is the change in ‘how we work’. It is good news for both remote teams and self-employed workers with multiple clients. More companies are throwing out the outdated methods of working and instead shifting into a Results Only Work Environment [R.O.W.E].
R.O.W.E. is a trend in action. The impact of which is:
- Workers are going to be completely autonomous and their work will be self-directed.
- Bosses are more like guides, someone to bounce ideas off of, or to help problem solve.
- Physical offices are going to shrink or close entirely to save companies’ precious real estate costs and correlate with their worker’s new way of life.
As the R.O.W.E trend gets vogue, companies are going to focus on getting their work done and getting it done excellently.
How to apply it?
- Companies are now looking for your accomplishments and achievements. Enjoy and start working on being more self-directed than a full-time employee.
- It is not about how many years you have worked or how many degrees you have. Everything will depend on what you can deliver.
- Women, especially single moms, are extremely lucky to have this new and fresh concept of working. Not only can you achieve your goals by getting excellent work done on your own schedule but also fulfill your role as a family manager.
All that matters is your work and not your attendance to work.
An additional advantage that we can foresee with R.O.W.E is in the education and academic sector. As achieving results and getting work done from the best professionals becomes significant, hopefully, it will have a trickle-down effect in the way of education, too.
Education today is preparing children for factory-type jobs, where children tend to repeat their teachers and eventually end up being employees that follow bosses’ orders. The trend of R.O.W.E may encourage the shift of really preparing our children for different careers where they can be their own boss.
With R.O.W.E setting the foundational trend of 2020, these four hot skills are must-haves if you practice digital marketing remotely.
2. Hot Skill # 1: TikTok
TikTok is a video sharing social networking service. It has been around for about 3 years now and has proved, it is here to stay. TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world with 500 million active users worldwide (Datareportal, 2019).
It has managed to engage youngsters mostly between 16 to 24 years old (Globalwebindex, 2019) all around the globe within the three years of its existence.
Why consider TikTok on your list?
- The user base tells us, TikTok is and will be the next go-to platform for major brand promotions.
- Influential people like Gary Vee, Rachel Peterson, and Elise Darma are already building their presence and utilizing this platform for business.
How to implement TikTok?
- Download the app and explore what the app is all about. Learn how and what kind of content gains engagement.
- Create your profile. Utilize the app to brand your services and add them to your portfolio.
- Introduce your clients to a new marketing strategy with TikTok and increase your credibility.
Implementing TikTok marketing strategies can give you the edge in the virtual assistant world.
3. Hot Skill # 2: Diverse Advertising
A dynamic advertising strategy that is a spread of different digital platforms is what we call Diverse Advertising. There has been a gradual shift in digital marketing especially when it comes to Facebook Ads. For a while, we only looked into Facebook and Instagram for advertising. But now things are changing. Other social media platforms have joined the pool.
Also, as Facebook keeps updating its policies time and again, it is seen that some ad accounts get blocked or even completely deleted from the platform with no explanation or notification of the same. These ‘compliance issues’ as they call it, can be a huge fall for companies.
Enter Diverse Marketing. Companies are now willing to diversify their ad budget. They are in fact, reluctant to invest in a single ad platform. This demand creates opportunity.
How does it help?
Look into the Ads manager of other social media platforms. Learn what is trending.
- 2020 is moving towards Pinterest and Snapchat advertising.
- TikTok ads are also going to make a huge impact in the digital marketing space. Rumor has it that it may replace Snapchat soon.
With the diverse advertising badge on your portfolio, you can be every company’s go-to digital marketing expert.
4. Hot Skill # 3: Sales Copywriting
In my 90 Day VA course, I emphasize content repurposing because skills like writing blogs, social media captions, podcast show notes, and email newsletters are in high demand. These online skills are not going to go out of style anytime soon. More and more businesses are going to continue to outsource them.
This year is about getting to the next level of general copywriting or content writing, which is Sales Copywriting. It includes copywriting for web pages, emails and any online content for selling products and services.
Looking for evidence?
As more and more online businesses come into existence this year, the demand for sales copywriting is only going to see an upward graph. Businesses are going to want a copywriter who can increase their response rates and conversions by writing on-point sales copies for their products and services. Get ready to not only get more money but for passionate writers, it is going to be empowering.
5. Hot skill # 4: Influencer Marketing with a Tweak
With the increase in the popularity of Social Media, the effect of influencer marketing has been manifold.
All this while a social media influencer would get paid to showcase a product based on the online engagement and the number of followers one has. But as the trend speaks, consumers are tired of shallow influencers with obvious sponsors and irrelevant content.
On the other hand, genuine influencers are tired of not being paid enough for photoshoots and building a relevant engaged audience. So gradually these marketing techniques are now losing the interest of their audience and the authenticity of their brand.
As brands identify the change, this year, we are going to bring a shift towards more authentic and personal influencers that showcase their own products and identify the relatability of the audience with them.
These products could be anything from online courses, ebooks, templates or even physical products that can be sold from Shopify stores.
Can you hear opportunities knocking?
With more authenticity and personalized influencer marketing, more and more entrepreneurs or companies are going to need help with creating well written authentic captions, sales copywriting, creating digital products and sales funnels. A sales funnel is all the information that goes into how to buy a particular product to how the product gets delivered to the consumer is articulated in it.
Who else can do it better than you?
These five trends are surely a boon to remote working. Do not mistake them to be done by some fancy web agency, give it a chance and you can create the magic with your pajamas on. NO college degree or corporate experience holds any importance to a goal-driven job market.
With the right amount of research, adequate tailoring of services according to your client’s needs and going hands-on on these platforms, you are ready to roll. So get back on that driving seat and we will see you on the other side.
Still, seems overwhelming?
It’s okay, take one step at a time.
Join our Work From Anywhere Facebook group! In the Facebook group, we post daily remote jobs and tons of tips for how to get started on your remote work journey!
If you are new to the online world and you are still wondering where to begin from in terms of offering services. We have a free class for you that will give you clarity on:
- What is a Virtual Assistant?
- How to work from anywhere as a virtual assistant
- Is being a VA the right thing for you?
Be sure and join this free class to get started.
Let this give you hope that there is a job online out there for you! You can work from home, make good money, and still love your life. Take that next step today!
Join the free intro class now and find out how you can get started working online in 2020!
Varalaxmi Venkateshwaran is a virtual assistant here to help entrepreneurs do what they love effectively. When she’s not helping entrepreneurs and businesses, she loves to read books and cook Indian food. She’s a member of 90 Day VA and assists with everything from content repurposing, podcast management, social media management, web management to general business management. To see all of the services she offers and how she can help you, check out her Facebook page here.
