Last updated on June 16th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
So you are interested in working online in Kenya? You’ve come to the right place. Here, I will show you exactly what you need to do to start earning online as soon as possible.
Online work in Kenya is becoming a popular way of earning money. There are several websites that have been established to provide jobs and freelance opportunities.
They offer different types of work such as data entry, writing, web design, social media marketing and more (more on this in a minute).
How Do I Start Working Online in Kenya?
There are many ways to start online work in Kenya. You can either go freelance or join an online business. If you want to go the freelance route, you will need a website and a good portfolio.
If you want to join an online business, you will need to find one that suits your skills and interests. Follow these steps to start working online in Kenya:
#1. Identify a marketable skill
Before you start working online, you need a marketable skill. It’s important to know what your skillset is before you decide to work online. This can help you decide on the type of work and industry that will suit your needs best.
For example, marketing skills are in high demand right now. Marketing is a broad term and includes many different skill sets such as social media marketing, content marketing, content creation, SEO strategies and more.
#2. Polish that skill through online courses
Once you have identified the right skillset you have, go ahead and polish it by taking online courses.
Online courses are an essential part of the skill development process. You can find online courses in various subjects such as programming, marketing, finance, and more.
In addition to online courses, there are also a lot of online resources that you can use for learning new skills. For example, Skillshare is a platform that offers free online courses on various topics such as marketing and finance.
The skillset that you have should be identified before taking any course. This will help you to know what kind, of course, you should take and what resources are available to learn new skills.
#3. Identify your target client
Now that you are confident in the skillset you have, the next step to start working online is to identify your target clients.
Why is this important?
Well, you want to be able to speak with them, and understand what they want and how they want it done.
There are two main ways that people can find you online: through a search engine, or by contacting you personally.
As a web developer, for example, the best way to reach out to potential clients is through a search engine. Platforms like Google, Bing, and Yahoo have billions of searches each day.
If you’re not getting any hits on a keyword you’re targeting, it might be time for a new strategy. The best way to identify your target audience is by using online advertising platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Both of these social media platforms are free and have the ability to reach a global audience.
#4. Build a portfolio
To start working online in Kenya, you will need a portfolio.
A portfolio is a collection of your work that showcases your skills and experience. It is a document/webpage that you can use to apply for jobs or show potential clients.
To say the least, a portfolio is an important tool in the online freelance world. You need it to make it easier for potential employers to see who you are and what you do. Without one, you might not get the job or client because they will not be able to find out about your skillset from your profile page.
In order to build a good portfolio, you should have a variety of different types of content there – blog posts, articles, videos and more. This will help showcase your skills and give potential clients an idea of what they can expect from working with you.
If your skillset is writing, you can create a website showcasing your work samples. The same applies to a web developer, you can have a website listing all of your previous projects.
#5. Reach out to the client
You have a portfolio of work and are ready to start pitching your services. You need to find the right person, who is a decision-maker in the company, who can help you get in front of the client.
The first step is finding out what role they play in the company. It could be someone who is responsible for hiring or someone who handles PR for their company.
Once you know their role, you should reach out to them on LinkedIn and send them a message. You can also use an email marketing tool like MailChimp or AWeber to send them a message with your pitch attached.
#6. Deliver quality work
When you land work online, it is important to deliver quality work on time. This is especially true for online freelancing gigs.
In order to deliver quality work on time, you need to have a good understanding of the work you are doing. The more research you do before starting a project, the better results you will get. The more research you do before starting a project, the better results you will get.
At first, it is not easy to understand what constitutes quality work. You need to know what your client and his boss expect out of their project. If your client is in the business of designing corporate logos and wants you to create one for them, you will have to study what the logo is supposed to communicate.
However, if your client wants you to design a website for her, you need to study what type of website it will be and its target audience. When we refer to research in this context, we are not talking about gathering information that can be found on Wikipedia or Google (or other online resources). It means doing your homework.
#7. Build a personal brand
Now that you’ve started working online and have a couple of successful projects under your belt, it is critical that you build a personal brand. to attract new clients and customers.
If you are not familiar with personal branding, it is essentially the process of creating a platform around your name and personal qualities to start building your own assets. Personal branding helps build credibility, generates more leads, and ultimately empowers you as an individual to make more money online.
Kenya’s Top 10 Hot Online Jobs
There is no doubt that Kenya is a country with a lot of opportunities in the digital space. With the rise of technology, there are more and more jobs that can be done online. Here are the top 10 hottest online jobs in Kenya.
1. SEO Specialist
2. Digital Marketing Manager
3. Web Designer
4. Social Media Manager
5. Creative Director
6. Content Writer
7. Blogger/Journalist
8. Digital Product Manager
9. Data Analyst
10 . Data Scientist
How to Find the Best Online Job Opportunities
Finding the best online job opportunities is not as easy as it sounds. You need to make sure that you are not wasting your time on scams and low-quality websites.
A website like Indeed.com is a good place to start your search for online job opportunities. The website has a wide range of jobs, including entry-level positions, management roles, and technical jobs. You can also use sites like:
a). Upwork:
This site offers a variety of freelance positions, including jobs like writing, graphic design, audio engineering and web development.
b). Freelancer:
This site is similar to Upwork in that it has a wide array of jobs available. Some areas of work include programming, design and development.
c). Fiverr:
This site lists low-cost tasks for everything from website design and marketing to voiceovers and app development.
Setting up your work environment
You’ll need a place to work from, so set up an office space. You can also use a co-working space or public library. Here are some things you’ll need:
- Monitor (High resolution preferred)
- Mouse/Keyboard/ Mousepad (Optional)
- Laptop with charger
- Printer/Scanner
Online tools to help organize yourself: Online tools to help organize yourself while working online include:
- Trello – A tool for managing projects and task lists. This tool is easy to use and free.
- Basecamp – A tool for managing project, team and client accounts and files. It has a sleek, intuitive design that makes it easy to see what’s happening on your projects with just one click, without having to leave the page you’re on.
Final thoughts on working online in Kenya
If you are just starting out with your career, it’s best not to think of it as a job but rather as a career. This means that while you might have some tasks that are similar to traditional jobs like writing content for websites, what’s important is building up experience in different areas so that you can feel more confident about what kind of work you’re interested in doing in the future.