I have seen a few predictions for top work at home jobs in 2012 floating around this past week. Many are pretty much the same as what I read last year – Social Media Experts. Social marketing isn’t going anywhere. But, that isn’t your only option if you are in the market for a change. There are far more opportunities to explore if you are new, and possibly a few twists for those of us that have been around the work at home block.
Writing
I discussed in a previous post that Google’s Fresh Update will likely be good news for online content creators. Though we saw content mills come to a screeching halt with 2011’s Panda Update, there will likely be interest in more specialized writing services as opposed to clients seeking the same respun content we have experienced in previous years. Personalization and curation may be the name of the game this year. And don’t forget the election is in November. Political blogs are always huge during the time surrounding a big election.
Social Media
This one is sticking around. Social media continues to grow in both popularity and importance to website owners. So, what will be different in 2012?
Social shares are the new backlink. With search engines adding these shares into their ranking algorithms, there will likely be more need than ever for businesses to grow and nurture a social network. Especially as we all try to figure out how to best leverage Google+ and Pinterest.
Social Writing Services
When you combine writing and social media offerings, you can add a hybrid package to your Services page. Growing that social network can happen quickly through things like guest posting, IF the guest poster isn’t a disappearing act. If you have a blog that accepts guest posts, you know the type. They show up for the backlink, but they don’t stick around to answer questions from your readers, help promote the post, etc. These business owners are often contracting the services of a dump-and-dash SEO company. You can give these business owners far better service by not only pitching, writing and submitting that post, you can stick around to help promote it and respond to any comments. This makes blog owners very happy and at the same time encourages those potential readers to follow the guest poster back to their own network.
Another spin on the hybrid writing service is the combination website design/content creation service. The only thing better than having someone else build your website is having someone else create all of the content as well.
Customer Service
Keeping on top of customer complaints, questions and even kudos, is still at the top of the “must do” list for becoming or staying a successful business. Customer service comes in many forms for the telecommuter. You can start your own customer service business, or you may choose to work as an Independent Contractor with one of the firms that handle customer service for a number of businesses. Arise, LiveOps and West at Home are a few that hire contractors or employees for a number of clients. 1-800-Flowers, U-Haul, and Hilton are a few that handle their own work at home customer service hiring.
Travel
They tell us that the economy is picking up! Woohoo! And, the Olympics will take place in London this year. That may mean an upswing in the travel industry. Cruises, Inc. and Prestige Travel Systems are two companies that offer franchise-type or direct-sales-type business opportunities. They do require an investment, but they are legitimate companies.
Those are just a few of my personal predictions. What do you think will change in the work at home landscape in 2012?
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