HOW TO MARKET YOUR SKILL(S).

                    

I personally believe one of the reasons we acquire skills is to have an edge either in the labor market or as a freelancer. But from personal experience, I realize that skill will just remain skill and earn the acquirer of such skills no dime without marketing it. 

Take for instance if I know how to sing and many do not know I have such ability, if they need someone to sing on an occasion, they will never think of me. This is the reason many keep on acquiring skills but ask them how much they have made from the one they possess, they will tell you nothing or a meager amount. The problem is not that they don't have skills, but the problem is that they don't know how to manage and market their skills. This post is coming first from my personal experience as a skill possessor. Secondly, from research.

 I always want to acquire new skill but the one I had acquired was doing nothing with them. Often complain of being broke. Little did I know that I have what can earn me money but was not using it. Today, we will learn about how we can market our skills and start earning from them. 

Firstly, let me ask these questions:
* How does a freelancer gets clients?
* How do you make people pay for your skills?

The answer to the two questions above is very straightforward. Marketing your skills is what we make potential clients know what you can offer.
Let's talk about how you can market your skills. 

At a point, you got broke in 2019. I also sang the song of being broke. But later realized that I don't have to because I have something I can offer. The question is, how many people know you know what you know? Your sincere answer to this question is a step towards marketing your skills.

1. Let all in your circle know what you know. They will be the ones to let others know that you have such a skill. You can offer your friends a free service or at a discounted price This is called itowo in Yoruba. Once they have a taste of your ability, they find it hard to deny it.

2. Your language matters: How? This is not in any way talking about tribal dialect. But simply terminology. Every skill has its own peculiar terminologies. 

And while talking to people about such skills, professionalism demands you to use the required terminology. This makes people see you as an authority in that area of skill. 

                      

3. Share your wisdom: as I said earlier, you can start this by telling your immediate friend about what you know. They also have one or two people they will market you to. 

Don't close your mouth. Let people know you have such a skill. Let them know you can render service to them with it. If there's any individual or organization you think might need your service work up to them and market your skill. 

4. Become an expert: Most times the reason, while we fail to tell people about what we know, is that we think we still don't have enough knowledge of that skill. But look here, the little knowledge of it that you have to be bold about it. 

Though you will make mistakes, in the course of making mistakes, you are building yourself to become an expert. Don't be complacent, go online download more videos and ensure that you watch them. Connect with people who are experts and follow them keenly. If you are consistent in no distant time you are already an expert.

Also,  you can also volunteers to help friends or family members. If you render such free service, even if you make a mistake, they won't be able to talk that much because it's a free service. However, they'll point some of the errors out. Accept and do the corrections. 

5. Use social media: one other way you can market your skills is through social media. It's a pity to see some people who are skillful in carpentry, for instance, posting on their social media outlet stuffs about celebrities, football stars, etc. Nothing on their timeline says anything about what they do. Not even their profile says anything about their core skills. 

By the way, if you want to brand your social media profile or page you can send mail to me @ odun.akerelesam@gmail.com 

All your social media handled must be branded. If possible you can go further to create a professional business page for your product or service. Market your skill on your WhatsApp status, Facebook stories and even Instagram. 

The use of social is just an arm of ONLINE MARKETING. Maybe in one of our next posts, we'll talk about online marketing properly. We still have blogging, website, etc. As part of online marketing. If you want to learn how to blog you can send a message to me on WhatsApp via 0703-3166478.

HOW CAN I MAKE MONEY FROM MY SKILL?

Firstly, by marketing your skills. You render services to people and they, in turn, pay for it.

Secondly, by training people. This is possible only if you have mastered the skill very well. However, this also requires marketing. You can write captivating copyright to let them know you can train them. If you cannot write one, you can hire people to write for you. I can also help in crafting captivating copyright.

Moreover, connect the dots. How? This is for those who have more than one skill. Try and bring together those skills that can go together. For instance, one in photography can also develop skills in graphics. To an extent, both can go together.  

For those of you who just learn a skill for the fun of it, it's good but not that good. You should have a clear goal before deciding which skill to learn. Skill is now gold, the era of knowing it for knowing sake is gone. People are making millions of naira through their skills.

Let me know if this helps. 
I remain your humble friend, Odunayo Samuel, Akerele. 

Remember, keep being you and keep being good.