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E-marketing التسويق الإلكتروني

E-Marketing: A Guide to Freelancing

Freelancing /
E-Marketing التسويق الإلكتروني

E-Marketing: A Guide to Freelancing

E-Marketing has become increasingly prevalent in this day and age. People have been shopping and consuming more than ever. Making it necessary to promote products via the Internet because it is indispensable at this time, and we spend a lot of time on it.

Many of us see ads for clothes and different types of cosmetics while browsing websites. While watching YouTube, we come across many other products that we’ve been looking for. This refers to E-Marketing and the methods of promoting products online.

Famous companies are now using e-marketing to sell their products. To accomplish this, we understand the customer’s demand and display relevant ads at reasonable prices to convince them to make the purchase. This process actually proves to be easier for the customer and saves a lot of time. 

Let’s find out in this article what e-marketing is and how it is used to complete the purchasing process.

What is e-marketing?

E-marketing is the process of displaying and marketing products. This is through digital mediums such as websites, email, and social media platforms. It also has many means and platforms. The use of online marketing has become so prevalent to the point where you see ads for products on any website or on Facebook.

The e-marketing process involves specific steps. These steps aimed at persuading the customer to buy the product by analyzing patterns of search performed by him. In addition to knowing people’s interests and presenting things relevant to them. Many methods are also used to reach the target audience and provide convenience to the client with a smaller budget. 

What are the advantages of e-marketing?

  • Reduces the huge costs that advertising campaigns need for traditional marketing.
  • Helps to quickly reach the target audience, thereby achieving results faster.
  • Identifies the customer’s needs through browsing analysis, and displays similar results. Thus, the client enjoys a wider range of choices.
  • Direct communication with the company,  and providing the best services to them by better understanding the customer’s wishes.
  • Improves the marketing process by analyzing the way the customer interacts with the product.

What are the types of e-marketing?

Companies use different types of e-marketing to promote their products such as:

  • Content marketing:
    Publishing all forms of content such as videos, blogs, or articles. All of them are aimed at enriching the audience with information about their products and the benefits that are expected from them.
  • Marketing through social network sites:
    Today most people use Facebook, Instagram, and other social media applications. In addition, some of them are delivering attractive content in order to draw the audience’s attention and focus to certain products.
  • Search engine ads:
    These are the ads that appear when we search with search engines at the top and bottom of the page to the right. It is also called pay-per-click advertising because the advertiser makes payment only when the customer clicks on the ad.
  • Video marketing:
    This type of e-marketing uses all types of Videos (educational, advertising, cultural) to promote products and attract new customers. This is done by setting  up professional videos showcasing your product and using several editing apps, and this is made possible with the help of editing experts.
  • Affiliate marketing:
    It is the use of online marketers to promote products and convince customers to buy them. This transaction is carried out through three parties: the product owner, the affiliate marketer (publisher), and the affiliate marketing network, which is the intermediary between the product owner and the affiliate marketer.
  • Influencer marketing:
    This is when influencers and owners of platforms viewed by a great number of people promote a product through their videos or posts. This method has been a huge success. It’s because people are influenced by the characters they like.

Important skills you must possess to become a successful marketer

Working in e-marketing requires a great deal of professional skills and flexibility, in addition to individual skills, including:

  1. Having eloquence in expression in order to be able to present your product in an attractive way.
  2. Having patience and the ability to convince the customer to buy the product.
  3. The ability to withstand stress and long hours of work.
  4. A good background and knowledge of e-marketing, as it is considered a distinct field and you should be familiar with some of the basics in it. 
  5. Having good communication skills with others.
  6. The ability to adapt to different working hours.
  7. Knowing how to write official emails with good knowledge of English.
  8. Owning a computer and having experience using different montages and Microsoft Office programs.
  9. Knowing how to write reports and articles according to SEO rules.

How did e-marketing rank high in today’s job market and what does its future look like from the point of view of one of the marketing experts in the Arab world

Marketing expert Sarah Shahid talked to us about her experience in the field of e-marketing, where Sarah began her journey in this leading field in large companies:“I have been working in the field of e-marketing for ten years, and it has witnessed remarkable developments since then. The main reason is the increasing rate of internet use in general and its use for shopping specifically.

For example: The increase in search rates has led to a noticeable tendency to rely on the use of search engine optimization (SEO). The same applies to the use of social media; therefore marketers tend to use it more as an essential part of the e-marketing strategy.

On the other hand, e-marketing will continue to witness many developments with the advent of such a large number of electronic stores. Also, the digital transformation adopted by many companies has led to an increasing need to use various forms and tools of e-marketing as the main method of increasing sales. This is what we are increasingly witnessing with our clients at the E-Dynamite agency.”

E-Marketing has become a leading field in the corporate world, and major commercial companies are promoting their products through the Internet and social media. It is a skill that needs to be learned and taught in order to convince customers of the quality and relevance of your products.

Supervision: Sarah Shahid- Marketing expert

For contact and inquiries: sarah.shahid6@gmail.com

Also read:

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Proofreading

Proofreading: A Guide to Freelancing

Freelancing /
proofreading services

Proofreading: A Guide to Freelancing

Let’s explore “Proofreading” as one of the most prominent freelancing careers.  

Language is a remarkable human achievement that reflects our culture and knowledge. It has complex and elegant systems and rules that produce meaningful and expressive forms. Language records the emotions, history, and discoveries that humans have accumulated over time.

Proofreading is a profession that is concerned with producing language in its most aesthetic and refined forms. It aims to correct and improve texts in terms of structure, expression, and eloquence. Our Arabic language is one of the most sophisticated languages. A single word has multiple meanings, and multiple words can convey the same thing. It is also a derivational language, with meanings derived from its roots and morphological system. Moreover, its writing system is the most advanced one, as we only write what we pronounce, and rarely ever do we pronounce letters that are not written.

Proofreading the Arabic language thus requires a lot of precision and diligence to convey the intended meaning of the writer. It has increasingly become an important online job that many people pursue as a freelance career.

“Proofreading Arabic language” as a freelance career

Back in the day, Arabic language proofreaders mostly worked in publishing houses and media outlets. But now, the Internet has created more opportunities and made it easier and faster to access them.

Therefore, new challenges have emerged for proofreaders. Since most of the content on the Internet is written or read, the text must be corrected to convey the information accurately and eloquently.

A single misplaced punctuation mark in the Arabic language can mess up the meaning of the whole sentence. Much less if it was a spelling, grammatical, or rhetorical error. Therefore, the role of an Arabic language proofreader is vital. Proofreading has become an indispensable job that has easier conditions, with the help of modern technologies.

This guide will provide you with the necessary skills to start your aspired career in Arabic language proofreading. We will also show you how to improve those skills and list a step-by-step roadmap for proofreading.

Skills of an Arabic language proofreader

As a proofreader of the Arabic language, you should possess a knowledge of the following:

Grammar:

You should know the grammatical functions of words and the correct way to write them so that their meaning reaches the reader accurately.
You should also put the grammatical marks in their appropriate places, such as nominative, accusative, and genitive cases, or omitting a vowel letter.

Spelling:

An essential skill for proofreading, and one you should keep up to date. For example, the Egyptian Language Academy approved writing “maswuwlia” (the Arabic meaning of the word “responsibility”) in a certain way that the Arabic Language Academy in Damascus did not approve.

This requires you to heed the appropriate spelling approved for each country, according to the party you are working with.

Also, adjusting punctuation marks is vital; because they indicate the meanings of sentences, and have their importance in e-articles according to the rules of SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Rhetoric: 

This is where your creative sense shines. Rhetoric involves reformulating clumsy sentences, choosing eloquent words, and arranging the words of the text in a good way.

Formatting: 

You should have a full understanding of the appropriate text formats for the content, as the formatting of a story differs from the formatting of an electronic article.

Steps for proofreading of the Arabic language

As a proofreader of the Arabic language, you should follow these steps when proofreading any text (These steps apply to proofreading all languages):

  1. First, read the text as a whole.
    Reading the text helps you understand it, which is essential for correcting and proofreading it linguistically, grammatically, and punctually. This is a must-do.
  2. Second, divide the text into paragraphs.
    Usually, the text should be divided into smaller paragraphs, as long paragraphs are not preferable, and dividing the text makes it smoother to read.  Then, you should proofread each part with greater accuracy.
  3. Third, format the text. 
  4. Finally, format the layout of the text in a way appropriate for its content.

What are some information sources for Arabic language proofreaders? 

When proofreading the Arabic language, you should consult several sources to verify your information. Some of these are:

  • Heritage books, such as: Shatha Al-Arf Fi Fan Al Sarf by Ahmad al-Hamlawi. And As Sarf Al-’Arabi: Ahkam wa Ma’ani by Fadil al-Samarrai. 
  • Grammar books, such as: Jami’ Ad Durus Al-Arabiyah by Mustafa al-Ghalayini. And Mukhtasar An Nahou by Abdul Hadi al-Fadli. 
  • Spelling books, such as: Al-Kafi Fi Qwaid al Imla wal Kitabah by Ayman Abdel Ghani. You can find all these books and more on the website (Al-Maktabah Ash-shamela).

The importance of this career

As we mentioned, opportunities are more varied now thanks to the Internet, as you can market yourself to the whole world by showing samples of your work. Proofreading, in particular, has expanded beyond the scope of publishing houses and audiovisual media centers to a much broader one. It now involves editing content on electronic websites, audio recording sites, YouTube and other social media platforms, and much more. This is done to refine the language and ensure the accuracy of the content and message behind it before publishing it.

In sum, the fields of freelance proofreading include: 

  • Editing articles for electronic websites.
  • Editing texts for YouTube videos.
  • Transcribing and editing audio clips.
  • Editing articles for social media sites.
  • Editing books, novels, and scientific research.

Thus, a proofreader works to ensure that the message is delivered from the creator to the recipient in a clear and correct way.

A glimpse of the journey of a proofreader

Everything considered, a proofreader must have an understanding of the underlying meanings, not just the superficial ones of grammar and spelling, as the message lies in the nuances between words. 

The journey of “Alaa Abou Jahjah” in proofreading began at the Faculty of Arts, Department of Arabic Language. There, she learned about the nuanced realms of language and pursued a master’s degree in teaching Arabic language before working in proofreading.

Abou Jahjah says: “The fine rules  of accurate scientific writing in research have greatly added to my experience, as I became more careful in choosing my words.”

“And because each individual acquires a myriad of information that enriches and refines his experience throughout the course of  his professional journey, I worked with great  diligence and enthusiasm and edited many scientific research papers and  theses, in addition to electronic articles.”

Alaa continues: “From my humble experience and brief journey in proofreading, here are some tips that will help you on this career path: 

  • Research the language and learn its nuanced systems. The depth of the Arabic language and the abundance of its vocabulary make proofreading it more enjoyable and require greater precision.
  • Practice continuously on various texts. Each one has its own style and specific vocabulary. 
  • Follow the news of Arabic language academies across the Arab world so that you stay updated on all developments in the language. 
  • Combine your creativity with your knowledge and experience, and leave your own mark on your work. 
  • Showcase what you do on leading websites such as [LinkedIn], which is an important platform for job hunting in various fields. 

You are welcome to reach out to me and I will be happy to assist as much as I can, hoping that I have provided  you with something useful.”

 

A  proofreader’s job is as important as any other work in writing. Correct linguistic accuracy is an essential aspect of writing that cannot be ignored. Therefore, anyone who wants to pursue a profession in proofreading should be familiar with all the information mentioned in the article.

Supervision: Alaa Abou Jahjah- Proofreader

For contact and inquiries: alaaaboujahjah@gmail.com 

Also read:

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Freelance content creation

Freelance Content Writing: A step-by-step guide

Freelancing /
Freelance content creation

Freelance Content Writing: A step-by-step guide

Freelance content writing is considered one of the most prominent career paths in today’s world. Many people worldwide have picked up content writing as a freelance job. In order to take control over their lives, better manage their time and income, and plan their future.
So if you’ve been looking for more freedom and autonomy in your career, freelancing might be the best answer for you!

New content writers are in demand in the freelance market. Content writers will try to connect with their audience to gain their attention to their clients’ brands.

Here is your comprehensive Uplifting Syrian Women guide to help you start your freelance content creation journey. While discussing the needed skills with additional tips on how to improve your writing, find clients, and price your services.
We will also read about the experience of one of the most accomplished content creators.

Are you serious about starting your freelance content writing journey? This article is the place to start!

What is content writing?

It’s the process of creating and writing scripts for advertisements, marketing, billboards, and multimedia outlets. Content creation includes different kinds of scripts, such as articles, news, ads, catalogs, and E-books in addition to social media platforms and website content.

What are the skills of a content writer?

The following skills are must-have tools to help you stand out among other competing freelance content writers:
 1. Good writing skills: the ability to produce a clear and rich script.
 2. Searching skills: the ability to look for, analyze, and organize information.
 3. Editing and proofreading skills: the ability to correct grammatical errors while improving the text’s quality.
 4. Communication skills: the ability to understand and connect with your target audience.
 5. Marketing skills: the ability to pitch and attract the audience’s attention to the content.

In addition to these skills, a content writer also needs to know the principles of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is to ensure that the content shows up within the top search results.

The responsibilities of a content writer vary from setting the goals behind writing the content to making sure it’s been edited, checked for mistakes, and properly marketed after it’s been published.

How to start down the path of content writing?

There are many ways to start your content writing and skill-improving journey, like writing articles for websites or blogs. Also, there are many websites that link you and entrepreneurs who need your services, so you can work through these websites. Finding a stable job next wouldn’t be hard once you’ve made a name for yourself. 

Here are some key tips to help you get started with content writing:

  • Write, write, write.
  • Look for feedback.
  • Learn from others, especially experts in this field.
  • Focus on a topic to write about, this helps define your niche and make it  easier to reach your target audience
  • Be precise; always go over scripts carefully before submitting them to clients.
  • Be quick with submission, and try to send your clients scripts on time, or even beforehand. 
  • Be cooperative with your clients, listen to their requests, and try to do what they ask.

What are some of the best tips for content writer to scale up their skills?

Here are some tips and advice to keep in mind as a content writer to help leverage you in a high-demand, high-competition job market:

  1. Develop your reading skills: 

Reading introduces you to various subjects and diverse writing styles, so:

  • Read regularly.
  • Read different topics and styles for different authors.
  • Pay attention to the style and structure of the content you’re reading.
  • Make notes of things you’ve liked in writing or what you read.
  • Try to develop your own unique writing style.
  • Read the content as an analyzer and a critic and not just as a regular reader.
  1. Think creatively:

The ability to write about various topics in an exciting, entertaining, and compelling manner requires creativity. A creative writing sense can be fostered by employing unconventional ideas and writing styles. Here’s how you can start writing more creatively:

  • Think outside the box; don’t be afraid to try new thinking and writing techniques.
  • Be curious; read and explore different topics.
  • Be open and accepting of change; don’t hesitate to change your style of writing.
  • Be bold, and don’t be afraid to write content that’s different.
  1. Develop searching skills:

Searching skills are indispensable in your toolkit as a content writer. Some of the best pieces of advice on improving them  are:

  • Know which tools to use, like YouTube, Wikipedia, and Google.
  • Learn how to effectively use your search tools.
  • Evaluate the information you find, and make sure it’s reliable and precise.
  • Take notes of the information you come across so you can come back to it later.
  1. Work on your writing skills:

Different writing skills are required depending on the content you’re trying to create. Medical content, for example, requires linguistic and scientific accuracy that steers away from notions or comedy. Content created for advertisements needs styling that speaks for people, and this skill can be improved by reading and practicing.

There are other various skills, like perfecting the language you’re planning to write in and also knowing, at least, the basic rules of content writing tools such as Word and Google Docs and others.

Meet an expert content writer

Aya Anbar is an ambitious Syrian woman, she studied the Arabic language and started her professional career 4 years ago to be one of the most prominent content writerss today. She had specialized in Search Engine Optimization alongside her writing career.

She gained her expertise by working with different parties, and by participating in various freelance projects concerned with writing strategies for content creation and then improving SEO within Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Palestine, and UAE.

When we asked Aya about what content writing meant for her, she said: It’s employing the influence that words hold to achieve desired objectives, like creating awareness, increasing sales, and personal marketing. It could also be a way to educate and spread culture too.

Writing is everything to her, and she believes that dedication and talent are what create a work experience that is exceptional to you.

Tips that Aya provided  regarding content creation:

  • Think outside of the box, don’t ever resort to copying anyone under any circumstances.
  • Dig deep before writing, and look for trusted sources.
  • Write content that is tailored to your client’s needs. 
  • Let your creativity loose and lose yourself in writing.
  • Keep your writing concise and to the point, and avoid overfilling sentences. 
  • Pay attention to your keywords and titles and pick them carefully, so that your article shows up in top search results.
  • Don’t let your week pass you by without learning or achieving something new.

Finally, freelance content writing is a renewable need that AI can’t replace, and if anything it’s there to help them. Being a good-paying job, you might want to consider content creation as a potential career for you if you have the skills and passion for it.

Supervision: Aya Anbar- Freelance Content Creator and SEO Specialist

For contact and inquiries: anbaraya3@gmail.com

Also read:

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Copywriting

Copywriting – A Guide to Freelancing

Freelancing /
Copywriting

Copywriting - A Guide to Freelancing

Copywriting is now a leading field in freelance work. It is not merely a tool for promoting a brand, but a profession that can be learned and mastered, one which has multiple niches and requires different skills.

Would you expect your writing skills to have a great impact on your future and career?

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is one of the different forms of marketing, through which clear and attractive content is presented to the target audience. 

The content in copywriting differs from the content in creative writing in that the first is simple and seeks to closely connect with the target clients. Copywriting is also a means of communication with the public, increasing brand awareness, and boosting sales, return on investment, and profit.¹ 

The main goal of copywriting is to persuade the user to take some form of action. You may want them to subscribe to your newsletter, click “Learn More” on your website, or make a direct purchase.

Why is copywriting important, and how does it link to other freelance career fields?

Recently, freelance jobs have become increasingly diverse,  from graphic and web design to voiceover and social media management. But what they all have in common is the need to market their service. 

The importance of copywriting lies in the ability to promote any product and make it easily accessible to its target audience. In addition, it is a  more economical and effective tool for marketing sales.

What are the different types of copywriting and how do I start establishing my career path as a copywriter? 

First of all, it is important to get a grasp of the concepts and categories that fall under the umbrella term of copywriting and discover its various forms and types. These include: 

  • Brand Copywriting; meaning “writing for the brand”. This type of copywriting is rich in detail and capable of inciting  an emotional response  within the reader or customer.³ 
  • Social Media Copywriting; or “copywriting through social media”. It is the main tool for portraying companies’ vision through different social media platforms. 
  • SEO Copywriting; or “writing texts to improve search engines”. It is used to produce content optimized for keywords and search algorithms. 
  • Email Copywriting; or in other words, “marketing via email”. It is a model for building a relationship with the reader and convincing them of the brand through an attractive and well-crafted email.⁴ 
  •  AD Copywriting; or “advertising copywriting”, is the process of writing a customized copy of each advertisement.⁴

After building a clear understanding of the basic concepts of copywriting, it is up to you to join a marketing course or seek help from a specialist in this field. Next would be deciding on the most suitable specialization for you, this is crucial to make you stand out among your competitors. Keep in mind the importance of designing a portfolio of your achievements, as well as exchanging experiences with others.

Skills you need

Starting a career in copywriting requires a range of technical and communication skills to become successful. These include: 

  1. The ability to deal with electronic technologies and a solid knowledge of search engine standards and management (SEO). This is done by using keywords that make the content appear on a larger scale within search engines.
  2. The ability to write in grammatically correct language.
  3. Scientific research skills are necessary to obtain useful and reliable content.
  4. Good strategizing and this is important: to build an effective marketing plan.

Important Tools for Copywriting

A marketing content writer also needs a few online tools and applications to help them create their content, for example:

  • Google Trends.  This tool enables you to search for new ideas and keywords for your article. 
  •  Headline Analyzer; a tool for getting distinctive headlines. 
  •  In fact; used to get hashtags related to the content you provide. 
  •  Chat GPT; this artificial intelligence technology can be used to get creative ideas. 
  •  Plagiarism Checkers.² These are used to detect similarities with other publications and check for copyrights within the article or publication.

Important Resources

Here are some of the best resources that can help you hone your skills as a copywriter. There is an abundance of available information to look into, so it is very important to search for reliable and highly efficient sources. For example:

  • Books:
    “The Copywriter’s Handbook” by Robert W. Bly.
    “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser.
    “Made to Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.
  • Websites such as Smart Blogger, Copyhackers, and Copyblogger.
  • Social media pages such as: Learn n’Digital and The Copyright.
  • Suggestions for the most popular training courses on Udemy:
    The Complete Copywriting Course: Write to Sell Like a Pro.
    Complete Copywriting Workshop Course.
    Copywriting 2023 Persuasive Copywriting Mastery with Dekker.
    Copywriting – Become a Freelance Copywriter, Your Own Boss.

Would you like to wrap up with an inspiring story from a marketing content creator? 

If you’ve made it this far, then you must be interested in the world of copywriting and are probably about to embark on your own journey. Here is my experience, which hopefully is inspiring and pertinent to you. My name is Mary Haraira, and I’m a marketing writer. I have worked in this field long enough to have experience in different types of writing.

Some Tips from Mary

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have on this. But now I want to take the time to make a quick guide for you. I will share with you what took me years of work to learn, writing bad and great texts, and developing vast writing experience in the process. Let’s get started: 

  • When you write, imagine that you are writing for one individual, not a crowd. This helps make your writing personal. 
  • Use “you” instead of “we” or “I”.  This engages the reader, gets his attention, and makes him feel that you care about him.
  • Don’t be devoid of emotions! Try to empathize, and understand the desires of your audience and what influences them.
  • Don’t read about advertising writing alone, it is important to also read about psychology, and sociology, and master the basics of marketing. This broad knowledge helps you grasp different perspectives.
  • Learn when to think outside of the box and when to stay inside of it. Rules are necessary for clear instructions but there are times when you may want to break them to provide a more attractive and effective text. 
  • Avoid cognitive overload, that is, try not to use sentences or terms that are too complex for your audience to understand. 
  • Always remember that rules and tips are helpful, choose what is best for you, your audience, and your brand.
  • The only constant in copywriting, in general, is, in fact, change. And here is one of Jeff Bezos’, entrepreneur and founder of Amazon, most famous tips: “Be stubborn about your vision, but flexible with the details.”

 

Copywriting has helped many companies around the world reach their fame and success through proper marketing and the attraction of the right customers. Despite how clear the big picture might seem and how easy it might sound to perform marketing tasks, this work requires lots of practice and training to hone skills and talent. In addition, any job requires you to be diligent and conduct a good deal of research for the information you need.

Supervision: Mary Haraira- Copywriter

For contact and inquiries: mary.ghraira@gmail.com

Also read:

References:

  1. Linkedin
  2. Small SEO Tools
  3. Neuroflach
  4. Creatopy

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Social Media Specialist

Social Media Specialist – A Guide to Freelancing

Freelancing /
Social Media Specialist

Social Media Specialist - A Guide to Freelancing

“Social Media” A new template for the modern media profession. One of the fastest professions in growth and development in the world is the profession of a social media specialist or a social media marketing specialist. It has become one of the most widespread and sought-after professions in the world of freelancing. If you want to learn more or work in this profession, then this article is for you.

Who is the social media specialist? 

A social media specialist is responsible for creating and publishing content on all social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms.¹ With the objective of increasing the reach and popularity of the brand and expanding its audience space. The specialist also supervises performance indicators, interacts with the targeted audience, and communicates with the team responsible for creating appropriate content for these platforms. This is done by developing a marketing strategy and content plan, identifying target segments groups, analyzing them, and targeting them appropriately.

What are the tasks of a social media specialist? 

There are many tasks of the social media specialist, including: 

  • Strategies development.
  • Content creation and scheduling. 
  • Observing and listening to the opinions of the receiving audience. 
  • Measuring the impact and feedback of their content. 
  • Analyzing all the previous elements to make appropriate improvements to the content in order to rephrase it and present it again to the target audience as it should be.¹
  • Identifying the target audience:
     A social media specialist must understand the target audience for each social media platform they use to create suitable and compelling and influential content for its audience to achieve the required interaction on each platform. They must also be able to understand the different tendencies of the audience and write or design suitable content for them in order to deliver the service or product they sell in an attractive way that achieves the desired profits.²
  • What about paid advertisements?
    The social media specialist is responsible for developing strategies for paid advertisements since they have experience using measurement tools such as Meta Business Suit, or other paid options on other platforms such as LinkedIn or Quora, etc.²

How to become a social media specialist? 

First, you must become proficient with social media platforms. You can start within this field by creating your own personal pages on the social media that you follow and working to grow your personal brand. Even though you will need further training through following educational resources on the management of social media, this will give you a good initial personal experience to understand the different mechanisms of audience attraction.³

You should also learn the basics of the various responsibilities of a social media specialist through an online search. You can sign up for free or paid lessons that will qualify you to obtain initial knowledge and experience and a certificate that proves it. All you need to do is to start searching online or on “YouTube“ or “LinkedIn”. There are also educational platforms that contain various courses, such as “Coursera, Udemy, and edX”, and Arabic platforms such as “Edraak“. You may find a lot of discounts or even completely free platforms.

Try to keep creating written or visual content and share your experiences with your followers on your personal pages. Take advantage of these pages to learn more about people’s opinions through their interaction with likes, comments, and shares. This way you will be able to understand simple principles that might enable you to build a portfolio to present yourself as a junior social media specialist. This will provide you with freelance job opportunities, or with any companies, or as an account manager for people who want to market themselves and their platforms.

Some Arab and foreign websites to work on

  1. Souq Fann website
  2. Mostaql website
  3. Ureed website
  4. Khamsat website
  5. People Per Hour website
  6. LinkedIn Platform

What is the importance of the work of a social media specialist? 

First of all, we cannot deny the importance of social media today as an important way to get information, entertainment, and connect with others. It has become an integral part of our daily activities and habits. Who among us has not heard of a product or previously purchased one online? Here lies the importance of social media specialist in their influence on our decisions on purchasing and knowledge of the products and services provided by people and companies. Today’s companies -whatever their size, from small stores to giant companies- are hiring social media specialists.³ Since all the previously mentioned tasks serve them and are demanded by them, as such things strengthen the status of their brand in the minds of the target audience on various social media platforms. It also enhances the reputation of their services and products and increases the number of people who may re-purchase their products or services in the future.

It is worth noting that 71% of consumers have a positive experience through social media, and they are advised to cooperate with companies and resort to a social media specialist to manage the e-marketing.² Therefore, the social media specialist must monitor the audience, choose the best-used “hashtags”, and the ideal times to post in order to get the most views and clicks. They also have to follow new algorithms and methods to achieve the best reach on various social media platforms.³

The work of a social media specialist is also an important and major part of “Digital Marketing”; one of the growing business sectors in our time and in the future as well. Our understanding of how a social media specialist works increases our awareness of these future business sectors, and reserves ourselves a place in the world of the most popular professions accordingly, thereby achieving our financial and professional stability.

Some experts in this field

Batol Ghadeer is a young Syrian woman, who has been working in the field of e-marketing for about eight years. She graduated from the Faculty of Economics with a major in marketing. She now runs the “Mints Creative Agency” for marketing, which operates in the markets of the Gulf region and Syria. Batoul considers marketing a way of life; we can use it in all areas, even on a personal level in our daily relationships. Ghadeer says, “Understanding the field of work of a social media specialist and its influence on our daily lives and purchasing decisions increases our understanding of the increasing use of social media platforms and helps us achieve the most out of it”. 

Advice From Batol Ghadeer

Ghadeer has given a lot of advice to people who want to start in the field of “Social Media Specialist”:

  1. Keep up with the rapid developments of social media and use them properly.
  2. Follow up on events and what is popular on social media platforms, and use it creatively and purposefully to serve the brand we are marketing for. 
  3. Constantly developing and adapting the skill of editing different contents.
  4. A deep understanding of the product, brand, market, competitors, and target segment are critical factors that influence our success rate.
  5. Develop our soft skills and helpful tools, especially artificial intelligence-related tools.
  6. Acquiring and developing the right marketing mindset so that we can push the growth of brands through social media non-stop due to potential obstacles. 
  7. Learn how to use each social media platform and understand its algorithm. 
  8. Constant contact with groups of experts, thinking out loud, and presenting ideas without fear or shame. 

In fact, Ghadeer conveyed to us the positive energy that highlighted the extent of her passion in this field on one hand and the extent of its vitality and renewal on the other hand. Although she started in this field by chance, her continuous renewal and development achieved her noteworthy success. 

If you want to learn and enter this field, then what are you waiting for? You can start searching, striving, and learning, so you can find yourself a place in one of the most demanded professions in the future. 

Supervision: Batol Ghadeer- Co-Founder and CEO at Mints Creative Agency.

For contact and inquiries: batoul.m.ghadeer@gmail.com

Also read:

References:

[1] Learn.org

[2] Max burst

[3] Brain Station

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voice-over

Voice-Over – A Guide to Freelancing

Freelancing /
voice-over

Voice-Over - A Guide to Freelancing

Can we make money from our voices? It may seem strange or impossible at first glance, but it is a reality because of the existence of the voice-over profession. With serious and proper training, some people become able to use different layers of their voices, which qualifies them to take voice-over as a profession.

In this article, we will learn about the field of voice-over and its requirements.

What is voice-over?

It is also called “off-camera commentary”, in which the voice is the main tool. It can be in radio, television production, football, and many other fields. In off-camera commentary, a pre-written text is read, and the person who performs this task does not have to be present at the event location. In other cases, the presenter performs voice-over on live shows such as sports games or award ceremonies. In documentaries or news bulletins, the commentary is recorded in advance. It is also used in video games, voicemails, and advertisements.

What skills do you need for a voice-over?

In order to become a successful voice-over artist, one must have several skills, including:

  • Proper use of vocal cords.
  • Breath control.
  • The proper transition between voice layers.
  • Correct pronunciation.

And with practice and training these skills will improve.

It is worth noting that some daily practices of the commentary have a direct impact on their work. For example, avoiding hot foods with strong flavors that irritate the vocal cords, as well as drinking cold water. The most important thing is patience and commitment because continuity comes from commitment.

How to start practicing voice-over as a freelancer?

Like any profession, one should not practice it until they have sufficient knowledge about it. Therefore, you must search for the requirements of this profession and figure out if it is suitable for you. If you want to take it as a freelance job, you need to make sure that the wages are suitable for our living conditions.

Personal experience

Have you ever wondered about the owner of your favorite character’s voice in animated programs? Yes, these are people who have chosen voice-over as a career in their lives.

Like Dahouk Kasem, one of the people who have experienced this field and it became part of their lives. Here is what Dahouk told us about her experience in this field:

At first, I am always asked about the reason I chose the commentary and whether working in this field is talent-related.  I will answer these questions with honesty according to my humble experience. Since I was a little girl, I was looking for my talent at school because I was not good at any artistic or athletic field. However, I discovered my ability to control my voice layers and change them by chance. With training and effort to develop this talent, I reached high levels of progress, deserving the title of “voice-over artist.” Despite that, I still need to train more to obtain the honor of the title of “professional voice-over.”

I do not want you to take my words as a source of pessimism or fear of entering the field. Instead, let it be a motivation for you to improve, practice, and try to reach – as many have done before you – the title of professionalism.

At the beginning of working in any of the freelancing fields, the opportunity to win your first client is difficult. And your earnings are not enough or even stable enough to suffice as your main income. However, having a rich portfolio where you showcase your passion and talent in any of the fields that are widespread at the moment, as well as personal marketing of this talent and showing it on social media platforms, will create a name for you and provide you with countless opportunities. Recently, I got the opportunity to work in a company where I have always dreamed of working only because of my personal marketing of myself and daring to show my talent. 

Just be bold, passionate, and patient and commit to your plan to achieve what you aspired to.

Learning Resources

  1. Voiceover Masterclass Channel
  2. Voice Acting 101 Channel
  3. Voices Channel

Supervision: Dahouk Kasem – Freelancer voice-over.

For contact and inquiries: Dahoukkasem@gmail.com

Also read:

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Web Development

Web Development- A Guide to Freelancing

Freelancing /
Web Development

Web Development- A Guide to Freelancing

Web development has facilitated the work of many companies. Not long ago, the existence of any company or investment was tied to the existence of a physical place that determined its presence and location. The engineer would draw the plan, followed by the builder, then the blacksmith, the carpenter, and finally the interior decorator until the building was completed.

Nowadays, the company’s headquarters have become immaterial, and distances no longer govern them. The website developer has become the engineer, builder, and carpenter who designs and constructs the company’s interface, providing easy and accurate access to information.

What does web development mean?

The answer to this question is: a web developer plans and assembles various multimedia content, data, and elements. They then attach them to internet browsers using programming codes.

Why do we care about having a website?

If you own a commercial, educational, professional, or any other type of establishment and want to increase your profits and reputation, having a website is the best opportunity for you. This is because it provides you with:

  1. Marketing for your products and skills.
  2. Increased popularity for your products and the ability to share them widely and reach a wide range of people, which increases the number of your customers.
  3. A comfortable job with significant economic viability if you master it as a profession.¹

How do I start developing websites?

Before we can create anything in any language, we must first master its details and special characters. Similarly, to develop websites, we must master three fundamental and necessary languages before we begin. They are:

1- HTML language: It is the structural language that defines how media and elements are displayed on the website.² It has been adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium as the official language that all web browsers comply with.
2- CSS language: It is the language that gives the website its distinctive design and appearance, which attracts the user. Without it, the website would be just plain text on a white background.³ Therefore, this language is very important in the design process, as it controls the color, size, margins, and fonts of the attached elements.
3- JavaScript language: It is an easy-to-use and interactive programming language developed from Java. It is used to provide dynamic and interactive features to the website, as it responds to user interaction by changing the layout of the content on the web page.⁴

In addition to these languages, familiarity with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) skills and learning User Experience (UX) skills and applying them is necessary. As for learning these skills, there are free courses provided by the Edraak platform that you can participate in online.

Arab freelancing websites where you can work as a web developer

1- Khamsat.

2- Ikhedmah.

3- Mahrati.

4- Picalica.

Famous people in this field

Many professional developers have emerged in this field, including Yaron Schoen, Mike Kus, and others.⁵

As for Obadah, he is a volunteer in the Uplifting Syrian Women initiative and is responsible for the initiative’s website. He shares his experience with us: “My journey began with the WordPress platform, which allows people to develop websites. At first, my knowledge of this platform was modest, so I enrolled in a course to learn how to work with it. I won’t deny that it was difficult at first, with many strange and specialized terms, but I was determined to finish it by the end. When I finished, I noticed that I had improved significantly, and this experience was a qualitative leap in my professional life.

I advise people interested in this field to start working on the WordPress platform because it saves a lot of effort and is cost-effective. In addition, it is broad in scope, and I also advise them to learn programming languages such as CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. The website development field requires following and keeping up with the latest updates and developments, and addressing common mistakes that are likely to occur. In addition, learning from the experiences of others and working to avoid them in the future.

I learned from my experience not to give up no matter what specialty I learn, and I realized that it will be a key to many fields in the future. We live in the age of the Internet and artificial intelligence. Therefore, we must keep up with these changes and constantly develop ourselves and our experiences in order to obtain better opportunities in the future.”

Supervision: Obadah Tarazi- Website developer at the USW Initiative.

For contact and inquiries: obadabodi@gmail.com

Also read:

References:

[1] Digits Mark

[2] Motabar

[3] Naqrah

[4] Amazon

[5] Look in MENA

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Graphic design

Graphic design- A Guide to Freelancing

Freelancing /
Graphic design

Graphic design- A Guide to Freelancing

Have you ever questioned your ability to work and earn money from home? In fact, there are a variety of ways to earn money working from home or online via the Internet. Freelancing, sometimes known as “Freelancer,” is one of these approaches. It contains various specializations, the most well-known of which is “graphic design”, and the individual works for his own account through temporary labor contracts.

Graphic design: what is it?

A style of design known as graphic design mixes words, images, and concepts to enlighten the audience and achieve a particular effect. By hand or with the aid of specialist graphic design software, graphic designers generate concepts that they wish to convey graphically. Through tangible and digital art forms that contain images, words, or graphics, they transmit ideas to inspire, educate, or draw in customers. Designers make sure that the intended message and the information that clients wish to transmit are appropriately reflected in their designs. Graphic design encompasses a wide range of professions, such as Photoshop designing, book and print design, template designer, and many more.

Are graphic design and freelancing suitable for you?

Freelancing might be suitable for you, especially if you like to work independently and feel that working in an office during set hours is not for you. However, it also necessitates some preparation in terms of developing certain talents. such as effective expense management, accountability, and time management abilities.

If you have an artistic feel for using technology and are creative in your thinking, graphic design in particular can be a good fit for you. Given the fact that you can learn graphic design online, if you think becoming a graphic designer is a good fit for you but lack the necessary abilities, don’t let that deter you. Numerous paid or free online courses are available to help you learn the necessary skills.

How to start freelancing as a graphic designer?

It can be challenging to get started in the freelancing industry. It requires a defined plan and objectives. As a result, many newcomers make the error of seeking clients before being able to deliver the service they promise or before establishing defined goals. Therefore, we advise that you adhere to the following three procedures in order to prevent making these mistakes:

  • First: goal-setting:

Identify the objectives you have for your graphic design career. Is it a source of income or just a hobby? What specific design discipline will you pursue? Or are you going to work in all fields without specializing? Will you hunt for a more secure career in the future or do you intend to continue working for yourself? Do you only want to work on little projects, or do you care what size they are?

These questions may be quite helpful in figuring out your goals, and this will help you get started on a self-employment path that is comfortable and suited for you.

  • Second: develop a business plan:

Making a business model to propose to the clients you will be working with is one of the first and most crucial tasks in freelancing.

  • Third: setting up a strategic business fair is the next step:

An assortment of examples of my work makes up a portfolio. In terms of what is meant by “strategic,” it is to research the clientele you will serve and develop a market strategy that complements both their general preferences and the services they supply.

Which freelance websites are the best for graphic designers?

You can advertise your graphic design skills on a variety of websites, among which:

  1. Khamsat.
  2. Fiverr.
  3. 99Designs.
  4. Design Crowd.
  5. Logo Nerds.
  6. The Logo Company.
  7. Dribbble.
  8. Toptal.

Amer’s Experience With Graphic Design

Amer is a graphic designer and freelancer who works with the Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative. He comments on his experience with this field as follows:

“I first learned Photoshop because I can use it at my institution, and I later created my own business card and logo for fun. After that, I took part in a contest to create a novel cover and placed it first. And so on until I had an exhibition of my business endeavors, also known as a “portfolio”, all of which had produced no monetary gain.”

Amer goes on: “Initially, I worked for a marketing firm (designs on social media). I was pleased since it was the first time I earned money on my own, even if the demanded quantity was big in comparison to the time and money available.”

“I press a few keys on the computer, the keyboard, to discover the answer to a problem or a difficult situation on YouTube. Many people will ask you for work when you work for yourself, but after you finish, they might apologize or reject your work, so your effort will be wasted.”

“I continued to work as a freelancer despite changes or even interruptions in payments from one month to the next since I was in love with graphic design. I view freelancing as a supplemental source of income rather than my primary source of income.”

“Freelancing can be challenging and exhausting to start because it is different from other types of jobs and requires a lot of dedication and perseverance. However, we strongly recommend it as a supplemental or even fundamental source of income.”

According to Amer, one of the most significant benefits of freelancing is that it aids in developing a comprehensive knowledge base in the industry in which you wish to work. This is very beneficial for finding work and gaining experience. Particularly in graphic design, freelancing supports the designer’s sense of creativity because of the variety of concepts and ideas that he will work on with clients of various tastes and perspectives.

Supervision: Amer Amoud- Design Officer at the USW Initiative.

For contact and inquiries: amory.96.96@gmail.com.

Also read:

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