When it comes to music production, I learned how artists like Timbaland produce beats, or how artists like Leo Moacchioli create covers, by themselves. Throughout the five days that it took for Leo to create his song & video cover, he had to do a variety of things, from recording his voice to editing the song, and all of this is being done with his computers and iPads. I learned a lot from the editing process because Leo had to take parts of the song that he recorded and put them together so that they sound really good (he used ad-libs, background voices, etc). He also added pianos, an acoustic guitar, and an electric guitar to his cover, and these are just some of the instruments he used. Although Leo didn't have to add these instruments, it definitely added more to the cover.
When it comes to the video portion of the song, you have to have the right equipment and angles or else your video will look lackluster.
When recording his video, Leo used different types of cameras, from the head cameras to the camera on his iPad. He also made the video unique in the way he used fish eye angles throughout the whole video. The way you angle yourself in a video can make the viewer 10x more interested in the video and in the song as well. Spicing up the video, like Leo did, with costumes, loud outfits, nice visuals, and incorporating instruments is also eye-catching.
If you want a music job but don't want to work in person, it's possible. Before the pandemic, people have always worked as virtual assistants and DJs, but thanks to social media, if you have a big following, it'll increase your chances of making money, especially if the posts you make are sponsored.
I also learned how to create campaigns for companies. By that I mean I did and completed the assignment for writing and fundraising. I changed my assignment for the writing topic from a magazine article to a promotional campaign for Techie Youth. I also did a campaign for the fundraising topic.
In marketing, fundraisers have to deal with email lists. Email lists, according to Google, are a collection of email addresses you've received through your page, blog, or website. With this email list, an organization can send tools relevant to marketing and business to multiple addresses.
A lot of business people think that buying email lists is a bad thing. As much as you may need an email list so they can support your sales, it's not worth buying them because your email marketing program will suffer. More specifically, it'll harm your email deliverability and email marketing services won't let you send emails to the lists that you've bought. If you can, it's better to buy a cheaper list or acquire email lists for free through the opt-in method. Creating your own list of email contacts of people who have opted in to receive content from you is not only legal, but it protects your brand and gives you more opportunities to grow your new list (because you're establishing relationships with these contacts).
Now, I'm learning about media press coverage. Press coverage is important because you want to build a name for yourself, but you'll need to get the attention of local media stations and contact them about the causes you're campaigning for. You want to send a good story to your local media first before you try to reach national news stations like ABC News or the New York Times. All the good stories you send to the local news might just lead you to the national news. You also have to research the media outlets you're thinking about sending your stories to. You'll have to read/watch their news, subscribe to their magazines, and bookmark their websites, but just really make sure you're getting involved in their work so you can get your foot in the door. Getting further In the door would be getting to know all the reporters and producers from the media without being annoying. This is where you slowly but surely send copies of your publications. Those reporters might not share your first copy but when they read it, they'll know more about your company and how you operate. When you give the media a good story, you'll probably have a breaking news story, and from there you can promote your organization. During this promotion, provide any and all contact information, get back to people who have contacted you, and always be grateful and appreciative to the reporters who have helped you get recognized.
I learned that it is essential to have volunteers for non-profits. There's usually a lot of work to be done for the organization, but there are never enough staff members to fulfill those tasks. But there are people that are willing to give their free time and energy to these organizations and they are volunteers. To get volunteers, you simply have to ask. Asking can be done through that your website, if you have a section dedicated to welcoming volunteers, you can ask on social media, you can use your connection with the media to gather volunteers, or ask current donors/volunteers to invite people they know to a volunteer event. Whenever you're asking people to volunteer, you need to be specific about what the job entails and ensure their needs are met instead of your organization's needs. And when the job's done, you can also provide the volunteer with more opportunities as a way of increasing their engagement level.
There are a few ideas I learned about that can help you raise money online. One of them is crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is a non-profit organization's already existing network of supporters, friends, and coworkers. You can create crowdfunding pages and you can share them on social media sites and link them to emails that are being sent to your supporters. Crowdfunding pages allow non-profit organizations to upload images/videos, include detailed descriptions, post updates about their campaigns, track how many donors they have, and how many donations they've received. Your supporters will always be the backbone of your business. To make sure your crowdfunding page thrives, you still need to interact with your supporter, and that can be through your crowdfunding page.
Another form of raising money online is building a social media campaign. All fundraisers create social media campaigns in order to connect with their audience. Social media is one of the easiest platforms when it comes to expanding your audience, but it takes more than a post to attract newcomers; you've got to research and develop a plan. With a social media campaign, you'll have to identify your target audience, decide on which promotion tactics you're going to use, create a content calendar, and with that content calendar, you can schedule posts throughout the month, and lastly, adjust any goals/tactics if needed.
Moreover, some fundraisers connect with social media influencers so they can drive attention to their online fundraising campaigns.
Building a relationship will always be important in the fundraising business. For example, building a relationship with a social media influencer allows them to help you build relationships with their supporters and also circulate information about your cause to more people.
It may be better to reach out to a middle-tier influencer or a micro-influencer because they have a close-knit following and they won't really seek as much compensation as an influencer with over a million followers would. You can find any of these influencers on social media, on Google, on your email lists which is convenient because they may already be connected with you, or an influencer tool, but those tools are known to be "expensive and not well-reviewed". Be sure to employ empathy and care when asking the influencer for a collaboration, know what's beneficial to both parties, ask for the least amount of the influencer's time to get the most impact, and make sure your asks are written out clearly and the influencer has agreed upon the rules before any work is done.
I learned that being a fundraiser has a lot to offer, but there are some disadvantages. CEOs of the non-profit may expect a lot from you as a fundraiser, which makes the majority of fundraisers overworked and underpaid.
I also learned that you have to write a fundraising appeal to approach your donors. You'll have to approach your donor with a certain voice, whether that's an educational & formal voice, or being completely emotional and vulnerable with your donor. I think it all depends on who your audience is. Just like any job, you need to talk clearly and concisely when selling your pitch to a donor.
To really grab the attention of a supporter, you can offer incentives. You can offer supporters shirts, hats, and umbrellas with the brand's logo, but some supporters might not be interested in the merch, so you can still offer gifts that you bought for them, public recognition where you shout them out on your page, or give them a little involvement in the donation process.
To make sure a one-time donor becomes a recurring donor, be sure to always thank the donor for their donations because it'll always make that person feel special. To also show that the donor's donation was worthwhile, showcase on your website the impact the donations have made to the cause so the donor(s) can feel as if their donation made a difference.
I learned how non-profit organizations find major donors for their causes. When you're starting a new project, you'll need a lot of support from these major donors considering they make these contributions to your organization. There are 4 steps that non-profits follow to find potential donors: gather information through prospect research, hire a fundraising consultant, identify their corporate connections, and invite your current donors to a fundraising event. Having the right approach with these donors will most likely lead to them becoming a donor.
Prospect research identifies who is a good donor by looking at the individual's financial status and how much they may be willing to give. You may find this out by seeing how much that donor has given to other non-profit organizations before, analyzing their interests and/or activities, and possibly their business affiliations (if they're a wealth marker). If you find out the donor's connection to any businesses, it's possible to take advantage of this. You can increase the chances of any contributions to your organization if you have a strong relationship with your donor and they're willing to cooperate and give your organization a sponsorship. You can also increase any support or contributions from your business-affiliated donors through corporate matching gift programs. This means when a donor makes a contribution to your organization, the company they also work for will also provide a contribution because they're a part of the matching gift program.
I learned that fundraising is not only raising money for your cause(s), but fundraising also requires building relationships with people and other organizations so they can support your cause through money. Don't expect to receive this money immediately, so non-profit organizations that are raising money for these causes have to learn patience and determination. From these relationships, fundraisers can expect to see money from these supporters for future causes.
With fundraising, building relationships is the most essential thing considering 80% of donors are individuals and not other non-profit organizations. Although most fundraisers do get money through "cold fundraising", which is getting money from people who don't support the organization, nine times out of ten it doesn't always work, which Is why most organizations see it as a last resort when they haven't received money so far. As a fundraiser, you always need to be on the lookout for people with the same interests or who are interested in your cause so you can build that relationship with them. You interacting with them for that first time will not keep the relationship, you have to communicate with them on a regular basis and eventually work your way into asking for a donation. Lastly, continue to build that relationship with your supporter after they've donated, not only so they'll donate again, but you don't want to look like you're only connecting with that supporter when you need something from them. So, you should make time to connect with your supporter(s) by posing questions via blog posts or answering any tweets/posts that were directed to you.
To get more donors you'll have to lead fundraising events and partake in digital fundraising like making emails, creating "donate now" buttons on your website, or grant writing. You need a fundraising plan and a donor message before you begin asking for donations. The plan is to create small steps for any and all events for the upcoming year and to also reach your goals. A fundraiser's job is to work full-time to organize events and campaigns to raise money and any other donations for an organization. Their salary is $60,660.
It could be good to become a fundraiser because you won't have to be stuck at a desk like most in-person and remote jobs. You have the ability to venture out and meet new people and inform them about your organization and the impact you're trying to make.
There are benefits to being an online fundraiser: it's convenient, cost-effective, seeing you don't have to cater lunch for committee meetings or pay to have flyers printed out in order to promote an event, and it allows more accessibility since online fundraising events make it easier for donors to attend. It expands your reach/audience because you can spread the word about your online fundraising event through social media, a Google ad, or email. This will help you and your organization get more supporters, and with more supporters, technology can aid you in making your approach [to them] seem more personalized. Since your fundraiser will be online, make sure your website, social media, and advertisements are up to date, and you have the right software and the right idea to raise money virtually. Doing partnerships, especially with online businesses and influencers, becomes easier when you're doing fundraising virtually.
When you're working in public relations, you manage any and all of the information that is released to the public by an individual. As a public relations agent, you have to have knowledge of digital marketing and online writing. Digital marketing, which I learned yesterday, is focusing on the brand part of business and being able to promote these brands via social media or advertisements.
A press release is an official statement that public relations agents issue to news outlets so information can be provided to the public.
Press releases are important because they improve your brand's awareness while helping your public relations. You need to know how to distribute your press release so you'll get more recognition from national magazines.
To get more in-depth into what press release distribution is, it is the process of circulating your press release to the press. Your press release may contain updates and the services you provide. Because of distribution, businesses can gain a wider audience and more sales as well. Writing a press release is not an exercise like creative writing is. Moreover, a press release should follow a certain format that includes a heading, an opening paragraph, a quote, the about/description of the organization, and contact information, which separates it from creative writing.
There are press release distribution services like Newswire and PR Web that are not only popular (since they reach major news outlets like NBC and MarketWatch), but they're easy for small businesses to distribute content within the U.S. and in a few countries overseas.
Spending money on ads to expand your target audience can be a hefty investment, so entrepreneurs should make sure that they're spending it in the right places like Google. Google Ads just like backlinks drive a lot of traffic to a person's business. If you want to have a Google Ad that will gain attention from customers, you have to make these ads from the perspective of the customer and think: Is this ad annoying? Does it catch your eye? Is it relevant to the user's experience?
I also learned it's possible to make a career out of voice acting. Even if you become a voice actor soon and start with a small project, it may become a huge hit that'll jumpstart your career. Voice acting is another remote job. Because the job requires your voice, you can work from anywhere and still get paid for your services. The cons are that voice acting costs money, time, and having to be isolated, however, people who've been in the voice acting business have said the pros outweigh the cons. Speaking of money costs, you will have to buy and provide your own studio space, equipment, training, your experience, and your portfolio. All of this would be an investment since you earn up to $250,000.
This is a small summary of what I learned today.
I learned a new term called selling services. It's basically a term for all of the freelancing jobs that I learned about in one of the other units. Selling service(s) is providing an employer with your services and time in exchange for money. Selling services is made up of various job positions that have universal (the same)* rules: high-speed internet, a landline, up-to-date technology, and basic computer skills. Several selling service jobs consist of writing like freelance writing or transcription, but if you're not into writing as much, you can be an online tutor for cooking or math, or become a photographer.
There are also online focus groups, where you can get paid for sharing your opinion.
I also learned about digital marketing, which is marketing done through the internet. Many people get paid to be digital marketers because a lot of the focus, when it comes to businesses, is on the brands. And as a digital marketer, you have to know how to promote brands. Promoting brands can be done in different ways, such as connecting with customers via email or using pop-up ads on frequently visited websites. Since social media apps like Instagram and TikTok are popular, you can also promote brands through videos and/or advertisements.
The last form of writing that I've learned about is grant writing. Grant writing is when a writer writes and submits a proposal asking companies and corporations for grant money so that they can fund non-profit organizations. In order to write a proposal, it has to be written in a format that follows a certain set of instructions.
Just like any other writing job, you need to have good writing (communicate an idea that's clear and compelling enough to persuade a company). For each company that you write a proposal for, there will be different instructions that you'll have to follow or your proposal will be disqualified.
Your proposal will need to be unique. Find ways In which your proposal showcases the charities' interests and how they align with the funder's interests.
I also learned about data entry. Data entry is entering data [information] into the system. Because these jobs can be done remotely, applying for a data entry job can make people susceptible to scams. If you're being asked to pay a fee in order to secure the job, then it's a scam.
Based on the forms of writing I've learned in the past week, I started writing my own magazine article about my experience with Techie Youth. I'm about 1/3 done with the article; I've mostly been working on the layout of my article and the titles, pictures, and templates I want to use.
Customer service differs when you're in the writing business. Instead of taking phone calls, there are text-based ways like email, text, or live chat that allow representatives to answer any service-based questions and solve any problems a customer may be facing. Because this job does rely on wording, you as the representative/writer have to make sure that the text doesn't come off as rude or informal. A typical customer service representative earns between $37,251 and $48,120. The salary depends on your education level, your degree(s), your skills, and how long you've been working in that field.
Technical writing is different from other forms of writing. It limits creative writing since its main focus is providing detailed descriptions for a manual or a guide.
If you're a creative writer, it may be difficult for you to transition into a technical writer.
If you really want to become a technical writer, you are required to have at least a bachelor's degree and experience in topics like science and engineering. Technical writing is an indoor activity that can be done alone but may require you to work with other experts to do your job. Just like customer service, you'll need to have a lot of patience because you'll be learning complicated systems and you'll need to be a stickler for details, correctness, and accuracy. Your writing style as a technical writer needs to be direct & professional. You'll have to write in an active voice because it is easier to understand than a passive voice and also be precise with your word choices. Only include the details that are needed and consider the readers' approach while you write. With this writing style, your texts will look and sound like a guide. The average salary of a technical writer is $61,996.
Being a copywriter means your job is to write the texts used in advertising. As a copywriter, you must market a product/service for a company, so you must create text(s) persuasive and concise text to make a customer want to buy said product. The job consists of helping entrepreneurs share their brand online through the content you've written for them. A copywriter makes about $81,440 a year remotely.
A blog is different from a website in a lot of different ways. Although a blog is a type of website, a blog is regularly updated by the creator with new content. Websites don't update as frequently as blogs. A blog might be useful if you have a business because your customers will need to be frequently updated on the services you're providing. Blogs are intended for general public consumption.
Bloggers in their first year of working only make around $1,000 - $10,000 but as you go into your 10th year of working, a blogger will make $500,000 - $1,000,000+. On your blog, you can have pop-up ads sponsor you as a source of income.
There is a type of blogging that has become popular: guest blogging. Nowadays, creating engaging content for consumers is important. Blogging already helps businesses inform customers of the changes being made while navigating them towards their products and services. Since this is a demanding task, businesses have started to invite guest bloggers to create their content. Guest bloggers are allowed to write blogs for companies they don't work for because they're experts on the subject.
With a pair of fresh eyes working on the blog, the business's website will have new and engaging content that'll increase this business's awareness. In return, the guest blogger gets money, fame, and more readers/engagement.
Books can be written about any topic that the writer can think of. You can write independently, where you don't need agents or editors, or you can go through the traditional publishing process, so your book can gain more recognition [from the public]. Although there are pros and cons to both forms of publishing, it seems like traditional publishing is better. Plus, a publisher will cover most or all of the expenses for publishing.
To get your book published, you'll have to write a book proposal persuading enough to get a publisher. You'll also have to provide a query letter, which is the executive summary of your book proposal.
As a writer, you should get yourself an agent. It's guaranteed that an author with an agent will make more money than an author without one. An agent's power is going to protect you from a problematic publisher. Without an agent, publishing companies are even more complicated and greedy. Secure yourself with an agent that has connections (to gate-keepers and decision-makers), is enthusiastic about your book, knows and understands the book market, and offers what is expected of them.
If you want to write in order to gain money, you need to learn how to produce high-quality writing. This means that your capitalization, grammar, and punctuation will have to be good, you'll have to type fast, and you'll have to write well, especially in your native language.
Although writing does not guarantee a million dollars for one job, you could still pursue it, even as a side hustle. Writing should be something that is fun for you, not something that's forced, or else your writing won't feel authentic.
In cases where you're not sure how words sound in a sentence, there are online tools to help. The most popular one is Grammarly, which I've been using since 2017 and it has improved my grammar.
One of the forms of writing I learned was magazines and journals. Magazines and journals actually differ from one another. With a magazine, it doesn't require any specific expertise on the topic you're writing about, as long as your writing is clear, compelling, and informative with facts. If you want to be a journal writer, you must have studied a certain topic for an ample amount of time and you should basically be an expert on the subject. Journal articles also contain facts, but with more statistics/graphs than a magazine. Basically, magazines are meant to be entertaining and silly while journal articles are supposed to educational.
For a startup, you will definitely need money. To prevent yourself from spending so much money, you can get a loan as a way to fund your startup. Investors are a type of loan since they give entrepreneurs money to start their business if they're impressed.
In that case, you need to learn how to pitch to investors if you want that money to jumpstart your business. To avoid being rejected by an investor, make sure your pitch is solid and you're confident about the idea you're going to present. Don't base your pitch around the fact that you need money. Most importantly, be prepared for anything: questions about your exit strategy, business models, or weaknesses/strengths. You'll also need to calculate your costs, spending, and profits when planning a new company.
When you're getting a client, silence can be key. If you're too talkative it may come off as annoying or offputting to your client. Use communication and psychological tactics so they prefer your business instead of the competition. You may have to take a brain or brawn approach in business, but it all depends on your client.
With partnerships/co-founders, you shouldn't make your best friend your partner just because they're your friend. People that you choose need to fulfill certain jobs. There are possibilities that the friend you chose may make several mistakes that you don't agree with, which can lead to the business's downfall. There needs to be a list of duties and terms that you consider unacceptable in your workplace. Communication is also key.
I learned how to write an exciting and captivating executive summary. An executive summary should grab the reader's attention and summarize the key issues important to your success without giving away the whole story. It should be unique in the process, in a way that makes it stand alone. It should be a small version of your business plan.
An executive summary should be clear and concise while highlighting the best features of your plan. If your message is clear (and compelling), the reader will have so much confidence in your plan that they will become a customer. It should also start with a thought-provoking question. Above all, remain positive by highlighting your most impressive points.
When it comes to the startup, you have to figure out where your income is going to come from and how it can improve as your business grows. That's where profit models come in. In this situation, a profit model would help an entrepreneur envision the future of their business and help them sort out any issues about finance/income. A profit model can also help entrepreneurs calculate a business's [future] possibilities. It's essential to have multiple profit models because one opportunity might not work for you, luckily enough, you have several other models you can fall back on.
Businesses earn money due to revenue, expenses, and profits. Revenue streams are one of the main ways a business makes money. Because of revenue streams, an entrepreneur can earn money from the sale of their goods from various sources. The expenses are the costs the entrepreneur spends. An entrepreneur will have to spend money so they can produce more products and have more sales as a result. Lastly, the profit is the money you have left after your total expenses are subtracted from your total revenue. As the video ("Revenue Streams: Crash Course Entrepreneurship #13") states if your revenue was $1,000,000 and your expenses in total were $999,999, then you've made a profit of $1.
Public speaking is difficult, especially when you're introverted or have no experience with the subject. The key, however, is to exude confidence even when you're not so sure of yourself. Another pointer is to be engaging as you're talking to your audience, or you'll start to lose their interest and your speech will become boring. Public speaking is a part of leadership skills and being a leader. You need to be fearless, motivated, and passionate to avoid being portrayed as nervous or uneducated by admirers.
If you want to be an entrepreneur, you have to of course start a business but it takes steps to get there. For example, if it's an online business that you're trying to provide, you would need to start coding or programming, but you would also need to make connections so you can increase your potential. But before all of the coding and networking, (business) models need to be created so you have some sort of plan of where your business is at, what steps you want to take, and what is your future for your business.
When your business gets off the ground, then you will have to get into the logistics of business: finances/sales, legal matters, products, and expanding your business/team. It's important to recognize your weaknesses and strengths. Each issue can help you understand what can go wrong with your business and/or how you can become a multi-millionaire. But more importantly, always be careful of who you partner with. It's more sensible to be partners with someone who works smarter instead of partnering with your friend for the simple fact that they're your friend.
You don't have to stick to one business idea. It’s not a long-term project and you don't have to get attached to the one idea out of the million ideas that you came up with. As an entrepreneur, it is definitely possible to have more than one business plan.
If you want to be an entrepreneur, you can start a business and it can be centered around anything. Based on the videos I watched, I learned that it's just as possible to create a business centered around STEM and/or the media as it is to create a business that sells tangible products (clothing, beauty, etc). Entrepreneurship is no longer having one business that becomes a project for a long period of time. There are many entrepreneurs (both celebrities and non-celebrities) that have many side businesses, so they can acquire more money and power.
Being a leader is similar to being an entrepreneur: you have to be dedicated, confident, and a hard worker. As a leader, you have to be strategic, meaning whenever there are tough decisions that have to be made, you have to act on them and accept/learn from any failures you encounter in the process. As a leader, you also have to create a nurturing and encouraging work environment while being a tough businessperson.
When it comes to time management, it's important to keep yourself organized so you won't procrastinate or get distracted by anything around you. You can do this by keeping a schedule or writing down time cushions to prepare you for the tasks you are about to do. There are planners and other resources like Kanban that can help you plan your work assignments while focusing on your to-do list.
Maintaining your health, like time management, is a key to productivity. When you invest your time into learning about your body and which foods work for your body rather than consuming everything, you'll improve your wellbeing. Exercising is another change you can make to your schedule to improve your mind/memory, your confidence, and your health. Mental health is another part of your well-being that you need to maintain. It's more than just being happy. With mental health, you have to make sure you're sleeping for at least 7 hours and eating food that keeps your mind and body right
The first subject I learned about was scams. Scams have increased in the past few years due to the pandemic and the rise in remote jobs since scammers advertise jobs online the way actual employers do. When you're job searching, be careful because there are people who pose as a legitimate job company so they can trick you into giving them money while/or stealing your identity. To prevent this, read the fine print and always check to see who is the person behind the given opportunity and if they're credible or not.
I also learned that it's important to network because networking allows people to make new and purposeful connections with others. You can network at your local gym or club, just as long as you're striking up a conversation with people you meet (so you can work your way up to business matters) while being confident and friendly.
Lastly, I learned that financial responsibility is essential. Making sure you have the nicest things might make you happy at that moment, but it's wasteful. It's more important to track your expenses and cut back as much as possible if you want to increase your income.
Today I learned the difference between a resume and a cover letter and why both are important when it comes to applying for a job. I also learned that you have to do research on your employer and the company so you are informed when doing the interview. I learned remote jobs can be both professional and engaging but it's all up to you, your co-workers, and your boss. You can do this through group emails and group meetings. Lastly, I found out that the company you are applying for does background checks on you, so be cautious about what you post online.
Through YouTube videos and articles, I learned that more people are taking remote jobs because it gives them more flexibility and freedom than they wouldn't receive at a regular 9-5 job. As one YouTube video stated, although people do tend to become too engrossed in their work (at home) and begin to lose all aspects of time, remote jobs do allow people the opportunity to travel and work at the same time, as long as those people are willing to accept whatever surprises life presents to them and embody the mind of a go-getter.