NFT: The Future of Freelancing

Recently, there has been a rave online about NFTs as an opportunity for content creators across the globe. Various platforms and 'showbiz' channels have sabotaged the economy of content creation. These platforms basically trade all the hard work of talented content creators for exposure. Of course, that doesn't pay the bills. With the help of NFTs, however, it is likely that the trends surrounding content creation will change soon.  

What exactly is an NFT? 

Aha! So, you have been hearing debates concerning the emergence of a new concept dubbed NFT. I bet you it sounds like some New Year's resolution, or maybe a revolution. Easy peasy! If you're wondering what an NFT is, then don't worry, we have you covered. 

NFT Explained 

NFT is an acronym for Non-Fungible Token. A non-fungible token is a unique entity independent of an entire collection. Still hard to understand? Aaaaaargh! In simple terms, non-fungible items are unique items that something else can not exchange or replace. Say, you've got a well-designed chair in your home used for entertaining only VIPs, that's a non-fungible item. It can not get exchanged or replaced with another item and still keep an equivalent of its properties.

Other non-fungible items include that onetime historical picture you took with your friends dancing in the rain, your favorite country music, or maybe that your funny video, some digital art, Upmychain's domain name, that bike you love riding while playing the game GTA San Andreas, and a bunch of other non-digital contents like investments and collaterals. Hilarious, right? Right, I'll laugh with you on that one. Let's continue. 

If you were to try exchanging money, however, then that's a different matter altogether. Fiat currencies are fungible, meaning that you could exchange or replace them while they keep their equivalent values. For example, you can exchange (or split) a $100 bill into two $50 bills. You can also exchange or convert a $50 to other currencies across the globe by following conventional exchange rates while still keeping the exact value of the currency. You can learn more about this here. 

 Okay, so...

NFTs are tokens on the Ethereum blockchain used for representing and establishing direct, first-hand ownership of unique properties. NFTs ensure you get due credit and ownership rights for your work, more like an advanced digital patent or Copyrights. Basically, the concept of NFT involves using blockchain technology to sell digital arts and non-digital contents.

Now, what's the catch?

If you are an artist, this means that your work could be bought or copied by anyone online but there will be just one original owner - YOU. As an original owner of the work, you also receive royalties when your contents get sold out, as well as other resale benefits. This is a way of sponsoring, supporting and encouraging content creators for their hard work. Since current NFTs operate on the Ethereum blockchain, can other blockchains have their own versions of NFTs? Sure, you guessed right. 

There has been a lot of talk online about the opportunities in selling and buying NFTs. The concepts of Metaverse and Web 3.0 are no longer news. Virtually every discussion online revolves around this topic as of the time of writing this article. Also, a lot of discussions have emerged on the environmental impact of NFTs, cryptocurrencies and other energy-consuming technologies. Several studies are ongoing to establish a relationship between blockchain-tech and climate change. All that will be a discussion for another day. NFTs have opened unimaginable doorways which have immensely changed how we view the Internet, and by doing so has created possibilities for everyone. What does this mean for freelancers? 

The Future of Freelancing 

"Is NFT the future of freelancing?", you may ask.

Well, let's start with getting to know who a freelancer really is, what he/she does, and how. A freelancer is an independent worker and skilled professional. What I mean is that he/she enjoys the flexibility of working from home. Freelancers find jobs from various freelance marketplaces or platforms, the best freelance websites being Upwork, Freelancer, Truelancer and Upmychain.

Of course, not all that glitters is gold. Working from home comes with a lot of responsibilities and some harsh freelancing realities. Is there hope for freelancers in an NFT-savvy world? Sure! A lot of companies and employers out there are constantly in search of talents that can create digital art works. The pay is always a handsome one. This is a great opportunity for freelancers. Freelancing in the future will be deeply rooted in NFT. In this article, we will focus on the various opportunities open to freelancers in an NFT-crazed era.

What services can a freelancer possibly offer to take advantage of the opportunities available on NFT? 

1. Design NFT Artworks

There are so many individuals, professionals, companies and employers who need talents to bring their ideas to life using art. Unique digital art works, hand drawings, and graphics design contents all sell as NFT items. As a freelance NFT artist or designer, you could offer to create rare-to-find pieces of art designs for clients, involve in 20k+ art projects that may require you build an art collection, or create one-of-a-kind video clips. 

2. Create NFT Collections

The demand for NFT collections is on a steady increase. Everyone wants an NFT collection. Professionals need freelancers who can create unique NFT collections that contain an entire variety of digital art. In the world of music, you could liken that to an album. There are lots of employers looking for creative talents for their NFT collection ideas. Publish your services as an NFT artist to get started in creating outstanding collections for different brands. As an employer, hiring a freelancer is very important for your business. You can learn more about that here. 

3. Develop NFT Minting Websites and Marketplaces 

Over the years, programming has proven to be a very lucrative skill. The demand for website developers is on the rise every day. Freelance developers can earn a lot of money creating new NFT marketplaces and minting websites for clients across the globe. The demand for personalized tokens and smart contracts is also on the increase. Developers can also tap into this area. Don't forget: coding decentralized apps (DApps), Fintech applications or Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) is the new crude oil for freelance developers! Hiring developers is very easy. If you want one for your project, kindly check here to know how to hire a developer. 

4. Manage Discord Servers 

If you are familiar with NFT communities, then it is very possible that you have been on a Discord server before. Most NFT communities run on Discord servers. Most NFT projects require a stable Discord server. Therefore, managing Discord servers is great for earning decent money for freelancers. Clients interested in running NFT projects need managers to build their Discord servers with bots, unique channels, and any other tool that will be helpful in managing an NFT community, while distributing NFT contents within the community using a very organized approach. Setting up a Discord server for success in NFT requires a professional talent. Freelancers can find opportunities here by working as managers of Discord servers for NFT projects.  

5. Build NFT Games

The quest for virtual reality started a long time ago. With more and more people interested in gaming every year, game development is also a very lucrative area to consider. Embedding NFT and blockchain in virtual reality games will turn the sands of time. One could buy an item in a game and reserve the rights to use anywhere and anytime. This means that you could buy a car in a virtual reality game and possibly claim ownership of the car and use the car at will across different digital platforms. Mind blowing possibilities abound in this area. According to Ethereum.org, Decentraland is a virtual reality game that even lets you buy NTFs that represent virtual parcels of land which you can use as you deem fit. Freelance game designers and developers can earn a lot of money working from home, creating live simulations that'd shape our understanding of blockchain and virtual reality, and while leaving indelible marks on the current trends. 

 6. Market/Sell NFT Products

In the past, the concept of Affiliate marketing was very difficult to understand and accept. Today, a lot of young minds have made their first millions working as remote affiliate marketers. An NFT marketer is a sales expert who sells NFT products or brings them in front of buyers. Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn commissions online. Freelancer marketers who sell NFT items earn a decent income by doing so. There are so many professionals looking for NFT marketers and sales experts. This is a relatively new field and an excellent opportunity for all freelancers to consider. Selling NFT products is a very lucrative business! 

7. Offer NFT Consulting Services

I cannot overemphasize the need for NFT consultants. NFT consulting agencies will bring this possibility to life. Managing and building an agency isn't a one day journey, but as a freelancer, you have nothing to worry about. Create a professional profile as an NFT consultant and showcase your skills to the world. Teaching and inspiring NFT entrepreneurs on the best trends around NFT projects would help them get a hang of recent happenings in the NFT space, open their minds to the future of NFT, and also arm them with the knowledge needed for success in this area. Many companies will pay a lot for these services. What are you waiting for? Join the wagon and start your journey without delay! 

8. Manage NFT Projects

Project management is a very lucrative field. Successful NFT projects are usually handled by very skilled Project Managers. The more the increase in NFT projects, the more the demand for project managers. In a nutshell, this works pari pasu. If you're a freelance project manager, then you're in for something exciting. Companies and independent employers always need project managers to oversee their NFT projects. Managing NFT projects will open you up to a whole new world of opportunities as a freelancer. Good time management skills, a good eye for detail and an understanding of the various stages of NFT product development are some requirements needed for success in this field.

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