• Home
  • About
  • Freelance Writing Course
  • All About Transcription e-Guide
  • Our Services
  • How I Can Help You
  • Blog
  • Contact

FreelancerKenya

Helping You to Make Money Online in Kenya

Hits and Misses of 2017 (And Predictions for 2018)

Last Updated on January 25, 2018 By Walter Akolo 56 Comments

freelancing predictions for 2018

How was 2017 for you?

I bet it had its fair share of good and bad things, right?

The same happened in the online jobs/business world as well.

Below are a few highlights.

Hit #1: Cryptocurrencies shocked the world

Love it or hate it, cryptos were such a big hit in 2017.

Just take a look at bitcoin (BTC).

If you bought 1 bitcoin worth $994.80 on Jan 1st, 2017, you’d have sold it at $19,405.01 on 17th Dec, 2017. That’s 19.5 times the buying price. Hardly does anything else come close.

Apart from bitcoin, there are many other cryptos that hit the roof in late 2017 such as Ripple and Litecoin.

Was it a hit or not? Definitely a big hit. After all, the value of one bitcoin went up 19.5 times in 12 months. Other cryptos even went over 500% in a matter of days.

What’s the predicton for cryptos in 2018?

Volatile. According to Julian Hosp, bitcoin could hit $60,000 in 2018.

Other experts will tell you not to buy.

Same things being said about all cryptocurrencies. I personally think they’re here to stay, though. The value may keep going up and down then settle at some point. The tech is tight as you’ll realize from a little bit of googling.

Do your own research and make your own decisions. If you decide to buy, excercise utmost financial wisdom. Don’t take a loan to buy. Don’t invest anything you cannot afford to lose. If you’re unsure, don’t invest at all.

Noah Kagan, a leading online entrepreneur once said that out of all his savings, he only uses 5% for such calculated risks. If a multi-millionaire only puts that much thought in such, then consider being extra-cautious.

Hit #2: Upwork made awesome changes (e.g. the introduction of MPESA)

When Upwork started making some funny changes, guys were annoyed! All of a sudden it was rejecting profiles for no good reason. It also started suspending profiles that were bidding a lot but not getting jobs (seriously?). People complained.

On the other hand, did you know that scarcity pushes up value? Getting jobs in Upwork started becoming a breeze for many people. See how beginners like Martha and Johnson soared quickly.

I still don’t like how Upwork rejects profiles or suspends people’s accounts. I hope it somehow finds a balance so that the good are not locked out with the bad.

Another great change in Upwork, especially for Kenyans, came on Feb 14th, 2017 when Upwork added MPESA as a payment method. That was a dream come true for many of us who’d been asking for it. For this reason, many Kenyans feel like this is one huge international corporation that really values them. As you can see in my Upwork review, it’s really an awesome site.

What’s the prediction for Upwork in 2018?

Great perks for the wheat, stricter measures for the chaf.

Upwork is keen on ensuring that good freelancers and clients get the best value from the site. It wants to retain it’s status as the world’s biggest freelancing website.

It will continue rewarding great freelancers with perks like the Top Rated Status, lower fees, more job invites, training sessions and many other yummy things.

On the other hand, fraudsters, unskilled freelancers and those who don’t properly master how to get jobs using its system will have an even harder time. My biggest problem with this is that sometimes even first-rate freelancers get caught in the cross-hairs.

Should you freelance in Upwork? Yes. It’s okay to start there. But don’t let it be your main hustle. Strive to get your own direct clients so that in case of anything, your income streams don’t run dry. Also direct clients tend to pay way higher than the clients you’ll get through freelancing websites.

Hit #3: Freelance writing earned people thousands of dollars

This came as a shock to many! In 2017, writers soared to some of the highest heights ever. For a long time, people assumed that most freelance writers were being paid peanuts in sites like iWriter.

I’ve kept saying that there were freelance writers earning 6-7 figures in Kenya shillings (equivalent to 4 to 5 figures in dollars) and guys thought I was insane. But in 2017, many proved them wrong. Just check out the testimonials below:

  • Johnson got to $1,268 just a few months after getting trained
  • Martha went from beginner to $400 per week in one month
  • Nick built his writing business to $2,793 in a month
  • Richard made $3,558 in his first month of freelance writing
  • Yassir went from $140 to $350+ per week

There were many other guys who shared their stories with me in private. Some were earning between $4,000 and $7,000 per month. Isn’t that amazing?

What’s the prediction for freelance writing in 2018?

It will go up and up and up. We live at a time where nearly half of the top 10 billionaires in the world are online entrepreneurs. Where Jeff Bezos (owner of Amazon) is currently the richest man in the world (at the time of writing this). All these huge online corporations will need content. And freelance writers will eat a decent piece of the pie 🙂

Join my freelance writing course before the price goes up.

Hit #4: Videos were dancing all over our screens

Video is exploding. People don’t just want to read stuff anymore, they want to see it in video. Online marketers are all being advised to consider some form of video marketing. YouTube is huge. Facebook videos are blowing through the roof (and now actually being monetized).

What’s the prediction for video in 2018?

As the internet keeps getting cheaper and faster, more and more people will be able to upload and access videos.

Should you do video? Yes you should. It’s a trend that will keep going up.

Hit #5: Online courses by seasoned veterans were huge

Look around you. In fact, read this post again. You’ll note that things are all moving online. Our parents raised us to work offline in banks, hospitals, law firms etc. Later on the internet boom came in and right now the top billionaires are internet moguls.

Schools aren’t training people to make money online. It’s other people who’ve figured it out. The future is actually online. It’s the new oil rush. The new gold rush. People need to be trained.

We saw very many courses coming up in 2017. As demand increased, the prices of those courses kept going up. Soon many will be opting to just go for some online course and start earning online.

Here at FreelancerKenya, we currently have two courses:

  1. Complete Freelance Writing Course
  2. All About Transcription e-Guide

What’s the prediction for online courses in 2018?

These will also skyrocket. After all, the richest people worldwide are doing online business. This means that our children will actually be thriving in online businesses. Since no school is teaching these things, individual trainers and consultants will be in high demand.

I’d never imagined that I’d see online courses by individuals going for $3,997+ but now they’re there. In years to come they’ll even get to 5 or 6 dollar figures as the trainers and trainees start getting into the billions realm.

Should you start an online course? Yes. But only if you’re really good at what you’re doing. The success and demand of a course is highly dependent on the number of successful trainees.

Bonus hits

New technologies will also skyrocket and bring in the world’s first trillionaires in a few years to come. These include emerging and “disruptive” technologies like robotics, Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology and blockchain.

In the freelancing world, apart from freelance writing, other skills like transcription, virtual assistance, web design, video editing among others will keep going up as well.

Miss #1: Amazon affiliate marketing can be good, but…

…it was a big miss in 2017.

Yes, Jeff Bezos of Amazon may be the richest man alive today. He may also have one of the world’s biggest affiliate marketing networks. And just like any other big business, he’s trying to ensure that all affiliates do the right thing.

Since the affiliates are many and others joining in thick and fast, Amazon has had to make big changes that made it hard for new affiliates in 2017.

Most Amazon affiliate sites are heavily, heavily dependent on Google. This makes it double tragedy – being dependent on Amazon and Google. If you don’t play by the rules of either big players, you lose out big-time. Since both players keep changing their rules often, it’s hard to always play by their books.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still an insanely profitable business venture. Unconfirmed reports state that the top earning Kenyan doing this earns over 3 million shillings ($30,000) per month. However, getting to the top (or even to $1,000 per month) is getting harder and harder for new affiliates.

What’s more, it’s a business with many expenses. Getting your site ranked on Google for the right keywords and still having exceptional content that drives people to take action is no mean feat my friend.

What’s the prediction for Amazon affiliate marketing in 2018?

More affiliates will want to join. Amazon will be stricter. Google will be stricter. In the end, it will be even harder for new affiliates. Old affiliates may get tired and start selling their sites.

Those who manage to play by the rules of both Amazon and Google will continue earning very well since Amazon is growing thick and fast.

Those who can’t will be forced out. They’ll have to create other long-term businesses that are not heavily dependent on others.

Should you become an Amazon affiliate? If it’s your dream, go for it. But don’t make it your main hustle. And if it’s currently your main hustle, start building another one that you’ll have full (or almost full) control of.

Miss #2: Ajira did not create all those jobs

The Ajira platform was created by the Kenyan government to help people get into online work. It was launched towards the end of 2016.

Noble as the idea may have been, the project was not properly rolled out. See, if as a government you want to create online jobs, it doesn’t send people out to look for jobs in Upwork, iWriter and the other international freelancing websites.

That’s also a case of sending people to places you have no control of.

The best thing would have been to rally for government, private companies and other institutions to start employing people who work online. That would create jobs from within. We actually need many more online entrepreneurs. We need our own corporations the size of Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix etc.

All these are online businesses employing thousands of people. If we can have that in Kenya, then we can create those thousands of jobs that Ajira was targeting.

What’s the prediction for Ajira in 2018?

There’s still hope. But only if the whole thing is restrategized. If not, then it may be just another stalled or failed government project.

Should you go for Ajira workshops? If you’re new and can’t afford to pay someone to train you, go for it. It’s free. But note that once you’re through with the course, you’ll just be back here in the jungle hustling. Therefore, if you can afford to spare a small amount for training by a seasoned expert, you’re better off paying for the course.

Miss #3: Public Likes (and other online scams)

This was probably the worst miss of the year. The only reason I place it at number 3 is the fact that most people already knew it was a scam, so they didn’t go for it. Those who went in blindly lost their hard earned money. Here at FreelancerKenya, I sent an email warning people about it before it collapsed. Glad you guys listened.

There were so many other such online scams in 2017. These promise you a huge predictable increase of income (like 1% per day) doing almost nothing.

What’s the prediction for online scams in 2018?

Online scams are always there year in, year out. Do your best to protect yourself from them. Don’t fall for the “invest what you’re willing to lose” line when it comes to known scams. Why? Because in such scams, you’re 1000% sure they’ll collapse.

That’s not the same as investing in, say, stocks. Stock prices can go down, but you don’t have to sell when they’re down. And you can always get back your cash (or a good percentage of it) if you wait. With scams, once you lose…well…you lose!

Bonus misses

A few things which don’t look so promising in 2018 include:

  • Sites that are not doing well such as iWriter and Freelancer
  • Google AdSense sites
  • Poor quality content (there will be so much great content available online that poor content will just seem completely off)
  • Forex trading
  • Data entry

Don’t just depend on predictions, test and optimize

I believe that 2018 will be a great year full of showers of blessings. If you want to go far this year, consider doing some of the things that are predicted to go far this year. You’re still free to try out Amazon and Ajira if you so wish, then share your personal results. Do NOT get into any scams. There’s no quick easy money.

In the business world, things change real fast. There will always be new surprises. Failing businesses sometimes get revived and do even better than ever before. Thriving businesses sometimes fail. Therefore as you check out these predictions, keep doing your own independent research and make your own decisions.

What were your hits and misses in 2017? Any predictions for 2018?

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • More
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • 25
    Shares

About Walter Akolo

I'm a freelance writer, blogger, trainer, and internet marketer. My joy is to see you making money online. Feel free to browse around and leave a comment. I strive to reply to all queries. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter .

Comments

  1. Patrick says

    May 6, 2018 at 6:10 pm

    Walter,
    I have read your amazing articles again and again. They are very informative especially for many of us who are considering online training .Thank you..,.i hope to join you in a short while..kudos..

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      May 6, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      Thanks Patrick.

      You’re welcome to join anytime.

      Reply
  2. Steve says

    March 24, 2018 at 10:36 am

    Thanks Walter for giving us such invaluable info free. I like your simplicity which does not dilute your content. I will try and subscribe for the training soon. Currently I am writing for someone but I want to realize my full potential.

    Reply
  3. john says

    January 31, 2018 at 7:17 pm

    Great inspiration, Thanks alot Walter.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:31 am

      Thanks John.

      Reply
  4. Isaac Waweru says

    January 29, 2018 at 9:24 am

    Thanks Walter for the great insights. I’m greatly challenged to up my game.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:29 am

      Thanks Isaac. Let’s keep doing our best!

      Reply
  5. Emma Wairimu says

    January 27, 2018 at 11:38 am

    Thank you, this awesome and very informative.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:27 am

      Thanks Emma.

      Reply
  6. David says

    January 27, 2018 at 7:58 am

    Yeah the video marketing is a thing. Always glad to listen to your thoughts;true gems.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:27 am

      Yes, indeed. Thanks David.

      Reply
  7. arthur Pritt says

    January 26, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    You’re right on iWriter and Freelancers having lots of scams. Another small prediction is that it is not enough to be a writer or copywriter. Most high paying clients on upwork want somebody who has a deep understanding of SEO and doing outreach campaign. I think in 2018, clients will be raising the bar high, especially those that pay high. There is one who asked me whether I can write and as well as do email outreach, I think Walter you can create a course teaching writers how to do email outreach and they can sell that as part of the package.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:27 am

      Thanks Arthur for your feedback and suggestion. I’ll put that into consideration.

      Reply
  8. Charity says

    January 26, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    Awesome read, 2018 will also be a great year for talented newbie writers like myself.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:26 am

      That’s the spirit, Charity.

      Reply
  9. Job Murunga Kiniale says

    January 26, 2018 at 10:46 am

    Hello Walter! Good work! Thanks for the informative post. You are like our eyes and ears. Always on the lookout and giving invaluable pieces of advice like a grandfather to his grandchildren.
    I believe 2018 is a very promising and highly successful year for every single one of us here. The future is indeed great.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:25 am

      Hi Job,

      Thanks a lot. Yes, it will be awesome. Especially if we all do our best.

      Reply
  10. Ephraimh says

    January 26, 2018 at 9:05 am

    Great Insight. 2018 is a year of Greatness!!

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:25 am

      Amen Ephraimh.

      Reply
  11. Cheptiony says

    January 25, 2018 at 8:38 pm

    Nice read. Though, I get alot of business from Upwork, I suspect that some Kenyan government/people/individuals have control on how jobs are awarded..or when one is hired…for instance, I used to get hired alot a few days to voting day (during the past two elections). I remember 2 days to elections, my sales soared from $125 to $2000 a day for 3 days in row…. I was smiling all my way to bank:-) I am still speculating on the same…. Do you think my assumption is right or it’s purely a coincidence?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:23 am

      Hi Cheptiony,

      I’ve never seen any such relationship or control. I believe it’s a free market.

      Reply
  12. Danvas Kegesa Abdullah says

    January 25, 2018 at 6:29 pm

    This year shall be great for seasoned copywriters. The world is in dire need of writers who can take time to write content such as the one on Neilpatel.com, Kissmetrics.com and Quicksprout.com.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:20 am

      Exactly, Danvas.

      Reply
  13. Bryan says

    January 25, 2018 at 5:53 pm

    Thank you Walter for the insights of 2017 and we hope for better achievements this year

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:20 am

      Sure, Bryan. Let’s make it a great year!

      Reply
  14. CHARLES SIFUMA says

    January 25, 2018 at 5:11 pm

    Awesome and very informative, I can’t help reading one more!

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:19 am

      Thanks Charles.

      Reply
  15. Eunice Mbula Mwau says

    January 25, 2018 at 5:02 pm

    Thank you so much Walter for sharing your wise predictions. now i know better.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:19 am

      Thanks Eunice.

      Reply
  16. Irene says

    January 25, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    Thank you, Walter, for sharing such amazing ideas.This information has really motivated me

    .God bless!

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:19 am

      Most welcome Irene. Tons of blessings.

      Reply
  17. Benedict Musee says

    January 25, 2018 at 4:02 pm

    Wow Walter what a hit? LET’S wait and implement the implementable and leave the unimplementable. A good start brother. We always count on your opinion versus God’s will. Much blessings. Benedict.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:18 am

      Thanks Benedict. Tons of blessings.

      Reply
  18. ANNE AURAH says

    January 25, 2018 at 3:59 pm

    Great insight Walter.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:17 am

      Thanks Anne.

      Reply
  19. Angela says

    January 25, 2018 at 2:41 pm

    Thanks for the article. Very enlightening. What do you think about affiliate marketing or what would you recommend someone to do together with writing.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:17 am

      Thanks Angela. Affiliate marketing is really awesome when done well. Tips about it here https://freelancerkenya.com/money-online/affiliate-marketing-the-best-home-business-for-you/

      Reply
  20. Cyrus says

    January 25, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    Thanks Walter for this inspiration, you have talked about forex. Is this a scam?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:14 am

      Hi Cyrus,

      Not a scam but a very bad business idea, in my view.

      Reply
  21. annalyne says

    January 25, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    Thank you Walter this is really informative.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:14 am

      Thanks Annalyne.

      Reply
  22. Sapiyaya Dennis says

    January 25, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    Nice read. Very informative.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:13 am

      Thanks Sapiyaya.

      Reply
  23. John Mudegu says

    January 25, 2018 at 2:09 pm

    Thanks Walter for the insights. Very informative, I am wiser.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:13 am

      Hi John,

      Thanks for your kind words.

      Reply
  24. Boniface Kisina says

    January 25, 2018 at 2:06 pm

    This is an awesome post. Thanks for posting. I was one of those freelance writers whose accounts were suspended by Upwork

    Reply
  25. Victor Wachanga says

    January 25, 2018 at 1:38 pm

    Nothing but truth there…enjoyed reading

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:11 am

      Thanks Victor.

      Reply
  26. Asigoh George says

    January 25, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    As always, very informative. Thanks for the insight. My biggest Hit was to join online business via The Freelance Writing Course from FreelancerKenya.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:11 am

      Thanks George. It was a pleasure training you.

      Reply
  27. Annah says

    January 25, 2018 at 12:26 pm

    Awesome read. Thanks for the warning on Public likes. I want to do away with iWriter but it has some little cash, how can I retrieve it? It is below their withdrawal threshold.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:10 am

      Thanks Annah. You have to work till you meet the threshold so that it’s withdrawn and sent to your PayPal.

      Reply
  28. matheka Julius says

    January 25, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    thank you Walter for the insight. I strife to make this year milestone in my freelancing career.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:10 am

      Thanks Matheka.

      Keep doing your best.

      Reply
  29. Gonzaga says

    January 25, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    How was Forex trading a miss in 2018? Other points are on point…like the rhyme.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 9, 2018 at 12:09 am

      Hi Gonzaga. Lots of people in that business got burnt in one way or another. You’re free to do your independent research on it though. Thanks for your kind words about other points, though.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • 5 Lessons COVID-19 Has Taught Me as Freelancer
  • Freelance Writing Tips for 2021 – Not Easy but Simple
  • Question and Answer Session with Walter Akolo
  • I Want to Be a Writer: How Long Does It Take to Learn Article Writing?
  • Freelance Writing: From Zero to a Decent Side-Hustle
  • Paxful Review: Is it Worth the Hype?
  • Cold Pitching Basics: 9 Tips for Writing a Pitch that Converts
  • COVID-19: More Ways to Stay Afloat as a Freelancer During a Pandemic
  • 5 Common Freelancing Mistakes (And How You Can Avoid Them)
  • How Online Freelancers Can Survive the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis
Follow @freelancerkenya

Copyright - FreelancerKenya © 2021. All rights reserved.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.