On-Demand Delivery Jobs, Social Media Freelance Gigs Rise

Swift programming jobs grew in 2015 as more developers took notice of the newly open-sourced programming language, and the number of freelance delivery jobs also rose in 2015, according to a report from Freelancer.com.

Swift appeals to developers who are aiming to build on Apple’s multiple platforms, such as iOS, OS X and WatchOS.

The delivery jobs fall under the Local Jobs & Services category, which was launched by Freelancer.com early last year.

The feature allows employers to look for freelancers within a 50-kilometer (approximately 31-mile) radius and hire them directly through the site.

Interest in on-demand delivery services has increased over the years. Earlier in 2016, Foursquare partnered with Delivery.com to facilitate delivery of food and groceries through the app—an announcement that came at the heels of delivery management software Onfleet’s one-millionth delivery.

On the social media front, the report found Instagram-related work grew by 1,328 percent (to 1,870 jobs) in 2015, and while its growth pales in comparison to that of Instagram, Pinterest still grew substantially, with 152 percent growth (to 8,439 jobs) in 2015.

“Just because people use social media day-to-day for their personal use, it doesn’t necessarily make them experts. A smart strategy is required to also make it a useful marketing tool,” Sebastián Siseles, international director of Freelancer.com, told eWEEK. “Many startups or SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] simply cannot afford to hire or don’t require full-time social media staff, so they turn to freelancers for support. Outsourcing those jobs gives them much more flexibility in terms of time, budget and specific expertise required.”

Siseles said he’s seen a big rise in such demand in recent months and can say that social media platforms are slaying traditional marketing.

“Social is turning to video—video services and videography are growing strongly, and Facebook’s move toward a YouTube-type model is paying off,” he said. “The relentless drive toward monetization of social media is starting to hit a wall, forcing an evolution toward social commerce. We have seen a decline in Facebook advertising, which is forcing Facebook to look toward other methods of monetization, recognizing that video is the content distribution medium of the future.”

Siseles explained that, in addition, the visual media powerhouse Pinterest also continued its stellar growth, as did Instagram with the launch of paid ads.

“Small businesses are now able to quickly and easily market themselves to their social audience, allowing them to compete with larger brands with much bigger marketing budgets,” he said.