Marketing tips
How to Become a Digital Nomad as a Marketer
By Jantien Vanderbeke. Updated 27 October 2026
As a marketer, you already do work that can run from a laptop. To become a digital nomad, you need three things before you book a flight: income that keeps coming in wherever you are, a financial buffer, and your paperwork sorted (visa, insurance, tax). Freelancers need a steady pipeline of clients. In-house marketers need a clear agreement with their employer.
I have worked remotely as a marketer since 2022, on and off. Sometimes for a few weeks, sometimes for a few months, depending on my clients and my workload. Here is what I would tell myself before that first trip.
What is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who earns their income online and works from different locations. According to MBO Partners' 2025 State of Independence research, 18.5 million Americans describe themselves as digital nomads, and 61% of them hold a traditional job. The rest are freelancers and business owners.
So both routes are real: you can travel with a job, or with your own clients.
Can you work as a digital nomad in marketing?
Yes. Content, email, ads, SEO, social media and reporting all run online, so marketing is one of the easiest jobs to take with you. What makes it harder: live meetings, time zones and clients who want to know you are reachable.
| Freelance marketer | In-house marketer | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | You | You and your employer |
| Biggest risk | Your client pipeline dries up while you are away | Your employer's rules on working from abroad |
| First step | Spread your income over 2 or 3 clients | Ask HR what is allowed, for how long, and from which countries |
| Good to know | Retainers give you more peace of mind than one-off projects | Working from abroad can affect your tax and social security, so check it before you go |
The ugly truth: one client can disappear overnight
My biggest mistake was simple. I left with only one client.
The first time was in Australia, my first long trip. The second time was during four months in Bali. Both times I worked for one main client. Both times that client stopped working with freelancers and cut hours, because the economy took a hit. My hours dropped to almost zero. No backup plan.
Finding new Belgian clients from the other side of the world is hard when you haven't prepared for it. And I hadn't. No clients in the pipeline. No warm leads for bigger projects. Nothing.
In Flemish we say a donkey never bumps into the same stone twice. Well. This donkey did.
The lesson: before you leave, make sure your income depends on more than one person's budget decision.
The other ugly truth: it can get lonely
The poolside laptop photos don't show this part. Locals rarely become close friends in a few weeks, and working across time zones means odd hours. Nomad hubs with coworking spaces and a community make that much easier, especially on your first trip.
How to become a digital nomad as a marketer: 3 steps
1. Make your work location-proof
Document how you work: briefings, deliverables, deadlines, who approves what. The clearer your work is on paper, the less anyone cares where you sit. Agree on fixed moments when you are reachable, and keep them.
2. Keep your own visibility going
For freelancers, your LinkedIn profile and your website have to do the work that networking events did before. Keep posting while you travel, so new leads keep finding you. For in-house marketers, visibility means your results: share them, so remote work stays an easy yes for your manager.
3. Run a marketing stress test
Ask yourself: if I disappear for a week, does my work still run? Schedule your content, automate the repetitive parts with AI, and set up reporting that updates itself. (More on that in AI in marketing and my favourite free marketing tools.)
One normal workday showed me why this matters. Minutes before a client meeting, my Wi-Fi died. I grabbed my laptop, walked to a coworking space by the pool and joined the call from there. The client never noticed. What they care about is the result.
Before you go: the checklist
| What | Why it matters | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Income pipeline | One client can disappear overnight | Freelance: at least 2 or 3 clients plus warm leads. In-house: a written agreement on working abroad |
| Financial buffer | Income drops, flights get cancelled | Several months of fixed costs saved, more if you rely on few clients |
| Visa / right to work | Rules depend on your passport and destination | EU citizens can work from other EU countries without a visa. Others usually need a digital nomad visa: 50+ countries offer one. Always check the official government site |
| Health and travel insurance | Your home insurance may not cover you abroad | Coverage for long stays and remote work |
| Tax and social security | Where you pay depends on where you live most of the year | Talk to an accountant (freelance) or HR (in-house) before you leave. This article is no tax advice |
| Internet backup | Wi-Fi fails at the worst moment | A local SIM or eSIM with data, plus a coworking space nearby |
Where to start: bases and short trips
I don't travel all year. I go when my workload allows it, and especially during Belgian winters, so I can be in the sun longer.
- Longer stays: when I have more time, I mostly go to Bali. I have also worked from Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, the United States and Canada. During those long stays I reduce client work to about 16 hours a week and focus on my own business.
- European winter bases: Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. EU, warm in winter, and close to Belgian time.
- Short trips between busy client weeks: Lisbon and Cascais, when a trip to the other side of the world doesn't fit the calendar. I even finished my book on a Portuguese terrace.
For a first trip, pick a place in a time zone close to your clients or your team. Learning to work remotely is much easier when your meetings don't land at 3 a.m.
Ready to build your own freedom?
Location independence is a business decision you plan for. Want to build your own marketing business that runs from anywhere, step by step? The Digital Nomad program, together with BAJA Academy, helps you turn the expertise you already have into a location-independent business. Want to know if it fits where you are right now? Let's talk.
FAQ
Can you be a digital nomad as an in-house marketer?
Yes, if your employer agrees. Ask HR what is allowed, for how long and from which countries, because working from abroad can affect your tax and social security.
How much money do you need to become a digital nomad?
There is no single number. Save several months of fixed costs as a buffer, and more if you depend on one or two clients.
Do digital nomads pay taxes?
Yes. Where you pay depends on your tax residency, which is usually linked to where you live most of the year. Check with an accountant or your HR department before you leave.
Which marketing jobs work best as a digital nomad?
Everything that runs online: content, copywriting, email marketing, SEO, paid ads, social media and reporting. Work with many live meetings or events is harder to take with you.
Read this article in Dutch (Flemish): Digital nomad worden als marketeer