For many people, making money online may seem like something of a pipe dream. After all, isn’t the internet just a series of cat videos and memes?
Well, as it turns out, there are plenty of ways to earn some extra cash on the web…and it doesn’t involve becoming a professional meme-maker (although, if that’s your thing, more power to you).
In this article, I’m going to go over some of the basics of making money online for beginners. Whether you’re looking to supplement your income or replace your 9-to-5 altogether, these ideas should help get the wheels turning.
Start a Blog
One of the most popular ways to make money online is to start a blog. This requires very little upfront investment since all you need is a domain name and hosting, which can be found for as little as $2 per month.
While starting a blog isn’t going to make you rich overnight, if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, it can be a great way to build up a passive income stream in the months and years ahead. There are a few different ways to make money from a blog, such as:
1. Selling advertising space
2. Promoting affiliate products
3. Creating and selling your own products or services
4. Accepting donations from readers
Which method you choose will depend largely on the niche you’re blogging in and your personal goals. For instance, if you’re a culinary blogger, selling advertising space to food-related businesses makes sense. However, for travel bloggers, promoting affiliate products for travel gear or services may be a better way to go.
The sky really is the limit when it comes to making money from a blog. It just takes time, effort, and dedication to build up a following and start generating income.
Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube has become one of the most popular platforms on the internet, with billions of users tuning in to watch their favourite content creators every day.
And, as it turns out, you don’t need to be a professional filmmaker or have Hollywood-level production values to start a successful YouTube channel. In fact, many of the most popular YouTubers got their start by filming themselves doing things they love – whether that’s playing video games, unboxing toys, or giving makeup tutorials.
If you’re interested in launching a YouTube channel, it’s fairly easy to get started. All you need is a Google account and a webcam (or a smartphone with a decent camera). Once you’re all set up, you can start filming and uploading videos.
However, before you can start making an income, you need to make sure you meet the criteria laid out in the YouTube Partner Program. This includes:
1. Having at least 1,000 subscribers
2. Having 4,000 “watch hours” in the past 12 months
3. Following all of the YouTube Channel Monetisation Policies
If you want to learn more about how much YouTubers can make, check out my full guide here.
Sell Your Skills
You will be surprised to learn that there are a lot of people out there willing to pay for your skills and expertise. You don’t even need to be a professional to get started.
If you have a skill or hobby that you’re passionate about, there’s a good chance there are others who would be happy to pay for your services.
For example, if you love to draw and design, you could start selling logos and other design work on sites like Fiverr or Upwork. If you’re a web developer, there’s no shortage of people who would be happy to pay you to build a custom website.
And the list goes on – if you can think of a skill or service that others might need or want, you can start selling it online and make some money in the process.
If you do decide to pursue this path, just remember that your online reputation is everything. This means that your UpWork and Fiverr profiles need to be well-written and showcase your best work. You’ll also need to be responsive to client requests and deliver quality services every time so that you can build up a positive reputation and land repeat business.
Sell Products Online
Selling products online is an excellent way to make money, and the good news is that there are many different ways you can go about it. For instance, you could:
1. Sell handmade goods on Etsy or another similar platform
2. Sell vintage items on eBay or Depop
3. Sell your own physical products on Shopify or Amazon
4. Sell digital products like e-books, courses, or printables
Which option you choose will again depend on how much capital you have to invest, as well as your own personal interests and skills.
For example, if you’re a creative person with a knack for design, selling handmade goods on Etsy could be a good fit. On the other hand, if you’re more interested in business and marketing, selling physical products on Amazon or Shopify might be a better option.
In my opinion, if you want to make serious cash, opening up an eCommerce store and selling products online (such as through Amazon FBA) is the best way to go.
Global retail sales are projected to grow by 56% over the next four years, which will take the total volume to $8.1 trillion dollars annually. Clearly, there is plenty to go around, and with the right product, you could see some serious profits.
Take Up Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards an affiliate for each successful sale they drive. In other words, you get paid to promote other people’s products.
Essentially, the way it works is that you include special links to products or services on your website or blog. When someone clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase, you earn a commission from the sale.
While it can be difficult to master, I believe affiliate marketing to be one of the most effective – and certainly one of the most profitable – ways to make money online.
The great thing about this method is that you don’t have to build a brand or develop a product of your own. Instead, you can lean on the existing reputation of the business you’re promoting to do the heavy lifting for you.
And, if you choose your products and affiliates wisely, you can build up a passive income stream that will continue to generate money for you even while you’re sleeping.
Try Out Play-To-Earn Games
Blockchain has brought about many new opportunities in the online world, and one of the most interesting is the rise of play-to-earn games.
These are games that allow you to earn cryptocurrency – typically in the form of ERC20 tokens – by playing the game itself. For example, in the game Axie Infinity, you can earn cryptocurrency by breeding, training, and fighting battle-ready teams of fantasy creatures called Axies.
There are many other games like this on the market, and if you’re a fan of gaming, it’s definitely worth checking out. Not only is it a fun way to earn some extra money, but you’ll also be getting involved in an emerging industry with a lot of potential.
Just keep in mind that the crypto markets are extremely volatile, so you could end up losing your hard-earned earnings just as easily as you could make them. So, don’t invest more than you can afford to lose, and always tread carefully.
Complete Paid Surveys
Paid surveys are another easy way to make money online. Essentially, companies are willing to pay you for your opinion, and all you have to do is fill out a short survey in order to receive your payment.
The surveys are usually fairly quick and easy to complete and can be done in your spare time. However, don’t expect to earn a fortune from this – most people only earn a few dollars for each survey they complete.
That said, it’s still a great way to make some extra pocket money, and if you sign up with a reputable company, you shouldn’t have any problems. Some of the best companies to work for include Survey Junkie, Survey Voices, InboxDollars, and Swagbucks.
Sell Photos Online
If you’re a keen photographer, you may be able to make some decent money selling your photos online. There are a number of stock photography websites where you can upload your images and earn a commission from each sale. The commissioner rates vary from site to site but typically range from 20-50%.
According to Photo Workout, the best-paying stock image sites are Shutterstock, Fotolina, Stock, and Pond5. However, there are many other options out there, so be sure to do your research before settling on one.
The great thing about this method is that you can upload your photos once and then continue to earn money from them for years to come. And, if you build up a good portfolio of images, you could even start to attract some high-paying clients.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to market your photos effectively in order to make sales, so be sure to brush up on your marketing skills before getting started.
Become an Influencer
With the influencer market expected to reach $16.4 billion by the end of 2022, now is as good a time as ever to get involved.
If you’re not familiar with the term, an influencer is somebody who has a large following on social media – typically in the form of Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter. Once these individuals have worked up a big enough following, brands will start to approach them about promoting their products or services.
The most famous example would be Kylie Jenner, who reportedly earned $1.2 million per post on Instagram as of 2019. Of course, it’s not realistic to assume that you’ll be able to achieve that level of success, but it is possible to make a decent living as an influencer if you can find your lane and build a loyal following.
I would like to add that becoming an influencer is not an easy task and requires a lot of dedication, time, and effort. It’s not something that you can just decide to do one day and start earning money the next. Although, if you’re willing to put in the work, it can be a very rewarding experience, both financially and in terms of the opportunities it can open up for you.
Start a Podcast
Podcasting is the fastest-growing media format in the world. If you can find a topic that you’re passionate about and establish an audience, you could stand to make some serious money from podcasting.
In addition, it’s fairly easy to get started and won’t cost you much to get up and running. All you need is a decent microphone, some recording software, and a quiet place to record. Of course, if you have access to a studio, that would be ideal, but it’s not necessary – at least not when starting out.
Once you’ve recorded and edited your episodes, you can upload them to a hosting platform (such as Anchor or Buzzsprout) and start promoting your show. The more popular your podcast becomes, the more opportunities you’ll have to make money from it – whether that’s through sponsorships, advertising, or selling merch.
Become an Online Tutor
Last but not least, if you have expertise in a particular subject, you could consider becoming an online tutor. You don’t even need to be a qualified teacher – as long as you’re knowledgeable in the subject you wish to teach, you can start tutoring students from all over the world.
For example, if you’re a math whiz, you could start helping students out with their homework for a bit of extra cash. Or, if you’re a language enthusiast, there are platforms out there that will pay you to simply have a conversation with somebody who is looking to learn your language.
Native English speakers can earn up to $20 per hour just by participating in a conversation with Chinese students on various topics.
Conversely, if you have more specialized knowledge, platforms such as Udemy and Skillshare allow you to create courses and sell them to students from all over the world. These can be anything from cooking classes to business courses – as long as people are willing to pay for it, you can teach it.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of different ways to make money online – even if you’re a complete beginner. So, if you’ve been wondering how to get started, I hope this article has given you some ideas.
Remember, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed – just pick one or two of the methods above and give them a go. You never know, you might just end up finding your perfect online money-making method.
