If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a gamer yourself or someone who knows one; if not, then maybe it’s time to consider becoming more involved with the gaming world! As with any hobby or pastime, there are many ways to earn money from gaming, both online and offline, and most of them aren’t as cheesy as you’d imagine.
Here are just a few of the ways you can make money from your gaming account:
Take Onside Jobs
One of the simplest ways to make money from playing is to accept onside jobs, which are tasks that can be completed while playing. These can range from ads that appear in-game to data entry or translation tasks, which can all be done for cash. Some even let you choose your own hours and can be done remotely, so you can play as much as you want without burning out!
If you have a specific skill – such as typing fast or translating languages – then consider looking for onside jobs in your niche. You can use platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk to find low-cost tasks that can be completed in your spare time.
This option works best for gamers who already have a steady stream of income – such as a full-time job or a side gig – who want to put their skills to use while playing. If you’ve never made a penny from gaming, then consider taking on side jobs to see how it works in practice.
Sell Your Playlists
A lesser-known way to make money from gaming is to sell your playlists of games on iTunes or Spotify. This is a lot like selling your music collection, but instead of focusing on one or two artists, you can offer up-to-date gameplay of virtually every major game ever released for sale. The key elements are being able to find a large audience and making enough money to support your time spent playing – but it doesn’t have to be hard!
Finding a large audience is a lot easier said than done, but if you’re passionate about a particular game series or genre, then consider creating a playlist for that series or genre and see how it performs. This might take some doing to ensure that your listeners/buyers have access to the content you create, but if you’re up for the challenge, then it’s worth the effort!
Selling your playlists through platforms such as iTunes or Spotify lets you make some quick cash without having to take on any other jobs – another perk for the digital nomad lifestyle!
Make Money Through Affiliate Marketing
If you’ve got a large audience of devoted fans who want to learn more about a subject you’re knowledgeable on, then consider running affiliate marketing campaigns for other companies. Depending on the size of your audience, you could make a decent chunk of change – even if you lose a little bit to the affiliate commissions – just by promoting products and services that you believe in.
The best part of this strategy is that you’re not really “selling” anything – you’re just telling people about products and services that you think they might find valuable. Think of it this way: your audience is essentially becoming your sales force!
The downside is that you need to have a decent amount of followers in order to make this strategy work (at least 1 million on Twitter, for example), so you’ll need to build up a bit of a following before you can jump in with confidence. But once you do, you can start making money through affiliate marketing and enjoy the flexibility of being able to play when you want.
Sell Your Playn cards
Depending on the type of gamer you are, you might consider looking into selling your Playn cards – at least, those manufactured before 2015. The e-commerce site PJCESTS lets you sell your old Playn cards for quick cash, making it easy for gamers to purchase what they need while playing. Make sure you take into consideration the amount you’ll need to pay in fees, as the rates for cards vary based on how old they are.
The advantage of this option is that you’re not really “selling” anything (or, at least, not directly), so there’s less risk of getting burned by unscrupulous business practices. The disadvantage is that you won’t actually make money until someone purchases one of your cards and pays you for it.
This option is good for gamers who want to enjoy their time in the company of their friends while making some extra cash – especially if they want to keep playing after their friend group has stopped growing. If this is you, then consider creating a wish list of Playn cards you’d like to purchase and then use a platform like PJCESTS to sell them for you.
Monetise Your Account
If none of the above options seem like a fit, then you might consider monetising your gaming account. The process here is similar to getting a regular job, but instead of getting paid once or twice a week, you’ll be able to get paid whenever someone buys something from your marketplace – be it virtual or physical goods.
The upside is that this option gives you a steady stream of income that you can count on, so long as you do enough market research and establish enough of a presence on the right platforms. The downside is that, as with any job, you need to put in the time and effort to ensure that you establish yourself as an expert in your field – and someone who can be trusted. Once you do, you can charge what you want for your services, so long as you’re willing to negotiate with customers who want to work with you.
Take On Freelancing
More and more people are getting creative with the ways they make money from their hobbies and pastimes, and gaming is certainly no exception. If you’re a skilled writer who can translate languages or find the sound effects that go with the given scene, then you can put your skills to use and get paid for it. You might consider looking for online freelance writing gigs or become a full-time freelance translator for foreign companies – both of which would let you play as much as you want without having to worry about money (for the most part).
The downsides of this option are pretty self-explanatory. You’ll need to put in the time and effort to learn how to be effective on the web, and you’ll need to remember that you’re working for other people – potentially clients who you might not want to anger. Still, if you can find the right gig, this could be a fairly reliable source of income if you want to keep playing!
Start A Blog
Blogs are a great way to make money from gaming, as they provide a steady stream of content that can be monetised through affiliate marketing or selling and promoting merchandise related to your blog’s content. The only downside is that you’ll need to learn how to become an effective blogger, which can be a time-consuming process – especially if you want to make money from a single blog. If you’ve got the time and energy to learn, then this is a great option for gamers who want to create a secondary stream of income.
The upside for bloggers is that they can be quite lucrative, provided you’ve got the content and the audience to support your efforts. If you can build a following quickly, then consider using a free blogging platform like WordPress to start your monetisation journey. Once you’ve established yourself as a reliable source of information and proven yourself to be creative and engaging, then you can take your pick of the freelancing options out there and start charging for your content. What’s more is that, as long as you continue to engage with your audience, they’ll continue to come back for more – increasing your chances of making money from blogging. Additionally, once you’ve established yourself, you can always take this strategy up a level and get yourself a side-hustle – selling and promoting other people’s games and merchandise.
Consulting Or Teaching
If none of the above options seem like a fit, then you might consider doing some consulting or teaching to make money from gaming. You can take on short-term or long-term projects that are aligned with your expertise. Just make sure that you’re keeping your day job as well so that you don’t lose your source of income. The advantage of this option is that you’ll be able to build up a portfolio of past projects that you can use to further establish yourself as an expert in your field. Just remember that establishing yourself as an expert can take some time – and potential customers will be under no obligation to keep you in mind when they need help. If you want to make quick cash, then consider getting a gig as a temporary consultant or tutor for someone who needs help learning – or have them buy you a Playn card as a reward for putting in the extra time to help them succeed.