It’s no secret that teens are doing well financially as compared to other age groups. According to the most recent stats from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 82% of teens belong to the so-called “millennial generation,” meaning they’re between the ages of 13 and 34. Within that group, 19% of teens are now employed, actively looking for work, or want to change careers. And 69% plan to continue their education beyond high school.
What’s more is that, due to the increased use of technology and the internet, teens now have the opportunity to engage with employers and businesses online. Thanks to social media and online marketplaces such as Etsy, they can build a brand, connect with potential customers, and even make money online.
Here’s how they can do it.
Start A Blog
Blogs are one of the most popular online platforms among teens. According to HubSpot Blogs, a survey of more than 17,000 blog readers around the world, 79% of them are between the ages of 18 and 24. One of the things that make blogs popular is that they’re a quick and easy way to establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field. A quick Google search will reveal how many influential blogs there are in your niche.
If you’re a fashion or style blogger, you can use your blog to educate readers about your favorite brands and products. Or if you create tutorials for YouTube users, you can showcase how to do something cool and stylish with the products you love.
The great thing about blogs is that they’re very flexible. You don’t need to have a professional-looking website to publish one. Many platforms, like WordPress, offer basic blogs for free. You can literally launch a blog in less than five minutes and start engaging with potential readers.
Get A Skincare Blogger To Promote Your Skincare Products
If you’re the type of person who loves to help other people, you can start a skincare blog. As the name suggests, skincare blogs focus on giving advice on skincare products, procedures, and treatments, as well as giving tips on how to achieve healthier and younger-looking skin. Sounds a little bit like TikTok, right?
Since so many people are moving towards a digital sphere in terms of their skincare, you can market your skincare products to the general public through blogs and social media. Some of the most influential skincare bloggers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per month from brand partnerships, product reviews, and affiliate marketing. If you’re able to secure one of these partnerships, you can literally catapult your product to the top of the bestseller list.
Create A YouTube Channel
One of the biggest influencers in today’s world of marketing and advertising is YouTube. According to Alexa, a digital media research company, 48% of all US adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have used YouTube to learn something new, with 28% watching videos for fun.
If you want to engage with this demographic, starting a YouTube channel is a great way to do it. You can create how-to or explainer videos on virtually any subject matter related to your niche. These videos can serve as great content for SEO purposes as well, helping you to improve your rankings on search engines like Google.
The great thing about YouTube is that it’s very easy to use and quite customizable. You can put yourself in the video, describing how a certain product or service works and how it can benefit your target audience. You can also add animations, graphs, and screenshots to make your content more attractive and engaging.
Get Creative With Digital Marketing And Advertising
A YouTube channel isn’t the only thing you can do when it comes to using the platform for marketing and advertising. If you really want to take your YouTube channel to the next level, you can develop a virtual magazine with the help of a designer and a digital marketing agency. With a digital magazine, you can put together a collection of content ranging from beautiful photography to engaging how-to or explainer videos. The platform is currently used by some of the biggest brands in the world, including Apple, Disney, and Nike, so it’s a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Get Inspired By The Brands You Love
It’s no secret that young people love to spend their free time listening to and imitating the voices of the people they look up to. In the same way, you can inspire your audience with the content you create, so too can your audience inspire you.
Some of the biggest fashion and style influencers in the world earn their money through brand partnerships, product reviews, and affiliate marketing. If you’d like to follow in their footsteps, you can get inspired by the brands you love and use that to establish yourself as an expert in your field. For example, if you’re a fashion blogger, you can partner with luxury brands such as Saint Laurent, Gucci, and more. If you’re into makeup, you can partner with leading makeup brands like Clinique, Urban Decay, and more.
Make Money Online With These Platforms
Since we’ve established the versatility of blogs and YouTube channels, let’s discuss some of the more established platforms that you can use to make some extra bucks online.
- Amazon Mechanical Turk
- Peer-to-peer lending platforms (e.g., Lending Club)
- Selling and buying items on online marketplaces (e.g., Ebay)
- TaskRabbit (purchase small tasks)
- Virtual assistant platforms (e.g., Amazon’s Mechanical Turk)
These are just some of the more traditional ways that teens can make money online. With the world of marketing and advertising changing as it develops, stay informed of the latest trends by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.
And in case you missed it, here’s a bonus way that teens can make money online:
If you’re a fan of the Marvel movies, you may know that they’ve featured prominently in their marketing material the ‘Hydra’ logo. What is ‘Hydra’ you ask?
Well, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) calls their sentient robot creation ‘Hydra’. And as it turns out, you can make money online through an affiliate marketing program with the Hydra Team!
In this program, you’ll be promoted to consumers who have viewed an advertisement or watched a product demo online. Then, when these same consumers make a purchase after your promotion, you’ll earn a commission.
So how does this work? Let’s say you’re a fashion blogger. You create a stylish blog around clothing and accessories. One day, you come across a Pinterest board that features a brand of clothing you admire. On this board, you discover a photo of the clothing item with a ‘Hydra’ logo next to it. You then click on this logo and you’re taken to an associated product on Amazon’s website.
When a consumer follows the link from Amazon to the retailer’s site, the retailer pays you a commission for bringing them there. Simple as that.
The best part about this program is the diversification of earnings. Because you’re not just promoting a single product, you could find yourself promoting a wide range of products from cars to electronics, software, and more. You could literally make money online from hundreds of products and brands.
This is why the MCU calls their robot creation ‘Hydra’: so you can have one-stop shopping when you need it. And at the end of the day, that’s what you’re promoting online – convenience.