When you’re passionate about something, the money follows. As long as you’re making something people want or need, you’re guaranteed to be able to make enough money to support your lifestyle.
But what if you want to do something differently? What if you want to make a living without having to sell your blood, sweat, and tears? What if you want to be able to support your family without having your boss tell you when to show up for work and how much you should charge?
The answer might be easier than you think. You just need to figure out how to make money online.
Here are 8 ways to make money online and avoid wasting your time like 95% of online marketers and content creators. So you can finally get that dream lifestyle you’ve been wanting.
1. Create a product and start selling it online
Creating a product isn’t as easy as it sounds. Sure, you can always just jump into something that already exists and try to make money off it. But why not take the time to create something that’ll actually make money?
Creating a product means mastering the art of taking an idea, a need, a desire, and turning it into a real product that people can buy. You need to be able to package, price, and ship the product yourself. And you’ll probably have to put in the work to learn how to promote it successfully.
Even if you don’t have any previous experience, you can still become a successful entrepreneur if you follow the right steps. With the right mindset and drive, nothing stands in your way.
2. Start a blog
Blogs aren’t just about telling the world how great your life is. They can be a powerful money-making tool. Especially if you can make money off your blog purely through affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is when you’ll earn a commission by promoting and linking to a product or service that you’ve been paid to create content about. For example, you’ve been hired to write an article about weight loss and fitness. But you’ve also been paid to promote a specific weight loss product. When someone clicks on that product’s link in your article and makes a purchase, you’ll earn a commision.
If you can find a product that you believe will be valuable to your readers, you can become an affiliate for that product and make a profit. But to succeed in this venture, you’ll need to learn a few things.
First, you’ll need to determine how much you’re willing to earn from your blog. Your first instinct may be to try to make as much money as possible. But you’ll never make enough if you don’t put in the right amount of effort. Once you’ve established a reliable income stream, you can increase your spending (and earn even more money) because you’ll have more money to invest in your blog. You can also consider hiring an affiliate marketer to handle all the dirty work for you.
Second, you need to pick your niche. What is your niche? The answer to this question will determine how you should approach your blog. Are you a lifestyle blogger covering events, travel, and food? A business blogger who focuses on marketing strategies? A vegan blogger who focuses on plant-based diets? Each niche has its unique challenges and opportunities. For example, food bloggers often have a difficult time getting their products featured due to brand sensitivity. But that same product might be a goldmine for a lifestyle blogger who’s covered the topic before.
Third, you need to pick a blogging platform. The blogging platform you choose will determine the quality of your blog. If you’re looking for a free blogging platform, go for it. But don’t just go for it because it’s free. The popular self-hosted blogging platforms are WordPress, Shopify, and Blogger. For the best user experience, go for a premium blogging platform like GitLab or ConvertKit. If you decide to go with WordPress, make sure to install the WordPress plugin Google Analytics so you can track your blog’s traffic.
Fourth, you need to pick a catchy blog title. Your blog title might be the thing that visitors come back to the most. Make sure that your blog’s title is short and snappy but also memorable. When you have a catchy blog title, you’ll be able to generate more interest and gain more traction in your niche.
Finally, you need to build a following. You can do this through one of the many free tools that’ll allow you to build a following. But to truly succeed as a blogger, you’ll need to invest time in developing your audience. Comment on other blogs and join community forums to engage with your readers. Also, don’t forget to listen to and learn from successful bloggers.
3. Start an online store
If you’re the creative type, you might consider starting a Etsy shop. Etsy is an online marketplace where you can sell your arts and crafts. But it’s much more than that. You can also use the platform to research and find a product that you can promote on your blog. Or, if you’ve got an affiliate program with a company, you can start an Etsy shop to make money online.
What’s the key to making money on Etsy? The first thing you need to do is register a domain name for your Etsy shop. Next, you need to pick a theme for your shop. Decide what style of store you want to create: classic, modern, or something in between? Then, choose a color scheme. Do you want an environmentally friendly shop? Choose green pastels or happy colors like red and orange. Do you want to create a luxury store? Choose rich burgundies or dark blues.
When choosing a product to sell, make sure that it is within your niche. Decide whether you’ll sell clothing, accessories, home products, or what? Once you’ve decided, take a look at the different categories and choose the one that you think you can sell the most items in. Classic, high-quality products normally do well on eBay, while more trendy items do well on Etsy. If you’re just getting started, Etsy is a great place to build your brand and sell your products. But don’t just go there. There are many other platforms where you can promote your products.
4. Start an Instagram account
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms where people share and connect over their favorite images. But did you know that you can use Instagram to make money online?
Instagram is also one of the most popular social media platforms where people share and connect over their favorite images. But did you know that you can use Instagram to make money online?
The answer is yes. You can actually make money on Instagram. How? By either paying for Instagram stories or buying Instagram followers.
If you’ve been wondering what kind of content performs well on the platform, here’s a guide. The most popular type of Instagram content at the moment is ‘reality’, which you can loosely define as content that feels authentic. Stereotypes and facades don’t do as well as you might think they would on the platform.
If you’re interested, you can use the platform to follow influencers in your niche who are already making money online. By following them, you’ll be able to get an idea of how to make money online through Instagram.
5. Start a podcast
Did you know that you can make money online just by creating or joining a podcast? A podcast is where you can listen to interviews, hold discussions, and even tell stories. If you can get the right audience, you can definitely make a decent amount of money off a podcast.
To create a successful podcast, you’ll need to follow a simple formula:
- Find your niche
- Pick your guests
- Craft an attractive voiceover
- Practice
- Publish
- Promote
- Enjoy your success!
To determine your niche, ask yourself which topics you feel most passionate about. Maybe you have a talent for explaining complex subjects in simple terms or maybe you enjoy interviewing guests from your favorite band or sports team. Don’t just pick something because it’s popular either. Find a gap in the market and fill it!
If you can get the right guests, you can also make a lot of money. There are several platforms where you can find guests who’ll be willing to appear on your podcast for free. For example, YouTube creators who’ve built a following around a specific topic are often willing to appear on a podcast to promote their content.