In today’s world, everyone is looking for ways to make extra cash. Some decide to start a blog, product review site or platform where they can share their expertise and earn a commission on each sale. While this is a valid option, there is an even simpler and more effective way to make money online – translating!
As a translator, you can easily and cheaply find clients who need your services. All you need is access to the internet and a microphone to start making money online.
This way, you’re not only adding value by providing a service but you’re also generating consistent revenue. If you’re looking to make a change and want to try your hand at online translation, read on!
The Demand For Translations Exists
The global translation market size was $16.43 billion in 2018 and is projected to hit $22.64 billion by 2023.
With more people turning to the internet and social media to find information, products and services, the demand for translations has increased. People are looking for products and services in their native languages but don’t have the time to learn a new language to do so. Traditionally, translations have only been found in print media or other expensive, specialized forms of media – like movie subtitles.
However, with the rise of digital nomads and the popularity of virtual assistants like Google Translate and Facebook’s automated language learning, the demand for translations has shifted to the digital sphere.
How To Make Money As A Translator
While there are many ways to make money online, it usually involves some sort of digital nomad lifestyle. If you’re looking to make money as a translator, you don’t necessarily need to do this. You can find clients who need translations and make money online with very little effort.
To start, you’ll need a microphone to do translations. You can use a service like Transifex where you can connect with clients and get paid to translate their websites, blogs, social media pages or any other digital content. Transifex client growth manager Matt McArthur says that the platform has been growing at a rate of 20% per year, with 40% of their customers signing up within the first 30 days. Just remember – you’ll need to have a significant track record of translating quality content to make any money online.
The Rise Of Online Translation
If you’ve been paying attention to the translation market, you’ll have noticed that traditional methods of translation – from a human translator – have shifted to the digital sphere.
According to Everest Group, 66% of the market share for subtitling translation workflows is taken by machine translation. Furthermore, the demand for machine translation has risen, with 71% of respondents stating that they would use this service to complete a digital content project. If you want to make money online as a translator, now is the right time to enter the market.
Where Do I Find Clients To Translate?
While there are many places online where you can find clients, not all of them will be willing to pay you to translate their content. You can use a tool like Wordchain to easily find clients who need translations.
With this tool, you simply enter your microphone, website or product name and receive a list of potential clients who are currently searching for content similar to what you provide. When a customer clicks to receive details about a particular translation project, you’re presented with the opportunity to translate their content.
Another great place to find clients is within social media. If you’ve got a sizable audience on any of the social platforms, you can use your audience to find individuals who need your services. For example, if you’ve got a Twitter account with over 500 followers, you can use the account to find businesses, brands and individuals who could benefit from your translations.
Become A Full-time Translator
If you’re looking to make money online as a full-time translator, you may wonder how you’ll be able to sustain a lifestyle with only a few clients per week. To start, you can ask your clients if they’re willing to pay you per piece or per hour. Some will even pay you to wait until they’re satisfied with the translation before paying you.
“As a freelancer, you will need to look for client work and complete projects as quickly as possible to make money,” says freelance translator and proofreader Rachel Ward. “You may be doing a lot of groundwork to build up your client base, so ensure that you’re putting in the necessary hours to generate revenue.”
While this may not be the most ideal situation, you may decide that this is a good enough option to make money online as a full-time translator. Of course, you’ll need to have a significant amount of content to keep clients interested in continuing the relationship.
Start A Blog
Another way to make money online is to start a blog. A blog doesn’t need to have thousands of visitors per day to make money – you can start a blog with just a few readers and monetize it through affiliate marketing, selling and displaying ads on your blog.
If you’re looking to start a blog, you may wonder how you’ll be able to monetize an entirely free blog. You can use a tool like Monetize.com to easily create fully functioning affiliate marketing stores in less than 10 minutes. Once established, you can use the tool to track affiliate sales and gain an understanding of how well your blog is performing. Furthermore, you can use this tool to find new clients and connect with established ones.
Product Reviews
If you’ve been in the fitness industry for any length of time, you’ll know that product reviews can be lucrative. If you’ve got a decent following on any of the major social media platforms, you can use your audience to gain credibility as a product reviewer. Once you’ve established yourself on social media, you can use your profile to find individuals, businesses and websites seeking product reviews.
As a product reviewer, you’ll need to determine whether or not you’ll be able to review products for free. Many businesses and brands will be willing to compensate you for legitimate reviews. However, to be able to make any money from product reviews, you’ll usually need to establish yourself as an expert in the field. If you’ve been paying attention to the translation market, you’ll know that there is a significant demand for product reviews. In fact, 71% of respondents want to read reviews about fitness, food and shopping.
Get A Microphone
If you want to make money online as a translator, getting a microphone will be a necessity. You can use a service like Rev.com which provides you with a microphone and an affiliate marketing account in order to connect with potential clients and get paid to translate their websites, blogs or any other digital content.
You may be wondering how you’ll be able to find clients who need translations without a mic. You can use a tool like Transifex which provides you with access to over 500,000 sources of content, enabling you to find work more easily. With Transifex, all you need is a reliable WiFi connection and a microphone to get started.
Join A Society
If you’ve been paying attention to the translation market, you’ll know that the trend is towards online collaboration and getting work done remotely. If this sounds like something you want to partake in, you can join any one of the many online societies for freelance translators. These groups offer collaboration opportunities, as well as an opportunity to showcase your work.
Joining a translation society will also benefit your financials. Online translators who were members of a society saw a 15% increase in earnings per week, compared to the 7% increase experienced by the rest of the industry.
Use Your Phone
If you’ve been wanting to make money online but feel intimidated by the thought of starting a blog or getting a microphone, there is another option. You can use your phone to do the work and still make money – even if you don’t want to become a full-time translator. There are dozens of online platforms that allow you to translate websites, blogs and social media posts using only your phone. You’ll simply need to log in, download the app and start translating. Since this is digital content, you don’t necessarily need to be concerned with accuracy – you can just let the software do the job for you, saving you both time and money.