In recent years, the internet has exploded in both popularity and capability. While some people may still prefer to read the news on paper, nearly everyone turns to the web to seek out information. Whether you’re looking for entertainment, news, or product information, the web is a great tool for finding exactly what you want.
With so much information and functionality available online, it’s no surprise that many people are looking for ways to make money online. While many see blogging as a way to make money, the truth is that the platforms that hold the most value are the ones that allow you to make the MOST money. When you can prove that you’re getting a lot of value (i.e., views, clicks, and/or sales) for the amount of money you’re spending, it’s often times referred to as digital ROI (return on investment).
Create a YouTube Channel
One of the most profitable ways to make money online is to create a YouTube channel. The video-sharing platform has evolved from a simple “let me show you what I did today” type of video to a place where creators can really showcase their work and drive engagement with their audiences.
The great thing about YouTube is that it’s completely free to use. You don’t need to have a big budget to create a YouTube channel, and you certainly don’t need to have millions of dollars to make money from it. All you need is a computer, a DSLR camera, and the willingness to create compelling content.
If you’re looking for inspiration, YouTube creators can be a goldmine of tips and tricks on how to make the most of your channel. In addition, learning how to properly use YouTube Analytics will help you understand what content performs well and which videos you should be taking more time to produce. Just remember, the more you put in, the more you’ll get back (e.g., the more you put in, the more you’ll learn, the more you’ll make).
Start A Blog
Blogs are a great way to make money online. If you’ve got a knack for writing, take advantage of the opportunity to make money from home. You don’t need to start a blog to do this, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Blogs are very popular these days, so it won’t be difficult to find a niche and attract (i.e., interest) an audience. When you have an audience, it’s often times referred to as content marketing. Essentially, you’re providing valuable information about a topic or product that your audience finds useful. For example, if you’re a fitness enthusiast and you’ve got a blog about yoga, you’re enabling your readers to get fit while also learning about yoga. As a result, you’re likely to see a lot of value in the content that you publish and, therefore, make money online from a blog.
Create A Product To Sell
If you’re looking for a way to make money online, don’t be afraid to explore the world of product creation. There are many options, from making and selling t-shirts to creating an affiliate marketing website. The great thing about product creation is that you’re not bound to one platform. You can create a product for the Amazon marketplace, sell it on your blog, or take advantage of affiliate marketing to sell at retail.
Creating a product doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be a professional. With the right knowledge and some creativity, anyone can create a product that will make money online. The key is to find your niche, build your audience, and then monetize the content that you create.
Monetize Your Social Media
If you’ve got a sizable following on any of the major social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook), you can definitely make money from your social media. Just be sure to follow the correct steps to ensure that you’re doing this legally and ethically.
To begin with, if you have a sizable following on any of the platforms, take the time to engage with them. Do this by sharing their content (e.g., popular blog posts, memes, or inspirational quotes) as well as relevant content from your own blog or website. Your followers will appreciate your efforts and you’ll soon start to see the benefits of engaging with them on social media.
The second step is to create a commercial account. This account is simply an avatar (i.e., a graphic or picture that represents you on a social media platform) and a brand name that is tied to a PayPal account. This brand name will be your income source. You can then integrate your PayPal account with your personal account to receive earnings directly to your bank account (e.g., USD, EUR, or even bitcoin).
The third step is to follow the correct procedures to ensure that you’re properly set up to take advantage of the commercial account that you’ve just set up. This entails verifying your identity and filing the appropriate paperwork with the government. Filing your taxes as an independent contractor is also something that you should do as a result of this. While this might not seem like a money-making tactic, being able to file your taxes as an independent contractor can save you a great deal of money over the course of a year. It also means that you’re officially a part of the 28% of American workers who are considered self-employed. Finally, registering as a business with the state and setting up a business bank account is also necessary to ensure that you’re operating legally and have access to adequate funds to sustain your business. Having a business bank account means that you can take credit cards as well as online transactions (i.e., PayPal).
Sell Your Photos On A Marketplace
Getting a dedicated camera for the sole purpose of taking photos for social media is a thing of the past. Thanks to smartphones, taking photos has become incredibly easy and convenient. However, while we’re all using our smartphones to take photos, those photos still don’t hold the value that a professionally taken photo does. You can take advantage of this by creating a marketplace where you can sell your photos for other people to use.
To do this, simply create a free account on a website like eBay, Craigslist, or RedBubbles and start listing your photos. There is also one app that I would recommend that allows you to connect with sellers of all kinds, whether you’re looking to buy a couch or a photo shoot.
Make Money With Affiliate Marketing
One of the best ways to make money online is through affiliate marketing. This is when an individual or company pays you a commission for a product that they’ve purchased through your blog or website. Typically, you’ll be provided with a commercial account on a network like Amazon, where you can then promote products that are relevant to your niche. You can then take advantage of affiliate marketing and make some extra cash.
The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you don’t need to have a huge audience to get started. You simply need a commercial account and a few products that you can promote. As you gain momentum, you can then integrate your commercial account with your personal account so that you can receive earnings directly to your bank account. Alternatively, you can opt to receive the earnings through a check or PayPal deposit.
Make Money With Surveys
There are several survey sites where you can make money online by simply answering questions. For example, Swagbucks will pay you to take surveys, which you can then cash out for gift cards and/or PayPal cash.
One of the best survey sites is Survey Junkie, which is why I recommend it. Not only do they pay you to take surveys, but they also give you the opportunity to make some extra cash by sharing a link to a survey site that you’ve found to be relevant to your niche. For example, if you’re into makeup and you’ve discovered that there’s a survey at Survey Junkie that pays you to recommend products, you can take advantage of this by sharing the link with your friends.
The great thing about these types of opportunities is that they don’t require a lot of effort to make money. You’re simply answering questions and getting paid. As a result, you don’t need to have a lot of experience to be able to make money online with surveys.
Start An Online Store
Another way to make money online is to start an online store. This is when you set up a storefront on the web where consumers can purchase your products. In 2018, Shopify has the most popular online store builder, with 11.9 million active monthly users. It also has the most popular affiliate program, which earns you a commission for any product that a consumer purchases from your storefront (i.e., click or buy a bracelet, and you’re entitled to a commission).