Making money online has never been more attainable thanks to the amazing opportunities the internet provides. From leveraging social media platforms to selling products or services, the potential to generate revenue streams is only limited by your imagination. With so many possibilities out there, it can be overwhelming to figure out the best ways to monetize online. That’s why in this post I’m providing 9 proven methods for how you can start making money on the internet.
Before we dive into the 9. Let’s dive into the essentials of choosing a side hustle.
- It’s important to stay focused on one to start. Many people start one side hustle, love the process of starting and go after 100 others. This makes people end up spreading themselves too thin and failing every single side hustle they choose.
- Make sure you pick a niche that you like. Writing about or talking about something you don’t like on a regular basis could get very tiresome.
Start a Blog
Blogging has emerged as a flexible and rewarding side hustle for those looking to profit from their passions online. By creating an informational website around topics you love, you open doors to various income streams.
What Makes Blogging So Appealing?
The work-from-anywhere convenience, creative satisfaction and income potential explain its rising popularity. Top bloggers earn well while discussing subjects close to their heart. With flexibility and scalability, it’s an alluring prospect.
Blogging 101 – What You Need to Know
A blog features regular articles, videos and podcasts centered around specific niches to attract and help readers. The blogger creates and publishes all content. As your site grows, online income opportunities emerge.
Popular Ways Bloggers Generate Revenue
While income varies widely, established blogs leverage display advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, personalized products and coaching services. Combining several monetization models is key.
Why Experience Isn’t Essential to Start
Veteran bloggers provide inspiration, but beginners shouldn’t be intimidated. You learn as you build experience. Focus on topics of personal interest and share useful ideas, reflections and tips without needing niche expertise upfront. As your blog finds its voice, income options unlock.
Dipping Your Toe into Blogging
Starting a blog costs less than $3 monthly – no big upfront investment needed! Unsure of exact direction early on? Perfectly normal. Through the process of publishing content, your specific niche and monetization approaches reveal themselves over time through an organic growth trajectory.
Start a YouTube Channel
Creating videos around topics you enjoy has become a full-time gig for elite YouTubers. But it also serves as a promising side hustle for extra income.
YouTube’s Monetization Appeal
YouTube offers numerous monetization perks once your channel hits certain viewership thresholds. This includes ad revenue shares, channel memberships, merchandise shelves and more. Income potential correlates with viewership.
Getting Started on YouTube
Begin by creating videos around your interests and skills using basic equipment. As you establish an audience and following, income options unlock. Patience is key – it takes time to build traction. But creativity is quickly rewarded by YouTube’s algorithms.
Tapping into YouTube’s Potential
Many niches prove profitable, like gaming, reviews, tutorials, comedy skits and commentary around trending topics. Explore your passions and abilities to carve out a niche. Title videos optimized for searchability using keyword research.
Standing Out in a Crowd
Research popular YouTubers in your chosen niche for inspiration but create your unique style. Consistency and quality count most, not production polish. Be genuine, connect with fans and income will steadily materialize over time through ads, affiliates and more.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate promotions can complement the other monetization approaches we’ve covered like blogging and YouTube. However, it also stands alone as a promising side hustle model.
How Affiliate Marketing Works
Affiliate programs allow you to earn commissions by promoting third-party products or services. Generate an affiliate link using a platform like Clickbank, share that unique link with your audience, and receive a percentage of any resulting sales.
Getting Started with Affiliate Promotions
Sign up with an affiliate network related to your niche. Choose reputable products to promote and craft genuine recommendations around them for your audience through a blog, videos, podcast or social media. The key is matching products you truly believe in with an engaged following. Patience is required to build sustainable affiliate income, but the long-term passive potential is appealing.
Here are a few specific ways people do affiliate marketing.
- They do TikTok and IG Reel videos talking about products they found on Amazon which then leads people to clicking their link to their bio.
- They make blog posts comparing two different products or just reviewing individual products altogether.
- They make YouTube videos reviewing different softwares and/or physical products.
The opportunities are endless when it comes to affiliate marketing.
Freelancing
If you have a skill like coding, writing, graphic design, or video editing (the list goes on and on), you could package those skills and work for other people as a freelancer.
Turning Skills into Services
Take inventory of your expertise — whether technical, creative or professional — and consider how you could offer those services to other businesses or solo entrepreneurs on a contract basis. Common needs like web development, content creation, digital marketing, and data entry represent potential opportunities.
Getting Your First Freelance Clients
Start by letting friends, family and past colleagues know you’re taking on freelance work in your selected field. As you build initial samples and reviews, create an online profile listing your service offerings on sites like Fiverr, FlexJobs and Upwork to expand your reach. Pitch clients directly once you have a body of work, tailored portfolio samples, and verified reviews to demonstrate your capabilities.
Making a Full-Time Go of Freelancing
First, freelance on the side while maintaining your regular job for income stability. Once established with regular freelance work and high client satisfaction, you can shift to full-time freelancing. Building a roster of repeat clients and reliable referrals takes time but serves as the bedrock of a thriving indie business fueled by your skills and expertise within your chosen niche.
One of the biggest benefits that come along with freelancing is making relationships. You never know what connections you could make. You could end up with a full time job, start a new business with someone, and other awesome things.
Automation Manager For Businesses
There are really cool tools out there now which allow you to automate certain processes. Sites like Make.com and Zapier make this possible.
If you could learn how to make different automations for businesses, you could sell your services to companies who want to improve efficiency. For example, you could automate lead collection, data organization, appointment scheduling, customer onboarding processes, social media postings and more.
Learning Process Automation
Start by getting familiar with popular automation platforms. Understand the templates and workflows they offer out-of-the-box for common business functions. Study how you can build custom sequences tailored to clients’ specific needs across departments like sales, marketing, operations and customer support.
Becoming an Expert at Optimization
Identify the types of businesses you want to serve like law firms, real estate agencies or eCommerce companies. Study their models, objectives and pain points. Brainstorm proven templates you could implement while allowing for customization. Pitch your offerings through content and direct outreach focused on ROI – saving time and money is what automation promises clients.
Pricing and Packaging Your Services
Bundle your automation setup service, customization capabilities, optimization maintenance and training/support. Charge monthly retainers after an initial consultation and implementation fee. Case studies and a portfolio best showcase your offerings early on. Help clients “start small” with initial automation flows then expand efforts over time.
Start a Newsletter
Newsletters, an age-old medium, are experiencing a resurgence, becoming more lucrative than ever. Their unique value lies in audience ownership and impressive engagement rates.
I recently started a newsletter and I’m very excited for what’s to come.
The Power of Owning Your Audience
Owning your email list means direct access to your audience, unaffected by the whims of social media algorithms. This direct line is a robust asset, allowing you to market products, affiliate offers, or even sell advertising space. Unlike social platforms, where your reach is often limited, newsletters can achieve open rates of 40-50%, ensuring your message reaches a significant portion of your audience.
Monetizing Your Newsletter
Platforms like Beehiiv simplify the monetization process, offering tools for subscriptions, advertising, and more. If you want to give Beehiiv a shot click here and get a 30 day free trial. Here are key ways to monetize:
- Premium Subscriptions: Generate recurring revenue by offering exclusive content to subscribers.
- Ad Network: Partner with sponsors for quality advertising, scaling opportunities as your subscriber count grows.
- Boosts: Earn by promoting other newsletters, a hands-off approach that can fund further subscriber growth.
- Affiliate Marketing: Recommend niche products, tapping into endless opportunities.
- Your Own Courses: Directly promote your courses, capitalizing on a captive audience.
Finding Your Niche
Identify specific problems within broader niches. Tools like Gummy Search can help pinpoint pain points in communities, guiding you to create content that addresses these issues. For instance, a newsletter focusing on quick meal prep ideas addresses a common challenge in the fitness niche.
Growing Your Subscriber Base
Utilize various strategies for subscriber acquisition:
- Reddit: Engage in niche subreddits, subtly directing users to your newsletter.
- Social Media: Leverage your channels to promote your newsletter, using compelling visuals and value-driven content.
- Collaborations: Partner with influencers or brands for cross-promotions.
- Lead Magnets: Offer valuable resources in exchange for email sign-ups.
Here’s our full blog post on starting a newsletter.
Flipping Furniture
This is one that has always intrigued me. The only reason I’ve never tried it is simply because of the fact that there’s not enough room in my house.
This side hustle could be great simply because of the fact that so many people get rid of items for free.
No one wants to carry an old couch to the curb, so they’ll list it on craigslist for people to pick it up for them.
In a lot of cases, these couches are still in pretty good condition and if you could stay on the ball, you could find ones for $0 and flip them for a couple hundred.
The key to success in this hustle is having a keen eye for potential. It’s not just about finding any old piece of furniture; it’s about spotting those with the promise of a new life after a bit of TLC. With a fresh coat of paint, new upholstery, or even some minor repairs, a discarded chair or table can transform into a trendy, desirable piece.
It’s Scaleable
The beauty of furniture flipping is its scalability. You can start small, working on pieces that fit in your available space, and gradually take on larger projects as you find more room or storage options. Plus, the investment is minimal – often just your time, creativity, and some basic supplies.
Marketing Is Key
Marketing your flipped furniture is another critical aspect. Platforms like Etsy, eBay, or even local Facebook selling groups can be excellent places to showcase your refurbished pieces. Good photography and staging can make a huge difference, turning your flips into not just furniture, but pieces of art that attract buyers willing to pay top dollar.
Sustainability
Finally, it’s a sustainable choice. By flipping furniture, you’re giving a second life to items that might otherwise end up in a landfill. It’s a win-win: good for the planet and good for your wallet.
Create an Online Course
If you’re someone who has knowledge in any specific areas, creating an online course may be a great idea.
The thing about creating online courses is that you don’t need to have an audience as platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or Teachable allow you to leverage their existing user base. These platforms make it easy to design, publish, and market your courses to a wide audience without the need for any upfront investment in website development or marketing.
The key to a successful online course is identifying a niche or subject area where you have expertise and where there is a demand. This could range from academic subjects to more practical skills like cooking, photography, or programming. The more specialized your course, the less competition you’ll face, and the more you can charge.
The greatest part about this side hustle is that once it’s created you could get sales for years to come.
Amazon KDP
Amazon KDP also known as Amazon Kindle Publishing is another way to capitalize on your knowledge. Are you financially savvy? If so, publish a book on Amazon KDP in regards to investing or money related things.
You don’t necessarily have to be an expert either. You could use websites like Qwoted and get expertise.
What’s The Appeal Of Doing Amazon KDP?
There are a couple of reasons why Amazon KDP is a great option.
First off is the reach. We’re talking about Amazon. Think about the global reach your book will have.
It’s also a user-friendly platform. It makes it easy for anyone to become an author.
Lastly, you have complete control over your work. This means creative and editorial control, from cover design to content updates.
How to Maximize Your Amazon KDP Side Hustle
There are a couple of key things you need to do in order to make the most of your KDP side hustle. First off, you need to take it seriously. You can’t put out content that’s not well researched.
You also need to market it correctly. Reviews are important when it comes to selling on Amazon so you need to push your books out to your audience and get as many positive reviews as possible.
Be a Virtual Assistant
If you’re someone who likes the idea of working from home, being a virtual assistant could be a good idea for you. This is where you could lend your skills to businesses and entrepreneurs. They will give you little tasks to handle throughout the day and all you have to do is complete them.
Tips For Becoming a Virtual Assistant
There are a couple things you need to do in order to be a successful virtual assistant. Number one is to play to your strengths. It’s extremely important to offer services based on what you’re good at. This could be social media, communication, administration, and more.
All you need to get started is an internet connection and a computer.
In order to get jobs as a VA, all you have to do is sign up to Fiverr (and list your services) or Upwork (and apply to jobs).
