Whether you’re a freelancer looking to supplement your income or a college student in search of easy ways to earn, understanding the realm of earning from ads can be a valuable addition to your financial strategy.

How It Works

Companies are always in search of effective ways to reach their target audience and get feedback on their advertisements. This has led to the development of platforms that connect users willing to watch these ads in exchange for money, rewards, or points that can be converted into cash or prizes. Essentially, you sign up on these platforms, watch videos or ads, and earn rewards based on the amount of time spent or the number of ads viewed.

Where to Start: Platforms Offering Money for Watching Ads

Several platforms have emerged, asserting themselves as viable channels for earning by watching ads. Here are a few noteworthy ones:

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is widely recognized for its versatility in allowing users to earn points, known as SBs, through various activities, including watching ads. These points can then be converted into gift cards or cash through PayPal.

Tips:

• Ensure your profile is complete to get access to personalized ad opportunities.
• Redeem points through gift cards for better value.

2. InboxDollars

InboxDollars offers cash for watching video ads, along with taking surveys and performing other online tasks. The platform pays in actual dollars instead of points, providing a direct value for your time.

Tips:

• Regularly check the platform for new videos as they frequently update their content.
• Engage with their email ads for additional earnings.

3. MyPoints

Similar to Swagbucks, MyPoints allows users to earn points for watching videos, taking surveys, and shopping online. Points can be redeemed for gift cards or PayPal cash.

Tips:

• Combine watching ads with other activities on the platform to maximize earnings.
• Pay attention to daily deals and offers for additional points.

Pros and Cons

While watching ads for money may seem like an easy way to earn, it’s important to consider both sides of the coin.

Pros

• Accessibility: No specialized skills are needed to start earning.
• Flexibility: You can choose when and how much you engage with the platform.
• Additional Earnings: It can serve as a simple supplement to your primary income.

Cons

• Time Consuming: The return on time invested is relatively low compared to more skilled freelance work.
• Limited Earnings: There’s a ceiling to how much you can realistically earn through these platforms.
• Repetitiveness: Watching ads can become monotonous over time.

Conclusion

Earning money by watching ads offers an accessible, if somewhat limited, way to supplement your income. By selecting reputable platforms and employing strategic tips to maximize earnings, freelancers and students can benefit from this unconventional income stream. However, it’s crucial to maintain realistic expectations about the potential earnings and consider this method as part of a broader financial strategy rather than a primary income source.

Remember, the digital landscape is continuously evolving, opening up new avenues for earning. Keeping an open mind and staying updated on emerging opportunities can help you build a diversified portfolio of side hustles that contribute to your overall financial well-being.

This comprehensive guide aims to elucidate the top 20 online earning platforms, outlining their pros and cons to help you make informed decisions tailored to your career aspirations and entrepreneurial ventures.

1. Upwork

Pros:

• Access to a wide array of job listings across various industries.
• Protection through an escrow payment system.

Cons:

• Highly competitive for new entrants.
• Service fees can be high for freelancers.

Upwork

2. Fiverr

Pros:

• Freelancers can set their own prices.
• Diverse categories of services from digital marketing to music composition.

Cons:

• 20% commission fee on earnings.
• Can be difficult to get noticed as a newcomer.

Fiverr

3. Etsy

Pros:

• Ideal platform for selling handmade goods, vintage items, and crafts.
• Connects you with a global audience.

Cons:

• Listing fees and commission can add up.
• Market saturation in some categories.

Etsy

4. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

Pros:

• Simplified self-publishing process.
• Earn up to 70% in royalties.

Cons:

• Highly competitive market.
• Marketing and promotion largely fall on the author.

Amazon KDP

5. Teachable

Pros:

• User-friendly platform for creating and selling online courses.
• Full control over pricing.

Cons:

• Monthly fees alongside transaction fees.
• Requires time investment in course creation and marketing.

Teachable

6. Shopify

Pros:

• Comprehensive e-commerce platform with extensive customization.
• Integration capabilities with multiple sales channels.

Cons:

• Monthly subscription plus transaction fees.
• Requires initial setup and regular maintenance.

Shopify

7. YouTube (Monetized)

Pros:

• Potential for high earnings through ad revenue and sponsorships.
• A creative platform with a vast audience reach.

Cons:

• Income can be unpredictable.
• Requires consistent high-quality content creation.

YouTube

8. Patreon

Pros:

• Recurring income from followers or “patrons”.
• Great platform for artists, creators, and influencers.

Cons:

• Retaining and growing patron base can be challenging.
• Platform takes a percentage of earnings.

Patreon

9. Adobe Stock

Pros:

• Sell photos, videos, and vectors to a global marketplace.
• High-quality standards mean less competition.

Cons:

• Royalty rates vary.
• Long approval process for content.

Adobe Stock

10. Skillshare

Pros:

• Share expertise by teaching short, project-based classes.
• Passive income through monthly royalties.

Cons:

• Earnings based on the number of minutes watched.
• Competitive platform.

Skillshare

11. Airbnb

Pros:

• Monetize extra space by hosting.
• Flexible hosting options.

Cons:

• Requires significant time investment in managing listings and guests.
• Seasonal demand fluctuations.

Airbnb

12. Freelancer

Pros:

• Wide variety of projects and categories.
• Milestone payment system offers security for freelancers.

Cons:

• Platform fees can be significant.
• Can be competitive for newcomers.

Freelancer

13. Coursera

Pros:

• Partner with institutions to offer specialized content.
• Opportunity to reach a large student base.

Cons:

• Lengthy course development process.
• Revenue share model requires negotiation.

Coursera

14. Medium Partner Program

Pros:

• Earn money based on reader engagement and membership fees.
• No need for technical setup or design.

Cons:

• Earnings can be unpredictable.
• Requires regular high-quality content to maintain visibility.

Medium Partner Program

15. ClickBank

Pros:

• Affiliate marketplace with a wide range of products.
• High commission rates.

Cons:

• Some products have low quality or credibility.
• Competitive niche markets.

ClickBank

16. Etsy‘s Wix

Pros:

• User-friendly website builder with e-commerce capabilities.
• Customizable templates for brand differentiation.

Cons:

• Monthly fees for e-commerce features.
• SEO can be challenging for beginners.

Wix

17. Redbubble

Pros:

• Sell custom designs on a range of products.
• No upfront costs; Redbubble handles production and shipping.

Cons:

• Royalties can be lower compared to direct sales.
• Crowded marketplace.

Redbubble

18. Zazzle

Pros:

• Highly customizable product options.
• Set your own royalty rates.

Cons:

• Intense competition.
• Royalties are a percentage of sales, so pricing strategy is crucial.

Zazzle

19. HubSpot

Pros:

• Robust platform for inbound marketing, sales, and customer service.
• Offers a comprehensive suite of tools to grow your business.

Cons:

• Can be overwhelming for new users due to its extensive features.
• Pricing may not be suitable for every budget.

HubSpot

20. QuickBooks Affiliate Program

Pros:

• Earn commissions by referring new customers.
• Trusted brand in accounting software.

Cons:

• Specific niche market.
• Commission structure varies.

QuickBooks Affiliate Program

Takeaways

Each of these platforms offers unique opportunities and challenges. Whether you’re looking to freelance, launch an online shop, or offer educational content, the key is to select the platforms that align with your skills and business objectives. Remember, success in online earning requires commitment, quality content or services, and strategic marketing efforts.

This guide will walk you through various strategies to earn money online. Whether you’re a student looking to make ends meet, a freelancer hoping to build your portfolio or an aspiring online entrepreneur, this detailed article is designed to offer valuable insights and actionable advice.

1. Leverage Your Skills on Freelance Platforms

One of the most straightforward ways for students to begin earning money online is by freelancing. Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr offer a marketplace where skills meet demand. Whether your expertise lies in writing, graphic design, digital marketing, programming, or anything in between, there is likely a demand for your services.

How to Get Started:

• Create a professional profile detailing your skills and experience.
• Browse job postings related to your skillset and start applying.
• Use the power of a portfolio; even simple class projects can serve as proof of your abilities.

2. Become a Virtual Tutor

With the advancement in online communication tools, virtual tutoring has emerged as a lucrative avenue to share your knowledge while earning money. Platforms like Tutor.com and Chegg Tutors cater to a wide range of subjects, from mathematics and science to language arts.

Steps to Success:

• Identify your strongest subject areas.
• Sign up on tutoring platforms and complete their vetting process.
• Maintain flexibility in your schedule to accommodate students from different time zones.

3. Participate in Online Surveys and Market Research

Companies are always on the lookout for consumer insights, and they’re willing to pay for it. Participating in online surveys and research studies can be a consistent source of small, yet steady, income streams.

Getting Started:

• Register with reputable survey sites like Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, or Toluna.
• Be honest with your responses to maintain the quality and reliability of your feedback.
• Manage your earnings and redeem them per the platform’s guidelines.

4. Tap Into the Gig Economy

The gig economy offers flexibility and the opportunity for you to use your leisure time productively. Tasks can vary from virtual assistance, social media management, to more traditional errands and deliveries facilitated through apps like TaskRabbit or Postmates.

Key Considerations:

• Choose gigs that align with your skills and weekly schedule.
• Understand the payout structure and any associated costs, like transportation.
• Build a reputation for reliability and quality to secure repeat clients.

5. Content Creation and Monetization

With platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and blogging, content creation has become a viable pathway to earning money online. The key is to create engaging, high-quality content that appeals to a specific niche or audience.

Building Your Platform:

• Identify a niche that interests you and research existing content within that space.
• Consistently create and upload content to build an audience.
• Explore monetization options such as advertising revenue, sponsorships, and merchandise.

6. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting a product or service on your platform and earning a commission for every sale or action completed through your referral. It’s a strategic way to generate income, especially if you have a strong social media presence or a blog.

How to Launch Your Affiliate Marketing Effort:

• Join affiliate programs of products that align with your audience’s interests.
• Use your content to introduce these products authentically and transparently.
• Track your referrals and optimize your strategy based on performance data.

Conclusion

Earning money online as a student without investment is not only feasible but can also be quite rewarding. It offers flexibility, the chance to hone your skills, and the opportunity to explore various career paths. The key to success in the digital realm is patience, persistence, and a continuous learning mindset. By leveraging platforms and tools available at your fingertips, you can carve out your own path to financial independence and professional development.

Remember, the online world is dynamic. Trends change, platforms evolve, and new opportunities arise. Keeping abreast of changes and adapting your strategies accordingly will position you well for success in the digital economy.

According to a recent report, internet users now spend more time on social media platforms than ever before (approximately 2 hours and 16 minutes each per day). If you are a suave entrepreneur, these numbers should excite you.

Now that everyone is on social media, there’s an opportunity to make money on different platforms.  While social media started as a platform to connect family and friends, it has now metamorphosed into an entrepreneurial tool. 

If you are looking for unique ways to make money, it is time to learn how to leverage social media for income generation. This guide explores different ways to use social media to make money. 

1. Sell Your Products and Services 

Selling your products or services on social media is the easiest way to make money from these platforms. According to reports, 43 percent of people now use social media to research products online. 

If your products and services are on social media, it is easier for your target customers to find them. Social media networks from Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, among others, now come with marketing-centric features to help marketers promote their products.

Working with a social media marketing service can help unlock your company’s potential through social media. You can hire a professional to write your social media posts, if you have trouble keeping up. 

2. Become an Influencer 

You can now make money online by becoming a social media influencer. You will join an A-list of celebrities from Beyonce, Kylie Jenner to Ronaldo, among others.  

As an influencer, your job is to endorse products or services based on your knowledge or specialization. If you already have a large following on social media, you can target brands looking for customers who are in your fan base. 

It is important to have a specific area of expertise to make it easier to collaborate with specific brands. For instance, if you are big on travel and have created a solid social media following, you can join influencer networks to connect with brands selling travel merchandize or travel packages. 

[click_to_tweet tweet=”According to a recent report, internet users now spend more time on social media platforms than ever before. Approximately 2 hours and 16 minutes each per day!” quote=”According to a recent report, internet users now spend more time on social media platforms than ever before. Approximately 2 hours and 16 minutes each per day!”]

3. Affiliate Marketing 

Affiliate marketing entails referring your social media, blog, or website followers to merchant websites. If you have an active social media following, merchants will pay you to promote and refer their products through links on your accounts. 

You will feature the merchant’s product ads on your website and get paid if they click on the same. After clicking, the link redirects the visitor to the merchant’s website where they learn more about the products or services. You get paid a commission for the referral. 

If you have a large following, social media affiliate marketing is an easy way to make money. You only need to promote the product on your page to get those clicks. 

4. Online Coaching, Training  and Consultancy 

Are you good at fitness training? Maybe you are an expert in the guitar? If yes, these are just a few of the things you can train people through social media. 

Social media is a powerful tool for lead generation, and you can redirect people to your blog where you can interact better.

There are unlimited opportunities for training and consultancy skills and social media provides the best platform to start building your services. 

5. Become a YouTube Sensation 

Logan Paul, Daniel Middelton, Jake Paul and Jeffree Star; ever heard of these people? If not, it is time to discover the highest-paid YouTube stars of 2018. These are individuals who leverage the popularity of video content to advertise their content, do affiliate marketing and cash in on the influencer remarketing rage. 

You can learn from their best tricks to build your YouTube channel and start making money from the same. To make money from your YouTube channel, you have to offer unique and interesting content. 

From hair styling to motor vehicle modification, there’s so much you can offer on YouTube.  The more views and clicks you earn, the more money you make on your YouTube channel. 

Getting started on Social Media Entrepreneurship 

Whether you want to get started on social media or you already have a following, there are some crucial factors to remember. Many people have tried exploiting social media to make a living to no avail. 

To avoid such an eventuality, you need to strategize. Some of the first steps in your strategy include identifying your goals and objectives, defining your audience, carving a niche, and choosing the right social media network. 

You should also carry out competitor research, create a content strategy and leverage trends on your chosen social media platform. Social media entrepreneurship is not a trial and error project, and as such, you have to use analytics and keep tracking the performance of your campaigns. 

Final Thoughts 

Thinking of how to make money from social media? These few ideas will get you started.

However, you have to build a strategy for your money-making idea, choose the right social media network and leverage trends on that platform.

It is a tough world out there, but with the right strategy, social media presents a great opportunity to make money. 

To testify it is a study entitled: The Future 100: Trends and Change to Watch in 2018, conducted by the famous American research agency J. Walter Thompson Intelligence.

For many it might be a surprise to know that, unlike the labels, most of the digital nomads are not made of young “under 30”, does not live constantly around the world with a backpack on his shoulders, is not composed only of singles and does not work exclusively as a freelancer.

In May 2016 (and already three years have passed), it was published the data from a survey conducted on a sample of over 500 digital nomads around the world that helps to disavow this belief.

In fact, this survey showed that only 29% of them are aged between 26 and 30, while 33% of digital nomads are over 30 (31-36 years old) and, surprisingly, 18% aged between 37 and 45, as well as a 5% aged between 45 and 70 years.

Most of the respondents (64%) also stated that they do not do freelance work, that they are not constantly traveling, but stay in a country for a long time (a few months) and always keep a “base” where they can do return.

Why Do More And More People In The World Choose To Become Digital Nomads?

Working without space constraints means being able to choose the place to work from and at the same time, having the opportunity to make new experiences, learn new countries and cultures, experience new ways of living that make us feel freer and happier.

Not only. Working remotely from different places, as well as being an extraordinary experience of life, is also a real opportunity to return to being more productive and more satisfied with our work and our lifestyle.

You could find yourself living in extremely cold areas of North of Canada, where the temperature in some cities can reach the astonishing figure of -50 C. Just think that here people need to install a system like HeatLine.com to protect water pipes from freezing. Or, you can choose the sunny Florida, where you can experience warm temperatures all the year. If you think of moving there (even for a few months), consider that there are great movers in Bradenton.

Another advantage linked to the phenomenon of digital nomadism, is the possibility for companies that adopt “remote working” as a primary mode of work, to be able to access the best human resources and the best talent in the world regardless of the place or country in which they are found, without having to find them or have them available locally.

There are more and more “remote-friendly” companies in the world where everyone is free to work from the place he prefers.

Why Working Remotely Can Increase Your Productivity?

Having the freedom to move elsewhere and to choose the world as an office can seem like a paradox for those who have always sought happiness in permanence, security and stability in the permanent job and have always considered the office as the workplace ideal!

The truth is that beyond the usual clichés about flexibility and the fact that the fixed and guaranteed place no longer exists, is the very idea of working for a lifetime sitting behind the same desk, or in the same company, to not be more current and not even what most people aspire to today.

The truth is that many people feel more and more urgent the need to free themselves from the rigidity and the constraints imposed by traditional work, the obligation of a fixed physicality, pre-established schedules and obligations of presence.

Young people, in particular, feel a strong inner drive towards the realization of personal projects, they feel the need to test themselves, to make international experiences, to grow personally and professionally, to know new realities and to connect with other people.

Remote work has strengthened this trend, because working remotely does not mean just working from home, but it means being able to work from anywhere.

So, why working remotely as a digital nomad, as well as a wonderful life experience, can help us to return to being more productive and more satisfied with our work?

1. Freedom

The main motivation that today pushes more and more people to free themselves from the constraints of a traditional job and to work remotely, is first of all the desire to feel freer.

Free to organize their lives, free to express their talent, free to choose the place and time to devote to work, modeling them according to their ideal lifestyle and their needs.

This means that for many, freedom is an important value.

To be fully satisfied and to give your best, you should live and act always aligned with your guiding values. If freedom is an important value, you should have experiences that make you feel truly free to get out of the routine that threatens to suffocate what you are and what you would like to be.

Always living in the same place, working closed for 8-10 hours a day in the same place, whether at home or in the office, in this case, does not make much difference, it is certainly not the best way to feed your need for freedom.

On the contrary: moving through different places, traveling inside and outside our physical and mental boundaries, taking time during the day to meet your personal needs, confronting different cultures, developing new enabling relationships in places that facilitate this process, is the best way to feel free.

Fulfilling your need for freedom will greatly increase your self-esteem and this will make you feel more confident and better at what you do.

2. Happiness

There is a clear and clear connection between happiness and productivity.

It is proven that positive emotions can increase the quality and quantity of productivity at work.

When you talk about happiness at work, there are many different aspects that must be taken into consideration. One of the places and spaces where to work is undoubtedly one of these.

The truth is that to increase your productivity and to live better, you should always work in those places where you feel happier.

Remote work gives you the opportunity to work anywhere. The house, the coworking space, the sea, the mountains, the countryside, the city, these happy places are not static but are changing according to the cycle you are experiencing.

Being in the right place at the right time means knowing how to listen to what you need at that moment to feel comfortable, in harmony with yourselves and with the context that surrounds you. In this case, nature and the ecosystem in which you dive can be a great resource, if used in the right way.

Think for a moment about the places where you felt particularly good in the past. This will start to give you an idea of ​​what the places could be working better and be happier and more productive.

3. Creativity

Creativity is a skill that you can no longer do without today.

The current world of work needs professional figures who are able to combine creative thinking and technology, in different but increasingly interconnected sectors.

In January 2016, the World Economic Forum published a report entitled “The Future of Jobs and Skills” presenting the skills that, from now until 2020, will become indispensable in the world of work.

In the first three places, you can find: complex problem solving (ability to act autonomously to solve problems), critical thinking and creativity.

Psychologists and neuroscientists have shown that moving through different places, traveling, interacting with new people and new cultures is an enabling step to develop new ideas, nourish our creativity and develop critical thinking.

The reason is simple: creativity is connected with neuroplasticity, or with the ability of our brain to change. Neural pathways are influenced by the environment and habits, which means that they are also sensitive to change.

New landscapes, new sounds, smells, languages, tastes, new sensations and points of view, trigger different synapses in your brain and have the ability to revitalize your mind. Creativity only improves through immersion, involvement and adaptation to new experiences.

These are the three main reasons to work remotely, moving through different places can help you to be more productive and more satisfied with your work and your lifestyle.

But there is another important aspect that you must necessarily take into account because this is part of the needs of every human being and is the need to create constructive and enabling relationships,

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new paradigm that allows you to feel at home in different places, to do all this in a simple way, activating the power of the relationship as the engine of everything.

And you, are you working remotely?

Please share your experience here and leave your comment below, thanks!

One of the most lucrative ways to generate income with the internet is with freelance services.

I’m sure you have your favorite list of sites, but you may want to check the following resources.

Here are the places where you can be paid to write, divided into levels of writing skills (based on my experience).

Just click on any of the following links, to jump directly to your reference level:

Beginner level

Intermediate level

Expert level

Beginner Level

Here is where you should begin if you are still refining your writing skills.

1. iWriter

Anyone can register on this site and earn money right away.

Choose your favorite topics and start taking opportunities. You can earn $15 per article, as a beginner.

Sign up here.

2. OnlineWritingJobs

This website accepts freelance writers from all over the world.

Payment varies from $12 per article up to $50, depending on the quality of the content.

Check it out here.

3. dotWriter

That’s a pretty unique concept here.

You write your articles and then you can add them into dotWriter’s marketplace.

There are different topics, so you can surely find the ones of your interest.

For example in the “Internet & Online Business” category, I see an average of $15 per 600/700 words posts.

See this screenshot:

If you are able to write several articles and list them on this marketplace, there’s a chance you can earn some decent money.

Here you can find the writer’s page information.

4. FreelancerCareers

Good place for finding new opportunities as a beginner writer.

You can get paid for jobs related to your skills and interests.

Payments range between $7 up to $31 per page of your work.

Check here for further details.

5. Steemit

Think of a blogging platform and a social network mixed together. You can write about anything, so be sure to showcase your expertise.

You can register for an account and then you can start posting content.

They pay writers with the cryptocurrency Steem. The amount of payment depends on how many traffic your content will getting. The average is $5–$10 per post.

6. Writers.ph

This is another website you want so sign up in order to get paid for exclusive offers and writing opportunities on a daily basis.

Payments are approved twice a month.

At the moment of this writing, the highest rate for a job is around $500.

Register here.

7. Vocal

It’s similar to Medium. You can submit your articles and be paid to write here, based on the number of views your content will get. Allowed topics are almost everyone, so you can write about anything on Vocal. Aim at 750+ words minimum.

You just need to sign up. After that, you may simply submit your article for curation.Vocal media will pay you around $3 per 1000 views. If you decide to become vocal+ member for $10 per month, then you will get $6 per 1000 views.

8. HubPages

HubPages is pretty popular in the community of writers and readers, because it will pay you via Google Adsense Ads placed in your article.

Write about pretty anything, so it’s a good place if you are just starting out as a freelance writer. It’s a nice opportunity to build an audience pretty fast, thanks to the popularity of this platform.

If you want to give it a go, you simply need to register and sign up for monetization. Then, submit your content for publication.

If your article ranks well in search engines, you can make something between $0.1 to $1.5 per thousand views. Just do the math…if your post become popular on Google, it will generate countless impressions.

9. Constant Content

This is another website that allows you to sell your articles to different clients and get paid for your skills.

As you write more and become an expert, you will be able to enter the “Writer Pool” in order to get exclusive projects from customers.

I see a good average rate at their marketplace, something around 50$ for each article.

Remember that Constant Content will take 35% of commissions, so you’ll earn the remaining 65%.

Payments via PayPal. Check it out how to register here.

Intermediate Level

Here are the sites for intermediate level writers.

10. Listverse

This website is awesome and has high-quality content.

Here you can submit your list posts, with really interesting facts.

Requirements are:

• 1,500 words
• 10 items minimum
• focused on the most fascinating and rare gems of knowledge

You can get paid $100. Here’s the link for your submission.

11. Bustle

An online magazine seeking writers about different topics, like entertainment, lifestyle, and fashion or beauty.

They pay $0.25 a word so it’s a great way to get paid to write.

Here‘s the page you want to check.

12. WritersWeekly

These folks are looking for articles that explain to their readers how to make money money doing what they more love, writing!

Get paid $60 for 600 words or $40 for 400 words articles.

Visit this page to read more.

13. Copyhackers

They pay $300 up to $1000 for each published post.

Submit your articles about copywriting, marketing, branding, online business, and similar topics.

Check this page for more information.

14.RankPay

RankPay has a blogger program that will allows you to earn $50 for each article approved.

Submit your content about SEO, content marketing and social media.

15. Income Diary

With more than 100,000 visitors each month and created in 2009, this is an established website you want to get paid to write for.

The topics are online business, making money online, web traffic, social media and internet marketing. You should be expert in any of this field, before thinking to apply.

The rate vary from $50 to $200 per post and payment are made via PayPal.

The link for submitting your articles is here.

16. WPHub

WPHub will let you earn from $100 up to $200 for each post approved.

Submit your articles about web design trends, coding best practices, and other WordPress-related topics.

Expert Level

Here are the sites for highly skilled writers.

17. Narratively

Narratively is ready to pay you anything between $200-300 for your content.

They ask essays of 2000/2500 words on specific topics. Check their page for detailed guidelines.

18. BuzzFeed

Buzzfeed is a popular website, with millions of unique visitors every month.

They post content about a wide variety of topics to keep their visitors entertained and informed.

They usually pay writers from $.10 to $.30 per word.

19. Smithsonian

This is a very popular and established magazine.

They are accepting paid contributions from expert writers.

The average rate for each post is $0.50 – $0.60 per word

Visit this link to submit your articles to Smithsonian.

20. NY Observer

New York Observer lets you make $100 for each post published.

They want content about politics and culture for “sophisticated readership of metropolitan professionals”.

Conclusion

This 2023 updated list will help you getting paid to write.

I hope you found some new resources in this page, and I’ll keep it updated.

So, be sure to bookmark it!

What’s your experience with the above-mentioned sites?

Do you have some new ones to add?

Please share your views in the comments below, thanks!

And don’t forget to share the content, if you liked it.

Here are 13 ways to make money online:

Offer Photography Services

When you put effort into something you are truly passionate about, earning money online is simple. One activity that can earn you well online is photography, and the best part is that you don’t necessarily need to put in extra hours to achieve it. If you are passionate about capturing artistic shots while traveling, in nature, or even just in locations close to lakes, you can sell those photos to certain photography websites. Additionally, you can work as a freelancer to conduct professional photo shoots for weddings or other special events. One easy way to earn extra money is by focusing on building a solid portfolio of your best work. This may demonstrate your originality and artistic approach to whatever subject you capture with your camera.

Timothy Woods, Carnivore Style

Sell Others’ Stuff

A solid way to make money online is to sell items on eBay, Amazon, or other sales apps. Most people do this when they just want to get rid of stuff but others make a business out of it. They go to yard sales or advertise to help clean out storage units or garages, pick up cool items cheaply, and resell them for more online. 

The trick to making this work is understanding the value of things. Some things are more valuable than they look. Other things are cool but won’t sell. If you can get that knowledge of what something is worth and how well it will sell, you can buy low enough and sell high enough to make some good money.

Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure

Become a Social Media Manager

One of the best ways to earn money online is by becoming a social media manager. Your role is to handle social media accounts from small businesses breaking into the social media space for marketing campaigns and organic engagement with prospective clients. You need to have substantial knowledge of different social media features, peak hours for engagement and audience activity, and communication skills to deliver the right message while keeping everything aligned to the company’s brand.

Nunzio Ross, Majesty Coffee

Do Proofreading 

Virtual proofreading is a high-paying role where you can proofread for an author or content writer. You can earn up to 1500USD per month working freelance as a proofreader. Your role is to check for grammatical errors and correct them. The work of a proofreader comes after the author and editor have done their part, generally. They become the final set of eyes and do the last part of the writing process. It is not a very time-consuming or difficult task as there is flexibility of working hours and environment.

Samantha Odo, Precondo

Establish Gaming Or Cryptocurrency Channels

Gaming and cryptocurrency are two of the hottest industries right now. And if you can tap into this market, you can make a lot of money. There are two ways to go about making money in this space – streaming and creating content. If you choose to stream, you can live-stream your gameplay on platforms like Twitch and make money from advertisements, donations, and subscriptions. If you choose to create content, you can create videos, tutorials, or articles about gaming or cryptocurrency and sell them on your own website or on platforms like YouTube.

Demi Yilmaz, Colonist.io

Online Trading

Online trading can be a lucrative way to make money online, especially if you have experience in the stock market. With platforms like TickTick Trader and E*TRADE, it is easier than ever to buy and sell stocks from the comfort of your own home. However, this method of making money online requires knowledge and understanding of market trends, as well as financial risk management skills. It is important to educate yourself on trading strategies and keep up with market news before diving into online trading as a source of income.

Admin, NoPassiveIncome

Offer Virtual Assistant Services

Offer virtual assistant services to earn money online. Identify the type of work you can expertly provide. It could be bookkeeping, social media management, sales, customer service, etc. You can look for VA positions from job marketplaces as a freelancer or join a VA agency that trains individuals in different business processes. Preferring the latter would mean doing your best to pass the training stage. This way, you can connect and work with clients who need help in running their businesses.

Abe Breuer, VIP To Go

Engage in Affiliate Marketing

If there’s a subject you’re passionate about, start a website. Write as much content as you can based on keywords surrounding the subject. You can find these keywords with tools like SEMRush or Google Keyword Planner. The key is to get as many blog posts out there as possible so Google starts ranking your blog at the top of search results. Once you’re ranking you can run ads or use affiliate web links to gain a portion of every sale. It takes time but month over month you can see some really impressive returns and even make it your full-time job.

Shawn Plummer, The Annuity Expert

Run a Dropshipping Business

A dropshipping business allows you to run your own business, without having to spend too much time doing it. The simplest way to do this is to use a service such as that offered by Amazon. All you need to do after signing up is to arrange to have stock delivered to an Amazon fulfillment center from your chosen supplier. Amazon will store your products, list them on their website, dispatch them to customers, and take care of any customer service issues. All you have to do is to ensure that you have stock always available, Amazon will let you know as it runs low, then wait for the monthly payments to arrive in your account. Obviously, there is a charge for this service, but when we consider that very little effort is needed on your behalf, it can be a good way to raise some extra funds.

Colin Palfrey, JollySEO

Write Digital Content 

If you have the ability to write decently well, then writing ebooks, guides, low-content books, and even writing blog posts for others is a great way to make money online. The ability to publish ebooks and low-content books on Amazon is a blessing for those who have a story or knowledge to share with the world. Even better, these types of digital content can continue to generate income as long as it builds a following and you continue your marketing efforts for the ebook. Writing for other websites via blog posts is another great way to make money online. The more experience you build, the more you can charge.

Dylan Miller, DSM Story Forge

Offer Services at Virtual Events 

The world of virtual is here to stay. Therefore, offering virtual services to global companies is how I make 70% of my revenue. Companies find us through various Google searches including “virtual event DJ”, “virtual event emcee”, and “virtual party DJ”. During the height of the pandemic, I was doing anywhere from 5-15 virtual events a week. This led to a word-of-mouth campaign that keeps us sustained despite many offices returning to in-person settings. The ease and accessibility of online team-building exercises continues to be the norm for both remote and hybrid companies, at least once a month. 

My company has become such a household name for business, that I continue to get inquiries for virtual conferences and webinars. We started out throwing complementary events for those in lockdown March of 2020. We have since grown to become the highest-rated service with awards from Forbes and Wall Street Journal for keeping virtual engagement and retention high.

Will Gill, DJ Will Gill

Do Email Marketing 

Emailing your customers irresistible offers is a proven way to make money online. I absolutely love email as a way to communicate with your customers. Social media algorithms can change at any time, hiding your marketing messages. Email is a direct line to your hard-earned customer. Build your email list by giving people a compelling reason to join. This could be a free ebook, a chance to win a prize, or insider access to your best information. Then use email marketing software to send out your newsletter and offers.

Scott Lieberman, Touchdown Money

Work as a Freelancer

Working as a freelancer online is one of the best ways to make money online. A fantastic way to earn money at your own speed is through freelancing. You are in charge of who you work for, how long you work, and how much you charge. Programmers, editors, writers, designers, and others with strong skills may look for employment with businesses that use freelancers on websites like Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Fiverr, or Freelancer.

You simply need to create an account on one or more of these websites and depending on the services you provide, you can eventually advance to high-paying freelancing positions. Create an online portfolio to complement your application on employment sites and increase your chances of being hired for lucrative tasks. Be certain that your pricing structure reflects the time and effort needed to complete each assignment. With just an internet connection, you may work from home for clients anywhere in the world, thanks to the flexibility of freelancing.

Maneesh Sharma, Donorbox

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published. 

However, not every blogger can generate a good income from affiliate commissions.

I tell you more, with almost 2 billion websites out there (source “internet live stats“), many will not even be able to generate a single sale.

But let’s look at the glass as half full.

Indeed, many bloggers have taken affiliate marketing a step further and have devoted their entire professional lives to working online.

I’m sure it’s the dream of many of you.

But what turns a good affiliate into a great affiliate?

In truth, there is no easy answer, as the range of potential products and services that can be promoted through affiliate marketing means that there has been an equally diverse range of practices and methods used to exploit it.

If you’re completely in the dark about this whole affiliate marketing, though, let me fill you in.

You need to consider some points when choosing the path of making money online with affiliate marketing (this post contains circa 1500 words and takes around 7 minutes to read).

What is Affiliate Marketing and How Does It Work?

It’s a relatively modern form of marketing with its roots in the early nineties when companies would hire members of the general public to direct people to their stores.

The reasoning is that people are more likely to trust ‘one of their own than a company drone.

The affiliate marketing of today is essentially the same practice, only online.

Essentially everything boils down to uploading links that direct your viewers to your affiliate partner’s site.

If some of them are going to purchase that product or service, you’ll get a commission out of it.

Generally, the standard is 10-20%, but the commission can be up to 50% or even 70% for specific products.

So basically, the commission amount can fluctuate from as low as $1 up to greater sums, like $1.000, $2.000, or even $10.000, depending on what product or service you are recommending.

Now, when you register for affiliate programs, you will get a unique affiliate link that you will use when promoting that specific product.

This is a tracking URL, which companies (or affiliate networks) use to record if your referral generated the sale.

Every affiliate program you are going to register to has its own terms of service, like, for example, the cookie period.

If this time is set to 30 days, if your visitor uses your affiliate link to check a product web page but decides to buy it within the next 30 days, you will still receive the affiliate commission.

Here are some important affiliate marketing terms you should read about.

1. Affiliates: people (webmasters, bloggers) who will use affiliate programs to generate income.
2. Affiliate Marketplace: You can sign in to find different affiliate programs in a specific niche (for example, ShareASale, ClickBank, Amazon, etc.).
3. Affiliate Link: the unique tracking link you will receive when signing up for an affiliate program.
4. Commission: it’s the amount of money you will get for each sale of the specific product or service you promote. Basically, if you recommend registering to an affiliate program and some of your readers will do, you will get a percentage of the commissions this user will generate (for a certain amount of time – generally one year). Some examples? SeedingUp, ValuedVoice.

The above-mentioned are just the basic terms you need to know to start your journey in affiliate marketing.

Soon, you will learn about coupons code, URL shorteners, landing pages, and so on.

Study and Research

Getting the right information is crucial for affiliate marketing, like any other online business.

First of all, it’s about learning SEO and copywriting. Select a niche, make keyword research, target specific terms and write relevant, useful, informing content for your users.

There are tons of courses available on the internet and you should make your research before choosing one. I suggest this one, hosted by The Second Wallet and presented by Vick Strizheus, 8-figure internet entrepreneur and digital consultant.

Choose the Right Partners

Obviously, if your blog adheres to a specific niche, you’ll want to use partners whose products reflect that market.

For example, if you’re running a blog that deals with health and fitness, you should be looking for affiliates that deal with products such as health supplements and gym equipment and services such as personal training. Maybe you even love skincare and have a routine you want to share with millions of people. Direct sales for organic skincare companies have been increasing recently with the trends toward organic healthcare products. If you already know about skincare, then it makes selling much easier. 

If your blog is less focused, of course, you’ll have potential options, but it’s always best to have a clear, defined focus. 

Also, try not to focus on affiliates that only sell small ticket (inexpensive) items and services.

For bloggers who write about WordPress or websites creation, the BlueHost affiliate program gives a $60 commission for each sale.

And when you receive an email in your inbox announcing that you made a sale, you can party!

Find a Balance

As a blogger, affiliate marketing can potentially create an enormous amount of revenue for you and whomever it is you’re partnering with. Still, if you’re too heavy-handed with it, your blog could lose its credibility.

As your blog loses credibility, it will lose viewers, and that will send it spiraling down the search engine results ranking, leading your partners feeling like they’ve backed a lame horse.

Be sure to keep your blog stocked with content that isn’t affiliate marketing based, or people will soon see through you, and you’ll lose not only your blog but also any potential revenue you could earn through it.

If your content is not worth reading, then nobody will read it; it really is that simple.

Research Affiliate Companies

Unfortunately, as an affiliate, there’s very little chance you’ll be going it alone.

If you really want to make a decent amount of revenue, you’ll need to use an affiliate program.

The company that runs the program will be the ones paying you, so make sure that you do as much research as possible into the companies rates compared to their competitors and ask around to see if the company you’re considering has a good track record with their users.

Most affiliate programs will operate on a ‘pay per click’ or ‘pay per sale’ basis.

With PPC, you’ll get a commission for every person who visits your site and is referred to your affiliate partners’ site through your links. With PPS, you’ll only get your commission if the visitor eventually purchases an item or service from your partner’s site.

Obviously, you’ll generally gain more commission from a PPS system, but the commission will be far more infrequent.

Whether you decide you prefer PPC or PPS depends very much on your own personal preferences but make sure that the company you choose to work for uses the payment arrangement you’re most comfortable with.

Produce HIGH-QUALITY Content

Do you know your audience?

Be sure to promote just those specific products or services relevant to your users and strive to create content that solves their problems or needs.

This is a good article from MarketingLand, that explains 7 big mistakes that new affiliate marketers make.

The first mistake is “Selling rather than helping.”

Be sure to write genuine posts to help your audience solving one of their needs or issues, and you will be right on your way to finally generate an income with affiliate marketing.

Use the Right Tools

When it comes to affiliate marketing, like any other task online, if you are going to use the right tools, everything becomes much simpler.

First of all, you want to have a blog.

If you use WordPress, I have a tool to suggest to you.

It’s called the Pretty Links plugin, which will make your affiliate marketing work much easier.

Basically, it helps manage all your affiliate links under one dashboard, making it easy to add them every time you create new content.

Also, you can create groups for your links, cloak, and customize them.

Other than that, it would help if you used a URL shortener. This will make it easier to share your links online.

Finally, you should use a tool like Google Analytics to track the performance of your campaigns and see if they are working as expected.

Conclusion

I hope this small guide to affiliate marketing is going to help you to get started.

There are many possibilities to earn money on the web. Most of them have in common that you need high-quality content. In fact, check these residual income business opportunities.

To generate truly high-class journalistic content, education is the best way. Open School of Journalism offers a distance education program in journalism with many electives, including online journalism, content marketing, etc.

And you, are you making money with affiliate marketing?

Do you have any other suggestions to add?

Please share your experience in the comments below. Thanks!

This means that you can set up ways to make money through your blog and then sit back and wait for the money to come in without having to put any work into the process.

Keep reading for a few ways that you can get started.

Image link credit

Write and Sell an E-Book

If you are already blogging, you are already confident in your abilities as a writer. And if you have a large enough following, you know that people respect you for what you have to say, for the knowledge that you can share with them, and for the valuable content that your blog provides.

So why not go a step further and write up a short e-book that you can then promote to your subscribers and readers for sale?

Whether you are a blogging expert on public health policy, thanks to your masters of public health from a reputable university, or you are known for your ability to teach others how to create art online with Adobe programs, all you have to do is put your e-book on your blog and wait for the sales to come in.

Sell Ad Space on Your Blog

If you are able to prove that you get a lot of traffic to your blog on a consistent basis, you can start selling ad space to fellow businesses on your website.

This is one of the many popular methods that bloggers use to generate passive income, as you can simply place the ads within the headers and the margins of the site without them getting in the way of your content.

Just be sure to keep the ads to a minimum, display them in a tasteful way, and focus on getting ads from businesses that would appeal to your readers.

With NoPassiveIncome, I’m doing great with BuySellAds:

Sign Up for Affiliate Marketing Programs

Finally, you can sign up for one of the many affiliate marketing programs that are available to bloggers and website owners just like you. These are really easy to sign up for and set up, and all you have to do is place ads for those companies on your website.

Depending upon the affiliate program that you sign up with, you can make money every time that a visitor clicks on one of the links, or when that person clicks through and makes a purchase.

You can also work on incorporating your affiliate offers in a tasteful way throughout your content so that more people are encouraged to click through, find out more, and make a purchase.

Just make sure the affiliates are related to your blog’s content so that readers will not be turned off by them.

Here’s a great guide you want to read about affiliate marketing: How to Make Money With Affiliate Marketing – A 7 Minute Guide

By following the tips above, you can use your skills and education, such as your masters in public health online degree or your web development background, on your blog to start earning more passive income easily.

Give one or all of these strategies a try and see which one works best.

What’s your experience with passive income?

Are you earning something from your blog?

Please share your experience in the comments below, thanks!

Most of the reasoning behind this is simply control. By having your own website, you can control all aspects of it. That level of control is necessary to help you boost your search rankings, which in turns increases web traffic. 

The more web traffic you get, the more you’ll potentially earn.

Before You Start

Before you rush off and build your own website, you need to consider what’s the best way of going about it. This can be easily solved with a little bit of detective work. What you want to do is have a look at a few websites that cover the same area of content you intend to.

From there, use the WHSR Tool and enter the URL of the website. The tool will then show you as much information it can gather about the site, such as the platforms it’s running on, what plugins might be used, or even the hosting it runs on.

Once that’s done, you can move on to the next step which is to actually build your site. Since you have an idea of what technologies are commonly used, pick one which you like and move on from there. 

Remember though that knowing what your competitors are using doesn’t mean you have to follow them lock, stock, and barrel. Just use the information as a guideline to see what might be working for others.

Building the Website

Today, thanks to web applications like WordPress, it can be exceedingly easy to piece together a website. First of all, let’s consider the web hosting element. Choosing a good web hosting service provider will save you many headaches further down the road.

Next, use your chosen platform and simply start construction. Although this is generally up to the individual, I strongly advise you to focus more on performance of the site, rather than aesthetics at the beginning. A beautiful website is important, but most importantly, it needs to be fast! 

This will help you gain more traffic later on, since performance is a key issue when it comes to ranking on search engines. More important than how it looks – consider where you’re going to place strategic items, such as prominent banners or other call-to-actions. 

This type of planning can go a long way towards helping you sell more later on. Once that’s done, you need to get started on the most important area of your entire site – crafting the content.

Crafting Effective Content for Your Websites

One of the core reasons for building lots of content is that it will help you get traffic from search engines like Google. This is simply the most cost effective way of bringing in large volumes of potential customers.

Google will assess your content and decide if it’s worth sending web traffic to. It does this capricious – after all, those are people who are relying on the effectiveness of Google search. While there are technical guidelines to follow for building search-effective content, as a beginner, I advise you to rely on a few less technical points.

As a whole, it’s best to have a strong pool of perhaps 50 articles to start off with as your base. These should be relatively evenly built and address various topics that pertain to whatever you want to sell.

It’s best if you focus on developing articles that can really help your visitors out rather than simply gearing everything towards selling. Doing that can backfire badly.

1. Length of Articles

It can be very difficult for someone to learn something if content isn’t comprehensive enough. That’s why you should keep your articles to at least some basic lengths. To start off with, build articles that are at least 1,000 words in length. Anything below 500 and it won’t likely be very useful to your readers.

2. Be Detailed

Pay attention to the level of detail in your articles. This will also help you when it comes to length. Remember that your audience may vary widely and not everyone has the same comprehension capabilities. Explain the points you make carefully so that everyone has the opportunity to learn.

3. Use Images Prudently

Images can be a good supporting resource for your articles, but be careful not to over-rely on them. Too many images can break up articles unnecessarily and serve as a distraction to your readers. They also tend to be more resource heavy and might slow down your site.

4. Choose Your Topics Wisely

It can be very tempting to talk about something that’s new and exciting, but these topics often have short shelf lives. To draw in audiences continually, look towards building content that is evergreen. These can also later simply be updated to extend usefulness even longer.

Branching Out from Your Site

Once you;ve constructed your own website, it’s time to build links to the rest of the Internet. These links help search engines to gauge how well your site is accepted. In short, it signals to Google how trustworthy your site is and how highly other people recommend it.

One way of doing this is by exchanging links with other similar sites. However, it would be better to build natural links. These are embedded into content and help give search engines a better idea of context.

Conclusion

Content is the lifeblood of any website that wants to attract more traffic. As you can see, it can be a strong way of not just bringing in visitors, but ensuring that they are the right fit for your site. This helps you build an audience that is more likely to buy what you want to sell.

Of course, there are many other ways you can look towards building even more traffic, but that’s best left for another day. You will need to look towards social media channels, content optimizations, and perhaps even some parts of digital marketing.