I always tell my friends or anyone that will even pretend to listen to me that right now is the best time ever to make money in general. However, this is mainly the best time to make money from being online. The Internet has brought the whole world closer than ever. There are opportunities that exist today that we literally couldn’t even fathom a decade ago. Let’s look at how easy making money online has become.
You want proof that right now is the easiest to make money online?
I’m writing this post in Austin, Texas, very far away from my home in Toronto, Canada. I’ve written articles and sent emails from around the world. Imagine that. You can make money from any location in this world. You don’t have to be behind a specific desk or drive anywhere. All you need is the ability to get online (offered at coffee shops around the world, usually McDonald’s for some odd reason).
It’s that easy to make money now. You can be anywhere on Earth and still be connected to your work. You can take off to the Dominican Republic without your readers knowing.
What’s my proof that right now is the best time to make money online?
There’s just so many ways to make money online and I’m always researching the newest ways to make money so that I can share my results with you guys. I’m really curious to learn about how others are generating an income from their laptops.
CNN Money recently released a list of the best new jobs. On this list is the job, social media manager. Can you imagine landing a job like that a decade ago? You wouldn’t because the job didn’t exist. It’s one of the many new jobs created from the online world.
Do you want to make money online?
Do you want to be a social media manager? Let’s look at what CNN has to say about this job and why it’s a hot new gig.
10-year job growth: 13.6%
Median pay: $41,700
Yes, you can make over $40,000 a year to be online. The growth rate also looks promising. Do you have an internet connection? Are you on Facebook all day? You too can start making money. Facebook isn’t just for stalking. Twitter isn’t just for following celebrities. You can make money from managing social accounts.
Okay, it’s not that easy to make money online or to work as a social media manager. You don’t just have to be online. There’s lots of pressure because everything happens in real time. The public also gets to see your mistakes. You might get sick of being online all of the time and dealing with constant updates.
Wait, so what do you do for this online job?
Instead of trying to figure out what’s involved, I’m going to copy the job description from CNN:
Social media managers are the eyes, ears and, increasingly, the voice of a company. Combining PR, marketing and customer service skills, they’re tuned into what people are saying while promoting a company’s presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms.
So yes, you have to be online all of the time. No you don’t have to be a genius nor do you need any special skills. I don’t even mean that in a smarmy way. I mean it in the sense that you have to be ready for new opportunities while you stay connected to the online world. You can use your natural talents to make money.
If you think that you can perform this job well and would like to start making money online, then you need to look into becoming a social media manager.
How can you get a job as a social media manager? According to CNN…
Hiring managers look for sharp writers who are curious and have an eye for good design. Knowing the difference between Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest isn’t enough. Social media manager hopefuls should understand how to leverage various platforms to further a company’s goals.
I don’t want to discuss the actual job because it seems to be constantly changing. I do want to say that there are many ways to make money online.
How can you make money online right now?
In the past we looked at the best online jobs for college students because there are many ways that young folks can make online. Below are the top five ways that you can start making money:
- Start a blog. You can sell advertising, promote products, create your own products, rely on Google Adsense, or even become a coach. Learn how to start an online business. It’s easier and cheaper than ever before.
- Freelance work for article writing. You can pick up a freelance writing gig this weekend. Writing isn’t the easiest way to get started with making money online because bloggers always need new and compelling content. Can you do this?
- Design work. Graphics and blog designs are in huge demand. If you can do this then you can guarantee yourself a job. I personally have outsourced every bit of design work. I’m willing to pay for quality graphics. Can you create quality graphics?
- Sell stuff on auction sites. I’ve met many folks that make money online by selling items on auction sites for a higher price. I’ve never tried this in full detail so I can’t really speak on it. I have sold stuff from around the house for a nice profit though. For example, I sold a chair I got from sitting front row at a WWE PPV for a decent return.
- Any other blog-related service. Blogging has led to many new jobs being created. You can perform carnival submissions, manage emails, edit articles, or upgrade plugins. Bloggers are busy these days. Bloggers that make good money are willing to pay to outsource services that they don’t care for performing on their own.
What are some killer ways to make money online?
There are so many random and new ways to make money from your computer. I highlighted the five best options above. Now I’m going to look at a few specific cases.
Many years ago I wrote about an entrepreneur that was making money online through running an MMA/ProWrestling site. The reason that the story of Bryan Alvarez caught my eye was the fact that I’ve been a paid subscriber to his site for a while. After chatting with him, I was really impressed with his business model. I reached out to Bryan and he answered questions about his business. I’ll be posting these in an article shortly. The summary is that Bryan runs a subscription site where he releases podcasts/newletters to his readers for a flat monthly rate of $10.99.
While a subscription site is a great source of recurring income, there are plenty of other strategies for making money online. You can become a consultant. You can write about a topic you’re passionate about and release courses.
If you want even more information, you should join my mailing list (on the right). When you sign up for my exclusive list you get a free guide that happens to be a case study with a serial entrepreneur, Pat Flynn. Pat makes a boat load of money online through promoting other products. How cool is that? You use a product that you love and then get paid to promote it.
That’s why right now is the best time to make money online. I dare you to prove me wrong.
Oh and one more thing. If you’re concerned about getting paid online, you don’t have to worry because it’s easier than ever to connect your bank account to Paypal.
Martin – I bet those are all ways you ARE making money online. But this reminds me that there are a few ways bloggers can make money online.
1 – Write a product and sell to readers.
2 – Write a product and become an affiliate. ( Others do the selling )
3 – Sell someone elses product as an affiliate. ( Opposite end of #2 )
4 – Google Adsense or other paid ads.
5 – (Dirty) Paid links.
I smell a blog post!
Hey Derek, I’ve tried all five of those methods. Below are my thoughts.
1. First product flopped. Second product is doing well.
2. I offer this at SFN. It works because you give others an inventive to promote your product. You also help you friends make money. That’s a bonus!
3. This works too. I only suggest this for products that you believe in.
4. Works. Not enough money until you’re getting massive SEO traffic.
5. Easiest. Works. You get paid. Google doesn’t like it though.
Chris Guillebeau says that “the first $1.26 is the hardest.” Personally, I think it’s the second that is the hardest. As hardest as getting that first sale seems to be, turning ones and twos into tens and hundreds is the part I always fail at.
Agreed – I’ve made my first few hundred – now to swell that number!
I did some freelance writing for a while, but now that I have started my blog I can see it as a more profitable income stream. Being able to do a bit of both is great while my blog picks up.