Admit it. We live in the time when having a day job is not enough to make ends meet. Thanks to the world wide web, people have more options to make extra cash through the internet. May it be via direct-selling, auctioning websites, or online marketplaces, people can now run a business on the side for extra profit.
Besides the type of websites I mentioned, one of the emerging means to make money is through social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Although most people use these websites as a means to connect with friends and relatives, some individuals are using the power of social media either to start an online shop, advertise businesses or be hired by existing enterprises to manage their corporate social media accounts.
Here’s the good news: anyone can earn more by using social media!
To give you an idea on how you can do this, here are 10 ways to make money using social media websites:
1. Establish an on-line shop
If you’re thinking to start a retail business, but don’t have the budget for to rent an actual store, creating an on-line shop via social media websites is the way to go. First of all, creating accounts on these social media websites usually doesn’t come with any fee. All you have to do is sign-up for an account, create an interesting profile, upload the photos of your products and you’re all set. Second, you don’t have to pay for traditional advertisements (ex. ad placements in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV) because just by creating an online profile for your shop, your business has the potential to be viewed by the millions of social media users worldwide. Lastly, running an online shop is very convenient wherein you can run a business even without the help of extra hands.
I recommend you to use Facebook and/or Instagram when creating your online shop. Besides the billions of users that these social media platforms have, Facebook and Instagram are the usual places where interested buyers look for items to shop.
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2. Market Your Business
Social media could also be used to market your business. By creating a page for your company or sponsoring ads (which may cause you a relatively small fee), you can draw more interest to your business with the millions of people using social media websites daily.
Pinterest is a social media website you can use if you want to draw more traffic to your website or blog. Here, you just post an interesting or creative photo of your product or service, link it to your website and then wait for people to share and “pin” it on their accounts or “boards”. The more people you draw in your company website or blog, the more chances of making money.
3. Network
If you’re still a start-up company, utilizing social media sites could be the answer for you to grow your network. Join LinkedIn groups or Google+ Communities that share the same industry or niche as you.
4. Copywriting or Editing Posts
If you feel confident about your writing and editing skills, then one way to utilize this talent is to look for companies that needs a person to write or edit their social media posts for their business. Yes, there are companies out there who are willing to outsource and pay individuals to do this. What’s better is that you can do this even during your free time or at the comforts of your own home. Just sign-up for a website that offer jobs for freelancers and you will see a lot of offers for this position.
5. Manage Social Media Accounts
Besides writing, some individuals are hired by businesses to manage social media accounts. The responsibilities of a social media manager include posting regularly, answering to messages or inquiries, uploading photos or videos, or anything that will strengthen the power of their company’s social media presence.
6. Monetize Your YouTube Channel
There are a number of YouTube users who have become stars and earned big bucks just by uploading their videos online. Some of them are Ryan Higa a.k.a. Nigahiga who has 15 million users following his channel filled with funny sketches, Karmin, the hip hop duo who already made it into the mainstream with their viral “Look at Me Now” music cover, and Felix Arvid Ulf Kjelberg a.k.a. PewDiePie who has shrewd video game commentaries that made him famous.
All you need is creativity and a little luck to earn money through YouTube.
7. Utilize Your Social Media Followers
If you already have an established profile with a great number of users following you, chances are companies will be willing to pay you or send gifts for you to endorse their products.
In the Twitter lingo, this is what you call a “sponsored tweet”. By sending promotional tweets, you can earn as much as $2 to $75 per post. Celebrities also do this to make a few dollars on the side.
8. Learn About Affiliate Marketing
Some companies offer a program wherein you can earn as much as 50% commission when you promote their products on social media and then create a sale. You an check out tweetadder.com to learn how to earn money through their affiliate program.
9. Copyright Your Photos and Sell
If you’re a frustrated photographer, or you think that you can take good photos, chances are people might be willing to buy the rights for your photos. In order to do this, you must sign-up for an account at Flickr (a photo sharing website), use the licensing program of Getty Images, and upload your photo.
Setting this up may be a little tricky, so I advice you to read here for more information.
10. Use Your Music
Composers, amateur singers or bands could also sell their originally-created music through an audio distribution platform called SoundCloud. There are some companies who actually scout through SoundCloud looking for the latest music or jingles for their brand. If you think you got what it takes to create music, go ahead and upload it online. It won’t hurt if you try.
There are more ways to make money on social media other than the ones I mentioned in this article. In order to be successful, you must start working on building a great profile with a content that is innovative, engaging, and unique.
