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15 Methods and Ideas for Making Money Online Without Investing

In this article, we will see how to make money online through a series of methods that I consider effective.

By Viorel SecareanuPublished 3 years ago 13 min read
15 Methods and Ideas for Making Money Online Without Investing
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

There are at least 100 distinct methods to generate money online, but only a small number of them are realistic and can help you create a good living over time.

Among the ways we shall show, some do not require any special knowledge or abilities, while others do.

As you will notice, in most cases, the gain is directly proportional to the time and difficulty.

Unfortunately, in this world, no one offers you anything for free and I know it well, even if we often prefer to think otherwise.

I want to clarify that almost all the strategies to make money online, which we will see, can be combined and many times it turns out to be the most appropriate move.

Let's begin!

How to make money online with a blog

  • Difficulty: medium
  • Requirements: Basic knowledge of WordPress or other CMS
  • Time: A lot
  • Gain: Big

Let's start with a solution that can allow you to win interesting numbers.

Monetizing a blog is an excellent choice, even if unfortunately it requires a lot of time, dedication, and commitment.

The possibilities of making money online through a blog are many and we will see them along the way.

The 12 ways to make money online with a blog are:

  • Freelance niche blogger
  • Selling e-books
  • Offer and sell online courses
  • Coaching and consulting activities
  • Paid membership plans
  • Earn money through ads and banners
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Sponsored posts and reviews
  • Sell ​​physical or digital products
  • Virtual Niche Summit
  • Accept donations on the blog
  • Podcasts

Make money with TikTok

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Requirements: creativity
  • Time: a lot
  • Gain: medium

The earning possibilities on this platform are numerous and constantly growing, in particular, we have three main earning possibilities:

  • Earn through live broadcasts
  • Earn through sponsorships
  • Earn through the Creator fund
  • It is possible to not only upload movies but also arrange live performances on this new entertainment platform, allowing content creators to communicate directly with their viewers.

    To be allowed to do live broadcasts, you must have at least 1000 followers and be over the age of 16. Earning money through live broadcasts entails earning money owing to the support of its customers, who express their gratitude by purchasing coins and virtual presents.

    To demonstrate appreciation for a live or posted video, virtual coins are utilized as a type of gift to the Content Creator. Any sticker or currency shared during a live stream can be converted to actual money.

    TikToker has total flexibility to make videos and other forms of entertainment, and users may express their gratitude through free donations.

    Open a YouTube channel

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: video creation and editing
    • Time: a lot
    • Gain: medium

    When it comes to how to make money online, YouTube and videos are continually developing on the web, with the emphasis now being on this sector being a secure investment.

    There are various methods to generate money from YouTube videos, but channel monetization is the most well-known.

    Unlike in the past, monetizing a video is now quite simple; simply go to the YouTube settings, click on the "channel" section, and then "Monetization."

    Banner advertising will begin to display on your videos once they have been activated. The primary objective at this point will be to expand the channel's popularity as much as feasible.

    Update: YouTube recently established monetization limitations; only channels with a certain number of views and subscribers may enable it.

    Let's just say, earning considerable amounts without thousands of daily views is nearly impossible, but given the large number of individuals who submit films to this social network every day, it is a way to consider.

    Even the most unlikely content managed to go viral in a very short period of time.

    However, once you've reached a relevant following, you'll realize that channel monetization is the ultimate source of cash on YouTube.

    Affiliate marketing

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: Depends on the type of traffic
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: high

    When considering how to generate money online, the term affiliate marketing is constantly used.

    This sort of marketing allows you to sell other people's items and earn a commission on each transaction.

    One of the most well-known affiliate schemes is Amazon.

    It is now one of the most successful strategies, and if done correctly, it allows you to earn enormous sums of money online.

    Except for limits imposed by the "merchant," the owner, you are free to market the product any way you see appropriate, including through your blog, YouTube channel, different social networks, paid advertising, and so on.

    The larger the profit, the more sales you manage to produce.

    Amazon FBA

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: Marketing on Amazon
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: Big

    Amazon FBA is an acronym for "Fulfillment by Amazon," and it is one of the finest ways to earn money online and the solution to the question: of how to make money online.

    Fulfillment by Amazon implies "completely controlled by Amazon," so you can utilize their warehouse and couriers without stress; all you have to do is mail the products and produce the product card directly from the management panel.

    Aside from significant cost savings, this will improve timeliness and customer happiness, all to your favor.

    Registration is simple; simply go to the official page and fill out the form. The service costs $39.99 per month plus fees.

    What are you going to sell if you don't have a product?

    Because most individuals don't have a product to offer, websites like alibaba.com come to our aid by aggregating all of the main Chinese suppliers in one location. This allows you to buy in bulk and then sell straight on Amazon.

    However, establishing yourself on Amazon is challenging; even if your goods is real, competing with other sellers is frequently difficult, so you must resort to other marketing strategies.

    I can assure you that many people in the United States have become wealthy as a result of Amazon FBA, and many more are becoming wealthy in Europe as well.

    How to make money online through dropshipping

    • FulfillbotDifficulty: medium
    • Requirements: marketing techniques
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: medium

    Doing dropshipping means being an intermediary between the customer and the supplier.

    How does it work?

    Open an online store using tools like Shopify (which are already equipped for shipping) display the products you want to sell and when a user buys something from your store you will buy it for them from "supplier" sites like AliExpress, which in turn will send the product to the user, at which point you will win the difference.

    Tools like Shopify are already configured with all these features, including a list of potential suppliers. Once the user places an order from your store, a request will be automatically sent to the supplier.

    How to make money online by writing an e-Book

  • Difficulty: Low
  • Requirements: expert in any sector
  • Time: medium
  • Gain: medium
  • Digital products such as electronic books are always highly appreciated on the net, in addition, the number of people who buy online today is constantly increasing.

    If you are an expert in any field, you can write a quality e-book and then try to sell it on dedicated sites that are willing to buy or on Amazon.

    Another alternative is to place the product in an affiliate network, so you won't have to worry about promoting it.

    If you have a good idea to write an e-book and you don't know how to do it, read the dedicated article: How to create an e-book (electronic book) from scratch

    Sell ​​info products and online courses

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: expert in a field and video skills
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: Big

    As in the case of electronic books, if you are an expert in a field, why not sell your knowledge in the form of a course?

    There are many portals that allow you to upload your videos, set a price and sell them online.

    Among the most famous internationally, we certainly find Udemy, Skillshare, and Envato

    Udemy is definitely the most famous, it offers courses in all languages ​​and in exchange for a percentage, it promotes the course for you.

    As if that wasn't enough, it also has its own affiliate program that allows others to sell your product.

    In the United States, there are people who have made millions of dollars just through this service.

    Are you starting to have clearer ideas about how to make money online? Well, let's move on.

    Online consulting

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: depends on the sector
    • Little time
    • Gain: Big

    Anyone and I repeat "anyone", can make money online from home by selling consulting.

    (Remember: you don't have to become a super-expert on a subject, but simply become an expert on one SPECIFIC problem that affects some people).

    As you may have guessed, the provision of consultancy is different from that of a "done for you" service:

    You will not deal with the "practical" solution to the problem, but you will make your expertise available to your clients. This is done by phone call, video call, or special formulas.

    Think for example of personal fitness trainers who create training plans. They usually ask for photos and ask some specific questions. They prepare a training plan and their nutritional advice, and then during the consultation, they give the necessary explanations about their work.

    Why are online consulting sales more and more common?

    People see the content (blog, YouTube channel, etc.) and understand that you have more skills than them. Some of these people will be willing to pay you for guidance on how to solve their problems.

    Simple right? The real difficulty always remains the same, that is, to want to do what ordinary people do not: to get involved and deepen a subject.

    How do you sell advice online? In the same way, sell a service:

    • Open a blog (or YouTube channel)
    • Create videos and articles to solve people's doubts and to demonstrate your skills on this subject
    • Create a page where you describe your service and give them the opportunity to contact you
    • Arrange payment and details by e-mail (or phone).

    And if you think that you would never ask for it and, therefore, no one will ask for it… you are wrong. People are different, think differently, and have different priorities. Never make the mistake of creating an offer "for yourself" and predicting its effectiveness depending on what you would do!

    Always put your customers in the center (that's why you have to understand first "who" to sell and then "what" to sell).

    Freelance online

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: depends on the sector
    • Little time
    • Gain: Big

    Among the many ways to make money online, there is also the possibility of acquiring real clients directly on the web and working from home.

    We are obviously talking about jobs that can be performed remotely, such as Web Designer, Web Marketers, Copywriter, Translator, Graphic Designer, Programmer, etc.

    One of the most famous sites in the world for this kind of thing is definitely UpWork. If you also speak English, the earnings start to become very interesting.

    Selling videos or photos

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: depends on the sector
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: medium

    How to make money online with photos, videos, or graphics? Simple, you create them and then sell them. Envato Market is definitely the best market on the Internet, but there are many other portals that allow you to sell this type of product.

    An example is iStockPhoto.

    Sell ​​your reputation on social networks

    • Difficulty: high
    • Requirements: None
    • Time: A lot
    • Gain: Big

    If you are one of those people who enjoy moderate success on social networks, maybe after creating viral content or an interesting page/profile that has attracted millions of followers, then you can sell your authority to the highest bidder.

    Influencer marketing is officially the trend of the moment and you can reap many benefits, even if you are not overly well-known.

    Although there are various channels in which you can sell your reputation, in reality, you only have to enter 2 lines in the channel description in which you declare that you are willing to accept advertising, maybe even with a link to your website.

    This method works especially on YouTube and Instagram, where both individuals and companies will contact you to be able to collaborate with you by paying a fee for the services offered.

    Usually, it is about creating videos on YouTube, inserting a link in the description, or posting images / increasing the reputation of brands on Instagram.

    Becoming an influencer can be the answer to the question: of how to make money online.

    Online trading

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: market analysis
    • Time: A lot
    • Gain: Big

    Online trading is a business that is becoming more and more popular in this period. If it is done intelligently, it can become an extraordinarily good business.

    The only warning I can give you is not to jump headfirst into this sector without having the correct knowledge, otherwise, you risk wasting your time. It is essential to prepare well, be patient, and carefully analyze the performances of the various markets.

    Fortunately, there are several online courses that will allow you to prepare in the best way so that you have all the knowledge you need to start this business successfully.

    How to make money online by selling handmade items

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: depends on the sector
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: medium

    Let's turn the page. If you are one of those people who like crafts or creating handmade things, maybe even well-made, you should know that you can sell anything on the Internet.

    There are several sites that allow you to sell handmade things.

    Earn money with online surveys

    • Difficulty: Low
    • Requirements: None
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: low

    There are also methods of making money online that are simple and "open to everyone", and that do not require technical skills.

    It's about online paid surveys, which can be completed through the application, smartphone, or computer: it's enough to have an Internet connection and answer various types of questions.

    Questions about buying and consumption habits, for example.

    Companies are interested in knowing what people prefer, in order to adapt their products and services based on the answers obtained. In exchange for these opinions, cash prizes or shopping vouchers are offered.

    We are not talking about big profits: if you are lucky, you collect about ten euros per month from each portal. It takes time and patience, with the ultimate goal of being able to earn a few extra bucks at the end of the month.

    The situation is different if we are talking about survey sites that also offer micro-tasks that must be completed: it is about crowdworking or mystery-client.

    To give some examples: request a price for changing the telephone operator; reserve and test drive a new car from a dealer; tests a website for errors or malfunctions.

    In these cases, the monthly income increases and can even reach 400/500 euros per month, so it can be taken as a solution to make money online.

    Sell ​​on Pinterest

    • Difficulty: easy
    • Requirements: understand how Pinterest works
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: low

    Pinterest is an extremely underestimated image-based social network. In reality, this platform is huge e-commerce available to everyone and it can be the solution to the question: of "how to make money online" that not many people know.

    More than half of Pinterest users are there to buy. People type in the product they want and then click on the link.

    Being able to sell on Pinterest is no longer as easy as at the beginning, but it is still an excellent platform, which, if used well, can bring you many advantages.

    Sell ​​domains and websites

    • Difficulty: medium
    • Requirements: Basic knowledge about web and hosting
    • Time: medium
    • Gain: medium

    This technique, widely used in the states, can bring you thousands of euros and is a good method of making money online.

    The trick is to buy web domains that are likely to be bought at a given time because the name is wanted by a certain company. For example, pokemongo.com, can you imagine if you had bought such a domain before the application?

    Big companies are willing to pay even millions of dollars for a domain that they particularly want.

    To sell these domains you can opt for portals like Sedo.com or simply upload an HTML page on the domain where you explicitly declare your intention to sell this address with all the contact details for the sale.

    Sites that pay you and through which you can make money online

    Snapwire

    If you take fantastic photos on your smartphone, you can sell them online. Snapwire meets the different demands of customers all over the world and you need to send a suitable image to a suitable application, such as Sea Food, Children Play, etc.

    User Testing

    After you've registered and watched a test video, you'll receive tasks in your inbox every time a new website requires user testing.

    You will be paid around $10 - $15 for each website you review; the test takes about 20 minutes.

    TryMyUI

    TryMyUI, as its company name suggests, wants you to try out the website's user interfaces and applications, and at the end of it, you'll have to provide your honest feedback.

    You will be paid $10 for each test you take and each test will not last more than 20 minutes.

    Enroll

    A website that pays you to test different digital products - be it a website, app, software, or any other resource.

    All you have to do is sign up, and receive an email notification when they need different tests that you can do from anywhere in the world.

    After you're done, you can get paid for your services.

    Fiverr

    If you are good at something, you should sign up on Fiverr.

    Whether you are good at graphics or music, photo editing, logo creation, and design or creative writing, there will definitely be people who will hire you for various projects.

    Conclusion

    There are many methods on how to make money online, but there are some more functional and effective than others. The 15 methods I have listed are the best in my opinion.

    In conclusion, I want to give you some tips on how to increase your chances of success by adding more points to this list. Here is a quick and practical example:

  • Create a blog optimized for a specific niche
  • Open a YouTube channel where you promote your blog and upload videos to your articles
  • Promote affiliate products both in your videos and on your blog
  • Write an eBook and create online videos promoting them on your blog and YouTube channel
  • Create a profile on each social and try to increase the level of awareness
  • Create a newsletter, attracting contacts by offering something in return (eg free eBook)
  • Sell ​​your products and affiliate products on Pinterest
  • I know that it takes time to do all this, but it will allow you to make a lot of money online, so take it as a real job and not as a simple hobby.

    You can't win on the web without effort, you have to work hard and always be focused on the goal.

    Success!!!

    how to

    About the Creator

    Viorel Secareanu

    I share thoughts on photography and life, mostly lessons learned around things I’ve been dealing with the last few years, managing time, finding focus, and being happy.

    Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find something inspiring here!

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