If you are like most people, you probably spend a lot of time online. Whether you’re scrolling through social media on your smartphone or surfing the web on your laptop or tablet, it’s easy to lose track of time and spend hours glued to your screen.
Chances are, you could also probably benefit from making some extra cash. Why not turn all those hours you spend online into an opportunity to boost your bank account? While it’s a good idea to be wary of online employment offers that seem “too good to be true,” there are a lot of legitimate opportunities for making money on the web. If you are trying to figure out how to earn money online, here are a few creative ideas to get you started.
Become a Transcriptionist
For fast typists with excellent listening skills, being a transcriptionist is a great way to earn some extra cash. This gig enables you to earn up to $25 per hour (or even more as your skills improve) without ever leaving the comfort of your home. All you need to do is listen to audio files or watch videos and perfectly type out everything you hear.
Keep in mind, though, that not every file you transcribe will be of the greatest quality. Some may be difficult to understand, and you could find yourself having to listen and re-listen to a particular segment several times to figure out what is being said.
To land a job as a remote transcriptionist, check out companies like Rev.com and TransPerfect. They are always on the lookout for people who can type with high accuracy at rates of 80 words per minute or higher.
Write Your Way to Riches
Whether you are looking for a side hustle to bring in a little extra cash or you are thinking about ditching your full-time job in favor of a work-at-home career, writing could be the perfect gig. You can write and monetize your own blog, write guest blog posts, write blog articles for other companies, write website content, create sales copy, develop eBooks… the options are limited. And though video content is becoming increasingly popular, there will always be a place for high-quality written content.
There are a lot of ways to get started as a freelance writer. You can apply to write for content mills, set up a profile on a site like Upwork, or start writing samples to post on your own website or blog. Figure out what type of writing you would like to do and what subjects would interest you most, and take it from there!
Sell Your Photos
Whether you are a professional photographer with a high-end DLSR camera or a hobbyist who loves snapping iPhone photos, selling stock photography is a good way to earn extra money online. Businesses depend on stock photography when they need images for the articles, blog posts, social media posts, printed marketing materials, etc. They buy the rights to use these images from sites like Shutterstock and Foap.
As a photographer, you can submit your images to these sites and get paid when someone uses them. Each site has its own policies and payment terms, but with Foap, you earn 50% of the profits from every photo or video that a customer downloads. Since these files can be downloaded countless times, you can get paid over and over for the same content.
If you want to get started as a stock photographer, think about the types of images that you normally see on business websites, blogs, and social media accounts. Brands and businesses tend to use images that are pretty generic, so those are the ones that will sell best. Make sure your photographs are clear and crisp, too.
Work as a Virtual Assistant
If you are comfortable with things like G Suite and Microsoft office and can type at least 50 words per minute, you may make a great virtual assistant. As a VA, you will help business owners and executives with things like answering calls, scheduling appointments, responding to emails, and keeping track of important documents and files. You may also get to do things like manage your clients’ social media profiles, create paid advertisements, edit or write content, and help with a wide range of other tasks, depending on your skills.
Virtual assistants work remotely and can help clients located just about anywhere in the world. You can get started by submitting an application to a company like Zirtual, listing your services on Fiverr, or scouring sites like Upwork and Freelancer for people who are in need of VAs.
Create and Sell Courses
Do you have a knack for knitting? Or perhaps a deep knowledge of website design? Have you ever helped someone with a project and been told that you would make an amazing teacher? No matter what you are great at, you can make money online by creating and selling courses that teach others how to do what you do. If you are good at giving clear explanations and easy-to-follow instructions, there are people out there who would love to learn from you.
With platforms like Udemy and Skillshare, you can teach courses about just about anything you can imagine. You don’t even need a degree or any special equipment to get started. All you need is a passion for teaching and an Internet connection.
Online courses are excellent sources of passive income, and for some people, they make it possible to work from home full-time. They are also a great way to establish yourself as an expert on a subject.
When you are trying to figure out how to earn money online, there are, unfortunately, plenty of scams. The ideas listed above, however, are completely legitimate and enable you to earn anywhere from a few extra dollars per week to enough cash to ditch your 9-5 once and for all. Choose the option that sounds most appealing, and get started today!
