15+ Ways to Make Money Online as a Content Creator

18 best ways to make money online as a content creator  in 2024

To start making money online, all you need is a good idea. But what methods are most lucrative, and how should you begin?

These are our top 19 ideas to help you start earning right now. Some of these methods can be set up in as little as an hour! Let's get started.

1. Start a podcast

Starting a podcast is a great way to make money online! In just a few simple steps, you can start sharing your content online, via your website, social media accounts, or well-known podcast directories.

If you're interested in or knowledgable about a specific topic, a podcast could be the right choice for you! You can talk about your expertise and share advice with your loyal listeners. As your podcast grows, there are plenty of ways to monetize video and audio podcast content. You can even turn your podcast into a business!

Using trusted recording tools, like Riverside, you can produce high-quality audio and video recordings for your podcasts. 

Producing a podcast is a lot of fun, and with audio content rising in popularity, it's one of the best ways to earn money online! We recommend you also try video podcasting, which is popular on YouTube and recently launched on Spotify.

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2. Launch an online store

Want to start your own business? It might be time to create your very own online store, where you can sell products directly from a website.

If you have a product, you can use digital channels to sell it to the masses. Gone are the days when retail needed a storefront. Today, all you need is a good idea and a stable internet connection, and you can sell online. If you're not sure what to sell, you can buy and sell other people's products or try a dropshipping store!

Once you create a website, you can access great ecommerce tools and features that make it easy to sell online. Your website will operate as a key sales channel, helping you make extra money every day of the week. For an extra earning boost, you can even sell gift cards that allow customers to share your products with their friends--and promote more sales.

As you sell products on your website, you can begin to build an effective business model, achieving your entrepreneurial dreams and developing a new income stream. Win-win! Just don't forget to factor in shipping costs!

3. Start a YouTube channel

Starting a YouTube channel is another amazing way to earn money in an online environment during your spare time. In fact, YouTube is one of the easiest social media platforms to monetize!

On YouTube, you can share engaging and entertaining video content. You can even produce content that supports another income stream. Uploading videos to YouTube is free, allowing you to save money on business start-up costs.

You can use ads and monetization features to earn extra cash. While viewers are watching videos on your channel, they'll help you earn, thanks to a few well-timed advertising campaigns. As you build an audience, your payment potential will increase.

Publishing videos on YouTube allows you to add your voice to a range of conversations, all while adding money to your pocket. You can get paid for innovation and creativity!

4. Teach an online course

Online learning is a huge market, offering plenty of great earning opportunities! Platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, and Thinkific make it easy to launch and sell your own digital course.

Do you have special skills? Are you great at painting, singing, baking, or dancing? Do you know something amazing about math, science, or politics? You could become an online tutor and sell a course to help others learn from you!

Online courses allow you to put your skills and knowledge into action, supporting others as they learn new skills too. As you improve your teaching capacity, you can reach broader learning audiences. Digital courses are like a mass approach to online tutoring. Unlike online tutoring, you can access large audiences simultaneously and eventually transition to a passive income model.

When you work cleverly, online courses can be lucrative. Top-earning course creators sometimes generate as much as $100k USD per year! This is definitely one of the best ways to earn money on the web.

For the best online course, we recommend that you invest in producing high-quality video with crystal clear sound. 

5. Social media campaigns

Social media advertising is an important part of the marketing world, and now you can get paid for being a part of the action!

If you're an influencer with a reasonable social media following, your voice can be a valuable part of a marketing strategy for companies in your niche. You can help other business owners sell their products, all while boosting your own earning capacity.

Be ready to pick up paid sponsorship deals and advertising campaigns, where you share branded content in support of companies and businesses you believe in. If you develop a strong industry reputation, you could soon be the go-to creator for sponsored content that helps new products sell to interested markets! As you gain followers, making money will get even easier.

Over time, it's possible to make good money via social media. Best of all, you can spend more time with the audiences you've built on the social media apps you love, making money and enjoying the process!

6. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is another great way to earn money from home. In many cases, you can even use this as a way to generate passive income directly from your website or social media accounts!

With affiliate marketing, you can earn money based on partnerships with your favorite stores and brands. All you need is an existing audience and plenty of enthusiasm.

When you work in affiliate marketing, you can earn money every time someone shops using your affiliate link. Your job is simply to help your partners sell goods! Direct consumer traffic to affiliate websites. You'll get paid when you help other businesses sell and earn.

For most people, affiliate marketing isn't a replacement for a full-time job, but it can be a great way to earn some extra money on the side! As you improve your marketing skills you can start to get paid more.

7. Become a service provider

In today's world, working from home is becoming increasingly common, which means there are more ways to make money online than ever before!

Do you have a useful skill that you could offer as a service? Common online business ideas include those that offer content writing, graphic design, business coaching, and voice recording. You could even be a virtual social media assistant or a freelance writer specializing in search engine optimization!

Think about how you can use your skills and abilities to adapt to the online environment. If you play your cards right, you could soon be on your way to a thriving enterprise! Take note of skills that could be valuable in the service industry, and then prepare to sell!

Online service providers often make much more than just extra money doing side gig jobs. In fact, many generate enough payment working online that they can switch to full-time work-from-home instead of working an in-house job!

8. Start offering exclusive content

Exclusive content can help you turn an existing online following into a lucrative business model, generating extra income and sharing your knowledge with the world.

Online, you can use subscription services, like Patreon, to provide exclusive content to an established audience in exchange for a set monetary amount. Making money in this way allows you to directly serve your digital audience.

Exclusive content helps you make the most of your current audience while starting to earn a little extra income. You can even rely on your audience to suggest what kinds of content they'd be willing to pay for.

Even if your subscribers only pay $5 or $10 a month to view additional online content, lots of subscribers will soon add up. Content exclusives can allow you to build a thriving business doing what you love.

9. Sell stock photos

In an age of so much internet content, stock photos are becoming an increasingly important industry sector, and they can earn you a lot of money if you know how to leverage them.

If you're a talented photographer with an eye for detail, you can turn photos into extra cash by selling them online. When you sell your photos, you can get paid quickly, making this an amazing way to monetize creative pursuits.

Businesses will pay to download your photographs to use as part of their digital marketing efforts. You might even spot your work in a major digital campaign! Purchased images can also be used for presentations, graphic design, and other image-based work.

Selling stock images can be a great way to earn money in your spare time. If you use third-party websites and databases, these usually regulate payment for you. You can also establish your own business website to sell images directly to consumers.

10. Publish an eBook

You've probably heard money-making advice saying that you should start a blog, but what if you wrote an entire book? This is a great opportunity to make money online and build an important legacy.

The rise of self-publishing means that it's easier than ever to write and publish your own book online, sharing your ideas and earning cash. Often, you can set your own price point, and as ebooks require low expenses, you can start making money online with only minimal financial investment.

If you have something to say that you think others need to know, it might be time to put pen to paper and start writing! A book can be a long-term source of passive income, helping you earn money online even when you're not actively working.

Some authors who sell ebooks online establish lucrative and successful careers. You could even become a famous writer, opening up plenty more earning opportunities!

11. Review websites & surveys

Another option is to explore website review opportunities, which often allow you to make money online quickly and efficiently. These are a great option if you're new to digital work.

If you want to make money online, you can approach established companies that work on reviewing websites, checking domain names, or even verifying website domain names.

Often, you can also find opportunities to participate in online questionnaires and website review tasks in support of other businesses. You can expect payment for your time, which goes toward market research and other information studies and databases.

Reviewing websites can be a productive use of your spare time, enabling you to make money online without overcomplicating your approach.

12. Complete side gigs

Want to make money fast but unsure what you should do? Try completing side gigs across a range of industries! This is a great way to make money and develop new skills.

Performing small side gigs is a good option if you often get bored or are just in search of extra money. Gigs could include a range of digital tasks, from teaching, to designing, to writing and more. There are so many ways to make money when you're always prepared to try something new!

By completing side gigs you can quickly generate a good income. Plus, you'll get to learn lots of new skills, which can help with future earning capacity. The more money you earn, the more you'll discover about how to make money online. This will equip you to pursue other opportunities, even taking your side hustle full-time.

The best way to access side gigs is by signing up to established and reliable gig database systems and sites, like Upwork and Airtasker. These allow you to access frequently updated jobs and tasks as they appear online.

13. Creating a blog

Creating an online blog is a great remote work option. Running a blog allows you to share your ideas with worldwide audiences!

Your blog can correspond closely with your interests, hobbies, and talents. As you grow, you can use brand partnerships and online advertising to generate a reliable income. You can also sell merchandise or blog content to push your growth even more.

14. Hosting a webinar

Hosting a webinar is another good choice. You can create online learning environments that relate to your interests and skills. 

Depending on your audience, you may be able to make webinars a regular occurrence on your online channels. You can offer webinars at different price points and times to appeal to unique audiences. 

15. Video editing or creation

Video editing and creation is a great option for remote work! If you have good video content skills, you can offer these services from the comfort of your home. 

As a video editor, you may be able to work with a range of clients, from corporate businesses to sole-trader online creators. You can even set your own rates!

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16. Reviewing products

You can even earn an income by reviewing products online! This is a great way to get involved with marketing while earning some extra cash. 

In many cases, you can choose to review products that you’re interested in. Items you could review include anything such as beauty and health products, food or even clothing. You may even receive free products while earning cash for your written reviews!

17. Donations

Donations are another income opportunity and can be an easy way to kickstart your online earning journey. Many online creators, including social media influencers, accept donations in order to continue producing their work as they do.  

You can manage digital donations using a popular service like Patreon. Alternatively, if you’re interested in producing a specific product, you can use Kickstarter to generate interest and financial investment. 

18. Selling published content (content syndication)

Even when you’ve published content previously, selling this work through content syndication can be a great way to earn some extra cash in the online environment. 

Content syndication is when you allow other sites to re-publish your content under their site, even though it’s already available online. This is not only great for exposure, but in some cases you can charge money for this.

Depending on your interests, hobbies, and skills, you could sell a how-to guide or access to exclusive blog entries. You could also produce workbook materials, interesting infographics or other educational content. Once created, these offer passive income, allowing you to focus on new earning strategies. 

FAQs on how to make money online

Still unsure how to start making money online? We're here to help! Below are the answers to a few frequently asked questions about online earning.

How can I make money online very fast?

While it is possible to make money online, many online jobs take time to get off the ground. The best options for faster payments are surveys and website review opportunities. 

How can I earn real money online?

There are so many ways to make money online! If you want to make money on the web, think about your skills, interests, and abilities. What kinds of earning pathways would best suit your skills and lifestyle? Once you've decided this, you can begin to choose the right earning opportunities.

How can I make $100 a day on the Internet?

Many people earn $100 a day or more on the Internet! If you want to make money every day, you'll need to commit to a daily work schedule. Start thinking about a range of earning opportunities, and don't be afraid to try a few different avenues. The money you make from one task can be used to help you make more money from another.

How can I make an extra $1000 online?

It is possible to make up to and over $1000 from online work! You can make money by completing a range of tasks and choosing new opportunities. Whether you want to sell goods, provide services, or join an affiliate program, prepare to start slow and work your way up to higher earnings. Over time, you'll build your skills, awareness, and reputation, and you'll be able to make money consistently in a digital environment.

Thinking about a podcast as your first attempt to make money online? Visit Riverside to access our studio-quality recording tools!