How to Make Extra Money Online in 2024: Proven Methods and Tips

Today it’s easier than ever to earn money online. Not only can you supplement your income, but also create a full-time career by only working from home.

However, there are two sides to this story. The good side is that many people have already started doing it, which means there is a lot of information and courses on what you can do online and how to get started. On the other hand, for this very same reason, you will likely encounter a lot of competition.

In this blog post, you will discover 10 proven methods that will help you make extra cash online and how to get started.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing means promoting other businesses’ products or services and earning a commission by doing it. You will get a referral link, and every purchase made through your link will earn you extra money.

Here’s how to start affiliate marketing:

1. Choose a niche that interests you and has market demand.
2. Sign up for affiliate marketing programs, such as Amazon Associates.
3. Create content, such as blog posts or social media posts and promote the products.
4. Drive traffic to your referral links using SEO, social media accounts, or ads.

Your earnings will vary based on the businesses you work with, but you can expect to earn 3% to 7% from each sale in commissions.

Pros: 

• Passive income after the business is fully set up.
• Low starting costs.
• Work whenever you want.

Cons: 

• Requires traffic for blog posts which can take more than 6 months to achieve. 
• If working with social media, then you need to have an active audience.

In order to successfully earn extra cash with affiliate marketing, make sure that the products you promote are relevant to your audience and it solves their problems. Build trust by only recommending useful products and giving honest reviews.

Selling Artwork and Designs Online

If you’re an artist or dabble with design work, you can start selling your art on platforms like Etsy or Redbubble.

Here’s how to start selling art online:

1. Create digital art, designs, or handmade art.
2. Sign up for an online marketplace.
3. Add product listings with high-quality images and comprehensive descriptions.
4. Promote your products using social media or other online communities.

The amount you can earn from this is very varied. However, with consistent effort you can expect $100 to $2,000 of extra money per month.

Pros: 

• Could be fun to create different arts and designs.
• Extra money from digital downloads.

Cons:

• Unstable market demand.
• Platform fees.
• Shipping issues for physical products.

To succeed in selling artwork and designs online, it’s imperative that you invest in high-quality materials or online tools. Make sure that you present your work professionally and work on your product images and descriptions. It could be useful to look up some product copywriting courses.

Freelance Writing and Editing

Writing, especially long-form SEO writing and social media posts, is one of the easiest things for businesses to outsource. And all this extra cash could be yours for the taking.

Here’s how to start freelance writing:

1. Build a portfolio of your blog posts, social media posts, e-books, or other things you’ve written.
2. Sign up for freelance platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr. Alternatively, you can try searching for Facebook freelancer groups.
3. Connect with people in your field or potential clients on LinkedIn.
4. Define your hourly rates or per-word rates.

Freelance writing can make you from $0.05 to $0.50 per word based on experience, type of writing, and complexity of the assignment. With consistent work, you can expect to make $1,000+ of extra money per month.

Pros: 

• Write whenever and from wherever you want.
• Learn about different topics and fields.

Cons: 

• Could be challenging to find clients.
• Income can fluctuate.

To succeed in freelance writing, it’s recommended to research the industry that has the most market demand and learn the ins and outs of it either before or during writing. Also, if possible, try to build long-term relationships with clients to ensure more consistent cash flow.

Taking Online Surveys

While this side hustle won’t allow you to quit your job and sustain yourself only from answering surveys online, it’s a nice and easy method to make some extra cash.

How to start taking surveys online:

1. Download Pawns.app.
2. Create your account.
3. Start completing surveys and making extra money.

As mentioned before, surveys don’t pay much, but it’s a nice way to add an extra $30 – $50 per month, depending on the amount of surveys you participate in. It’s a great side hustle for lazy weekends that will make you a few bucks per day.

Pros:

• Zero qualification needed.
• Low-effort activity.
• Can be done while commuting.

Cons:

• Low earning potential.
• A lot of unreliable platforms.

To make more money from answering surveys, join more survey sites. However, make sure to avoid scammers, as they are abundant in this field.

Becoming an Online Tutor

This method allows you to teach students across the globe via video calls. All you need to do is be an expert in a certain field and know how to pass this information on.

How to start online tutoring:

1. Define what subject you’re an expert in.
2. Sign up for platforms like Tutor, Chegg Tutors, Preply, and more.
3. Create a profile that shows your expertise, experience, background, and aspirations.

Online tutors can expect to make around $10 to $30 per hour. However, as you gain more experience, you can increase your hourly rates. Also, you can create an online course along the road to supplement your tutoring income.

Pros:

• Rewarding work.
• Flexible hours.
• Potentially long-term clients.

Cons:

• Requires extensive expertise in subject matter.
• Time commitment.

To succeed in online tutoring, you can try offering free introductory sessions to build up your reputation. Also, preparing your lesson plans beforehand will give you a huge advantage while teaching a class. As you gain more experience, you can consider teaching some students individually for a higher price.

Joining Focus Groups

Focus groups pay people in exchange for their opinion on products, services, marketing campaigns, and more. However, these focus groups can require very specific demographics.

How to join a focus group:

1. Sign up with market research companies, such as Respondent and User Interviews.
2. Complete your profile with accurate information.
3. Match with available studies.

With focus groups, you can expect to earn from $50 to $150 of extra money per session, depending on the topic and complexity of the task.

Pros: 

• High hourly rates.
• Interesting topics.
• Learn about best practices.

Cons:

• Limited opportunities.
• May require very specific demographics.

To succeed with focus groups, it’s important that you are honest and articulate during the sessions. This will ensure your position as a valuable member of the focus group. Also, you should join more focus groups to access more studies.

Becoming an Influencer

Everyone can become an influencer today. All it takes is building an image for yourself, defining your audience, and creating engaging content for them on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other social media platform.

How to become an influencer:

1. Choose your niche.
2. Build a following on social media platforms.
3. Reach out to brands for partnerships.
4. Sponsor their products.

As an influencer, your earnings largely depend on your following and your presence. Micro-influencer with smaller audiences (1,000 – 10,000 followers) can expect to make $50 to $500 extra money per post. On the other hand, larger influencers can scale their earnings into the thousands.

Pros:

• High earning potential.
• Fun and creative.
• Free products from sponsorships.

Cons:

• Constant content creation.
• Social media can be overwhelming.
• Potential mental health issues.
• Huge competition.

If you want to succeed in the already saturated market of influencers, the best advice is to stay authentic and only promote products that you actually believe in, because your followers will definitely see through your lies and that will damage your reputation.

Starting an Online Blog

Blogging means creating content on a website and monetizing it through ads, affiliate links, or selling products.

How to start an online blog:

1. Choose a niche.
2. Create a website on WordPress or another platform.
3. Set up your blog.
4. Create valuable, helpful content oriented toward the reader.
5. Optimize the content for SEO.
6. Monetize through ads, affiliate links, or selling products.

While blogs will take a long time (think 6+ months) to start generating traffic or value, you can expect to make from $100 to $10,000 a month for running a blog. However, the amount ultimately depends on how much traffic you’re getting and how well your monetization methods work.

Pros:

• Passive extra money potential.
• Creative and fun.

Cons:

• Takes time to build traffic.
• Requires SEO knowledge.
• Takes time and patience to write blog posts consistently.

To succeed in blogging, the most important thing is to stay consistent and wait out the initial dry spell. The wait can be as long as 6 months or more, but eventually you will see traffic coming and it will be worth the wait. Also, to make the most of your readers, incorporate email marketing strategies to build an email list.

Testing Apps

In exchange for extra cash, app testers provide feedback to developers on how the app works, what bugs they notice, how it could be better, and more.

How to start testing apps:

1. Sign up for testing platforms like UserTesting or TryMyUI.
2. Complete short tests on websites or apps and give feedback.

With app testing, you can expect to earn around $10 of extra money per single test, which usually takes about 20 minutes. If you want to make more money, try participating in more complex tests.

Pros:

• Easy to start.
• Flexible schedule.

Cons:

• Limited availability.
• Inconsistent income.

To make the most of app testing, make sure that you’re actively checking for new tests and always provide detailed and constructive feedback.

Starting an Online Business

If any of the above didn’t satisfy your needs or preferences, you can try starting your own online business and sell your own products or services.

How to start an online business:

1. Define a niche or product with high market demand.
2. Set up a store on Shopify or another platform.
3. Create products or source them from a supplier.
4. Market your store through social media, SEO, or ads.

Having an online business can make you a lot of extra money, but it can also fail and you will lose everything you’ve invested so far. So, it’s a risk, but once the store is up-and-going, you can expect to make $500 to $10,000+ per month depending on your niche, marketing, and other factors.

Pros:

• Unlimited growth potential.
• Scalability.
• No one to answer to.

Cons:

• Requires upfront investment.
• Managing inventory.
• Stressful activity.
• Time-consuming.

To succeed with your online business, make sure to always stay on track with the trends in your niche, follow best marketing practices, offer excellent customer service, and build a loyal client base.

Conclusion

Making money online is entirely up to your skills, preferences, and motivation. If you want to find an online activity to replace your job, try freelance writing. If you want to earn extra money on top of your salary, try focus groups or side hustle apps. Ultimately, it all boils down to how much time you’re willing to dedicate.

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