Income generation is backbone of any investment vehicles. For any investment to work, you need income generating sources and online marketing network. To do this, you need
Facebook
and
Google
will help you succeed online.
These days, creating digital work or content does not have to
be
just a pastime. There are many platforms and
avenues that online content creators can use to turn it into
a money-making side hustle or even a full-time job.
As a matter of fact, according to SignalFire, there
are more than 2 million professional creators.
Moreover, the demand for online content has grown
rapidly. In 2019, the number of
YouTube channels
that boasted over 1 million subscribers had
increased by 65%. What’s more, according to the
platform, over 1 billion hours of YouTube content
are watched every day.
That’s just video content on YouTube. There are
also many other specialist content sites that are
equally popular such as Spotify, iTunes and Medium
to mention only a few. Whether you are a blogger
or vlogger, a podcaster or YouTuber, in this article
we explore 14 ways that you can generate money.
14 Ways for Content Creators to Make (More)
Money in 2023:
What Are Content Creators?
Content creators create educational and/or
entertaining content that addresses the challenges
or needs of a specific target audience. From blogs
and articles to audio and podcasts, there are many
forms that the content can take. There are also
many different types of content creators and a wide
selection of channels, specialist content sites, and
platforms that they can use.
14 Ways Content Creators Can Earn Money
1. Online Teaching
Source: freepik.com
According to Skillshare, their highest paid teachers
can generate as much as $100K annually. Not only
can you make a pretty penny, but by teaching online
via online learning platforms like Udemy, Teachable
or Skillshare, you can also create a name as one of
the authoritative and influential creators in your
field. Moreover, it is a great way to attract more
engaged followers. Generally, it is best to stick to a
topic that you are skilled at and to keep these
online classes short so that the lesson is simple to
follow and understand.
2. Consulting
If you like the idea of sharing your skills but do not
necessarily want to use an online learning platform,
you can also provide one-on-one consulting
services. While it might take some extra work, it
can be very lucrative as you will be paid per hour
(and you get to decide what your hourly fee is). You
can, for instance, help aspiring content creators to
create their own strategies or simply review their
portfolio. Whatever the scope of your consulting
services, it can offer a needed break from creating
content, especially when you are experiencing
writer’s block.
3. Selling Exclusive Content
Creating a sense of exclusivity can be a great
marketing tactic to keep up your sleeve. One way to
do this to offer your followers the chance to sign up
for paid memberships. In return for a set monthly
subscription, subscribers who signed up for this tier
will get access to exclusive content that you have
created just for them. From classes to bonus
behind-the-scenes content, there are many types of
exclusive content that you can offer.
You can, for example, check out a platform like
Patreon that allows you to offer exclusive
subscriptions for a couple of dollars. One of the
perks of going this route is that you do not have to
sell-out to popular taste as you get to create
content that your target audience loves. Plus, it can
also offer you some much-needed stability to help
you grow your career as an independent content
creator.
Subscribed Audiences
Some types of content can also be sold as a
subscription. For example, if you are a podcaster,
you might want to offer your listeners an ad-free
listening experience in exchange for a paid
subscription. As mentioned earlier, the benefit of
this approach is that you can offer different tiers
with the more expensive tiers offering premium
content.
Selling Digital Photos
Do not underestimate your followers’ needs to
support your artwork. By creating an online store,
you give your followers the chance to show their
appreciation for your creations. After all, if your
followers did not like your creations, they would not
have followed you in the first place.
You can, for example, use Etsy to create a store
with your art. Then, to ensure that your followers can
easily find your Etsy store, share the link to your
store in the profile of your different social media
Selling Old Garments
Once you have established a substantial number of
fans, it can make sense for you to start selling
merch. You can, for instance, sell T-shirts, mugs,
totes, hoodies, hats and socks with your branding.
All of these are popular types of merchandise that
you can sell via platforms like Bonfire, Printify, or
Redbubble.
To help you make money by selling merch , you can
also use your merch in your videos. Simply by
wearing your branded T-shirt, you can create a buzz
around your new merchandise range.
If your biggest following is on Instagram, you can
make use of Instagram Shopping. These posts look
just like your standard posts. The difference is that
your followers can tap to view your merch and the
prices. Then, when they tap on one of the tags, they
will be able to see a product page where they can
find out more about the specific item and go to the
landing page to make a purchase.
Source: business.instagram.com
7. Selling Stock Photos
If you do not view yourself as an artist or do not like
the idea of your face on a mug, you can always
simply stick to selling stock photos. Alternatively,
you can also create stock video or even audio
content that you can sell.
For instance, you can become a contributor on a
site like Storyblocks that have more than 180,000
active members. One of the perks of using
Storyblocks is that the video that you upload
remains nonexclusive. This means that you can
continue to distribute your videos everywhere you
can make money which, ultimately, leaves you in
control of your content.
8. Branded Sponsorships
In short, a branded sponsorship is when a business
pays you a fixed fee in return for marketing their
brand. Not only is it a way to make money, but you
can also score some free products.
Though, in order to use branded sponsorships as an
avenue to make money, you need to have a
substantial following. Also, it might be that you
have to promote products that you do not
particularly like.
9. Public Appearances
While in-person gatherings might feel like a foreign
concept at the moment, do not forget about the
value of shows or other types of engagements. In
today’s day and age, the most well-known content
creators enjoy a celebrity status. By leveraging this
status, they can generate money by ticket sales and
even selling merch at these events. Even if you do
not have a huge following yet, you can still consider
speaking as an expert alongside other industry
experts or perhaps as a keynote speaker at a
function.
10. Content Syndication
In short, content syndication is when you give
bigger third-party sites the right to publish your
content in exchange for a fee or a byline. Even if
you only receive recognition and no financial
compensation, it can still end up being indirectly
profitable as the third-party site will more often than
not include a link to your website which helps to
generate traffic.
11. Affiliate Marketing
Content creators with a decent following on TikTok,
Instagram and other social media platforms can
also take advantage of affiliate marketing. This way,
you will be able to earn a commission in exchange
for recommending products.
If you decide to use affiliate marketing , you will first
need to review the affiliate products in your niche
(in other words, products that your existing
followers will find interesting). Many of the top
content creators limit themselves to recommending
only the products that they actually use themselves.
If you want to expand the number of products,
another approach is to make sure that the products
that you will be recommending are at least up to
par. While you want to earn money, you do not want
to damage your reputation by being associated with
low-quality products. Once you have decided on
which products you will be happy to recommend,
you can either contact the merchant directly or
apply to become an affiliate marketer via the
appropriate affiliate network.
12. Donations
Unlike when you are selling exclusive content or art,
followers who choose to make a donation do not
expect a form of return in exchange for their
support. That being said, relying on donations can’t
be your sole long-term plan. In order to be
sustainable, you will need to find a way to generate
a recurring stream of income.
13. Direct Advertising
Source: freepik.com
Direct advertising is in many instances a content
creators’ first port of call. You can, for instance,
host clickable ads on your own website. The brand
behind the adverts will then pay you for money that
they made via click-throughs.
Depending on the type of content that you create,
you can also insert advertisements into your
YouTube videos. You will then get a payment every
time a user views the advertisements in your
videos.
While it is relatively straightforward, just be careful
of the types of adverts that you run. At the end of
the day, you do not want to advertise a product that
will harm your rep.
14. Social Media Advertising
While selling exclusive content is a good way to
make money, you still need to make sure that
people know about your content. This is where
social media ads can be useful. While it means that
you will have to spend some money, it will help you
to attract people who are still unfamiliar with your
work and brand.
Wrapping Things Up
While there are actually several ways that content
creators can make money, it will all be in vain if the
content that they create is not up to par. The team
of data nerds at SignalFire believe that 50 million
people will join the creator economy soon. So, if
you want to stand any chance of turning it into a
full-time career, you need to create high-quality,
unique content that will stand out. Can you offer a
new perspective? Perhaps there is a topic that is
not covered in as much detail yet? Whatever the
case may be, always do proper research to ensure
that what you create is high-quality and that your
brand comes across as professional.
Also, it is best to create content for and build a
presence on various social media platforms. By
exploring multiple channels, you can grow your
number of followers which can help you to sell
more content and attract sponsorships. Just
remember to customize your content so that it is
better suited for the specific social media platform
and you are all set to build your brand even further.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do content creators do?
Content creators produce educational and/or
entertaining content that meets the interests and
addresses the pain points of a specific target
audience. The content that they create can be used
online or offline. They can also work on a number
of channels and platforms such as social media,
podcasts, YouTube or websites. Some of the most
popular types of content that are blog posts,
eBooks, YouTube videos, podcasts, how-to guides
and infographics.
What is Patreon?
Patreon is a platform that allows you to offer
exclusive subscriptions for a couple of dollars. It is
a first-class service that can help content creators
to grow their brands and earn a predictable revenue
stream by monetizing their content. You can opt for
levels of membership, each with its own benefits, or
you can just keep it simple by offering a custom
pledge option. With the latter option, patrons can
give what they want without expecting anything in
return.
Where can I sell stock video?
You can check out a site like Storyblocks. As it has
more than 262,000 active members, you will be
able to sell your stock videos to a big audience.
One of the big advantages of using Storyblocks to
sell your stock video is that the video that you
upload will stay nonexclusive. In other words, you
can continue to distribute your videos everywhere
you can make money. This, ultimately, leaves you in
control of your video content.
How can content creators sell merch?
Content creators can sell merch via platforms like
Bonfire, Printify, or Redbubble. If your biggest
following is on Instagram, you can also, for
example, use Instagram Shopping. These posts look
just like the standard Instagram posts. The
difference is that your followers can tap to view your
merch and the prices. Then, when they tap on one
of the tags, they will be able to find out more about
the specific item and go to the landing page to
make a purchase.
Can content creators make money by offering
subscriptions?
Yes, offering subscriptions is one of the ways that
content creators can make money. You can, for
example, offer access to ad-free podcast episodes
as a subscription. You can also make money by
offering different tiers with the more expensive tiers
offering exclusive content like classes and bonus
behind-the-scenes content. To do this, you can use
a platform like Patreon that allows you to offer
exclusive subscriptions for a couple of dollars.