Ahh, the side hustle. The ultimate answer to diversifying your income.
If you’ve recently lost your job, been put on hold or are a freelancer with 2020 effectively “cancelled”, now is as good a time as ever to start a side hustle.
For eight years I have been working for myself. This blog has become my main source of income and I’m asked at least a few times a day how I do it. How do I make money from the internet?
You’re about to find out.
Start your side hustle
Starting a side hustle is easy. Keeping it going is where the work comes in.
If you want to start a blog, see this post. But if you want to take blogging seriously, consider taking my course. And if you want to know how I make money from blogging (and how you can too), fast track to the “how to make money from blogging” section of this blog post.
If you want to start a side hustle without creating a blog or a website, keep reading for more ideas.
Freelance writing gigs
Freelance work is as rife as ever. Digital audiences have sky rocketed and with an engaged audience online, now is a great time to start writing for other media outlets.
Medium is a great way to kick start your writing career and get paid to write. You can write about any topic and get paid based on how many people read your article. It only takes a few minutes to set up your account and start writing.
World of Wanderlust is now accepting submissions under the same guidelines. So, if you have a travel article you’ve been itching to write, pitch it to us!
All over the internet you will find news outlets you can submit an article to and make money from your writing, right from the comfort of your home office.
Selling your travel photos
Another way to start making money from home is to consider selling your digital assets. My media library is an endless dark hole of travel photos – many of which are perfect to sell online as stock images. Creative Market is a great place to get started, as well as Shutterstock.
Become a virtual assistant
You might be thinking: what exactly is a virtual assistant? A lot of companies are working remotely and require a team of professionals to keep their operations afloat. A virtual assistant performs duties like time management, task management, community engagement through social media and so much more. Now is a great time to take a course in becoming a virtual assistant and working from home.
Write an E-book
Another great way for working professionals to sell their expertise is through creating a digital asset they can sell online. E-books are a great way to sell your knowledge and in a few weeks, you can create a sellable product.
The key here is to create something of value. Something people want access to and are willing to pay to read.
How to Make money from Blogging
If you’re thinking about starting a blog, you might be wondering: how exactly do bloggers make money? Well, we’ve got the answers.
Affiliate marketing
You know all those helpful links you see dotted throughout blog posts and online articles? These are more often than not affiliate links. By clicking on an affiliate link and buying what the blogger is endorsing, you will be supporting the blogger with each purchase. The link renders a small commission for the writer.
Ad Networks
Another way blogs make money is through traditional ads. These are the adverts you often see in the sidebar and dotted throughout blog posts. Google Adsense is a popular platform to easily integrate ads into your website and start making money per click.
Brand Collaborations
While this is normally the most profitable way for bloggers to make money, brand collaborations have been put on hold for the foreseeable future as budgets are being paused and campaigns have dried up.
But that’s not to say you can’t make money this way in the face of Covid-19.
Some brands are increasing marketing budgets, particularly in the home-lifestyle space. At home fitness equipment, loungewear and home entertainment have all seen a boost in sales with the world spending months on end in the confines of their home.
Moreover, when the world bounces back into action, brand collaborations will skyrocket as brands aim to boost their sales and reinvigorate their strategies.
That idea you’ve been holding onto
Have you been thinking about working for yourself for a while? Launching a brand, building a website or making your side hustle your full time gig?
While it is easy to “write off” this time as obsolete, now is a great time to start your side hustle and launch that idea off the ground.
With all this time at home and a world of information at your fingertips (hello Google), now is as good a time as ever.
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Brooke Saward founded World of Wanderlust as a place to share inspiration from her travels and to inspire others to see our world. She now divides her time between adventures abroad and adventures in the kitchen, with a particular weakness for French pastries.
