Finding Realistic Ways to Earn Online
Narrating Audiobooks for Marketplaces
There are realistic ways to make money online right now without a following or a lot of money to invest. These opportunities can be hard to find, but audiobook narration is one worth exploring. Authors need people to narrate their books, and work can be found on audiobook marketplaces like ACX, Bunny Studios, and Voices. For More
The pay for narrating audiobooks can really vary, but it falls anywhere between $100 to $500 per finished hour. For entry level, it could be $10 to $100. And there are lots of these opportunities. On ACX, there are many opportunities to apply to.
Participating in Academic Research Surveys
There is a platform called Prolific that pays around $8 an hour minimum, and it can go all the way up to $20 or more. This platform is something that can be used on the side to get a little extra money. It’s mainly used by researchers and universities, so the questions can be a little bit more academic. Reddit reviews of Prolific are mostly positive. People are saying it’s really fun and some people got paid to play games. Another person got paid to watch a movie and another person got paid to learn a language. Not a bad way to make money in free time.
There is a waiting list to get accepted, though, so make sure to allow some time to get accepted into the platform. Speaking of surveys, according to an Owl Lab study, globally, 16% of companies are fully remote. And this same study found that about 62% of workers aged 22 to 65 claim to work remotely at least occasionally. So looking for an honest online job could also be a great move.
Professional Writing and Website Testing
It’s possible to get paid to write lists, like literally 10 creepiest buildings or weirdest Canadian laws. Some websites actually pay per list. Professional writing experience is not required for this. There’s a place called Listverse, and they actually pay $100 per approved list.
The only thing is that the work may be put in and the list written, but payment won’t come if the list isn’t approved. Making sure to stay within their guidelines is important. However, if lists are getting approved, this could add up pretty quickly. If naturally curious or someone who likes to curate things together, this would be a very fun side gig. It’s also possible to get paid $150 to $250 to write a personal story for companies like Cosmopolitan.
Writing online in any capacity is a pretty great gig. For professional writers, applying to online writing gigs is worth considering. Companies will also pay to have someone click around their website or app and share feedback. It’s kind of like secret shopping but from home.
Two platforms that pay for this with good Reddit reviews are usertesting.com and userlytics.com. According to SmartWallet, around $10 can be made for 20 minutes of testing. Approval is required for each gig, so the work will be a little sporadic on this one.
Shopify Development and Faceless YouTube Channels
Getting paid thousands to set up Shopify websites for businesses is another option. Every brand needs a quality website, and building it for them is a viable income stream. A free Shopify trial and an official Shopify tutorial are available to learn how to set up websites.
A YouTube channel can be launched right now without ever showing a face. People are building faceless channels using AI to write scripts, generate videos, and even voiceovers. There are faceless channels that have gained 300,000 subscribers within one year, which requires a solid strategy and good technique.
The way money is made through YouTube is through AdSense once the channel is monetized, which does require building a following. However, AI videos can also be created for other brands and payment can be received just for prompting them.
Monetizing Short Form AI Content
It’s also possible to get paid to create AI generated short form content. It could be AI TikTok reels, LinkedIn posts, or tweets. A few good platforms for this are Invideo, PhotoLeap, and Jasper AI.
AI generated content can be monetized in a few ways. First, signing up to TikTok Shop and promoting other people’s products takes a percent of the earnings. Or it can be sold to brands who need content for their pages. Growing a faceless theme page like quotes, business tips, or health hacks and then selling a related product once a following is built is another option.
Getting on the creator fund for TikTok or Instagram to get paid for views is also possible. For the creator rewards program on TikTok, payment ranges anywhere from 40 cents to a dollar per thousand views. Which means that if a million views are reached, earnings could be $400 to $1,000. How much is made depends on video length, engagement, and the quality of the content.
If creating viral content is a strength, it could add up quickly. For Instagram, it is invite only, and earnings are flexible without anyone dictating terms. It could be a really great side income.
Transcribing Recordings and Freelancing Skills
Getting paid to transcribe video and audio recordings is another viable option. Doctors, lawyers, journalists, they have hours of voice notes, interviews, or legal recordings, and no time to sit down and type it all out. AI is doing this right now, but it’s likely not completely accurate yet. For some industries, the writing has to be perfect, and that is why it is still a need.
AI tools to help with this include Otter AI, Google Cloud, Trint, Riverside, Descript, and Sonix. Going in to check for accuracy is still necessary because there are likely going to be a few issues here and there.
In the digital economy, there are almost endless ways to make money online. With any specific skill, value add, or knowledge, freelancing is an option. Either a project rate or an hourly rate can be charged. Affordable courses and free resources exist for absolutely any skill that needs to be learned.
Some popular options are social media management, content creation, writing, consulting, coaching, app development, AI, machine learning, and being a virtual assistant. If there is a skill in video editing, copywriting, or social media, it can be monetized starting today.
Licensing AI Personalities and Digital Clones
According to available research, a unique AI generated personality can be built using tools like ElevenLabs, ChatGPT, and HeyGen, and then that digital clone can be licensed to brands, YouTubers, or educators who need a voice or character for their content. It may carry some risks, but it is a way to make money.
It’s a pretty new industry, but if an exclusive license is granted, payment could range anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 a month from a large brand. For a non-exclusive license, it would be $300 to $3,000 a month per user. A revenue share model is also possible, at 10 to 50% of the generated profit. How realistic the higher numbers are depends on having a brand willing to pay a lot and with many use cases for the content.
Designing Templates and Avoiding Scams
Money can be made by designing Notion or Airtable templates for planners, side hustles, startup tracking, or anything in between. People are buying these on Google, Shopify, TikTok funnels, and all over the place. Once created, they can be promoted through organic content or paid ads.
There are a lot of ways to start making money online, even for beginners. Most importantly, being willing to learn, work hard, and remain cautious of potential scams online is essential. Being aware of money-making scams that promise quick and easy money with little effort is important. Researching sources and seeking genuine reviews on places like Reddit is recommended. Building a sustainable online income typically requires time, effort, and persistence.
Building Long Term Online Success
Final Tips and Subscription
Consider which money-making avenue is the most appealing and perhaps begin right away. Building a sustainable online income takes time, but with the right approach and consistent effort, it is very achievable. Read More