When I first started my Instagram account a few years ago, I would often get raised eyebrows from people who did not understand the possibilities of social media, or the digital nomad lifestyle back then. If I got a dollar for every time someone asked me “is travel blogging a real job?”, or, “how do you make money online?”, I would probably be writing about one more income stream today.

But, after being a full-time travel blogger and photographer for over three years now, I cannot emphasise enough on the benefits of being able to make a living from anywhere, anytime. More so, in the post pandemic atmosphere. Not only are the opportunities on the internet increasing exponentially, but the possibility of starting your own business, and being your own boss, is unlike anything else.

So, if you are curious about how your favourite bloggers are making money online and travelling the world, then you have come to the right place. In this article, I will be talking about the dozens of revenue streams that are common to most bloggers, content creators and influencers. Get ready to be amazed at what all is possible online with hard work, perseverance and the right strategy!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of those links, I may get a small commission. Thank you for your continued support!

1. Start your own Blog or Website

This goes without saying, but starting a blog or website is one of the best ways to make a living online. Unlike social media platforms, content published on blogs has more longevity and is capable of making you money for years to come. This blog that you are reading right now is one of my main income sources today!

Starting your own blog or website is a fairly easy thing to do. Depending on your technical abilities and how much money you want to invest into it, you can either set it up yourself or hire a professional developer to design one for you. I personally learned how to create a website by watching videos on YouTube and that is how travelwithcg.com was born.

Read More: How To Start A Travel Blog: A Step by Step Guide

Despite popular belief, the travel or fashion niches do not necessarily need to be your passions to start your own blog. There are websites for almost every search category today, so as long as people are looking for the topics that you want to write about, it is all good.

Just make sure that your website is self-hosted, meaning that you are completely in charge of it yourself. I use Lyrical Hosting as my hosting provider and have only good things to say. Not only do they offer a free migration in case you choose to switch hosts, but their support team is always there to answer questions that don’t even necessarily need to do anything with hosting. Trust me, if you are not too familiar with how to run and maintain a website, you have to look into them. Use my code “CG10” for a 10% off when signing up with Lyrical.

Once your website is up and running, there are multiple ways in which it can generate money (Yes, it is not all ads). Some of the best converting ones for myself are sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, selling my own products/services, etc. Besides, your website is a big asset in itself. Should you want to discontinue maintaining it in the future, you can even sell it online for a good price.

2. Paid Partnerships and Sponsored Posts

Sponsored posts are pieces of content that you have to post in exchange for compensation. These posts can either be created by the sponsor themselves and sent to you solely for publishing, or be both created and posted by you (the latter being the more common option). You can make money online by partnering with businesses for sponsored blog posts, social media posts, or a combination of both.

This kind of partnership usually starts being successful once you have gained some kind of online readership or a decent social media following. It depends on the value that you as a creator would provide to the sponsor – a travel blogger, for example, could be offered a partial or an all-expense paid press trip and/or monetary remuneration for promoting a destination to their audience.

Sponsored Blog Posts

Sponsored blog posts can also be in the form of guest articles. 

Once your website starts getting a good amount of traffic and recognition, you will probably come across brands and individuals reaching out to you for an opportunity to write for your blog. They are often building links for their own website and trying to attract more traffic by doing so, but did you know that you can charge to host their articles? 

If you think that the content provided by them is of good value to your audience, and is not plagiarised in any way, then you can earn an additional income by hosting it. Just make sure to have a clearly visible contact page on your website so others know how to best reach out to you for enquiries.

In case that you would rather seek sponsored partners yourself, you can also reach out to brands that you think are a good fit. Companies are always interested in increasing sales, so if you have an idea that you think they might like, then attach an updated media kit and send an email with your pitch.

CG’s tip: Although sponsored posts are a great way to monetise your blog, it is also essential to keep some important rules in mind. You need to always clearly disclose your relationship with a sponsor in order to comply with FTC’s endorsement guidelines. I think that it is a great way of being transparent with my audience and thus, always include my disclaimer at the beginning of each blog post.

You also need to add a rel=“nofollow” tag to all your sponsored links to keep Google and all the other SEO gods happy. This tells Google that you have been incentivised to include that particular link in your article and protects you from violating their recent rules.

Sponsored Social Media Content

When creating your own blog, it is always best to also get social media accounts with the same brand name to go with it. This way not only can you leverage your social media following to get more traffic to your website and build connections, but also use it as a marketing platform to help companies and brands you like to reach more people.

I personally have accounts on all platforms – Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. In fact, I started most of these accounts way before my website and was already monetising social media before I launched this blog. Depending on where your interest lies, you can use just social media, just your blog, or a combination of the two to generate more money.

Contrary to what you may have heard before, you don’t necessarily need 1000s of followers on Instagram to be able to monetise. We are in the era of micro influencers right now, so trust me when I say that it is never too early to make relationships with brands and pitch to them for a collaboration.

You can also introduce yourself to local PR agencies and see if they have any work for you. There are also many influencer marketing websites and applications such as Tribe, Fohr, Aspire IQ to find paid collaborations for social media.

The same disclosure rules also apply to social media. You should use the paid partnership tool on Instagram or clearly state ‘AD’ when promoting a brand, product or service. This paid partnership tool also allows companies to view your insights directly and gives permission to further promote the post, if desired.

CG’s tip: Just keep in mind that you don’t really own your social media and it could go away one day without your say-so. A blog or website, on the other hand, is maintained by you completely.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the best yet underestimated ways to earn money online. In this kind of advertising, every time you recommend a product or service and someone buys it (or anything else) using your personal trackable links, you will automatically gain a commission on that order, at no extra cost to the customer.

So, if you are looking to monetise your blog, then you can add such customised links for your favourite hotels, brands or products in your posts. You can even use these links on social media and add them in the description of your YouTube video or as a swipe up in Instagram stories for example.

Most companies that have an affiliate programme usually have a threshold where they require partners to have at least a certain number of readership or following before being accepted. However, if you are based in India or have an Indian bank account, then you can easily join Earnkaro with my referral and start earning.

Earnkaro is a deal sharing platform that anyone can apply to join at the moment and become an affiliate for big brands like Adidas, Myntra or Lakme. Other similar platforms that you can use to partner with multiple brands are Skimlinks (for Iberia, Emirates, etc.) , CJ affiliate network and LTK (for RewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it). You can even check out the individual websites of the companies you like to see if they have their own programmes.

CG’s tip: Remember that the aforementioned FTC guidelines under sponsored posts apply for affiliate marketing as well.

4. Display Ads

Advertising is one of the most common ways to earn an income online. If you have your own website, then you can lend a space on it to a publisher and they will display ads to your audience on it. Depending on the ad network that you choose, you will then be paid on either a Pay Per Click (PPC) or Cost Per Mille (CPM)/ Revenue Per Mille (RPM) basis.

PPC is when you get paid for every click that is made on a company’s banner on your website. Whereas in CPM or RPM advertising, you will get paid for every thousand impressions on that ad.

One of the most popular and well-paying advertising networks is Mediavine. You will need to have at least 50,000 sessions in 30 days in order to be accepted by them, but you can begin with other ad networks until you qualify for it. SheMedia starts accepting partners at 10,000 sessions in a month. And Ezoic is focusing more on quality over page views currently, so that can be easier to get in. Though from personal experience, I would recommend SheMedia until you can get into Mediavine.

Google Adsense is also another popular ad network. Although they won’t require you to have such a high number of minimum sessions, it is also important to note that the income will be less too.

5. Sell Your Photos Online

Gone are the days when only people with extensive photography gear and knowledge would be able to take beautiful photos. With the increasing popularity of low cost, high grade digital cameras, and smart phones with unbelievable photography specs – nearly anyone can take stunning images at a click of a button today!

If you are interested in making some extra cash online with photography, then you can easily get into taking stock photos. There are several stock photography websites where you can create an account of your own and upload photos of anything that you like capturing (be it people, food, places or clouds). These photos don’t necessarily have to be top notch in order to sell, so have a browse on your chosen websites and see what is popular.

One of my favourite places to sell photos online is EyeEm.com. Other than having a really simple set-up process, I like that I am able to sell a single photo to multiple companies and individuals on it, and get paid each time someone buys from me. Another great thing is that the content that you upload on EyeEm is not exclusive, meaning you retain the rights to use your images in other places as you like.

Adobe Stock, Getty Images, iStock Photo, Shutterstock and Unsplash are some other great websites to sell and license your images.

6. Content Creation

You can also create content for various brands and make money online by doing what you like. Whether your interest lies in photography, videography or writing, there is a huge demand for all of these as companies are looking to hire freelancers on project to project basis. 

If you like food photography for example, then you can get in touch with restaurants in your locality and see if they are looking to hire someone to click photos for their social media channels or website. Similarly, you can also introduce yourself to clothing labels or tourism boards to create content for them.

Most of the content creation jobs that I do are unrelated to my audience. You don’t need a large following to get work this way and don’t have to promote the company on your own channels. But if it is a good fit, then you can offer a package deal and do both sponsored posts and create content for the brands to use.

CG’s tip: Although having a social media following isn’t a prerequisite for content creation, having a portfolio or samples of your work online does help you reach potential clients. 

7. Become a Freelancer

If you would rather be self-employed, then becoming a freelancer is a great way to earn money. You can work with various companies and people on a contract to contract basis and make some extra income when you have the time. The best thing about being a freelancer is that you can do anything from graphic designing to blogging to being a translator – the possibilities are nearly endless!

Other benefits of offering your services as a freelancer are that you get to decide your own timings, choose your days of work, holidays and who you work with. However, it is also important to keep in mind that freelancers don’t enjoy benefits like health insurance and gratuity that most full-time employees do.

I personally have been working as a freelance photographer, content creator and editor for many years now. Whenever I am not travelling, I start taking bookings for my Jaipur photo tour to show visitors my favourite places in Jaipur and do a photoshoot for them. I also love editing pictures, so when time permits, I do some jobs where I edit photos for clients.

If you are looking to get more work as a freelancer, then I would advise you to actively promote the services that you offer. You might think that your friends and family already know about them, but sometimes all it takes is a little post to get the conversation going again. 

Other than promoting on social media, you can also sign up on freelance focused websites to land more clients. My favourite places to hire freelancers or to find freelance work myself are Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer and FlexJobs.

8. Become a Virtual Assistant

If you are just starting out or aren’t sure where your true interest lies, then I would recommend becoming a virtual assistant (VA) to someone working in the field that you might be interested in. It is just like being an assistant to someone that you can learn from, only that this would be virtual.

Examples of work that VAs are usually hired to do in the blogging space are: reply to emails, upload blog posts, participate in group threads, post to social media, manage direct messages, coordinate collaborations, and so on. You won’t necessarily need prior experience to do these tasks and the best part is that you can even take multiple jobs at the same time and work on your own schedule.

One of the best ways to get work as a VA is to reach out to people directly to see if they are in need of help or keep an eye on announcements from them. Freelance focused websites such as Fiverr, Upwork or Freelancer are also great to find more opportunities. You can also join Facebook groups like Virtual Assistants Savvies to find work from there.

9. Create an Online Course

Launching an online course has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things of my career. If there is something that you are good at and you think your knowledge of it can be valuable to other people, then you too can create an online course for it. Just keep in mind that It takes quite a bit of time and energy to develop a course that is worth its price tag and more, so make sure you are ready to go all in!

It is important that your course solves a problem in some way and provides knowledge that is hard to find on the internet otherwise. There are a lot of courses out there on the internet, but only the ones that provide real assistance do well in the long term. 

If you are unsure about what topic to create an online course on, then you can get feedback from your existing audience and go from there. I personally got asked about how I edit my Instagram photos for years before I developed my 5-day course called Lightroom Masterclass to teach photo editing online.

My online course follows a live format, but you can even pre-record yours in advance and sell it online. This way you will have to work really hard when creating the course but then it will turn into a passive income that might even make you money in your sleep.

10. Teach English Online

In case you don’t want to create your own course but are still interested in teaching, then you can try to teach English online. There are many English teaching platforms out there where you can simply sign up and get access to pre-prepared teaching materials to use. The best thing about making money by teaching English online is that you can decide your own times and work from practically anywhere with a good internet connection.

However, do keep in mind that most companies specialising in teaching English prefer native English speakers. Irrespective of how proficient you might be in the English language or what degree you may have, it can get a little difficult to sign up if English isn’t your first language. But there are of course exceptions and you can still find jobs if you look hard enough.

Some of the most popular companies to teach English online are VIPKID, Palfish, QKids, Cambly, and Magic Ears. Teachers typically make between USD 16-25 per hour with these platforms, which with hard work can supplement a full-time income and allow you to lead a digital nomad lifestyle.

You may also be required to get an English teaching certification like TEFL, TESL, CELTA or equivalent. Some countries and companies also accept IELTS.

11. Offer Consultation or Online Coaching

Are you a social media expert who can help small businesses and entrepreneurs up their game? Or do you have experience with marketing and can help companies find current trends and coach them on a good strategy to achieve their business goals going forward? Maybe you are a nutritionist and would instead like to help people with regards to health?

From financial coaching to fashion consultations to travel planning even, there are so many ways in which you can offer online coaching to help people. Just make sure to focus on the areas of your expertise and share knowledge that would prove to be of some value to your clients.

And last but not the least, remember that you are not only there to share knowledge in online coaching, but also guide your clients in any ways possible. People can find most information online these days, but what makes coaching different is the one-to-one support that comes with it.

12. Lead or Host Group Trips and Retreats

If you have some sort of a social following or an online readership, and find that your audience would be interested in meeting you in person and learning something from you, then group trips and retreats are additional ways in which you can further monetise.

You can plan these kind of trips or retreats either all by yourself, or partner with a company that specialises in them. A lot of travel bloggers, for example, work with tourism companies to plan a trip for their audience. This way people not only get to meet their favourite bloggers and travel with them, but bloggers also get additional income by doing so. 

However, you don’t necessarily have to be a public personality to make money by hosting retreats. There are a lot of Yoga or business retreats too where individuals open their own company and promote their services online. The opportunities of the online world are truly endless as more people are looking to combine learning with a travel experience!

13. Sell Your Own Products

Whether you like making jewellery, photo filters (presets), prints, stickers or travel journals; you can easily set up your own shop online and sell a variety of digital and physical products. Having an online storefront that showcases your products is a great way to make a passive income. You can even write an e-book for instance and have it available for purchase.

One of the best places to sell products is your own website. If you have a blog or are okay with starting a new website, then you can set up a store using WooCoomerce, Shopify or Magento. Just keep in mind to have a self-hosted site so that you can use it for commercial purposes.

In case you would rather sell on existing third-party marketplaces, then companies like Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, Gumroad or Facebook are a great place to start too. Remember, regardless of where you sell, if your product is great and you are putting enough effort in promoting it constantly, then you will most likely be able to make money online.

14. Become a Translator or Interpreter

Do you speak multiple languages or have a degree in translation or interpretation? Even with the accessibility of amazing translation apps on our devices today, you will be surprised to know that the demand for concise and accurate translations and interpretations is still intact.

You can become an online translator or interpreter full-time or do it as a side gig when you want. Other than using your own platforms and online presence to get work, there are also online agencies and marketplaces that you can use. Some of the popular online agencies for translation and interpretation are Gengo, One Hour Translation, TextMaster and Smartling.

Otherwise, freelance marketplaces such as Upwork and Fiverr can also be handy to find new clients.

15. Become a Transcriber

If you can type at a relatively good speed and want to make money from the comfort of your own home, then becoming an online transcriber might be for you. All you would have to do is listen to audio or video files carefully, and accurately convert the recordings into written text. 

Companies hiring freelance transcribers don’t generally require a vast previous experience, so it might even be ideal to make money this way if you are just starting out. Just make sure to have good quality headphones and a quiet space to type out from. A lot of transcribers also find foot pedals handy, so you can get them too if you like.

One of my favourite places to get transcriber jobs is Rev. You can choose the projects depending on the difficulty and apply only for the jobs that seem fitting. Rev also provides a demo when you sign up, so you can try it out and see if transcribing is something that you would like to do to make money online.

Other platforms like Transcribe Me, Daily Transcription, AccuTran Global, and GoTranscript are also popular. Most of these companies pay weekly or monthly via PayPal. You will most likely be paid an income depending on the number of minutes and difficulty of the file that you are converting.

16. Participate in Online Surveys and Research

Did you know that you could make money by simply sharing your opinion? Filling online surveys and participating in research is one of the most popular ways to make some extra cash online. Depending on how many surveys you fill out or how much time you invest in them, you can make a good side income from doing this when you are free.

However, make sure to check that the company you are doing the survey for is not paying in rewards or gift cards. It is actually quite common for research companies to give participants Amazon gift cards, so avoid those if you are looking for payment.

Some of the well-known online survey and research websites are Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, Toluna, i-Say, User Interviews and SurveyBods.

17. Do Paid Press Trips, Interviews and Speaking Gigs

If you have a blog or are a well-known expert in your field, then you can also generate income by going on paid press trips or doing paid interviews and speaking gigs. As your online business starts to grow and gain some recognition, you will be surprised to see how many invitations land in your inbox every week. You can also reach out to podcast hosts or individuals handling large conferences and introduce yourself.

I have only focused on doing paid interviews and press trips as of now, and can tell you that they are exceptionally profitable. Not only do you get good exposure, experience and an opportunity to create more content – but you can set your own hourly rate and negotiate to fit your demands. The last speaking gig that I did also gave me a platform to connect with people outside of my own audience and lead to a direct increase in my readership too!

18. Start a Pinterest Focused Business

Irrespective of what a company or an individual is selling, Pinterest is one platform that has proven to be a profitable tool for most, time and time again. If you look at this blog for example, then you might be surprised to find out that a huge chunk of the traffic actually comes from my Pinterest account.

So, if you like pinning content and are knowledgeable about Pinterest, then you can start your own business offering Pinterest-related services. From creating pins to uploading them, writing descriptions to optimizing the account and finding new trends – there is a lot that you can do to help a company drive sales and reach its marketing goals.

Additionally, you can also provide management services for platforms like Tailwind that many brands and bloggers use to schedule their pins. The opportunities are endless and you can easily make upwards of USD 400 per client for a monthly management package. Obviously, keeping in mind that you can provide good results to them and know what you are doing.

19. Selling Pre-Owned Clothing

Okay, let’s be completely honest here.

We all have clothes lying around in our wardrobes or storages, collecting dust, just because we don’t want to get rid of them. If you are anything like me, then even the thought of saying goodbye to your favourite things may sound daunting and iniquitous.

But, did you know that you could actually make money online by selling that underused dress that you have only worn once and most likely will never wear again? Clothing that still has its tags on and hasn’t been used also sells for a higher price (compared to used ones) on sites like eBay under the BNWT (Brand New with Tags) category.

Other resell platforms like Depop, Vinted, Poshmark, ThredUP, ASOS and Facebook Marketplaces are some great places to sell your clothes online. However, if you are not ready to bid adieu yet or have designer Indian and western clothing that you want to make some extra income with without selling, then you can also rent them online for the time being.

20. Flip Websites

If you have experience with creating and/or growing successful websites that drive high traffic, then you can also make money by flipping websites for a living.

In this method, you will have to purchase moderately successful websites and then focus on increasing their traffic, domain authority (DA) and income. Once they are generating more money or driving a higher number of visitors, then you can put them back on the market for a greater price. If you are familiar with the real estate market, then it may sound similar to flipping properties – only that this requires less monetary investment.

Some of the popular places for buying and selling websites are Flippa, Empire Flippers, Freemarket, Website Broker and Afternic. 

I hope you liked reading this post about different ways to make money online and learnt something new today. If there is any other way in which you are earning a living online, then please share them in the comments below. I would love to hear from you and maybe try them out!

And in case you have want to know more about the digital nomad life or any particular income stream, then do not hesitate to reach out. I would do my best to help you, as always.

Happy earning,
Charu xx

Want to keep reading? You might like “10+ Things That Might Be Harming Your Instagram Growth” and “10+ Apps To Create Beautiful Instagram Stories” too.

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