8 Side Hustles You Can Do to Make Money Online in 2021

You could quickly solve most of your problems if you had a way to generate extra income. Because your laptop can as well be an office, remote work is your best bet for paying bills, getting rid of debts, and even quitting your 9-5 grind to explore other aspects of life.

Making money online means that you get a chance to balance work and family, live anywhere you want, and connect with like-minded people from all corners of the globe. The benefits are almost endless!

Most people want to work online but don’t know how to make it happen. If you’re one of them, don’t worry because you’re in the right place.

Now, let’s talk about the side hustles you can do to make money online. All of them are easy and legit. Here we go:

Do Freelance Jobs

A good number of online jobs revolve around freelancing. You earn money by doing specific tasks for clients without being employed. Nothing is more fun than putting your skills to work through freelance services.

If you possess any digital skill, you can join any of the following freelancing platforms to get started:

• Fiverr
• Upwork
• PeoplePerHour

Other ways to find freelance jobs online include job boards, Facebook groups, and cold emails. You only have to find one or two reliable sources and stick with them. This approach makes it easy to dig deep into your chosen strategies and grow your business quickly.

One good thing about doing freelance jobs is that you don’t need to be an expert who studied a specific school subject. Your skills are what matter the most. If one client loves your work, getting the next one, and making them feel the same isn’t challenging to accomplish.

That’s why it’s essential to please your first client. If they find your work impressive, they’ll offer you more jobs, refer you to new clients, or spread the word about you.

Become an Affiliate Marketer

Creating a product for sale can be a challenging thing to do. With affiliate marketing, you make money selling products that you don’t own. The commission rates vary a lot but can go up to 100 percent in some cases.

Your first step as an affiliate marketer is to identify your niche. You can’t put DVD players in front of Netflix users and expect thousands of sales. It’s best to understand the needs of your target audience before deciding on the product to promote.

You can find thousands of legit products in the following affiliate marketplaces:

• ClickBank
• Amazon Associates
• CJ Affiliate

Choose to promote products with high commission rates and more extended cookie tracking periods to get the best out of your efforts. Your social media accounts, landing pages, and email lists are useful for sending traffic to your affiliate links.

Whatever marketing strategy you use, always give your audience a reason to buy the product. Don’t just post your links all over the place. It’s even better if you can provide some testimonials highlighting how others found success using the product.

Create a Blog for Money

There’s some difference between blogging as a hobby and doing it for money. As a hobby, blogging lets you share your thoughts, stories, and ideas for free. You can quickly turn this around and start making money as a blogger.

You only have to find a niche that has the potential of enabling you to earn money from blogging. Doing some research online gives you insight into the things different types of people struggle to get right. It can be finances, relationships, fashion, or even caring for their pets.

Once you have a niche, build your website using website builders or a web developer and then start publishing some content. Monetizing a blog occurs through the following ways:

• Ads
• Sponsored posts
• Affiliate marketing
• Selling your products

You’ll need a decent amount of traffic to get the best out of your blog. As soon as your blog is live, it would be best to promote it to everyone interested in such content.

Write Guest Posts

Don’t feel like creating a blog?  You still have another option. You can make money by publishing guest posts on other blogs.

Many blogs pay guest writers to post their content. A straightforward way to find such opportunities is by searching “write for us + your niche” on Google. You’ll find websites looking for content from new writers.

If you want to be sure of getting paid, only submit your articles to sites that mention paying for guest posts. You may also want to send a pitch and include an inquiry about payments.

For blogs that allow it, add your affiliate links to earn more money or social links to get more followers. Most of them accept 2-3 links for each post. Be sure only to insert links where relevant.

Flip Domains

Since the Internet came into being, domain flipping has been an online investment that brings lots of profits. The idea is simple: you buy a domain with the intent of selling it at a higher price. However, this venture requires some work beyond buying and selling.

Today, it’s challenging to find a golden domain name to resell. Most of them have been claimed by individuals, companies, and other domain flippers. It would be best to acquire any unused names as soon as they come to mind. 

You can have an idea of the domains that are marketable by researching on the Internet. The same research enables you to find existing domains on sale and also the expired ones.

An essential thing in the domain flipping business is to know how to reach potential buyers. Negotiation is another skill that is essential for your success as a domain flipper.

Sell Used Items Online

You can sell any product online if you present it before the right customers. It’s not always about being brand new. The old items in your storage room might as well be gold!

You may have bought something and later realized that you don’t need it. Or maybe you had an upgrade. The best course of action, aside from donating the item, is selling it to willing buyers.

Some online marketplaces that accept used items are:

• Amazon
• Craigslist
• eBay

Always ensure that the items are in good condition before putting them up for sale. If you want to sell a book, for instance, all the pages must be intact. The last thing you need is an unsatisfied customer leaving negative reviews all over your products.

Another thing worth knowing is that not everything can be sold as a used item. Some products that may fall into this category are clothes, toys, and cosmetics. Be sure to follow all the guides of the platform you choose for selling. 

Publish Sponsored Posts on Instagram

Instagram is a leading social media platform where you can earn money posting content sponsored by brands. While it might not be Apple or Hulu that knocks on your door at first, you can work with smaller brands whose products might appeal to your followers.

More companies than ever are adopting influencer marketing as their preferred Internet marketing strategy. Reaching out to businesses that fit your brand can get you some deals. They’re more likely to consider you if your engagement rate is better than theirs.

Influencer marketplaces are also useful for finding brands that you can collaborate with. Some of the top influencer marketplaces are:

• indaHash
• Intellifluence
• Glambassador

Brands pay for sponsored posts through cash or free products that are worth a particular value. If you don’t know what to charge, use the influencer earnings calculators available online to decide on a number.

Sell Stock Photos

If you love taking pictures, it’s high time you start making money off it. You don’t need a lot of experience or expensive equipment for it to work. Your smartphone can get the job done with perfection.

There are several sites where users can upload photos for sale. You get paid when someone purchases the right to use your images.

Some of the biggest photography marketplaces are:

• Shutterstock
• iStock
• 500PX

If your phone can take pictures of 4 Megapixels and above, you’re good to go. The higher the quality of the pictures you post, the better your chances of getting sales. Also, uploading more photos makes it easy for buyers to find them.

Bear in mind that you must be the owner of anything you sell online to avoid legal problems.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to making money online, everyone is qualified. All the opportunities in this list make perfect side hustles for generating extra income. If you want a new career, an online business can help you accomplish that.

Don’t be overwhelmed. Explore your skillset to find out what suits you from the list. Soul-searching also helps in coming up with reliable decisions.

Remember that you may not see the fruits right away. Your drive and optimism will help you make money online.

Author – Mike Stuzzi is an Internet entrepreneur and blogger at The Money Galileo. He loves writing about money and wealth. During his free time, you’ll find him watching business shows or caring for his pets.