Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Have you ever wished you could stretch your arms out towards the sky and pluck a few $100 bills from a tree? No? Just me? Okay, fine. But, I’m pretty sure you’ve wished that you had more money at 11:11 (both am and pm). Don’t you dare lie. We’ve all got money on the brain, and that’s fine. But, in order to make money online, we need to do more than just make wishes or set goals. We need a concrete action plan.
I’m huge on saving money, and I’m always encouraging my fellow creative entrepreneurs to set an allowance for themselves based on their income and fixedmonthly expenses. But, if you don’t make money, how are you supposed to save it?
So many people haven’t figured out their passion yet. But, that doesn’t disqualify them from making money online.
If you don’t yet know what excites you, focus on what you’re good at.
Although I’ve flirted with a few brick-and-mortar ideas, I prefer the flexibility of operating an online business and the reach online businesses have. I’ve been a sometimes-full-time-sometimes-part-time freelance writer for the past ten years, and I’ve acquired a few tips and tricks along the way.
Table of Contents
Here is how I make money online and how you can too—even if you haven’t figured out your passion yet.
Image from www.unsplash.com
1. Make a list of all your skills
After I decided not to renew my teaching contract in Macau, I had to figure out how I would generate income. Writing has always been my thing, so I decided to focus on helping creative entrepreneurs make more money online by creating content.
What are you good at?
Make a list of all your skills. What do people usually come to you for?
How can you monetize your skills?
You’d be surprised to know what people would pay to make their lives a little easier. Kim Kardashian used to organize celebrities’ closets, take the clothes they no longer wanted, and sell them on eBay. She was getting paid double for the same task.
Are you super organized? Perhaps you could be a virtual assistant. You could do tasks like handling customer service, invoicing clients, scheduling social media content, etc.
Do you have an eye for design? You could provide graphics for blogs and Pinterest accounts, or even create web sites.
If you need added value, you could always team up with another entrepreneur and leverage each other’s skills.
For example: You have a great eye for design, but you have zero branding experience. Having a solid brand identity is super important, as it helps customers differentiate you from other companies. What’s more, it enables you to develop an emotional connection with your clients. So, teaming up with a branding specialist would increase the value of your services.
Don’t let a lack of skills in one area prevent you from getting in business. There is hope. Team up with the right person and start making money online.
Remember: Your money-making activity doesn’t have to be your passion, but you should enjoy it.
2. Set your moneygoal(s) for the month
How much money do you want to make? I said earlier that goal setting wasn’t everything, but it is something.
You can set big or small targets, but you’ll have to plan accordingly.
Once you determine the amount, figure out what it represents.
What does $1000 represent? Four clients at $250 each? Two clients at $500 each?
Create your special packages. What is $250 of your work worth? Will you design a sales page or write an About Me page? Package your services. For example, instead of designing one pin for $10, create a package of 10 pins for $100.
As for me, I sell monthly packages. When it comes to services, the least amount of clients per month the better. You’ll want to give your full attention to each client, and you don’t want to get lost in a sea of different tasks. Price your packages accordingly. Make sure theyrepresent great value for your client.
3. Make a list of daily tasks you’ll have to do to achieve that goal
Who are the clients you seek? Where do they hang out? What do you have to do every day to interest people in the plans you’re offering?
If you want to make money online, you have to be clear about your target audience. You have to give them what they want and promote your services.
Write down every single thing that you have to do.
Tasks could include:
- Identifying your target audience
Who do you want to serve? Who needs the services you provide? What are their main problems? Where are they? (Go to the places they hang out and listen to the conversations surrounding their problems. You’ll want to use those same words in the content you create to promote yourself.)
- Creating a web site or a graphic to advertise your services.
- Creating an account on Upwork and submitting 5 proposals a day
Pro tip: Jen of Otherword.ly suggests adjusting the parameterson Upwork to show only the clients that are looking for experts (they pay more). You can also set the price minimum to $500 (or more), and you’ll only be shown jobs that pay at least that. Getting high-paying clients on Upwork could supplement your package clients.
- Creating Instagram and Pinterest accounts with your ideal customer in mind.
- Joining Facebook groups and connecting with fellow entrepreneurs 20 minutes daily
I’m definitely a fan of using social media to make money online.
Consider taking a day out of the week to prepare your social media calendar. Use Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule your content. Search hashtags on social media that your ideal clients are using, and interact with those accounts by liking and commenting on posts with those hashtags.
Make genuine comments. Leaving an emoji won’t cut it.
On a daily basis, you could pick two potential clients, and give them advice related to your area of expertise. Get to know them and allow them to get to know you. They may be interested in being a paying client if they find your advice helpful.
4. Invest in your knowledge
You may not have found your passion yet, but you sure are a hard worker. You know that making money online requires an investment of time and money.
There are many courses available to you. When choosing a course, read the testimonials and check out the entrepreneur’s profile. Have they achieved the results they’re saying their course will help you achieve? Think of the return on investment. Will this course help you make money online?
Once you choose a course, stick to it. Your money is valuable.
I’ve just listed four things you can do to make money online even if you haven’t discovered your passion yet. Eventually, you’ll want to discover what your passion is, and perhaps even monetize it. Until you do, choose something you’re good at, refine your skills, and market yourself to your target audience. Remain consistent. Write things down. And make that money online.
