Are you wondering how you can make money writing online? If you are, you are reading the right article.
When I started writing a few years ago, the last thing on my mind was making money out of it.
I started by writing Facebook articles, and before long, I got a lot of readers who enjoyed my write-ups.
My goal back then was to get a job as a newspaper columnist. As far as I knew, that was the only way to make money writing. Either that or I’d have to write and sell books, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go through that hassle.
Before getting any newspaper column job, many online friends started telling me to set up a blog. I didn’t even know what a blog was back then. But from what I learned, you could make money writing online if you blog.
That was how I started tobyhse.com, a blog where I wrote about Health, Safety, and Environment.
Between then and now, I have set up about five different blogs. I have equally made a good share of money offering different writing services.
If you love writing, this should be good news for you. It means you can make money writing online too.
Imagine getting paid to do what you love. Others are already doing it, and so can you.
In this blog post, I will share with you 27 different ways you can make money writing online.
Are you set?
Let’s go.
1. Blogging
Blogging is one of the oldest ways to make money writing online. It is actually a gateway for other online money-making opportunities.
You may be worried that it is out of fashion or not so lucrative because there are so many blogs, and the steep competition makes it hard for beginners to find it profitable.
That’s not really the case. Your blog can get enough traffic and make you some money if you write what people want to read and you are consistent.
The quality of information on your blog can draw people’s attention to your writing expertise and get you hired.
Also, you can focus on a niche and dominate it rather than creating generic content.
Don’t worry, your readers will find you.
2. Create affiliate marketing content
This is one of the ways to maximize your blog or website content to make extra money.
Affiliate marketing allows you to make money from promoting a product through a special link. When people buy through your link, you get a commission.
For example, when you write content on healthy diet plans for weight loss, you can link a diet product on Amazon and get paid as an affiliate marketer.
3. Publish an Ebook
One of the ways to show credibility as a writer online is through Ebooks. I mean, the word “authority” contains the word “author.”
Even better, you get to make money doing so.
You can write fiction, non-fiction, self-help books, or guides and self-publish them online.
When I wrote my e-book, You Too Can Write, I published it online, created a sales page, and ran some ads.
I remember it was Christmas, and I was with my family, but I was getting credit alerts through my book sales.
A few months later, I self-published it on Amazon.
Self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing can help you keep making money with your Ebook as passive income.
And just like I did, you can market your ebook on your blog or website to improve your sales.
4. Write on a revenue-sharing site
Revenue-sharing sites are great for creating content without owning your own site. That means they host your content for free on their own site.
Even better, you get paid a percentage of their ad revenue when you post your content.
You can try the Medium Partner Program to get paid for your content on Medium.
5. Use a freelance marketplace
Freelance marketplaces are platforms where freelance jobs are published by those needing the services, and freelancers can easily get hired.
If you are just starting out, a freelance marketplace may be good for you to get writing gigs that pay while you build your portfolio.
Some of the popular freelance marketplaces are Upwork, Fiverr, and Peopleperhour.
6. Join a freelance writing agency
Freelance writing agencies do the work of finding a suitable client for you. You simply get to write and be paid monthly or per writing gig.
You can make a simple Google or Linkedin search for “writing agency” and follow the prompts. You will get a lot of hits from that simple search.
I will advise that you find one within your region for ease of payment and other factors.
7. Guest blogging
Guest blogging is simply writing a blog post for another blog. Some blogs may need a guest blogger to improve their blog traffic, niche relevance, or any other reason, and they pay for it.
The benefits are more than just making money online. You can link your own blog posts to your guest blogging posts and drive traffic to your blog as well while improving your SEO ratings.
Take a look at the image below. That is a typical example of guest blogging. Not only did the blog owner pay me for my article, but I also got a chance to link back to my website.
When trying out guest blogging, you have to familiarize yourself with the blog to know its content style and how your content can be relevant to them.
8. Write content for local businesses
Who says you can only make money writing online by searching for opportunities online?
The world around you is full of opportunities, you only need to milk it.
Many local businesses near you lack proper online credibility and you can offer your services to help them.
For example, your local gym center may have a blog or website that has been laying dormant, you can propose a writing contract to help them boost the activity around their online site, which can, in turn, give the business a boost.
9. Write sponsored content
Sponsored content is just like influencer marketing. Brands pay you to write a post on your blog that promotes their product without making an outright advert for the product.
For example, a Mascara brand could pay a beauty blog to write a post about using a particular mascara and how that brand product is great.
Sponsored content can make you a ton of money online since your potential clients are businesses.
Whenever you see an article with the tag “sponsored” as shown below, it means it is sponsored content.
I have made some money from a couple of business brands that needed me to write a sponsored post on one of my other blogs.
They often write the article themselves and all you have to do is publish it.
However, this means you need to have a blog.
Trending ways to make money writing online
10. Ghostwriting online content
This was how I made my first $50 online. It is one of the best paying ways to make money writing online if you have the expertise it requires.
You have to write in another person’s tone and you relinquish rights to your work.
This is also why it pays so well because writers need a lot of money to allow someone else to take credit for their hard work.
Ghostwriting gigs can go from ebooks to blog posts or online articles. You might want to try it out.
11. Transcribe video content
Transcribing requires you to produce written words for video content. It is easy to work if you have the right tools and expertise.
But, you may have to build your portfolio with less-paying jobs before you can start making big money. The important thing is to have a good number of high-quality works on your portfolio first.
12. Start copywriting
Copywriting is where the buzz is right now for most freelance writers trying to make money online.
This is because it pays so well, and there are no shortages of work to be done. Businesses constantly seek great copywriters to market their brands and products through content.
You can get a piece of the action too. You only need to brush up on your marketing and creative skills.
13. SEO writing
An important marketing tool for businesses these days is search engine optimization content. And they are ready to pay good money to freelance writers to get the job done.
An SEO writer is a writer that figure out what people are searching for just by looking at keywords, and writes excellent content based on those keywords.
This makes SEO writers one of the best-paid freelance writers because they know how to get great SEO results for their clients.
14. Write product descriptions
Most companies need writers to write informative product descriptions that can give customers a clear understanding of the product and push them to buy.
Product descriptions are usually short, so it is easy to find companies outsourcing them to freelance writers. You can make a little extra cash per hour or per gig writing product descriptions.
15. Write technical guides
Tech writing is another way you can make money writing online. The catch is that you will require expertise in a particular industry before you can work as a tech writer.
If you don’t already know about the tech industry you want to work in, it will be difficult to get a job as a tech writer. Also, you need to be able to break down your writing in such a way that readers can understand.
Once these are sorted out, you can start making money online as a technical writer.
16. Create social media content
Most businesses rely on their online presence to gain new customers, boost sales and maintain relevance. This is where your services become handy.
Creating social media content means that you have to understand how social media works and how best to reach the demography of users your clients need.
Offer to manage social media platforms for small businesses with difficulty keeping their social media handles active.
Or, you can take up any of the numerous job offers on job boards for social media managers and content creators.
17. Video scriptwriting
The trending rush for video content comes with the need for video scriptwriting. You can make money online writing scripts for video content.
The good thing is, you have a wide range of target clients to choose from. Video script writing can be for video tutorials, marketing content for businesses, or even online courses for people and brands.
Other ways to make money online with your writing
18. Start online coaching
Many people are looking for guidance on their writing career, and you can help them. Start an online coaching series to teach beginners the nitty-gritty of writing.
If you already have a niche, you can extend your coaching to more than just the writing aspect of your niche.
You can promote your coaching program on your blog site through adverts or content that hints at the program.
This is excellent for boosting your brand as an authority in writing while making extra money online.
19. Create your own information products
Information products can range from PDF files, short ebooks, videos, or any other material that contains useful information for people to buy.
Here’s an example of a class I held in 2020 to teach freelance writers how to write compelling headlines.
This differs from coaching, which is more personalized and may require one-on-one sessions.
For information products, you can create a course that is open to anyone to buy, and you do not have to do anything more than put the product out to be accessed by users.
This is great for making money online passively with the knowledge you have.
20. Place Ads on your site
If your site is already getting traffic, then advert placements might just be right for you.
Ads generate money based on cost-per-mile (CPM) or cost-per-click (CPC). This means that you can either make money for every impression on the ad or for every click on the ad.
The more traffic your website or blog has, the more money you can make from Ads.
21. Use old clients
Your clients can be your gateway to making more money online with your writing. This is why great customer experience is vital.
Delivering high-quality work for your clients can get you referrals to high-paying clients and constant jobs.
This is even better when your client has a circle of professionals who need your services, you can become the circle’s go-to writer, and it can only grow from there.
For better results, offer your old clients referral benefits, like discounted services and more.
22. Cold pitch
Cold pitching is one of the effective ways of keeping yourself in business. It involves reaching out to potential clients without them asking.
To use this technique, you must know how to write a captivating pitch or risk getting rejected.
Research the writing needs of the business you want to pitch, let them know why they should hire you, and be professional about it.
23. Tell people
People are your greatest resource, so use them. Tell people what you do, you’ll be surprised to find out who has always needed your services or who would refer you.
To effectively use this means to improve your income, you need to network a lot. Meet and interact with other freelance writers and professionals in the industry where your target clients are.
24. Promote your writing on social media
Social media allows you to reach a larger audience than your immediate circle. This means you can get more exposure on social media.
Promoting your writing on social media opens doors to getting clients to write for and make money online.
25. Offer other related services
If you are a writer online, chances are you have developed other helpful skills through writing online.
For example, graphic designing is one of the skills accompanying online writing because you have to make appealing designs for your content cover and product promotions.
You can leverage these extra skills to make money online as a writer. Some of the skills that come with writing that you can make money from are; digital marketing, content strategy, virtual assistance, content editing, web development, and more.
26. Answer professional questions online
Answering questions online adds value to others and boosts your image as a reliable authority in your industry.
Basically, you promote yourself while giving value. Most professionals do this, and it opens up doors to getting paid jobs.
For example, on Quora, most people will add links to their blog for users to get more information on a particular question being answered, this drives traffic to their blog while creating more opportunities.
Also, there are platforms like JustAnswer where you get paid to give professional answers to questions. But, you’ll have to prove that you are a professional before getting started.
27. Offer free services
Sometimes you can create value for your services and attract paying jobs through free offers.
For example, the first writing job I got came from non-paid guest blog I wrote. I was able to build a community after a few weeks and one day a potential client reached out.
I was writing for free, but I got my first paying client through it.
Let’s Make Money Writing Online
Now you know the drill. As a beginner or a seasoned writer, you can improve your chances of making money writing online.
There are so many opportunities out there and so many ways to attract the jobs you need to make money writing online.
With the few insights from this article, I hope you know what you can do now to make money online with your writing. It is now time to take a leap!
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