8 ways you could make money using social media

We live in a time completely dominated by technology. It’s nearly impossible to go outside without seeing someone typing away on their phone, listening to music on their iPod, or getting work done on their laptop or tablet. Social media is particularly huge as of late, with 2.2 billion users on Facebook, 600 million users on Instagram, and 330 million on Twitter.

Years ago, there used to be a myth that celebrities and other influencers would get paid for some of the things that they posted online, but these days, this is no longer a myth. It’s common knowledge that these types of people get paid thousands for every single picture and tweet, but what isn’t so commonly known is that you can make money too. Here are eight ways that you could make money using social media.

To grow your small business

As any entrepreneur worth their salt knows, it’s pretty difficult to build up a successful small business without investing time and money into social media marketing. When you use social media for your business, you are opening up a line of communication with your customers, allowing them to speak to you whenever they need to. This is great for your customer service, as it allows you to reply almost instantly, and deal with any problems or questions your customer may have. These interactions help you to build up a rapport with your customers, which develops into loyalty to you and your brand, which is invaluable to any small business.

Sell rights to your photos

If you’re a talented photographer, then social media platforms like Flickr could earn you some money every now and then. Although it’s common to license photos on Flickr under Creative Commons, as this is usually the best way to reach a wide audience, it is also possible to sell them to bloggers, companies, and other people who might want to use them. Of course, you could also use other platforms to promote your photography, which could result in people asking you to take specific photographs for them.

Show off your artwork

If you like to paint, draw, sculpt, knit, or make any other type of craft or artwork, then you should showcase them across all of your social media platforms. Of course, Instagram and Pinterest are obvious places to start, but you should also use Tumblr, Facebook, and Twitter. If your work is good, it should start to receive lots of interest, which you can then turn into a source of income. All you need to do is create an eBay, Etsy, or Amazon account, and direct your followers there when they ask if you sell your work.

Promote affiliate products

One of the most popular ways to earn money using social media is by advertising and promoting other products and services related to the things you’re already interested in. You can do this in a number of ways, such as by contacting companies like bloggersconnected.com who put you in touch with brands and businesses. You could also join Amazon’s Affiliate Program, where you will be given a small percentage of any profits raised through sales made by a link on one of your posts. Just try not to spam too many links, or you’ll lose more followers than you gain.

Advertise your information products

If you already run a blog and have shown yourself to be an expert on a specific topic or subject, then there could be an opportunity for you to make some money using this knowledge. There are lots of different types of information products, such as ebooks, video courses, and audiobooks that you could create and sell to your audience. Just make sure that whatever you create is genuinely valuable to your followers, rather than just a money-making scheme, otherwise, those who do buy your product won’t be impressed, and you’ll start to lose followers quickly.

Post your musical talent

If you’ve got musical talent, then Soundcloud is one of the best platforms for you to use. Although it is a great place to get your singing noticed and have your chance at rock and roll stardom, it’s much more useful if you like to create catchy jingles and beats. If your music is good, you’re sure to get noticed by different companies and brands who want to become your clients and use your music for their television and radio adverts. To make this a lot more likely, you can share a link to your music on your other social media platforms to get more attention.

Create YouTube videos

Of course, not everyone has it in them to become a YouTube star, but if you have a lot of knowledge on a specific topic, an engaging and friendly personality, and know how to have a laugh, then you could be in with a shot. You could monetize your channel, so that you get a small amount of money for every view, and could also join the YouTube Partner Program, which allows Google to post ads at the start of your videos, for which you would also get paid. As your channel starts to grow, brands will also start to reach out and will offer to sponsor your videos.

Become a social media manager

If you don’t want to put your own social media accounts out there and would rather earn some money from behind the scenes, then you could start to manage the social media accounts of those that do. There are plenty of companies and celebrities that don’t have the time or knowledge to manage their own accounts and would rather hire someone to do this for them. Of course, a lot of these are internships, for which you wouldn’t be paid, but there are paid jobs out there too if you look hard enough.

There are tons of money-making opportunities on social media, many more than most people often realize, and you don’t have to be a Kardashian to take advantage. If you want to earn money through social media, then consider a few of the ways mentioned above.