5 Best Online Side Hustles you can Start Right NOW

5 Online side hustles you can start right NOW / Photo by Justin Veenema of Unsplash.com

Aside from having a job, online hustles might be necessary. Each year the cost of living is becoming very expensive. In my college days, I thought that after I graduate, I would work, and if I would earn $400 per month, then I’d be fine. No doubt that $400 is a lot of money and some are still able to survive living below a $400 monthly income. But if you are reading this today, wouldn’t it be great if you have other ways to earn extra cash? Some side income you can earn to you pay your bills?

Before, it was difficult because you need to be physically present in a workplace to earn money. But the revolution of the internet has provided the means to earn a side income working from home. Online side hustles are becoming much available and much more profitable.

Here are side hustles you can start right now

Instagram theme pages

Growing an Instagram theme page / Photo by Erik Lucatero from Unsplash.com

The first impression you’d say, “I am not a millennial” to start this online hustle, and you do not know Instagram. This method may sound like a “Millenials only” strategy, but it is actually not. Almost anyone, at any age, with a smartphone and internet can grow an Instagram theme page. So what is actually a theme page? A theme page is an Instagram account but focuses specifically on one niche. Say, if you are in the shoe niche, you only post anything related to shoes.

So how can this work for you? 

This is not an easy money scheme, for this to work you need to grow a broad audience, you need to increase your followers. Keep posting photos at least twice a day to keep your account active. And be active in the community. Being active means, you need to comment on other Instagram pages. This will increase your visibility to other users. And after you are able to grow your Instagram account it will become a money-making machine for you.

So how can you make your Instagram theme page profitable online side hustle?

The first is from direct advertising

Brands will definitely take notice of your account once you have lots of followers. They will ask you to post a product and you earn by charging each post. How much to charge a client per post is something you need to discover along the way. Do not charge too much so your account will be very attractive for advertising.

The second is from affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a method of promoting a product online using a link. You will earn your commissions every time there is a sale from your promotion.

Affiliate marketing applies to Instagram.  What’s nice with affiliate marketing is, you are trying to sell a product online, but you don’t need an inventory, you don’t need a website, and you only need an active Instagram account.

You can share your affiliate links on your posts and Instagram stories. And every time someone purchases a product or a service using your link, you receive a commission. A reminder, only promote affiliate links that are related to your niche. This is a sure way of earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month using only Instagram as an online side hustle.

Writing an e-book

Writing an e-book / Photo by Perfecto Capucine from Unsplas.com

An e-book is an electronic version of a book and sold on platforms like Amazon kindle. This can be a convenient online hustle for someone who loves to write or tell a story. A couple of years back, writing a book was such a big task. There was also production and distribution that both need a huge upfront investment. But now, the production and distribution are simpler and all you need is the inspiration to put up a good e-book. There is even Amazon’s self-publishing program that will help you sell your book. Publishing e-books is a good way to earn if you love writing. 

So how can you pick topics that would sell?

First is searching within yourself what topics you can write. Second, got to  Amazon, key in on the search keywords and phrases from that niche. You can take-off on writing topics on books recommended from your search. This is a sure way that you are writing for a topic that people are searching and buying.

The book you are writing doesn’t have to be long but it needs to be interesting. If you love writing, invest your time in writing ebooks because you will earn from something that you enjoy doing.

Freelancing Platforms

Freelancing / Photo by : Brad Neathery from Unsplash.com

A lot of businesses take their business online, while starting is easy, growing that business is a different story. It takes a lot of time to operate an online business. And that is where you can step-in, and online side hustle as a freelancer. Websites like Fiverr and Freelancers are good communities to meet clients that are willing to pay you a lot of money. There is a lot of online demand for special skills that are valuable to online businesses. 

The following are among the most profitable skills you can offer online:

• Graphics designing
• Content Writing
• Social Media Marketing
• Video Editing
• Virtual Assistant

There are tons of profitable services you can actually offer on Fiverr and Freelancers. But the five examples above are special mentions because they relate to running an online business. It is a market trend, and services related to this direction are in demand. If none of the services above matches your online qualifications, you can actually sign up for Fiverr to gain more insights on how you can market your talent.

Freelancing is the best way to earn money because you are offering something that you are good at, and you have the freedom to work on hours you like. If you are thinking of starting an online hustle now, better start as a freelancer.

Producing an Online course

Selling online courses / Photo by Christina from Unsplash.com

As more people are going to the internet to learn a new skill, online courses are in demand. This is a very good investment, especially for those who love teaching. And if you are a teacher by profession, I would suggest that you produce an online course and sell it on platforms like Fiverr Learn or Skillshare. 

The thought of producing an online lesson might be overwhelming at first, but if you devote a specific amount of your time, then it is actually not that hard. The most important thing here is you have a skill that you are confident of teaching. Start by writing the topics on a piece of paper, then proceed in writing the outline of your course. Then start recording your online course. You don’t even need to show your face on the video, you can create an online course which is a voice-over of a screen record. But please note that people are very visual, so there is a need to invest in a good camera if you want an online course that would sell.

Growing a Facebook Page

Growing a Facebook Page / Photo by William Iven from Unsplash.com

Now, many have realized that growing a social media account is a profitable online hustle. Facebook is side by side with Google as the most popular website in the world. Facebook shelters loads of communities that you can tap to promote a product or show online content to earn money. It is like your neighborhood, most are there to live and socialize, while others start a business. And if you start today, that community will be your customers. Like Instagram, to make this strategy work, you need to increase your online presence by having a good number of followers. This online hustle is similar to securing future sales later on.

Inside a Facebook Page, you can monetize videos like on YouTube. You can also offer paid promotions to local businesses. And if you are an affiliate marketer or you own a dropshipping store, then Facebook is one of the best places you can promote a product. There are actually dropshippers who do not run paid ads but are earning thousands and even millions of dollars a month. What they do, is they operate hundreds of Facebook Pages in different niches. 

Growing a Facebook page may take some time and you will not see financial results when you are starting. Like any business, do not expect to see a profit on your first to even the third month of operation. You start will be painful. But once you can establish a good online presence, then selling an online product will not be difficult. Just remember, do not spam your page with products you are promoting, give value to your audience. Provide content that will keep followers engaged inside your page, and after you have their attention, go and sell. 

So what is the best online side hustle for you? And when should you start? 

The best online hustle would depend on what you choose or what you love implementing. The best time for you to start is right after you read this article. Pick one, then start digging deeper into that strategy, and take action. Each day you spend thinking about what strategy you should follow, somebody else has started on that niche and you wasted a day of opportunity to earn. But if you really need some piece of advice, then start with Freelancing.