One of the most common questions a content creator, influencer, & blogger gets is – but how do you make money?
Just a few years ago, being a content creator or influencer was a joke. If anything it was a little side-hustle to make some extra money while you worked a 9-5 job. Most people were baffled by the idea of it and couldn’t fathom it being a full-time career. It was viewed as a trend that would quickly fade out.
Oh how wrong they were. Today, content creation is a $104.2 billion dollar industry and there are no signs of it slowing down!
But one of the most common questions I get as a content creator, influencer, blogger is -but how do you actually make money?
Below I’m going to spill all the tea! 🍵 I’m sharing the top 5 ways to make money as a content creator.
My Journey as a Content Creator
Most content creators didn’t follow a straight path to get to where they are, so I wanted to share a little bit of my personal story.
If we’re going WAY back – I’ve been a writer and photographer since I can remember. In middle school, I was the friend in my group who had a million disposable cameras (yes, I’m aging myself). I took pictures at slumber parties, school dances, and family functions. I loved capturing moments. I’d patiently wait for Walgreens to develop my photos and then make fun scrapbooks, collages on my neon colored bedroom walls, or gifts for friends.
Fast forward to my 20’s. While in college I interned with agencies in Miami Beach and volunteered with non-profits to manage their social media accounts for fashion shows. After receiving my Bachelors of Science in Fashion Marketing, I started working as a Social Media Coordinator.
Working in corporate for 5 years, I learned the in’s and out’s of digital marketing in the real world while also realizing that corporate life wasn’t for me. So, I picked up my life, moved to China, and taught English (a story for another blog post). But not before roading tripping across the US and starting a travel blog. It truly started as a passion project. It’d been a dream of mine and I wanted to document my life in China for my friends and family.
While living in Shanghai, I accidentally started freelancing again. I managed 3 social media accounts for brands in fitness and fashion, I dabbled in ghost writing for other travel bloggers, and before I knew it I had brands reaching out to give me free clothes and create content. Then Forbes reached out to me from this post to write for them and my life kinda changed from there.
I started taking my blog more seriously, looking for ways to monetize it, and started creating content on my social media platforms that drove traffic to my blog. But it wasn’t until 2 years later, when I quit my teaching job, and moved back to the US that my blog really took off and content creation became more of a job than a hobby.
If you’re reading this part and didn’t just skip down to the bullets of how to make money, I’m going to share one of my biggest mistakes with you.
When I realized I could monetize my blog, I started doing EVERYTHING to make money. I tried to take the shortcuts. I slapped some ads on my page, added some shitty backlinks, and sat back waiting to make the thousands of dollars a month. I’d seen other bloggers brag about making millions but back then no one was talking about HOW.
✨Spoiler alert✨ I didn’t make thousands or even hundreds from those shitty backlinks and ads.
The truth was, I needed to truly focus on just one of the streams below and actually do some hardwork. While “passive income” is a real thing, it’s NOT passive in the beginning. It’s actually a lot of work. It’s building a portfolio, designing a media kit, sending LOTS of pitches, creating a lot of valuable content on social media to drive traffic, grow an engaged audience, making (and sticking to) a schedule, and so much more.
Everyone’s path looks a little different because there are so many different platforms, niches, and ways to make money as a content creator. It’s really figuring out what you’re passionate about and what works best for you.
5 Ways to Make Money as a Content Creator
Sponsored Content
One of the most common ways content creators make money is through sponsored content. Sponsored content is when a brand pays a creator to create content promoting their product or service. This can include sponsored blog posts, videos, and social media posts. The key here is they are paying you to create and post on YOUR channels. To get started with sponsored content, you’ll need to build a following and establish yourself as an influencer in your niche.
Here’s an example of sponsored content on my TikTok for My Cooling Store and on my IG with Great Lakes Wellness.
Affiliate Marketing
Another way that content creators can make money is through affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is when a content creator promotes a product or service and earns a commission for every sale made through their unique affiliate link. This can include promoting products on your blog, social media, or YouTube channel.
An example of affiliate marketing on my channel is a post like this for Tula. I utilize the caption to share my code JJADVENTURES for 15% off & FREE SHIPPING over $40.
Advertising
Advertising is another way that content creators can make money. It can include placing ads on your blog, social media, or YouTube channel. A lot of social media platforms are starting to allow creators to create sponsored content that brands can turn into an ad. To get started with advertising, you’ll need to have a significant following and a large amount of traffic. Most advertising platforms (besides Google AdSense) require a certain number of page views per month; Mediavine is 50,000 unique sessions per month.
Selling Products and/or Services
Content creators can also make money by selling their own products or services. This can include creating and selling e-books, courses, webinars, and more. Additionally, content creators can also offer services such as consulting, coaching, or speaking engagements. The opportunities here are quite endless especially when you have an engaged audience that wants to either learn how to do what you do or is very interested in a niche product or service.
I offer consulting services for social media marketing, website development, brand collabs, workng remotely, moving abroad, traveling solo, etc. I regularly post a link like this to book a call with me on stories and to my email subscribers. My online travel boutique is where I sell physical products that fit with my travel niche.
Crowdfunding
Finally, content creators can make money by crowdfunding their work. Crowdfunding is when a content creator asks their audience to support their work by making a financial contribution. This can include platforms like Patreon, Kickstarter, or GoFundMe. I’ve even seen creators use BuyMeACoffee APP in their links. To succeed with crowdfunding, you’ll need to have a dedicated audience passionate about your work.
