You have an idea, a creative passion you feel compelled to act upon. It drives you so much that you take the plunge so many are too apprehensive to do and really do it. You write that book, record that podcasts, film your first YouTube video or whatever it might be. You did it, you creates something! Congrats, that’s a major accomplishmen. But that’s only the beginning. The goal is to turn your creative pursuits into a career, or at least a strong side hustle that can supplement your 9-5.

 

PODCAST

Sell Sponsorships

This is the number option for podcasters. If you have the fanbase and the download numbers (a good number would be several thousand listeners/downloads per episode), you can sell on-air ad space to sponsors. If you’re lucky some will approach you but more than likely you’ll need to get those first sponsors yourself so look for local businesses or companies/products that fit your subject matter and professionally approach them.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing can become an excellent source of income for podcasters. There are multiple ways you can approach this as well. You can sign-up for affiliate programs via companies like Amazon, Walmart, etc and add the kinks in your show descriptions. The more direct way is to go out and interview product creators and invite them on the show (just make sure when you interview them and when you share or discuss links, your listeners know they are affiliate links). You can also do a product review and add an affiliate link.

Ask For Donations

Listeners/fans are increasingly understanding how much time and effort is put into podcast and all forms of content creation by said creators and are more willing than ever to part with some of their money to support people and projects they like so don’t be afraid to ask for donations. You can set up a simple PayPal account for your blog people can donate to or set up a Patreon which is a membership platform that provides business tools for creators to run a subscription content service as well as ways for artists to build relationships and provide exclusive experiences to their subscribers, or “patrons.”

Repurpose Content And Sell It

Depending on what your podcast is about, you can take podcast posts and put them into a book or ebook. This is more time consuming and can be difficult but if you have an audience this can be quite profitable.

Host An Event

Most successful podcast are built as much on the hosts personality as the content they are actually discussing so if you are succeeding with your podcast a natural evolution would be to turn that into hosting and speaking gigs. Market yourself in your area and start booking engagements and appearances.

Sell Products

Continuing with the theme of using your personality to generate more income, again if your podcast is doing well you can turn that into products to sell. Shirts, hats, mugs, small things that people would be interested in purchasing and most importantly don’t require much money to start up anymore. There are plenty of online options that will let you design your product and then print/ship them on demand making it easy and safe for you to jump into.

 

 

YOUTUBE

For YouTubers the first thing to do is sign up to become a YouTube Partner. The process is easy enough, all you have to do is sign in to YouTube, go to Creator Studio, nab;e monetization “Monetization,” and follow the on-screen steps to accept the YouTube Partner Program Terms. There is a caveat here however. YouTube recently changed their monetization requirements to having 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours watched. Those are steep prerequisites for a new YouTuber but while you’re building your way towards those numbers there are a few ways you can make money off of your YouTube content.

Affiliate Marketing

Similar to the way you can use Affiliate marketing in your podcast, YouTube is great tool as it’s visual. Do your research and then reach out and once you connect with a product/service all you have to do is share. You can show how you use the product, why you love it, answer common questions, and more. You can do unboxing videos, tutorials, product reviews, and hauls. Include your affiliate link within the video description and/or within the video. And of course don’t forget to disclose!

Monetize YouTube with Brand Sponsors

Just like brands are working with bloggers for sponsorship opportunities, they’re looking for great YouTubers to share their products far and wide. And just like affiliate marketing, begin pitching companies that fit with your channel’s vibe with sponsorship opportunities and make something happen!

Monetize Your Channel with Community Sponsors

YouTube has had the Sponsor option available for gaming channels for a while and have now started beta testing the option with non-gaming channels. So for $5 a month, your biggest fans can sponsor your channel and they will give them a badge that displays by their name in your comments section. You can also offer them special perks like sponsor-only content. Creators receive 70% of the revenue after local sales tax is deducted. To see if you have this option available, head over to Channel click Status and Features then Sponsorships.

Become an Amazon Influencer

Amazon recently introduced their Influencer Program which allows social media influencers on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to earn money through their Amazon recommendations. Once approved, you will have the ability to create a page on Amazon filled with products you recommend. You can then just share the personalized link on your social media channels. When someone clicks through and buys, you will earn a commission on approved product categories. Bonus: Influencers can also link to their page within emails! Something not offered to regular Amazon Associates. This program is not open to everyone, you have to apply and be accepted into the program.

Benefit from YouTube Red Subscribers

YouTube Red is the subscription service that users can buy that eliminates ads from their videos. As a YouTube Creator, you can start receiving a commission based on how much time Red subscribers are spending on your videos from day one so create that compelling and consistent content and you can at least start making a little money via Red while you work your way towards the YouTube Partnership requirements.

Sell Merch

If your channel or brand really takes off and develops a life of its own you can create and sell specially branded merchandise in your videos. As mentioned earlier, t-shirts, mugs, canvas bags, and things like that can be great merch options, and there are several different drop-shippers available so you won’t have to mess with inventory or invest a ton of money initially. This is also another opportunity to use that Amazon Influencer link.

BLOGS

Blogs and websites also offer multiple ways to generate income that can be automated and just require you to focus on creating content and building the blog’s brand.

Google Adsense

Google AdSense is a program run by Google that serves automatic text, image, video, or interactive media advertisements, that are targeted to site content and audience. You signup, then apply, and once your blog is accepted you place a piece of code into your site and boom you have ads on your site and get paid every time one is clicked. The is a must for bloggers and should be the first thing you do once your blog is up and running.

Affiliate Programs

Affiliate marketing strikes again and again is a great way to build up your income. People buy a product via your personal affiliate link and you earn a commission. Like Adsense you place a piece of code into your blog and it appears and you can start making commissions on sales.

Paid Posts

Paid posts or paid reviews can generate some cash flow. You see it fairly often in markets where there is a lot of reading and community, where people buy stuff, but where there isn’t a clear transformation.

Become an in-demand freelance blogger

If you’re a blogger, then you already have the skills to become an on-demand freelance blogger. A quick google search can lead you to plenty of larger blogs that need a high volume of content that are looking for blog posts they can publish. If you’re good enough and prolific enough free-lancing can earn you more money than your own blog especially in the early days of your blog while you’re trying to build an audience.

 

And there you have it. The ways to make money as a content creator. So if you are blogging, podcasting, our YouTubeing take the information here, apply it to what you’re doing and start making money from your creativity!

 

Written by @TalentedMrFord

Follow him on Instagram & Twitter