10 Ways to Make Remote Income Online

1. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is essentially a collaborative advertising agreement with a brand. It is most efficient when you join forces with companies that you already have a preference for and admire. Thus, when promoting their products, you are genuinely recommending them to your followers.

The way I initially began making money online was through this method, and it proves to be an excellent source of passive income once all the necessary elements are established.

How Affiliate Marketing Works

When you join a company’s affiliate marketing program and your application is approved, you will be granted access to a dashboard containing links and banners. These resources can be used to promote the company’s products on your social media platforms, website, or blog.

In order to avoid internal partner management, certain companies opt for a third party affiliate marketing program. AvantLink, for instance, is utilized by numerous companies including REI, Hydroflask, and Patagonia. The process begins by creating an account with AvantLink and establishing a payment method. Subsequently, one can proceed to apply to specific brands they wish to collaborate with.

2. YouTube Ads

In the beginning of 2018, I reached a sufficient number of followers on my YouTube channel to be able to make money through YouTube’s Partner Program (YPP). As a result, my YouTube videos now contain advertisements and I receive payment from Google AdSense, the parent company of YouTube.

In order for a YouTube channel to qualify for monetization, it must satisfy the subsequent minimum criteria:

1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time within the past 12 months OR
1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days

Although I am not an expert in YouTube or videography, I believe that my niche of creating videos centered around solo female van life played a significant role in the initial growth of my channel between 2017 and 2018. Prior to producing van life videos, my channel mainly consisted of a few travel videos that received very little attention. The three most popular videos on my YouTube channel, namely “Van Tour: Self-Converted Ford Transit Camper Van,” “Van Life As A Solo Female,” and “Solo Female Van Life: Living on the Road Full-Time,” gained massive traction with over 500,000 views each and accounted for the majority of the 35K+ subscriptions I had up until I started using YouTube Shorts in 2023.

I was able to rapidly increase my subscriber count to over 90K thanks to YouTube Shorts, which are vertical videos under 60 seconds. Currently, the platform seems to prioritize Shorts over longer content. In February 2023, YouTube started allowing creators to monetize their Shorts through in-feed ads. For more information on monetizing YouTube Shorts, you can visit this link.

To have a clear plan of action, I suggest selecting a broad subject area or multiple areas in which you have a strong interest and creating videos for enjoyment. It’s important to stay authentic and true to your own personality.

3. Website Ads

Apart from enabling Google AdSense to display ads in my YouTube videos, I also employ Google AdSense on my website.

To reduce clutter and spamminess, I limited the number of ads per page to 4. Since I was already utilizing Google Adsense for YouTube, I simply connected my website to my account and enabled “auto ads,” allowing Google to automatically display ads across my website in the most suitable locations.

While other platforms are used by bloggers to earn money from ads on their websites, my preference is to centralize all my ad earnings with one company for easier income reporting on my taxes and simpler management.

First, I receive payment based on impressions, which is when someone views one of the ads. Additionally, I earn a higher payment if someone interacts with the ad by clicking on it. Moreover, I receive an even greater payment if someone makes a purchase after clicking on one of the ads featured on my site.

To successfully use this method, it is essential to have a website or blog. Like affiliate marketing, the amount of money you earn increases as your website attracts more visitors.

4. Crowdfunding on Patreon

Patreon is an amazing platform for individuals who want to support creators they believe in by making monthly financial pledges. It is perfect for both professional content creators and those who have aspirations in fields such as writing, photography, videography, comedy, or music. With Patreon, you can build a dedicated audience and earn money while pursuing your passion.

Thanks to my amazing Patrons, I was able to fund the production expenses for my travel documentary series, “The Giving Journey,” which focuses on ecotourism and volunteer tourism in Central America. I initially created my Patreon page to support this project and it helped me cover the costs of camera equipment and other necessary expenses.

Currently, I make use of my Patreon account in a broader sense to create a community that provides support for my content related to adventure travel, van life, off-grid living, and farmsteading.

A large number of YouTubers I’ve encountered during my travels have transitioned or broadened their video distribution to Patreon. This is due to Patreon being a simpler alternative to the obscure payment system of YouTube ads, and it provides a direct and more fulfilling means of engaging with one’s fanbase.

The platform enables you to create customized levels with various rewards (like postcards, exclusive video access, Q+As, etc) for fans to select the amount they wish to contribute in support of you.

5. Freelance writer

If you possess excellent writing skills, you have the potential to excel as a freelance writer. A notable advantage of being a freelance writer is the ability to work remotely from any location worldwide. Whether you prefer spending your days in a local coffee shop or desire the freedom to travel the world throughout the year, this profession is adaptable to your lifestyle.

In order to be successful, writers must possess a strong understanding of grammar and tone, excellent editing skills, and the capability to conduct thorough research and synthesize unfamiliar content. It may be beneficial to specialize in a few areas such as technology or small-business finance, and all freelancers should prioritize the ability to market themselves and build connections with potential clients.

The better acquainted you are with various types of writing, the more flexibility you have when asked to produce anything from a blog post series to an industry white paper, website copy, or email newsletters.

Additionally, consider the option of authoring your own e-books for sale on platforms like Amazon and other similar websites. By doing so, you can directly enhance your income through writing, with minimal expenses for publishing and design. You may even explore the idea of creating an e-book on the subject of freelance writing, as the potential possibilities are limitless.

6. Virtual assistant

If all of your friends know you as “the really, really organized one,” then being a virtual assistant might be the home business idea for you.

As busy executives progress in their careers and become overwhelmed with numerous tasks such as managing calls, emails, appointments, and other responsibilities, it is the role of a virtual assistant to assist them. In this position, you would utilize phone, email, computer skills, as well as various online tools and applications to effectively manage their online calendars, schedule meetings and appointments, make reservations, purchase tickets, set reminders, coordinate events, organize documents, and perform additional duties.

If you find this type of work unappealing, it may seem unglamorous to you. However, if you are the kind of person who organizes their schedule with color-coded planners and uses Google calendar to send invitations for coffee dates, then working as a virtual assistant from home could be an enjoyable and rewarding job.

7. Researcher and fact-checker

By engaging in activities such as reviewing past academic essays or case files, examining bibliographies, and conducting market research, you can position yourself as an expert researcher and verifier of facts. Researchers and fact-checkers are sought after by diverse businesses across various industries. Identifying a specific area of expertise can enhance your ability to promote your services effectively.

If you possess organizational skills, attention to detail, and effective communication abilities, consider adding this idea to your personal list of home businesses.

In today’s world, social media is essential for every business, brand, and public figure as a means to connect with their audience, remain current, and enhance brand recognition.

If you can effectively manage social media accounts, many companies are willing to pay a high salary. Being able to maintain brand consistency, share appropriate content, and provide intelligent responses to customers, while also gaining a large number of likes, hearts, retweets, and upvotes, could make you an excellent social media manager.

Brand partnerships and sponsorships encompass a variety of benefits, such as receiving complimentary items, enjoying a fully-funded vacation, or securing a paid agreement to endorse a product, service, or location on social media. In essence, you generate digital content, including photos, videos, and captivating captions, for both your own social media profiles and/or the brand’s social media channels, contributing to direct and indirect marketing initiatives.

10. Guest Blog Posts & Sponsored Blog Posts

I wanted to explain separately that this is a distinct and exclusive type of partnership/sponsorship specifically catered towards blogs.

I used to engage in this activity, although I no longer do. During my early days of blogging, I devoted considerable effort to contacting established blogs and proposing to contribute guest posts. On certain occasions, I would receive payment for this service, but regardless, it provided me with valuable exposure in the initial stages. This was achieved by including links back to my own blog within the guest posts.

After my blog started gaining traction, I began receiving requests from companies to publish sponsored posts on my blog.