Income Streams for Digital Nomads

In today’s world, it is now more accessible than ever to travel the world and earn a living online. With the increasing number of companies embracing remote work, individuals can now earn a living online while exploring exotic locations globally. Additionally, the prospect of starting one’s own business provides the ultimate freedom to shape a dream life. However, the question remains: How do digital nomads generate income online?

For years, I have wondered whether certain skills are required and how much money can actually be made. Throughout my journey to becoming a digital nomad, I have discovered numerous methods through which people are earning a living online. In this article, I will share these ways, although I do not personally engage in all of them. To provide a well-rounded perspective, I have sought insights from other digital nomads.

3 Areas of Income for Digital Nomads: Active, Semi-Passive, Passive

Active

Active income can be defined as any activity that generates revenue and would stop if you were to stop dedicating time and energy to it. In other words, it involves directly exchanging your time for money.

Semi-Passive

Semi-passive income refers to work that has the capability to generate ongoing payments even when you are not actively engaged in it. However, it still demands a certain amount of time and effort to uphold or expand. A blog that attracts a reasonable amount of organic traffic and utilizes affiliate marketing links to generate earnings serves as an excellent illustration. Although you still need to produce fresh content, optimize for SEO and keywords, and expand your audience.

Passive

Passive income, the most captivating and hard-to-catch type of income, is generated from investments made in the past, whether through finances or time. It is often referred to as “mailbox money.” Examples of passive income include earnings from e-book sales, royalties from copyrights and intellectual property, rental income from real estate, returns from investment portfolios, ownership in businesses, and many others. The main advantage of passive income is that it necessitates minimal or no time, energy, or effort to continue receiving regular payments.

Ways to Make Money Online

Blogging

In the past, blogging used to be considered only a hobby, but now there are numerous bloggers who not only make a living from it but also earn more than five figures per month. Nevertheless, it is important to note that blogging is not a shortcut to becoming rich quickly. It demands substantial effort, time, and patience. However, if you have a genuine interest in the subject, you will not be bothered by the process.

People often assume that I make money blogging solely through ads when I mention it. While display ads do contribute to blogging income, they are just one of several methods. There are numerous other opportunities such as affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, selling digital products, and more. Additionally, bloggers can expand their business by offering consulting services or organizing tours. In fact, some bloggers have more than twelve different revenue streams.

Freelance Writing

If you want to supplement your blogging income, freelance writing is a great option as it helps you gain recognition and earn additional money (provided the publication acknowledges you). It may even result in backlinks to your blog, boosting your SEO efforts. Even if you don’t want to start your own blog, freelance writing can still be a lucrative source of income, considering the increasing number of online publications available.

Copywriting involves writing text for advertising and marketing purposes. Although it may not be the most glamorous writing job, it can be a lucrative way to earn income if you possess strong persuasive writing skills.

Sell Physical or Digital Products

Another effective method to enhance your blogging income is by developing physical or digital products. As demonstrated by Tea from The Culture Tourist, one such example is the sale of postcards that are inspired by the destinations she visits.

In addition to running a travel blog and utilizing traditional income streams such as affiliate marketing and sponsored posts, I also engage in the creation and sale of physical products on my blog. Specifically, I write about cultural tourism with a focus on art and travel. Therefore, the products I develop and sell are coloring postcards that draw inspiration from the destinations I visit. My ultimate objective is to assist individuals in learning about the history, local art, and culture of the places they visit by offering them an informative souvenir.

SEO Services

If you are skilled at SEO, running a successful blog can be made possible, and you may even have the opportunity to transform that skill into a separate business venture.

I began blogging in 2014 and in order to continually generate organic traffic, I had to acquire knowledge of SEO. I gained this knowledge through independent research, experimentation, and observing successful methods on my own websites. Eventually, I secured some SEO jobs, particularly in Canadian French, my native language. Since it is more challenging to find individuals proficient in SEO for a different language, it was relatively effortless for me to obtain these positions. Finding SEO opportunities can be difficult, especially for beginners. However, owing to my own websites, I had the advantage of being able to present my achievements and share statistical data, which was an added benefit.

Digital Marketing Consulting & Support Services

After working in corporate marketing for a long time and obtaining degrees in this field, I have established a career as a digital marketing consultant while traveling. While some marketing professionals request their employers to allow them to work remotely, unfortunately, my previous employer did not agree to this arrangement. As a result, I decided to start my own business.

Although you technically don’t need to have a degree or experience in this field, I highly recommend that you do. This is a pretty saturated industry, and businesses often get scammed or get caught up in legal trouble by not hiring qualified and experienced marketers. So being able to provide high quality (and legal) work will not only help you stand out among the rest but will help you acquire good clients and keep them.

Teaching English Online

Teaching English has historically been a sought-after profession among travelers, but nowadays, you can secure a teaching job without relocating to a different continent. Over the past few years, online language teaching has become increasingly popular, resulting in a significant need for individuals who are native English speakers.

Living as a digital nomad can pose challenges due to the unavailability of a traditional 9-5 job. Therefore, my choice to teach English as a foreign language while exploring different parts of the globe was deliberate.

Virtual Assistant

As the online business expands, the requirement for assistance increases. The type of tasks assigned to virtual assistants (VAs) vary according to the business, but it presents a profitable opportunity to earn money online.

The idea of earning money while traveling the world has always sounded like a dream that some have turned into reality. Personally, as someone who loves to travel, I have always considered the possibility of making a living from something I enjoy as unattainable. However, that changed when I actually achieved it.

In order to earn money while traveling, I have chosen to pursue a career as a virtual assistant, also known as a VA. A VA is responsible for completing various tasks for brands and businesses, often focusing on Pinterest-related assignments such as threads, designing pins, scheduling pins, and other related duties.

Web or Graphic Designer

If you possess the ability and talent for design, you can earn a substantial income by working as a designer. People and companies require designs for various purposes such as logos, websites, and promotional materials, and they are willing to compensate you for creating them.

Designers have the advantage of being able to work offline while traveling, provided they have the necessary programs downloaded. This flexibility is particularly beneficial when exploring countries with restricted internet connectivity.

Although there are numerous firms offering full-time positions for designers, freelancing as a designer is also an option. It may require some time to establish a portfolio, but once you begin to build a respectable reputation, you can increase your rates and choose your clients selectively.