How to make money online

Reading Time: 16 mins

Making money online is now the norm for many. Some ways are quick and easy, and some take longer and a lot more effort.

Here are some of the quick and easy ways to make money online.

• Make money online from Youtube
• Make money online from competitions
• Get your friends to make you money
• Make money from online domain names
• Do online surveys in your spare time
• Make money online from social media

make money online from youtube

Did you know you can make good money from your amateur videos? Not everyone’s clips make money but if your videos are really popular on YouTube, they will attract advertising and you can get a share of the income from those ads.

How much money could I make?

It’s not simply a case of there being a flat rate of so many pence per view. The amount you get paid depends on a number of factors such as how many viewers your videos attract and the type of advertising that’s displayed.

Furthermore, some people might earn around 60p for every 1,000 views, while others earn money every time an advert is clicked. 

So the amount of money different YouTube videos make varies hugely. It could be anything from a few hundred quid to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

What sort of YouTube video makes money?

The short answer is: any video that is really, really popular!

So if you have a natural flair for capturing funny, cute or quirky things on film, making YouTube videos could not only be a fun hobby – it could be a nice little earner on the side, too.

You may have already seen this video for example:

 

This clip was originally posted on YouTube for friends and family to enjoy – but it has now been watched by millions of people across the planet, spreading virally as people tweeted it, Facebooked it and emailed it to friends.

It might only be 55 seconds of home-made footage, but it has already earned the family well over £100,000 through YouTube advertising. Not a bad way to make money online!

If you have kids or pets or funny grandparents, keep videoing them and as soon as you get anything even vaguely funny, upload it to Youtube and let all your friends know about it!

In fact, it’s not just cute baby and funny cat videos that can rack up a surprising amount of views (and cash).

Take, for example, the massively popular Zoella, who has a Youtube presence bigger than any TV star you can name. She gives make-up tips and has now published a range of books and featured in highly-paid adverts.

Many people like Zoella, who have specialist knowledge or a particular talent – from Minecraft to music to comedy – have become YouTube stars. They might never be on terrestrial TV or in the papers but they have massive, worldwide followings, and that brings them regular money – in some cases serious money.

Ooh, and we can’t talk about Youtube channels without mentioning the lovely MoneyMagpie one – well actually it’s Jasmine’s Money. It’s full of money fun!

 

 

How to make money from YouTube – a step-by-step guide

If you hope to make any money from your YouTube videos, they must meet these minimum requirements:

The content must be family friendly.

They mustn’t contain any content that you didn’t create or get permission from its author to use (this obviously includes any use of music still under copyright).

They can’t show people from whom you didn’t get permission to feature.

Got all that? Good. Now all you need to do is…

1. Film your video and upload it to YouTube

Self-explanatory this, but a vital step!

If you can get your video masterpiece onto your desktop (probably from your smartphone) you can follow the instructions on YouTube for uploading it onto the website.

Of course, you’ll need to name your movie masterwork. A good rule of thumb here is to keep the title short and snappy – most ‘viral’ videos (i.e. extremely popular ones) have memorable, self-explanatory titles that are easy to search for (e.g. Charlie Bit My Finger, Sneezing Panda, etc.)

If you can promote your video on other sites too – particularly via social media such as Twitter and Facebook – so much the better.

2. Check your email

If one of your videos does well, YouTube will send you an email asking you to apply for revenue sharing.

If you’re approved, you’ll only be able to make money online from the video specified in the email.

3. Apply to become a YouTube partner

Once you’ve got a few YouTube videos getting lots of views, you can apply to become a YouTube partner. 

YouTube states that “there is no specific formula that will get you invited to become a partner”. But what they will take into account is:

• How often you upload videos (the more you upload, the better).
• How big your audience is.
• Whether your content abides by the minimum requirements listed above.

Once you’re approved as a partner, you can turn on revenue sharing for all your videos (provided they meet YouTube’s minimum requirements).

If YouTube rejects your application to become a partner, you won’t be able to apply again for two months. In which case, go back to step one!

4. Get Google AdSense

Once you’ve been accepted as a YouTube partner, you’ll need to create a Google AdSense account, and link it to your YouTube account.

YouTube will then pay you through this AdSense account. (It’s easy to do – you can get more information on creating an AdSense account here).

Note that YouTube will only start paying money into your account after your video(s) have made US$100 or more (about £75) in AdSense earnings.

5. Make money (after a while)

Unless you’re already famous or you have a really good following on social media, you’re unlikely to get that many views at first, so not much money will come in. However, if you manage to upload vids that are really popular or you spend time building up your followers then you could make good money after a while.

Popular YouTube channels offer a good mix of personality, specific interest (i.e. hobbies or professional content), and the right online marketing.

So don’t chuck those old home videos away just yet – you never know, you could be sitting on a gold mine…

 

 

How to make money online from competitions

You can make money, and win amazing prizes from hampers to holidays, through online competitions.

Incredible as it sounds, you’re more likely to win a big, high-value prize in competitions than a smaller prize because fewer people bother to enter the big-prize competitions. This is because most people think they haven’t a chance of winning if the prize is a big one, so they don’t go in for it! So if you do try it, oddly enough you have a higher chance of winning that than you would with a smaller prize. Weird but true.

You do have to exercise a bit of caution when entering online competitions, but going in for a legitimate competition could net you some great prizes.

Warning, warning, warning!

If you enter an online competition you’ll be asked to include your email address. This generally means that your inbox will soon be flooded with spam – lots and lots of it. 

To avoid this problem all you have to do is set up a separate email account. Try Outlook (formerly Hotmail), Yahoo or Gmail for a free email account. This can be your ‘competition account’, where everything competition related gets sent. That way your personal email account gets left alone, and you still get the chance to win big prizes. Don’t let the spam win! 

Do also note that for some of these competitions you have to give your phone number. Not all these companies give you the choice of opting out of receiving marketing texts etc., so make sure you check the terms and conditions if you hate receiving them. If you can’t avoid it, just don’t go in for that competition.

Right now there are lots of people out there snapping up all the prizes you could be winning, click here for the chance to win. 

Be careful when entering competitions though. Keep the following tips in mind:

1: Remember you MUST set up a separate email account to enter online competitions, or you’ll find your inbox clogged up with nasty spam.

2: Concentrate on reputable brands or companies. 

3: Never pay to enter an online competition. 

Good, free online competition sites

First of all go to our competitions page which is FULL of fantastic competitions and freebies.

You can win hampers, iPads, jewellery, Argos vouchers and more. 

Also you HAVE to sign up to our FREE weekly newsletter as we have a new, free competition in each one. We also regularly promote them on our Twitter feed and Facebook page…ooh and on our Pinterest page too.

We also like Freepostcodelottery.com. This is a great little site which gives away hundreds and sometimes even thousands every day at noon to one of the postcodes on their list. 

There’s no catch; the only downside is that you have to check each day to see if your number has come up. This increases the site’s traffic which helps them get advertising on it. 

So if you can be bothered to keep checking the site you could win a lot.

It’s also worth checking out Loquax regularly, as they have notices of good online competitions as they happen.

 

Facebook

Facebook is full of free competitions. Quite often all you have to do is ‘like’ a page, so if you’ve got an hour to spare every now and then, go round a bunch of product pages on Facebook and ‘like’ away for freebies!

 

Slogan competitions

Think you’ve got a bit of creative genius in you? Slogan competitions are terrific for the keen comper who’s ready and willing to put in a little more effort than simply typing in an email address or sending back a postcard. Companies love to use slogan competitions as a way to market their products at low costs, and encourage consumers to think positively about what they’re selling.

With most slogan competitions, the sponsor company will begin by having you answer a few simple questions to determine whether or not you’re fit for the task. You may be asked to complete some part of a phrase in an ‘apt and original’ manner.

Once again, because so few people make an effort to enter, slogan competitions are a dream for the avid comper.

How YOU can create knock-your-socks-off slogans:

CompersNews is a great little site. Its monthly newsletter publishes thousands of prize-winning slogans. Have a look at those that have won in the past to help you get an idea of the kinds of slogans that companies look for.

Winning slogans typically have rhyme, rhythm or a pun. Go out and grab yourself a rhyming dictionary and dictionary of English idioms at Amazon, which takes all the hassle out of creating history’s next greatest slogan!

Remember that the point of the slogan is to advertise the product in a positive light. Your slogan should always make the product look good.

Word limits are key! Slogans that surpass the given word limit will not be considered. Always stick to the competition rules.

If possible, enter more than once. But be careful – don’t send in several horrible slogans. Instead, come up with two really good ideas that are different in their approach – for example one that’s clever and witty and one that’s more direct and serious. Be careful to check the terms and conditions of each competition as some specify that you can only make one entry.

Remember – the more obscure or difficult the competition, the fewer the entrants and the better chance you have of winning.

So, remember: set up a separate email address for any unwanted junk mail, and enter as many online competitions as you can. The more you enter, the more likely you are to win!

Earn by Referring

Many companies offer commission to websites that promote their products or services to readers. If a reader clicks and buys, the website gets money.

This commission can also be offered if you refer a friend. You could make a few quid here and there simply referring your friends to products and services you use.

Our top tip is to head to refermehappy.com, an online matching service where ‘referrers’ and ‘friends’ are matched up to get referral bonuses from companies like Sky, Virgin and Direct Line among others. There are loads of rewards to be had in all sorts of areas:

• • • Broadband – rewards from BE, IDNet and Plusnet.
    • Food – rewards from Ocado.
    • Health and beauty – rewards from Harpers Fitness, Mynd Spa & Salon, and Yogamatters.com.
    • Insurance – rewards from Halifax, Standard Life, Simply Health, Columbus Direct, Direct Line, and Tesco Insurance.
    • Holidays – rewards from holidaylettings.co.uk and Expedia.
    • Mobile phones – rewards from 3 Mobile.
    • TV – rewards from Sky and Virgin Media.
    • Cashback sites – rewards from, well, pretty much all of them. We recommend Quidco and Top Cashback.

We’ve tried this out here at MoneyMagpie and our verdict is a resounding thumbs up! Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Register

You need to register at Refermehappy.com before you can start referring ‘friends’ for deals, or they can start referring you. This only takes a minute and it’s free (the cost of the site is covered by advertising). You’ll be sent an e-mail asking you to confirm your e-mail address. When this is done, you’re ready to go.

Step 2: Get referring

If you click on ‘Deals’ on the homepage you can search for companies you’re already signed up to.

For example, if you’re a Sky member, go to ‘TV’, click on the Sky deal (£75 M&S, John Lewis, Boots, or Tesco voucher when you refer a friend) and select ‘I want to refer someone for this offer’. Then submit your confirmation. You are now registered as a ‘referrer’ and refermehappy.com will send you an e-mail when they find a match for you.

With some companies you can refer as many friends as you like – think of all the cash you could make!

If your company offers a ‘refer-a-friend’ deal but it is not listed on Refermehappy.com, you can tell them about it by clicking on ‘Submit a company or new offer’ under the appropriate category. As a reward, you’ll be the first to be notified about new friends for this deal.

Step 3: Clinch the deal

For security purposes, all communication from third parties is sent via a new e-mail address that Refermehappy.com sets up for you. Never give personal information to individual referrers, ESPECIALLY NOT YOUR BANK DETAILS.

Generally all you need is the name of the friend or referrer and their e-mail address when applying for these deals; all other information goes through the company itself.

If, having registered as a ‘referrer’, you are matched up with a ‘friend’ then the ball is in your court to secure the deal through the company.

So for example, if you want to refer someone to sign up to Sky, go to the Sky ‘introduce a friend’ page and fill in the online application form. Then if the ‘friend’ joins up, £75 in vouchers should be on its way!

Step 4: Be a friend

Most of the companies on the website offer a cash reward for the ‘friend’ as well. So if you’re thinking of switching your current account or your broadband providers for example, then it might be worth switching to a company that does referral deals. In some cases (for example with the gym and spa memberships) you can try out the new company before you switch.

Then, if you do decide to join any company after being referred, Refermehappy.com will give you priority for your own future referrals for that company.

Moneymagpie’s golden rule 

1. Don’t sign up to anything just so you can get the friend deal and then realise you can’t afford the monthly bills. Playing the ‘refer-a-friend’ game is pointless if you end up with a product that you can’t afford, you don’t actually want or isn’t right for you.

2. If you’re already thinking of switching, the deals listed on refermehappy.com could be for you. 

Examples of referral money you can get direct from the suppliers:

Get £6 every time you refer a friend to Groupon.

Each day Groupon offers cheap deals on great things to do, see and eat in cities across the UK. 

So, once you’ve signed up for free you can recommend as many friends as you like, and if any of them go on to sign up, you’ll get £6 for each one who does. Just click the button at the top right-hand corner that says ‘Earn £6 now!’

Then, the money will be credited to your account so you can use it towards your next purchase on the site.

To check out the site and sign up, visit Groupon here.

Plusnet – Earn by referring

Plusnet has consistently low prices for its broadband and they even cut your bills further if you refer your friends. 

You’ll get a discount off your monthly bill for every person that joins them on your recommendation, for as long as they are a customer. 

Plus, there’s no limit to the number of people that you can recommend – so you could get your broadband for free.

3 Mobile – share up to £90 with a friend

Recommend a friend to 3 Mobile and as a reward you’ll each get a £25 Amazon giftcard. Easy if you know someone who’s looking to switch their phone provider!

Win cash and give to charity at the same time with The People’s Lottery

OK, this isn’t quite making money but you have the opportunity to win a cash prize every now and then. Also, as it’s run by Actionaid, you know that any money you give in will be going to a good cause.

Essentially, you set up a standing order to pay the charity each month and some of it is put into a lottery while the rest goes into the charity’s work. It works out at 25p for the lottery and 75p for the charity to help fight poverty and hunger around the world.

Go to the Actionaid website to join.

How to make money online from domain names

Buy domain names to sell on for profit.

This can be a good way to make money, except that you have to be quick and pick up clever URLs before anyone else realises they will be popular.

So, here are the three top things you need to do to pick winning URLs:

1. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears close to the ground for the next ‘big thing’. What are the buzzwords or even buzz names you hear bandied around? If you can get a domain name that corresponds to a new trend, you can make big money out of it further down the road. Read newspapers and listen to popular radio stations. Also use Google search to see what words and phrases people are searching for.

2. Pick a quirky domain name, or a selection of URLs with the same theme – that way you’ll have built up a good portfolio. It won’t cost you much, but a company that works in that area and needs a word or phrase like the one you’ve picked would pay decent money for the domains.

3. Choose a domain name supplier you like: try 123-reg or UKreg for buying and storing domain names.

 

Online surveys 

Paid online surveys can help you make money online in your spare time while you’re in front of the computer.

So, if you have a bit of time in your lunch break or a spare half an hour in the evenings you could do the odd survey or two while you’re surfing the net.

Are online surveys really worth the hassle?

Some are, some aren’t. If you do a few each day the cash can build up (or earn you points towards vouchers in some cases).

So, some of our readers put the money they make from online surveys towards paying for their summer holiday – not bad coming from the odd half an hour in front of a computer.

Online surveys could be right for you if:

• You’d like to make £30+ a month for very little effort.
• You’d like the chance to win large cash prizes, vouchers and holidays.
• You spend a lot of time in front of your computer anyway.
• You’d like a fun and flexible way to make money from home.

 

Moneymagpie’s three online survey golden rules

Rule 1: NEVER PAY to join an online survey site. Use our list of recommended sites below,

Let us know immediately if you come across any paid online surveys that ask you to pay to join them. We will investigate and warn everyone!

Rule 2: Set up a separate email account just for your online survey emails. That way your personal account won’t be flooded with online survey-related emails (which can get frustrating!).

Rule 3: Be aware that you won’t qualify for every paid survey. Online survey companies are often after a ‘sample group’, which means they only look for a particular number of people within a specific age range or area, or who use a certain product. So, this means you won’t be able to complete some surveys simply because you’re too young, too old or simply the wrong sex! So don’t take it personally, but do sign up to lots of sites to increase your chances of being selected.

How to get started with paid online surveys

Step 1: Register with several online survey companies 

You can sign up to as many online survey companies as you like. In fact, the more you sign up to, the more money you’ll make.

See our list below of online surveys you can try:

• • • InboxPounds
    • Nielsen Online Panel
    • Toluna
    • Smart Panel Recruit UK
    • The OpinionPanel Community
    • Swagbucks
    • Opinion Surveys
    • WISAD
    • LifePoints
    • Valued Opinions
    • GlobalTestMarket
    • iPoll
    • Survey Downline
    • Harris Poll Online
    • RewardsTV-UK
    • Listen to Your Senses
    • GFK MediaView
    • Liquid Opinions
    • MintVine
    • YourWord
    • Panel Base
    • OpinionPlus
    • Ipsos i-Say
    • Shoppers thoughts UK
    • ViewersLogic
    • Tonic Online Community (female only)
    • Surveys4Moms

 

Step 2: Check your inbox in your free time

Most online surveys are sent to you via email as they’re available. If you have surveys waiting for you, keep in mind that some will close by a specified date or when enough people have taken part, so get your skates on or you’ll miss out!

Paid surveys can take anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes to complete. Then, when you receive the email it’ll tell you roughly how long the survey will take and give you a link to a new window where the survey will begin.

Step 3: Trade your points for cash or vouchers 

With most online survey companies you earn reward points as you go. Obviously, the more active you are, the more points you will earn. Depending on the site, you can convert your points into vouchers or cash. You might also get entered into prize draws.

NEVER PAY TO JOIN AN ONLINE SURVEY SITE!

 

Step 4: Get free things to test

You can get products to review in online survey sites and research sites.

So, for a start you can get free goodies to test out for Toluna. They have loads of products they need to have tested, so if you sign up for the testing side can get new things every month. It could be anything from hair gel or moisturiser to caviar.

Make money online from social media

Social media isn’t just a great way to check up on your friends, read statuses that vary from the mundane to the self-obsessed, and partake in an activity that might look weird offline. It also provides several ways you can make money.

Facebook

Facebook is still probably the most ‘relaxed’ and informal of the social network sites and therefore the one with the least obvious money-making potential, but it is the biggest and if you can use Facebook to make money then you’ll be ahead of the curve.

Plus, it provides a platform for selling your services and products, advertising affiliate companies, and getting a job. Here are 4 ways you can make money from Facebook.

Instagram

Did you know Instagram is a great place to sell stuff? Have a look at our guide to selling items on Instagram.

Like YouTube, it’s increasingly a popular place to create an online persona and sell your winning personality, too. With funny video clips, savvy fashion advice, or affiliate marketing, you could make money on it if you’re dedicated.

Twitter

Twitter is a great place to make money online and market yourself and your business. We here at MoneyMagpie use Twitter every day (take a look at us here @moneymagpie).

So, although most people think of Facebook and Instagram, there are a few ways to make money from it that require little effort. Youu really need to be good at getting followers to your accounts and writing engaging tweets that will make your followers want to click on.

Take a look at this article for more tips and tricks to making money on Twitter today.

 

 

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