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Many workforces are shifting their focus from working in an office building to working from home. As a result, remote working opportunities are expanding. For individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit who want to make some money online for free, either as a side gig or a full-time job, there are many avenues to pursue.
How To Make Money Online for Free: 10 Opportunities
You don’t have to worry about overhead with these side hustles. All you need is an internet connection to turn these money-making endeavors into quick cash. Here are 10 viable methods for earning money from home without an initial investment:
- Focus groups
- Online researcher
- Selling photos and photography
- Social media consultant
- Online surveys
- Transcribe files
- Virtual assistant
- Website reviewer
- YouTube channel
- Affiliate marketing
1. Focus Groups
Online focus groups can pay their participants anywhere between $20 to $200 an hour. Participating in a focus group can greatly range in responsibility, and the pay will reflect that. You might have to fill out surveys, do market research or answer questions about a product. As companies are always looking for feedback, participating in online focus groups can be a great way to make some extra cash.
2. Online Researcher
If you are good at Googling, consider that many companies will pay you to find reliable sources and information for them in varying fields. Doing web deep dives can now be accompanied by a paycheck. Here are examples of companies that consistently hire online researchers:
- 10EQS
- Boston Scientific
- Chainlink Labs
- CrowdStrike
- Edmentum
- Humana
- Parexel
- Robert Half International
- Twilio
- Wonder
3. Selling Photos and Photography
If you are someone who has a healthy arsenal of photos stockpiled, you can sell them as stock images to companies. Anytime someone downloads your image from the company you would earn a small commission. Here are a few examples of websites where you can sell your photos:
- 500px
- Alamy
- Adobe Stock
- Burst
- Etsy
- Getty Images
- iStock
- Shutterstock
- Stocksy
- Zenfolio
Being a photographer is an ideal freelance job to get paid under the table. You can make, on average, around $18.73 an hour depending on the gig. Weddings, family photoshoots and parties are fertile ground for photographers. Though you may have to leave your home, you can also set up a studio in your house. Save some cash on the start-up cost by using equipment you already own for jobs like corporate headshots or family photos.
4. Social Media Consultant
Social media is a must for any business to have. But just because companies have to have a social media presence, does not mean they know how to successfully operate their accounts. If you have social media savvy and know how to gain followers, you could loan out your skills to companies in a consulting capacity. It’s pretty straightforward to promote yourself as your own profile serves as your portfolio. Expertise in the following platforms goes a long way:
- Snapchat
- TikTok
- Tumblr
- YouTube
5. Online Surveys
A great way to make some extra cash is by completing online surveys. Some sites to consider are Branded Surveys, InboxDollars, Survey Junkie and Swagbucks. Along with filling out surveys, you can earn money, gift cards or other rewards in a variety of ways including the following:
- Watching videos
- Filling out questionnaires
- Playing games
- Data entry
6. Transcribe Files
Medical transcriptionists transcribe and type up the medical reports of physicians and other healthcare practitioners. They can make around $34,220 annually and jobs range from freelance to full-time. This position is well suited to those with typing skills and some knowledge of medical terminology. Transcribing is essentially just writing down and recording what has been dictated to you for filing purposes.
There are also many other transcribing opportunities with audio and video files in other fields. There is job security in this field as many companies prefer a human over artificial intelligence to accurately transcribe videos and speech files into text.
7. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants or virtual administrative assistants tend to bring in an annual salary of $66,870. This position operates as high-level support for businesses or business heads.
They organize schedules, meetings, and conference calls and correspond through phones and emails. The expansion of technology allows this position to now be worked remotely. It’s office work without the office.
8. Website Reviewer
One of the easiest ways to make money online for free is to review websites or apps for various companies. Many sites will pay you in cash or merchandise to review products, give testimonials or critique the user experience of the website or app itself. Here are examples of places that pay you to review products:
- American Consumer Opinion
- BetaTesting
- Harris Poll Online
- Homescan
- McCormick & Company
- Pinecone Research
- Review Stream
- Testbirds
- TryMyUI
- UserTesting
9. YouTube Channel
YouTube is a great platform to grow some extra cash. You can set up your free account through Google and start a channel under your name. Here you can do anything from skits to tutorials but it does help to find your own niche and focus on it.
In order to make money you need to have an audience and gain followers which adds up to more views. Here is how you can monetize your channel:
- Gain at least 1,000 subscribers
- Run ads on your channel
- Partner with brands to get sponsorships or sponsored content
- Become an affiliate.
10. Affiliate Marketing
If you are a freelance writer for blogs or websites with a sizable audience and significant traffic, you can add sponsored posts with affiliate links. Even if you have a strong social media presence, you can still take advantage of this side gig. Sponsored posts will highlight a brand or business. If you generate traffic for these companies with your link you can earn a commission or set payments.
Final Take To GO
In today’s economy any income, whether it is a full-time job or a side-hustle gig, is welcome. There are many avenues to pursue when chasing down your next dollar, and for many of them, you don’t need to leave your home. Simply explore one of these 10 ways to make money online for free.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about making money online.- How can I make $100 at home today?
- Here are some examples of where you can make $100 a day from home:
- Get paid to play games online
- Take part in online research
- Take surveys for companies
- Secret shopping
- Watch videos online
- Here are some examples of where you can make $100 a day from home:
- How can I make real money online for free?
- There are many ways to make real money online for free including participating in focus groups, online researching, data entry or selling your photos or photography services.
- What is the most legitimate way to make money online?
- There are many legitimate online gigs where you can earn money such as being a social media consultant, virtual assistant or transcriptionist.
- How can a beginner make money online?
- A beginner can make money online by looking into the following side gigs:
- Focus groups
- Online researcher
- Social media consultant
- Website reviewer
- A beginner can make money online by looking into the following side gigs:
Information is accurate as of April 26, 2023.
The article above was refined via automated technology and then fine-tuned and verified for accuracy by a member of our editorial team.
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