I get it! The cost of living is extremely high, and you can’t depend on one source of income. Or maybe, you want to be self-employed or start a sustainable side hustle. Whatever your reasons are, there are different ways that you can work from home and make money online.
The internet has changed the way we do business, creating multiple opportunities. It has eliminated geographical borders, allowing companies to seek clients and freelancers globally. So, if you’re wondering if these opportunities are open to Kenyans only, the answer is No.
As long as you have personal drive, consistency, and persistence, you can make a living by working in the comfort of your home. Generally, you can make money online through:
- Monetizing your Blog
- Starting a YouTube Channel
- Becoming a Freelancer
- Create & Sell Ebooks
- Be a Digital Marketer
Let’s dive into these income generating opportunities one by one.
How to Make Money Online (in any Country)
There are many ways you can make money online today. But before I explain these opportunities to you, let’s first understand the difference between passive and active income.
Active income is received for performing a service and includes wages, tips, and salaries. The most unfortunate thing about this type of income is that you don’t get paid if you don’t work. But you didn’t expect to harvest where you didn’t sow, right?
On the other hand, passive income is money you earn without getting actively involved. It’s not free because you have to incur the initial investment or work, which you will then be earning from. For example, dividend income, rental properties, or selling a digital product like a ebook.
Here are different ways to earn cash online, whether in Kenya or any part of the world.
Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links, we may earn a commission, but the price on your end remains the same.
1. Make Money Online as a Blogger
There are diverse ways that bloggers make money, and you can get started as well.
But first, you’ll have to settle on a particular niche, select and buy a domain name, acquire web hosting, launch your blog and share amazing articles/guides. Learn How to Start a Successful Blog.
So, which are these ways that bloggers make money?
i). Sell Products or Services
Let’s say you have started a blog about food. So, you can start offering outside catering services to your audience. Alternatively, you can open a restaurant, facilitate people ordering your foods online, and offer door-to-door delivery.
And if you create a travel blog, you can start a travel agency and promote your packages. I also see bloggers sell their own merch, like branded caps, T-shirts, stickers, etc. Your hands are not tied here – you can be as creative as possible.
Currently, in this blog, I offer Content Writing and Marketing Services. So, if you want to learn digital marketing or want marketing services, let’s talk.
ii). Collect Donations
Another way that bloggers make money is by collecting donations from their audience. And if someone found your information helpful, they’d be willing to tip you.
For instance, you can include a donation link, allowing visitors to send any amount via PayPal or credit cards. Alternatively, if you’re in Kenya, you can include your M-Pesa pay bill number.
Think of it as offering free guides to people and enabling them to thank you by tipping you.
iii). Sponsored Posts
As a blogger, as long as your website has an active readership, you can reach out to advertisers in your niche and accept them to post articles about their products and services at a fee.
But you don’t expect to receive guest post requests when your blog is still new or empty. No! As I have said, you need an active readership. And in internet marketing, numbers matter.
If you have amazing content and your blog has started receiving traffic, you can post sponsored content and make huge money online.
iv). Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is the most common way that bloggers make money online. But the problem is that it takes time to start making money. However, if you have an audience who trusts your content enough to buy products you recommend, you can make unlimited money.
For instance, Amazon Associates is a trendy way of earning passive income. You need to first sign up for the associate program, which is entirely free. Then, you can select products to sell on your website, social media, or youtube channel.
You create unique special links so that if any person buys products using your link, you will get a commission, and the buyer won’t be charged any extra amount. It’s an income-share program that enables your audience to support you without paying.
Such affiliate program helps content creators, publishers, and bloggers, including complete beginners, to monetize their traffic. Explore more partners with affiliate networks (link between marketers and publishers) with ShareASale or ClickBank if it is available in your country.
Bottom line, there are many affiliate partners out there. Find the best one for your audience, and include the affiliate links in your blogs or articles. But if you’re wondering how this model works, check out this affiliate marketing guide, and let me know if you have any concerns.
v). Running Ads
You can run ads on your website by approaching brands in your niche and offering them advertisement spaces. Alernatively, you can sign up for Google AdSense, enable automated or manual ads. And then, Google will pay you per 1000 ad views and cost per click.
At least 2 million people used AdSense, and you can join them too. All you have is to do is open an account and submit your blog. And if it’s accepted, Google will start running ads on your blog, and that’s how you’ll start making money.
However, there are other alternatives to Google AdSense, including:
- Media.net
- PropellerAds
- Amazon Native Shopping Ads
- Adversal
- Sovrn //Commerce (Formerly VigLink)
- Skimlinks
- Monumetric
- InfoLinks
Check them out, read their terms and rates, and online online. Don’t be quick about it.
2. Make Money Online on YouTube
YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally, after Google, and you can make passive income from it. It pays creators through the monetisation program – sharing ad revenue.
To be eligible for this program, your channel must reach 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours in the past 12 months. And they reserve the right to accept or decline your application.
But as long as you don’t violate their terms and your content meets the monetization requirements, you have nothing to worry about.
All you have is to do is start an educative or entertaining YouTube channel, share amazing videos, and with time, start making money. And just like a blogger, a YouTuber, other than joining the YouTube Monetization program, can make money online in Kenya through:
- Selling products and services or promoting your website
- Paid membership
- Seel your merch
- Collecting donations from viewers
- Sponsored videos
- Affiliate marketing, etc.
Just like a blogger, you must build an audience first. So, don’t think about making money first; focus on creating an audience. And then, numbers and money will eventually come.
3. Become a Freelancer
In addition to starting a vlog or a blog, you can also learn a skill and offer freelance services online. And to be clear, freelancer, or freelance worker are terms commonly used for a self-employed person and not necessarily committed to a particular employer.
Therefore, a blogger or YouTuber is a freelancer. And I have an extensive guide on how to get freelance writing jobs, including what you need to get started and website to seek jobs from. And some of the most common jobs that you can offer in the comfort of your home include:
- Offer copywriting services
- Copy editor or rewriter
- Be a social media manager or influencer
- Graphic Designing
- Digital marketing services
- Logo Designing
- Video editing services
- Naming and branding consultation
- Web designer and app development
Find clients directly (through your website or vlog) or find freelance marketplaces, like:
i). Freelance Jobs at Upwork
Upwork.com is a freelancer website connecting businesses and individuals looking for various services online and service providers.
You can sign up as a service provider, update your profile and search for tasks you can handle. And one advantage of this platform is that it has a low barrier to entry. You don’t need any registration fee or certification.
But you must maintain an excellent profile to keep making money; otherwise, you can be kicked out. You also can earn an affiliate commission by referring people to their site.
Register as an affiliate, get your unique link, and share it on your website/blog, social media platforms, YouTube videos, and any other online platform.
You will earn a percentage when people click on your link and get some services. You can get 70% of the first contract spent up to $150 for every new client referred to Upwork.
ii). Make Money Online on Fiverr
Fiverr is a simple and easy site to start making money online. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a freelance website you can outsource anything. Yes, you heard that right; I mean anything as long as it’s legal for as low as $5.
There are many ways to make money on this website. For example, you can offer animation, digital marketing, social media marketing, web development, and writing.
Just head to the website, and start selling your services. And, like Upwork, you need to create a profile and build gigs for people to start buying your stuff. A few content writing tips and Search Engine Optimization tricks can boost your visibility and income.
Alternatively, you can sign up for the Fiverr affiliate program, market various services, and earn commissions when people buy products using your link.
iii). Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a crowdsourcing marketplace like Upwork and Fiverr. On this platform, firms outsource works that computer programs cannot do, such as transcribing, coding, and website testing, among other services.
You can earn active income by working a few hours and making some dollars. And what’s more interesting is that it is a legit way of making money online, and the company pays.
Sign up (for free), update your profile, and bid for works you can manage based on your skills and experience. And then send me my cut! I’m kidding, anyway.
4. Make Money Online Selling Ebooks
You can create online courses or ebooks, market them and start making money instantly. And the good thing is that you’ll prepare the material once and earn from it for the rest of your life. All you have to do is update it to ensure the information remains relevant.
The good thing with ebooks is that you don’t have to go through the publication or rigorous editing process. You can self-publish your materials and make money now. You may want to check out Amazon Kindle Publishing as well.
So, if you want to convert your ideas into writing, head to Amazon Kindle, write an ebook, sell it on the platform and start making money from it.
You need the book to make money, but that shouldn’t be a problem. You can either write it or hire someone to write one for you. The good thing is that you don’t need to be an expert author or find a publishing company to publish your book.
And more interestingly, publishing takes less than 5 minutes, and your book appears on Kindle stores worldwide within 24-48 hours. Signing up is free, so go ahead, write your first ebook, and start earning money. Check out their commissions:
You can also sell the books or courses on your website or blog or market them on YouTube or social media platforms. I suggest adopting different digital marketing options to increase your chances of selling your materials. Create quality content that meets your audience needs.
5. Earn Money Online as a Digital Marketer
You could make money online by being a digital marketing consultant. Some of the most common marketing services you can offer to your clients online include:
- SEO Expert – learn SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and help people to optimize their websites and webpages for search results. Learn about On-page, Off-page, and Technical SEO.Then offer your clients different SEO services, like complete website analysis.
- Content Writer – You can offer article writing services or help people write website content or content for social media ads. In doing so, you’ll become a content marketing consultant.
- Social Media Marketer – you can help businesses promote their products and services on social media. Learn how to succeed as a Facebook of Social Media Influencer.
- Link-Building Services: helping people to find link-building opportunities to help push their content online.
Pick a particular type of digital marketing and stick to it or offer all marketing services. You must learn the skill, gain expertise, and establish a marketing agency. Create a business blog and website, write amazing and targeted content, and increase traffic and customers.
Conclusion
You can make unlimited money online in any other part of the world. But I suggest you start a blog, a YouTube channel, or both, and then explore all the other opportunities.
Generally, some of the opportunities to make money include:
- Starting a successful blog
- Being a YouTuber
- Offering freelance services online
- Affiliate marketing
- Selling ebooks or online courses
- Accepting donations
- Offering digital marketing services, etc.
Don’t procrastinate, and get started today. And if you need help promoting your blog or website, don’t hesitate to contact us. Let me know your favourite way to make money online?
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