There are lots of things I can do to earn money online. I've got this vintage Beanie Baby collection I could sell. Oooooh or I could charge for my skills as a hypnotist! Better yet, I could write some paid reviews on the different kinds of Fidget Spinners and the various uses for them! All of these options are a little overwhelming, I'll need to sit down and come up with a plan to make the most money I can. Thanks Internet!
If you're like me and looking to make some extra cash, maybe saving up to buy your first home, the Internet offers a variety of ways to boost your income. You don't need a million YouTube or Instagram followers to make money either (but that doesn't hurt if you've got them). Sell your stuff, sell your skills, or sell your feedback online to make some money on the side.
It's hard to ignore the appeal of making real money online - I mean, we live in a world where bloggers can land book and movie deals, YouTubers are multimillionaires and celebrities make thousands of dollars for a single tweet. Those are statements that didn't exist just 10-15 years ago, but it is certainly a different age we are living in now.
Some may dream of having a wildly successful Internet career that ends with a Scrooge McDuck-esque dive into a vault of gold...
... but the rest of us would probably be happy to settle for online earnings that are a little more modest. Perhaps you just need some extra money for the holidays (why not skip a loan payment while you're at it). There are thousands of money-making opportunities just a web search away, whether you're selling your old stuff, scoping out freelance opportunities or running your own digital storefront. Tools and resources are also available to help you along every step of the way.
Online rewards programs, where you can earn money by performing a variety of online activities, are an approach that has been gaining traction as a way to make a quick buck online. Some sites are based on consumer activities (e.g., online shopping, submitting product reviews, watching video promotions), while others are geared towards dara-related activities (taking surveys, image tagging, transcribing information). Though the sites vary in nature, they share some commonalities: they are built around "microtasks" - online activities that do not require much time or experience to complete.
Microtask and shopping rewards websites are appealing because of their perceived easiness. Most of their paid activities can be completed in mere minutes and almost anyone can do it - doesn't get much better than that, right?! Other ways of making money suddenly seem slow and labor-intensive by comparison. Why spend time and energy getting a freelance gig when you can sit around filling out surveys instead?
Wait, wait, wait! Don't jump off your couch just yet. Before you go signing up for every free trial and installing every search bar plug-in, day-dreaming of how you'll spend all your millions...
... consider that the selling points (Easy! Fast! No experience necessary!) on these websites also serve as red flags that this type of money-making may not be worth your while. The following questions can help you weed out the underpaid clickbait from the better-paid gigs:
This might seem like an obvious first step, but comparing the real hours you're spending to the real money you're earning is an incredibly helpful tool in determining whether or not an online pursuit is worth your time. Many rewards sites use point systems in which points need to be accumulated before they can be redeemed. Point systems are really great at obscuring how much you're actually earning, so take the time to figure out the approximate cash value of a single point. If it takes 500 points to redeem a $5 gift card, for example, a point is worth roughly $0.01. Completing a survey for 25 points sounds decent, but (following this example) if the survey takes 10 minutes to complete, the reality is that you're working at a rate of $1.50 per hour, which sounds a lot less decent.
When considering joining a microtask or shopping rewards website, evaluate the sort of activities you'd be engaging in. Do any conditions or restrictions apply, or can anyone with an internet connection do the task? As a rule of thumb, online gigs with the fewest barriers have the most people competing for them and therefore tend to pay less. A little know-how can go a long way, so look for opportunities to complete the slightly higher-paying activities: for example, submitting a video product review will likely earn you more credits than watching a 30-second ad.
Sometimes the ease and convenience of microtask and rewards sites comes at the price of your personal data and online identity. How much is your personal information worth to you? Would you be okay with a fuller inbox (and mailbox!) as a result of filling out surveys and promotional offers? Are you comfortable linking your social media accounts to the product reviews you submit? Are you willing to sell out your 'likes' and 'faves'? Taking stock of your web presence and browsing habits can help you figure out how much you're willing to compromise for some extra spending cash.
Microtask and shopping rewards sites, although increasingly popular, generally aren't practical options for any substantial level of online income. That doesn't mean they have to be avoided completely - if you're happy clicking around and then redeeming a gift card every couple of months, then all power to you! As with all sources of online income, it's important to have realistic expectations and to treat your time as a valuable resource.
If you want to check out a list of legit options you can choose from to begin earning money online, check out this great article by Forbes that details 21 different things you can do to bring in cash. The options are endless, but whatever you decide to do will take a good amount of time, effort, and dedication. You won't start out bringing money in hand over fist; it's a slow burnt hat you will need to stick with. Keep with it, and you could find that all of your online money-making dreams could come true! Without even having to vote for Pedro...