Since April 2012, I’ve been earning online.
A year after that, I quit being a high school teacher and focused on my online ventures.
Here are several methods that I’ve used to earn money online from the comforts of home here in the Philippines. I arranged them based on the amount that I already earned using each method.
1. Blogging
Yup! This blog is my major source of income right now. It’s very easy to start a blog but very difficult to maintain it and make it big. Even Pinoy Techno Guide isn’t that big or well known yet.
However, having a blog can lead to a higher income than your current job. You just need to find something that you want to talk about such as gadgets, fashion or games. A good command of the English language isn’t necessary because you will just get better as time goes by.
You’ll earn by putting up advertisements in your blog like Google Adsense, Nuffnang Philippines and Ambient Digital.
2. Freelancing
oDesk, Elance and Freelancer are just three of the websites that offer freelance online jobs. You can become a data encoder, virtual assistant or web and app developer. IT graduates can find a lot of opportunities as online freelancers.
As you gain more and more experience as an online freelancer, your payment rate will also increase. Usually, you are paid by hour or by project. Since your clients will be mostly from the US and Australia, the payment is generally above average.
Let me warn you though that the competition at oDesk has been very fierce due to a rise in freelancers from India and Bangladesh.
3. Affiliate Marketing
This one could have been included with blogging. However, you can also earn using affiliate marketing with your Facebook or Twitter accounts only.
Basically, affiliate marketing is just promoting products from online shops by sharing links or banners. When somebody clicks on that link and buy the product, you’ll get a certain amount as commission.
I’ve used Lazada’s affiliate program with my tech blog because they sell a lot of gadgets. If you’re more into fashion, Zalora has great potential. I ddidn’thave good luck with Amazon because majority of my readers and followers are Filipinos.
4. Tutoring
I’ve also tried tutoring online. When Student of Fortune was still alive, I actually answered assignments posted by foreign students.
Some contacted me for more tutorials so I had around 2-3 students per week that I assist in their studies. Subjects varied from Chemistry to Web Development.
That website is now dead but you can still search for others that work the same.
5. Writing Articles on HubPages
If you don’t like the hassle with maintaining a blog, you can also write articles on HubPages. Unlike blogs, HubPages can work even if you only have a few articles that are unrelated to each other.
I used a similar site called Squidoo before but they have been acquired by HubPages already.
6. Joining Design Contests
I have a small talent when it comes to designing posters, logos and presentations. There are several websites where those who need these things post designing contests such as 99Designs and Design Crowd.
My talent isn’t that much so I’ve never actually won in those contests. Nevertheless, I still received a consolation price once for $20. That’s not bad considering that I was also able to hone my skills and learned a lot with what costumers usually want.
7. Creating Videos for YouTube
A lot of talents have been discovered on YouTube. However, you don’t need to be discovered by Oprah or Ellen to earn from it. You just need to be a YouTube partner.
To do that, Create interesting videos such as tutorials or simple performances. After several videos, you’ll be eligible to apply as a YouTube partner and ads will appear on your videos.
Take note that you need original videos for this to work. Even songs can disqualify your video from earning.
8. Joining Raffles
Okay, you might not earn money with this but an iPad Mini or a Samsug Galaxy S5 is a good alternative.
Follow the Facebook pages of several brands and you’ll discover that most of them conduct contests and raffles where you have the chance to win very cool prices.
It’s very easy to join these contests and all it takes is luck.
Conclusion
Even though it can sound a bit scammy sometimes, you can indeed earn money online. You just need to exert effort too.
I’ll talk more about these methods in my personal blog. You should also consider opening a bank and paypal account so that you’ll have a way to withdraw your earnings.
