When you think about making money online, you're probably thinking of selling something, whether it’s beaded necklaces you make, electronics you don’t use anymore, or a cool product you cooked up. But there are many ways to make money without offering a product, which can eliminate a lot of barriers to entry, along with the hassles of order fulfillment and shipping.
The internet is much easier to make money with, and you don’t need to store a garage full of products for shipping, and you don’t need to drop-ship either. You don’t want to end up with a ton of inventory that “ages” and starts costing you money.
It’s not a cinch, but if you have a clever idea or some expertise, you can make money online without selling anything.
For example, if you have an Instagram account with loads of followers, you might earn cash by creating a YouTube channel sharing the secrets of your social media success. Or share your thoughts on Twitter… I mean, come on! Now that Twitter has a new owner who believes in free speech, why not express yourself? Right?
Think about where your strengths and skills lie: Is it coding? Then you might consider building an app. Do you know how to reach out to people and coalesce them into an active, supportive community? Then you might succeed in building a membership website.
Ready to find out how to make money with a website without selling anything? There’s inspiration ahead.
Is It Possible to Make Money Online Without Selling a Product?
Yes, there are many ways to make passive (and MASSIVE) income online without manufacturing and selling anything. You don’t have to create a product in the traditional sense. If you dread the idea of renting a warehouse or packing up and shipping items, I don’t blame you, so this will be good news to you.
For example: many influencers on YouTube make money simply by providing informational videos that people find valuable. Some friends of mine, Trent and Allie have been sharing their lives on YouTube for the past several years and making a living by earning commissions and being sponsored by major brands. They traveled in their custom van down to the end of the South American continent, and through Mexico and South America, and came back to the States at the beginning of the pandemic.
Now, this might be more than you can afford to do right now, but looking at their lives, and sharing their experiences, you get to know them as people, and see the recommendations that they make for a variety of products and services.
Another one is Ernest O’Dell who has managed several YouTube channels at the Cash Now Funnel and his Power Team Channel which has shared tutorials how you can make money online without creating a product, without having a website, and actually earn an income in the 5, 6, or even the 7 figure range.
Once you have a following on your YouTube channel, you can start making money through YouTube ads that run on your channel.
Beyond YouTube, the ideas are endless how you can make money online.
Take this blog for instance: you can write reviews for just about anything you wish, and embed your commissionable links within the context of your article.
You might translate your tech knowledge and experience into building an app, or you could create a blog based on your favorite hobby that resonates with a particular audience.
The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
12 Ways You Can Make Money Online Without Selling Anything
Ready to dig into some specifics? From dropshipping to streaming, the following are 11 ways people make money online without actually manufacturing or selling products.
1.) Start an Affiliate Marketing Business
Affiliate Marketing has been around since the internet was made available to the public. Affiliate marketing, or sometimes also known as “internet marketing” doesn’t require you to create your own product(s). Some affiliate marketing systems are so simple that you don’t even need to be a techie type, and you don’t even need a website.
Two of the most popular systems online, and the easiest to get started with, is the Cash Now Funnel and the Fire Your Boss Funnel, both hosted by the Power Lead System.
They provide you with the training, the products, and the hosting for your UNLIMITED sales funnels, and show you how to get “ramped up” in less than 2 hours.
Recommended Reading: Turn $1 Into a 6-Figure Side Hustle
2.) Launch a YouTube Channel
A YouTube channel can be quite lucrative once you have 1,000 subscribers or more. At that point, YouTubers can monetize their channel by accepting ads. How do you get 1,000 subscribers? By providing content that people want to see.
That could be showing off your cake decorating skills, your super cute Pomeranian puppy, or your ability to do your own taxes quickly and correctly. Choose a niche where you have expertise and create compelling content on that topic. Use clever headlines that will draw people to your channel, plus keywords to optimize them for YouTube searches and help you gain traction. Keep viewers engaged by producing a series of videos on a topic so that they continue to tune in.
3.) Write a Blog or Do a Live Podcast
Do you have ideas, intel, and opinions you’d like to share? Why not start a blog, which is similar to starting a YouTube channel. The cost of running a blog can be minimal, and it can be an exciting way to share your passions in life. You can create content on a niche topic that people are curious about and that you love. It could be travel, DIY advice, fashion, fitness, or finance.
If you write good content, you can build a following of loyal subscribers who are looking for your content. Once your following is big enough, companies will pay you to promote their products or services on your blog through ads and links. Brands may even sponsor you to write about them or invite you to write blogs for their own sites.
For example: The U.S. Home Work Force blog is hosted on the Global Domains International (GDI) system for a mere $10 per month, and it has already gained the attention of paid advertisers who bring in regular monthly revenue. The GDI system will host your blog on their system for $10 per month, and if you want to build websites, forums, or share the business opportunity side of GDI, you can do that, too, by clicking here.
4.) Create a Membership Website
If you find demand for your content, you could build a website for subscribers only and charge a monthly membership fee. The idea is to build a community of like-minded people who want to share knowledge and access exclusive content. A paid membership could offer videos, webinars, other educational products, and the ability to interact with other members.
Membership web-builder software can help you build a site and wrangle your followers, or you could use a third party to do it for you. The software allows you to register new members; process monthly dues, donations, and event payments; update member profiles; send emails to members about upcoming events, and send invites. A simple website builder will run from $20 to a few hundred dollars per month, and help you get your site up and running and hopefully growing.
You could also start a forum of like minded people who share your passion for making money online, and share ideas. The purpose of a forum is to build relationships and you could build your business with them, and help other members build theirs.
5.) Try Freelance Work
You probably have had some work-from-home experience due to the pandemic. You might want to transition even more to remote work. Some careers can be transferred to the digital environment. For example, writers, teachers, designers, and coders can all learn how to make money from home. There are marketplaces for freelancers, such as Fiverr and Upwork, and you can establish a website of your own to pull in work.
There are also many job boards for freelancers, such as Flexjobs.com. Freelancers need to build a portfolio of work, which may require taking on lower-paying jobs at first as you work your way up.
The best systems I have found in the remote job space has been Paid Social Media Jobs where you can find tons of remote jobs all under one roof.
Another freelance option is posting YouTube videos and comments for companies because they’re too busy to do it themselves. They pay good money, and you could make some extra money in a side hustle.
Recommended: 32 Low-Cost Side Hustles
6.) Become a Writer
Being a writer is an aspiration for many people, and there happens to be a huge market for website content. Many companies want to create informative blogs with SEO-optimized articles that will drive traffic to their websites. If you have expertise and knowledge in a niche area, you could write engaging articles for companies in that niche. Companies hire ghostwriters all the time, and most of the books you see selling on the New York Times Best Seller’s List are usually written by… you guessed it: ghostwriters.
There are also opportunities for bylined articles. Look for writing jobs on job boards like Paid Online Writing Jobs. They have a centralized database of hand-picked jobs where you can start out as an entry level writer and earn anywhere from $25-$50 per hour.
7.) Be a Product Tester
This is a fun one: You can make money online without selling anything just by being a product tester. Brands often need people to try out their products to see how they rate with consumers. In return for their time and feedback, product testers get paid by cash in the mail, PayPal, Venmo, company checks, merchandise, and gift cards.
Popular products for testing include toys, food, electronics, beauty products, household products, baby products, clothes, and websites. These gigs can pay pay you up to $50 commission each time you get someone to test them when you have someone sign up under you. Check out Making Easy Dollars.
You might also take surveys and provide feedback on marketing ideas online, as well. Sign up with a market research firm like I-Say by Ipsos, Opinion Outpost, and Branded Surveys to get started.
8.) Accept Micropayments
Looking for more ways to make money online without selling stuff? Let’s say you write a blog that benefits a community… For example, you might know someone on the autism spectrum and blog about your experiences for a supportive audience. You can use a free app like “Making Easy Dollars” to 100% commissions of $50 a pop on your blog. Instead of asking for donations, they can sign up on your site and get paid to do offers and surveys, and get paid. This allows people to show their appreciation for your content, and they receive something of value at the same time.
9.) Set Donation Requests
One step up from accepting micropayments is to request donations directly. An example is Wikipedia, which intermittently asks its visitors to donate to fund the site’s research. Another example is virtual tip jars that appear on websites. Basically, it’s a way to monetize your website. You can collect feedback from engaged users at the same time to better understand what visitors would like to see on your site.
Another option to setting donations is to set up a PayPal account and plug in your donation code into your blog like this one…
10.) Create an App
Even if you’re not a coder or app developer, you might have a great idea for an app that would make people’s lives simpler, better, or just more fun. Once you have an idea, a market that you’re targeting, and a brand concept, you can hire an app creator to do the coding for you. Once you have the app, add it to the Apple App Store or Google Play. Start with a free app, and if it is a success, you can offer add-ons or premium features for a small upsell fee.
11.) Monetize a Facebook Group
Chances are, you’ve heard of Facebook… who hasn’t, right? Facebook allows you to set up your Timeline (“wall”), business pages, and specialty groups. When set up your own group, you own it and admin it, and you can monetize it by asking for a donation to allow members to post without moderation.
Facebook group owners/admins can gain a sizable following by providing consistent entertainment, and they can then sell products and allow “paid” ads. You can also land brand sponsorships, obtain fan donations, and sell subscriptions. Of course, not everyone will be a success at this, but those with the right skills and personality can thrive. For those who gain a real following, earnings can be in the $3,000 to $5,000 a month range if working 40 hours a week.
And if you don’t want to go through the process of setting up your own Facebook group, you can always be a Facebook Group Moderator for someone else and get paid for it. – $28 an hour | Online/Remote Position | Flexible
12.) Last But Not Least: A Complete “ALL IN ONE” Marketing System With Built-In Products and Training
The Power Lead System is the world’s most powerful marketing system gives you 5 ways to make exponential income with unlimited domains, subdomains, autoresponders, and UNLIMITED commissions. The only thing holding you back is your imagination and drive.
The Lead Generation Academy is the premier training course that also pays you unlimited $90 residual commissions while you’re learning how to promote online. You get paid as you learn. It’s like being on OJT, “on the job training”. Nobody else in the world offers you the ability to earn unlimited commissions so easy.
The Master Traffic Institute is the flagship product from Power Lead System that pays you a whopping $1,000 commission for each and every sale, and each time one of your referrals makes a sale, the company pays you an extra $200 in a matching check bonus! Making just 1 sale per week can add another $50,000+ to your bank account, all while working part time.
The Master Traffic Institute has over 20 courses from the world’s leading internet marketers, where they share their secrets with you how to make massive income and leave your 9 to 5.
And finally, if you want to go even further into the “deep dive” of internet marketing, join the Master Marketers Academy where you will go “one on one” with a 25 year veteran of the internet marketing community, where he shows you live, twice a week, all the tips and strategies that freed him from the corporate rat race 25 years ago.
How Making Money Online Can Help You on Your Journey to Financial Recovery
You might not become a millionaire or billionaire by choosing an online gig, but you can certainly supplement your day job or help with college expenses. Making money online is flexible, you can work on YOUR schedule, and you can leverage your expertise and your niche. Start small and see where it leads.
The Takeaway
How to make money online without selling anything comes down to creative thinking and a will to experiment. It’s actually a very accessible marketplace for anyone; you can avoid the typical startup costs and start making a profit. In many cases, you won’t even need a website, as most of these gigs provide you with one. Plus, you can work from home, or your local coffee shop, or from your smart phone while you’re on your lunch break at work. You can tap into your particular skills, whether that means creating fitness videos or developing an app.
Is it difficult to make money online?
Making money online without selling products is not difficult as long as you pick the right niche. It helps to choose an activity where you have an interest and skills. You also need to be creative if you want to scale up. Some tenacity and determination will help when you experience a lull or want to get to the next level and grow organically.
What is a great way to learn skills to make money?
There are so many online and offline resources where you can learn skills. If you’re interested in programming, you can learn coding languages online. If you’re interested in marketing, you can take a course and get certified in Google Analytics and Google Ads. YouTube and webinars can help you train up; just do your research and make sure the so-called expert has solid credentials.
Check out writing jobs where you can start earning a side gig income: just click on the link to check out each job.
Write Blog Posts – $35 an Hour
We are currently hiring new writers on our platform for entry-level blog writing jobs. The pay starts at $35 per hour, and full training is provided. You will be working for e-commerce stores, helping write short blog posts introducing their new products. Check out here to complete your application if you are interested.
Twitter Writers – $15 per Tweet
Do you use Twitter? Do you have basic English writing skills? If so, these Twitter writing jobs might be perfect for you. They are paying $15 per Tweet, and all you need to do is summarize a blog post into a Tweet (280 characters or less) and find a relevant image to go with it. Click here to apply.
Moderate FB Comments: $30 – $40/hr
The Facebook comment section on any page can get pretty crazy, and it’s no different for a business’s Facebook pages. That is why businesses all over the world are hiring people to help manage the comments section on their Facebook pages. Click here to complete your application.
This job posting is looking to hire people for entry-level article writing positions from all countries. Entry-level article writing jobs are not for professional writers, but you need basic English writing skills and the ability to research topics. Here are the job details…
Write eBay Listings – $15 per listing
This is an online writing job that requires writing ads for eBay listings. You can apply for these jobs if you are from any country. Businesses that have a wide variety of items on eBay need to hire writers to help them write new sales listings for all their new products each week. As these listings are based on templates, the level of writing skill required is quite low, making this an ideal entry-level writing job. Click here to apply.
Write Forum Posts – $20 per post
This forum posting job is for beginner writers and will be filled quickly. We are looking to hire new writers from all countries right now. Businesses can get a lot of traffic to their website by replying to comments and posting in forums online. But to do this they need regular people to sign up for the accounts on the forums and post the content in the forums for them. That is why these jobs are so good for beginner writers online with not much experience, and you can still get paid $20 per post. Click here to apply.
$28.50/hr To Write On Facebook
This is a currently open job posting to hire more Facebook writers, with a base pay of $28.50 per hour. These are beginner-level writing jobs and we are currently accepting new writers from all countries. You need to know how to use Facebook, have basic English writing skills, and be able to start immediately. Click here to apply.
We currently have a lot of jobs for beginner online writers, so if you are looking for a job you can do online, and you can start right away, this is for you. These online writing jobs are available for all different levels of experience (or no experience) and are accepting applications from all countries. Pay starts at $25 – $ 35 per hour depending on experience and type of writing job. Click here to apply.
Write Product Reviews – $40 a review
Would you be interested in testing out and writing reviews about websites, online software, and books, for $40 per review? We are currently recruiting new beginner paid online writers from your country and writing product reviews is one of the most popular job types on our platform right now. Businesses need to hire and pay regular product users to test their products and write reviews on them. You will either be sent or given free access to the product or service and then you need to use it as a real consumer would and write your review. These are remote positions, meaning that as long as you can work the required hours you can work from home. The businesses that hire our members are all looking for new remote workers who don’t need experience but are willing to learn. Click here to apply.
For 32 Low-Cost Side Hustles CLICK HERE to download a free report of the latest side gigs where you can start working today.
If you have questions or ideas, please leave your comments below. Thank you.