How To Make Money Online Without Paying Anything

Can anyone master how to make money online without paying anything? The short answer is yes.

The internet continues to open a new wave of possibilities never before seen in mankind. With online shops and internet-mediated transactions taking over the market, this isn’t surprising. Given the great demand for online jobs and side gigs, it seems most of these require no initial capital or any sort of investment.

Luckily, there are some ways that answer this question of how to make money online for less to no money. These safe and unique gigs offer promising possibilities without spending a single buck. Some of these will require creative skills, academic experience, or just one’s presence and time. And the best thing? All of these can be done in the comfort of anyone’s residence.

With that, here are eight proven ways on how to make money online without paying anything.

1. Creating Online Journal Templates

Journaling isn’t something new. It has been around for decades, but it’s just now that people come to realize its mental and emotional benefits. Here’s the twist to that. Many people love to journal digitally. Meaning, journals are done paperless by using online or premade templates.

Try to sell online free template designs

Online journal templates are just like paper journals in stationery shops. They have colorful stickers and various pen brushes that people can write or doodle with while going about their day. However, not everyone has the time or desire to create the templates they have in mind themselves. Thus, the new demand of buying online journal templates has been established.

Creating these templates is very easy. Anyone can pull off a design using Canva, a free graphic design platform. Suppose they’re more into the drawing side. In that case, they can use IbisPaint (Mobile) or Krita (Windows and Mac) to doodle personalized stickers and stamps.

The critical factor that makes selling journal templates a hit lies in creativity and customizability. People often buy these to materialize what they want into a digital copy. So it’s better to offer services like color customization, personalized stickers, and themes. That way, clients can resonate with the design that matches their interests and personalities.

After designing these templates, all that’s left is publicizing them. The most common site to sell these is Etsy. You may find the digital journaling community is mainly on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check the hashtags under this niche and connect with people sharing the same interest.

It’s good to make a profile where prospective customers can view previous works to establish a better impression. Showcasing different customization add-ons should provide clear points for initial buyers.

2. Free Affiliate Programs

Affiliate marketing is one of the best-paying online gigs today. The reason behind this is the solid demand for credible companies needing to build their internet brand identity.

Unfortunately, affiliate marketing through WordPress blogging come with some low costs. This shouldn’t stop anyone from generating income through affiliate links. This is where two of the largest social media apps in the world come into play – YouTube and Instagram.

YouTube

Amassing 2 billion users from all around the world, YouTube is a platform with a monetizable audience. A video channel can get affiliate gigs after establishing some niche. Terms such as accepting partnerships and sponsors in one’s channel description can bring affiliate marketing offsite offers. When a creator consistently posts videos that stick to a theme, companies will reach out to offer an agreement.

For example, the online learning company Skillshare is known for contacting YouTube channels related to productivity, stationery, and self-improvement. Making videos is free. Contrary to what most people believe, sophisticated camera skills and professional studios aren’t necessary for beginners.

Exploring YouTube will open a new world of opportunities. After making a name on this platform, other deals are expected to follow. It’s vital to remember that creating a channel is more of a career than just a gig. It will not need money to begin, but will need time and loads of patience.

Instagram

Affiliate marketing through Instagram is more manageable than YouTube. Unlike YouTube, no one needs to shoot a video to build an audience. Simple pictures or drawings with concise captions will do effectively on this social media platform. As always, affiliate marketing is all about catering to a specific population with the same interests.

Similar to YouTube, creating an Instagram page can open new opportunities from different companies or deals. In fact, Instagram is where people first coined the term “social media influencer”. The fun part is how an Instagram account can be about beauty, pets, or anything. It’s important to like the niche a creator is attempting to conquer.

Additionally, it’s vital to consider the potential market a user can derive from their audience. It also helps to take advantage of Instagram’s new tools like IG Stories, Reels, and IG Status. Knowing how these work will help make the profile more interactive!

Again, it’s not possible to become an Instagram superstar within 2 weeks or less. It will take time and patience. After consistently posting high-quality content, Instagram affiliate links are one of the easiest ways to make money for free. This is fun, rewarding, and pays well.

3. Selling Presentations

Not everyone is a fan of making academic or business-related presentations. For many, studying these is the least exciting part of preparing a speech or studying for a test. Again, this is another opportunity to build a business without requiring any initial payment.

Anyone can create engaging presentations through Canva, Microsoft Powerpoint, or Google Slides to make profitable presentations. All these platforms offer comprehensive designing tools from fonts, graphic elements, and animation.

Creators planning this business can also provide research packages on top of the presentation slides to create more options and selling points. Like anything online, the better the deal, the more clients will come.

While selling presentations sounds easy, where can people actually sell these slides? Creators gaining profit through this method use the following platforms.

Scribd

Scribd recently acquired SlideShare. Both are prominent presentation tools known to many speakers, educators, and students. With that, creators can produce and sell premade slides on various topics for business and academic purposes.

The price range of each presentation is around $5 to $10. Scribd takes 20% as part of the consignment fee. Still, the creator can charge more or less with this in mind.

Since the topic of the presentations can be anything under the sun, it’s essential to make sure chosen subjects are relevant. The most common and in-demand subjects are grammar or linguistic presentations, historical data, mathematics, and the social sciences. No matter how well-made the slides are, demand is what makes these digital items sell.

Template Monster

From the name itself, this site allows people to sell templates to customers. This website specializes in offering commissioned works. So, creators can expect to deal with people who are more than willing to buy presentation templates. While other platforms take large deductions, Template Monster gives high commission fees.

On top of that, this site also has a clear and transparent payout system which makes it more convenient for sellers. This comes as a given since Template Monster specializes in connecting clients to creators. For those who want to build a long-term reputation for creating slides, Template Monster is a great community to work on.

Fiverr

The platform Fiverr is a freelancing site with over 2.3 million users worldwide. This site follows a “gig” system where a seller posts a gig. If a buyer takes an interest in this gig, they can purchase it immediately.

It’s like a typical online store, only that the products are services. The process is straightforward, and the site itself is safe to use.

Fiverr takes $1 for every $5 a seller earns. In other words, Fiverr takes 20% of the sale. On the better side, the seller can decide how much they want to charge for their services. They can also customize delivery dates and packages to find which suits them better. Presentation gigs are rising in Fiverr, so it’s good to take advantage of this demand as soon as possible.

Do note that all these outlets can be used simultaneously. A creator can also sell works through social media accounts like Twitter or Facebook to widen the range of their scope. Links from these may be able to point to services.

4. Research Jobs

Research is crucial in business and academics. Digital results depend on research to ensure quality and accuracy. To save more time, many individuals pay generous amounts for someone to do this. Researching is a specialized job. These people don’t write or produce anything. They just find relevant information.

Additionally, research jobs don’t end with looking up information. Sometimes researchers are tasked to conduct surveys and find eligible individuals for market research. Realistically speaking, research jobs pay well, but they’re highly technical. Still, applying may be worth a shot, considering the demand and competitive rates.

There are many ways to get a research job. The most popular ones are through freelancing sites like Fiverr or PeoplePerHour. If these sites don’t sound appealing, people can also find clients through Google by searching listings.

Here’s another tip. Those who need researchers usually post listings through Facebook Marketplace or Facebook Groups. Getting the job without a mediating site cuts off the service fee from freelancing platforms. That’s something to think about. It’s no exaggeration to say that anyone can learn how to make money online without paying anything.

5. Graphic Design and Product Posters

The internet is a highly visual-dependent space. Generally speaking, people buy what they like to see. This makes graphic design or product posters a hit for many creatives. Selling posters can range from $5 up to $1000 or more. Of course, professionalism and experience will be a factor. Testing this market is an excellent way to start earning money without capital.

The initial step is to create an online portfolio. Behance and Instagram are free sites to get exposure. In making the posters, Canva is the best tool for beginners. Not only is this free, but it also offers editing options present in other costly design software like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Many mobile designers also use PicsArt (Android and Mac). Don’t get overwhelmed with these design tools. In reality, it isn’t the software that makes a designer marketable but the design itself. Learn more about branding and how it relates to design. After some time, it’ll come naturally.

In finding clients, freelance sites are the most upfront option. However, designers have less control over their pricing when it comes to these. Because everything is prepackaged, it’s hard to charge less or more, despite a design’s complexity. Negotiation is also limited since transactions are regulated by these sites.

Instead, it would be smarter in the long run to build a portfolio independently. This will help establish a personal brand that feels more credible and trustworthy. It’s also helpful for every designer to create connections. This can be done through emailing companies, joining boot camps, or offering services. All these efforts are beneficial after some time.

6. Social Media Management

How this works is simple. Companies have Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts, and they’re looking for people who specialize in posting for them. They do this to maintain consistency in their posting schedule and to boost customer engagement.

Social media managers need to have skills in both writing and basic photo editing. Since the job requires posting content, these skills come in handy. There are tons of YouTube videos and free social media management courses anyone can take advice from. And Canva is a great platform to experiment on different designs.

The best thing about this job is the rates. Companies need and pay more for people who can boost their online reputation. For a high-paying job, starting a social media career is absolutely free.

Now, where can people find these companies or future clients? Similar to most online jobs, a portfolio should be ready at all times. A social media manager’s portfolio should contain samples of photography, maybe ad copies, advertising pitches, and graphic posters.

Once this is done, they can either apply through freelancing sites or the company’s HR (human resources) team. Social media can also be a valuable tool in locating clients with no websites yet. The point is, clients can be everywhere. This just needs a strategy to both find and persuade them into trusting one’s services.

7. Guest Posting

As the name suggests, guest posting is when one contributes or writes for another brand or website as a “guest.” Other terms for this job are guest blogging or contributor writing. Some of these may need to be done for free, as the host site may allow a link back to the author’s site from the writer’s article.

Here, companies may also choose to pay contributors per article. The more the articles are published, the higher the income will be. The best part? Beginning with guest posting is absolutely free.

Guest posting is a relatively new addition in the ways involving how to make money online without paying anything. It’s not as known as social media management or copywriting. So, it’s expected that not many know about this gig. With that, below are some of the basic steps in beginning a career as a free or paid contributor.

Specify the Topical Field

Narrowing down what market or subject one plans to contribute to is essential. In guest posting jobs, “jack-of-all-trades” or people with multiple fields are less employable. This is because websites often stick to a single subject. They want some expertise.

If the writer specializes in marketing, it’s wise to guest post for finance websites. Being a contributor will require mastery in a field. Therefore, employers and companies find it less desirable to hire contributors with many attachments to various areas.

Have Multiple Social Accounts

Guest posting is about gaining traffic. Companies love to hire people who already have an existing audience. This makes it easier for them to trust these contributors to post on their websites.

Creating and maintaining a reputable social media life is something that will surely impress future employers. Think of this as an online portfolio for guest posting expertise.

On top of these accounts, make sure to have an actual portfolio. Having these will make the hiring process faster. It also helps establish an image of being responsible when reaching out to companies. They love it when people are prepared, even without instructions.

A never-failing tip here is seizing every platform available. It’s obvious that almost nothing can beat social media accounts in building audiences.

Focus on Some Engagements

Numbers matter. Whether for personal accounts or previous clients, guest posting employees should make it a habit to screenshot the engagements they reach per post. Having these show up in portfolios is a huge plus. Numbers are proof of excellence, and every contributor should have them ready for companies to consider.

And don’t worry, anyone can look into insights for free, just by checking their Instagram or Twitter insights. These social media platforms are a great way to begin a guest posting career approach.

Know the Modern-Day Trends

Keeping up with trends is one of the critical responsibilities every contributor must know about. Knowing what’s popular is an asset for most companies because it shows how a contributor knows which topics are relevant.

While other trend-detecting tools come with a price, there’s nothing that can beat organic analysis when it comes to tracking trends. Companies also find it impressive when someone can spot trends without using SEO tools. But if it helps, many efficient SEO tools come with no cost.

Establish Some Relationships

Treating each client friendly helps things out. Even if a company featured a piece just once, this still matters. Guest posting isn’t about how many words one can put out. It’s more about how many connections a contributor manages to make.

Try to consider that all blog owners or copywriters are automatically prospective clients! LinkedIn, Facebook, or directly emailing them are free and effective ways in contacting people. The most remarkable asset of this job is how a single client can help anyone connect to a hundred more.

Sure, the results move slower for guest posting in comparison to other gigs. However, the network and income this profession promises make it all worth it.

8. Academic Tasks

Unlike the other methods mentioned, this is a much broader field. Academic tasks pertain to any job that generates income in exchange for educational assistance. This can range from tutoring, homework assistance, coaching, or even making educational pamphlets or handouts.

For many, this is a beginner-friendly way of learning how to make money online without paying anything.

Many students need assistance in breaking down educational materials. Consequently, the rate for these tasks will depend on the complication of the subject and the prior work agreement. However, every freelancer or employee should remember to only take jobs they are capable of handling.

Since these jobs demand a specific extent of academic expertise, it wouldn’t be appropriate to accept gigs one is unfamiliar with. If English is a person’s field of mastery, they shouldn’t take science or mathematics work. So, where can tutors find clients on the internet?

The first place to check is Facebook Groups. Search for groups with keywords such as “hiring tutors” or “do homework.” Eventually, clients who are looking for educational assistance will come up. Another method is through freelancing sites like Fiverr.

Lastly, another great way is through Twitter. This site is underrated for searching clients, but most teens or parents post their academic concerns on Twitter. Don’t use personal accounts as these lessen the credibility and formality of the packages. Instead, create another one solely made for educational assistance services.

One tip is to widen offerings as much as possible. For example, if one’s field is science, it would be better to go beyond just teaching and create free handouts for a better selling point. When people diversify the services they offer, clients feel more confident about the transaction. It can be a tiny adjustment that helps a lot.