The ideal ways to make money online in 2021

In the year 2020, I cashed out monies from blogging that some opinionists claimed to be dead. But then, that’s just one of those unpopular ways people make money online, and one of my income source.

This isn’t about making promises that blogging will start fetching you money in 2021. I started blogging in 2012 and didn’t make a dime (on this) until 2018. This is to tell you this thing don’t just come easy, as you may have to follow a process; master a skill, work, sacrifice and persevere. Perhaps there’s a 1% chance of making it the easy way, just you don’t want to live your life by chnace. You may want to skip through this article if you are looking for inspiration, but if you’re willing to follow the process, you may get along with the details and rock through.

Have something to start with

Learn a skill / Have a product or service.
We just have to face it, money don’t grow on the internet, as the internet is just a platform, just as the world we are.
If you want to make money in life, you get a job or start a business. For any of the path you are taking, there’s a value you’re bringing to the table, either for your employer or for your clients/customers.
Same applies to the internet. The internet only provides you the platform to express yourself or make the connection. But the real deal is the value you’re bringing to the platform or to your connections. Personally, I hired a number of remote workers, while also I have contacts who I work for remotely. Majority of my team, I’ve not met physically, but do I even care. Well, nobody really cares as long as the purpose being “quality” service delivery is being met. Likewise for products, a number of us have bought things online at one point the other. For all of us, we don’t care about the face of the seller(s), as what really matter is what we needed, and they have it.

Now you may want to ask yourself, what skill do I have or what can I learn to make connections on the internet platform; or, what product/s do I have to sell or how do I sell signifcantly on the platform to make monies.

Check here for top business opportunities in year 2021, and hot products and services to look out for.

Identify your internet objectives

Everyday we receive enquires from different people looking for how to make money online. Whereas, I’ve always try to be realistic as to what it takes, in line with process involved. At this point, I’m to think it’s something about human nature; we are hardly interested in the process part but the end; which is the result.

We just have to face it, there’s no direct way to make money online in the age we are. Online money is now a business. The spirit it takes to build a money grossing offline business is now almost relative online. The same work, energy, perseverance, time.

Are you willing to learn, work, sacrifice and persevere?

Build online business assets

Now this is where it gets more real and interesting. What do you make of businesses with shiny signboards or signages, quality business card, top-notch brochures, other branding deliverables of high quality?

Before now, a business strength is majorly measured based on their physical office presence (being branding, staff strength and more), but now the internet is fast creating a level-ground for all to play and wage muscles.

Your online presence is vital; your content (text, graphics, audios/videos), social media, website; design and/or layout, your search engine presence and more are all important.

So now you know; when it comes to internet business, there are assets you need to build; such as, having a well designed and functional website, setup professional email/s such as hello@tobidigital.com, a commanding presence on the search engine, great social media presence among others. I really can’t overemphasised how these factors have helped project my business, despite the fact this business really don’t have that ghen ghen offline presence, as I and my team do work from home and deliver.

Here’s the tweak; having great website impression/landing pages, rich content on blog, social media- in written, graphics and streaming, and all those things you call paparazzis will very much give you/your business a big edge. The part of branding in business still remained. As it is offline, so is it on the internet.

In plain terms, invest in quality web (design), graphical content/designs, video editing, photography, or learn if possible. Branding is what I will call a cheat; and rightly, could be just what you need to optimise your great online efforts.

Understand or learn digital marketing

Digital marketing is not actually a thing but a number of things. The internet is just a platform (actually a ground for a network of platforms) while marketing is an art.

Marketing: a process of showcasing a product, services, brand or a cause/event using viable strategies, communication, advertisement medium and approaches.

Digital: a medium through which the marketing takes place. Digital cut across the web/internet, mobile application, social media, online streaming medium, etc.

As the days go by, we are getting to see digital marketing becoming broader, especially now that more and more people are joining the trend, even with changes in human behaviour/or interaction with the internet and advancements of platforms and tools.

This guide may not be able to touch digital marketing hitherto, but see to master content, platforms; web, social media, search engine, and more. I always advise one should enroll in a digital marketing class to understand the basis or even to master. You may want to enroll in our digital marketing class to understand the basis and/or depths of online marketing.

Digital marketing is not an end but a means to an end.

TobiDigital

Practice/show up

In anything you do, either products or services, always strive to show and show up for good. The world is watching. So, it may not be enough to show up, but in a quality and consistent ways. As aforementioned, tidy up your online presence (website, social media pages, others), but then also the quality of your products and/or services is also very important. This means whatever you do, ensure it’s top-notch -for services, for products – ensure you source for and deal quality. Also, your customer relationship is vital. Attend to every enquiry and do proper followup, even after delivery.

I made a personal connection by following up on customer who bought something from our online store sometimes this year. Thereon, he took an interest in my person from where we got into other conversations. As at the time I’m writing this, he’s -so far- been a big blessing to my business, as I now serve him with my skills.

But this is not guarantee you that good customer relationship will bring you the right connections. But a good customer relationship habit can never go wrong as it would surely enhance your business customer retentionship, trust and recommendations.

Leverage platforms

The internet is a ground for all to play, but you know some have built a whole world on this ground, making a platform for all.

Here are the notable internet platforms you can build on.

The social media

No question about this, the social media remained one key platform that skills and products are on deal -even for free. Although, selling on the social media, especially to same set of audience may make you start to sound like a broken record, this is why you strive always to reach new people/audience. Over 2 billion people are on social, in your own localities, several millions of people are on either Facebook, Instagram, twitter, or all of these. This is why you brace up and pay the price and go paid advertisement on the social media. But also, put efforts into content and influence (building) to claim authority, and strive to be original for audience retention and for organic growth. You may want to master the social media by contacting an expert.

Web/blog/Online store

Since social media could be likened to a rented platform, it gets even better building your own website/blog, more like your own platform. As a matter of fact, owning a website domain puts you in the same authority as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. The only difference is that the platform owners have built these platforms to make for others to leverage. While you can get kicked out of either Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by Mark or Jack, your website is like your own territory where you have the monopoly and all sense of ownership. This is why it’s best you invest in your own website and see to host your content within. On your own platform, you can also host your products, such as we did for Tobidigital Store (at store.tobidigital.com)

Benefits of having your own website

1. You can’t be locked out of your own business account.
2. Your content cannot be flagged or blocked, as you are the regulator of content going your website
3. You have the free will to expression, whereas you may be flagged on social media for displaying some products/services or cause which they claimed to violate their platform policy/among others.
4. Increased visibility. If you are reading this note, the chances are you came about this article via Google search, but this is the sort of visibility you enjoy. Moreso, you are found by people/readers who are mainly interested in your content. Remember, people going to Google search are the ones searching for information, unlike social media where we bring the conversation to. In practice, content found via Google search tends to convert over the ones on social channels. (You may want to read our note on Ideal content marketing strategies)
5. You can sell on your website directly and accept payment. (You may want to read Some essentials for eCommerce business)
6. Owing a website domain improves your online image, such that you can communicate through professional email such as hello@tobidigital.com.
7. Altogether, owning a website would improve general perspective and trust in you/or your business.

Search Engine

This can be quite technical while at the same time rigorous, but the search engine is one valid platform that supersedes every other platform in terms of conversion. To claim a spot or rank on top pages of search engine demands a lot of efforts, but simple.

1. Own a website.
2. Have a good website layout/design.
3. Have good resourceful content or linkback/reference from relevant website/or authority websites.
4. Link your site to the Google Search Console/admin
5. Optimise your website back-end for Google search with the right markup/schema.

You may want to read: Leveraging Search Engine for organic traffic cum sales on your Ecommerce website

What you need to know about Google updates on website ranking metrics

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can be quite technical and may require the help of a professional. But then, if there’s anything I know how to do best, is the SEO. I can help you take your website and devise a plan/commitment to make it visible and rank on top top pages of search.

Freelancing Platform/marketplaces

Just as the social media (FB, IG, Twitter), some platforms have built ground and massive followership/audience. Such are platforms where you can source for jobs/products or sell.

If you are leveraging on skills, you may source for clients by joining platforms such as Fiver, Upwork -among others- and building your profile. Prospective clients can find you on these platforms. You may as wel make proposals/or apply for gig listings on these platforms.

If you offer product sales, you may leverage marketplace platforms like Jumia, Konga, Habari, or Jiji, and enlist your products for more visibility which ultimately improve your sales.

Although these platforms would charge a certain commission on your sales proceed, you’d be relieved in part, the stress of marketing or sourcing for buyers.

Read also: Doing Business on Jumia and/or Konga: what I need to know

Selling on Jumia or Konga: which one is the best

Selling on Tajmall: things you need to know as a vendor

How to sell on Habarigt and every other thing you need to know

There are also other online directories you can enlist such as Google My Business, Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and some other notable platforms to increase your visibility, online presence and or image.

2021 side hustles

At this juncture, you may want to look at every other option and possibilities of making money online.

Affiliates marketing

Affiliate marketing is just one way you to go about making money online at the expense of other businesses. An online marketer who deals products sales is always under pressure to sell their stock and make profits from their trading investments. As an affiliate marketer, you only leverage on other sales businesses by enlisting their products and market onine to earn commission for every sales they make. Affiliate marketing could pass as the number 1 side hustle go into online, as there’s no risk involved.

But the question may be, what are the top affiliate marketing programs in Nigeria.

Jumia offers two different structures of affiliate marketing in JForce and Key Opinion Leaders KOL (formerly Jumia Affiliates program). While JForce agents place orders on behalf of others and earn a commission for every successfully completed order, KOL rewards based on purchases made through unique links -just as the standard affiliates mode/system online.

You may want to learn more about the Jumia JForce and or the Key Opinion Leader

Konga Affiliates Program

Konga Affiliates is another Nigeria’s broad reseller program that enables you to make money by selling products (from the Konga eCommerce platform) for a percentage of commission, back-end commission, and profit.

You may want to learn more about the Konga Affiliates Program.

You may also engage other notable affiliates platforms outside the shores of Nigeria, such as Amazon affiliates and more.

Although there are several platforms established mainly for affiliates marketer, as affiliates marketing alone is a full time business for a good number of online marketers today. You may want to contact us for a guide on affiliates marketing if it’s something you are looking to go deep into.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is another branch of e-commerce that leverages third-party stores/platforms; enabling you to sell products you don’t actually stock or retailed directly. For this eCommerce business model, you –create your own online store and promote other online stores’ products and add your own jara to the product actual price. When a customer placed orders on your store or via you, you either manually forward the customer details to your retail contact who then ships orders to customers’ destinations. While also, you may choose to automate the process (with platforms such as Shopify, Aliexpress, Dropify, others), such that any order placed from you/your online store is automatically taken up by your supplier and is shipped directly to the end consumer. The profit margin you put will be due to you after succesful delivery. Dropshipping is amost as safe as the Affiliates model -as it’s without risk involved -especially capital.

YouTube

Creating content on Youtube is another way of making money online, just you must have content of interest. Whereas, creating content on Youtube nowadays goes beyond shooting and uploading videos, as you must have the content depth and quality videos to attract and sustain the audience/followers. I think Youtube content creation is more a big deal, as it may require more energy/input and investments.

Read also: 23 Business you can start on the internet

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But remember, in anything you do, there’s a process involved. Making money on the internet could take as much as it takes elsewhere. Your mastery of the platform, work and investments may be what proves the difference or the catalyst. You just have to do your own part and trust the process.

All the best!