Every day, more people want to know how they can make money online for free. They want to break out of their boring, exhausting, or otherwise unideal jobs and become their own boss from the comfort of their own homes. And they want to do it without spending the precious resources they have now.
Today, we’re going to show you how to do just that. We’ll look at 11 of the best ways to make money online in 2022—no catch and no cash needed from you to get up and running.
How to make money online without paying anything
- Become a virtual assistant
If you have a knack for organizing and planning, becoming a virtual assistant is a great way to make extra cash online. A virtual assistant job involves doing various tasks like managing social media pages, replying to emails, and taking phone calls on behalf of a business.
With the number of solopreneurs increasing, virtual assistants are seeing a sharp increase in demand for their services. You can get started by applying to jobs on Upwork, Indeed, or Virtual Assistant Jobs. VAs make around $19.36 per hour on average, according to Indeed.com.
Some virtual assistants have also found success by building their own personal brand and promoting it to entrepreneurs and startups. You can follow suit by creating a Facebook Business page and sprucing it up with content promoting your service. (It’s free to create one and you can share it anywhere on the web.)
- Transcribe audio and video files
Though artificial intelligence is emerging as a tool to help with speech-to-text transcription, it’s far from perfect. Therefore, many companies rely on transcriptionists to turn audio from videos and speech files into accurate text.
You can lock in a part-time role with a company like Rev or work freelance with multiple firms on specific projects. Most companies let you choose which assignments you work on and set your own schedule. The best part is you don’t need to invest anything upfront—simply use the speakers that come built into your computer to transcribe.
To succeed as a transcriber, you’ll want to strengthen your typing skills. Your work needs to be error-free and easy for clients to comprehend. Start practicing by transcribing short audio files so you’re ready to apply for jobs with transcription companies.
- Review websites and apps
Another way to make money online for free is to review websites for cash.
Some companies offer people payments and free products to leave testimonials on their sites. Other businesses pay people to examine the quality and performance of their website.
When reviewing websites, you’ll usually examine the site’s functionality and how fast it loads. The amount you earn will be dependent on the marketplace you work with and the testing methods you use. In most instances, you’ll earn more if you’re willing to do one-on-one testing sessions with clients over video conferencing.
- Join an affiliate program
Do you think you have the marketing chops to promote things effectively? Join an affiliate program and earn commission by promoting products, services, or brands on different platforms. Once you’re accepted, you’ll receive an affiliate link to share with others.
When someone buys the product or service after clicking your link, you’ll receive a commission, along with credit for the referral. The commission payout depends on the affiliate program and the product being promoted—basic items on the Amazon marketplace won’t pay out much, but promoting digital services like web hosting may earn you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Contrary to popular belief, affiliate marketing doesn’t rely on blog promotions to generate revenue for a marketer. You can use your social media accounts like Instagram and Facebook to promote businesses and earn money.
- Become an online travel agent
Do you know where to find the best flight deals and vacation packages? Consider working from home as a virtual travel agent.
Travel agents get paid to help people plan vacations and personal travels. As the logistics (connecting flights, accommodations, sight-seeing tours, etc.) can be overwhelming, many individuals rely on travel agents to make their trips easier.
You don’t need any special certification to become an online travel agent. What you need are research and organization skills to plan a smooth trip for your clients in the budget they mention. For assistance, you can partner with different companies to get discounts to offer your clients.
- Sell photos online
If you regularly take photos or have lots of images on your hard drive, you can sell them to stock agencies to earn some money. You will receive a commission every time someone downloads one of your photographs—either a fixed amount or a percentage as determined by the stock image site.
Happy learning!