If you’re like me, then at one point or another you’ve Googled “how to make money online.” Of course, most of the digital get-rich-quick schemes you’ll find are scams. But for people with certain passions, the Internet is a digital gold mine. You can absolutely get rich of off the Internet through monetizing your talents, but it can take more time than most of us are willing to commit.
I started freelance writing on sites like Elance and TextBroker when I was 19 (I’m 25 now). My rate was a penny a word, and sometimes less! I’ve written 500-word articles for $3, even! The reason I did this was that the experience is valuable.
Fast forward to the present and I now make between 8 and 10 cents a word, depending on the client. To put that increase in perspective, imagine an entry-level salary of $30,000. So by your 5th year in the company, you’d be making between $240,000 and $300,000. My point is you can make great money off of your digital side-hustle, and even create an opportunity to pursue your passion full-time.
How Etsy Revitalized the Value of Creativity
I love Etsy. I have gotten all of my family’s birthday presents this year off of Etsy. For those who don’t know, Etsy is essentially the Amazon of handcrafted and one-of-a-kind items. This includes paintings, jewelry, custom clothing, and a slew of other creatively inspired crafts. If you consider yourself a creative person, then you can monetize whichever outlet you use for said creativity on Etsy.
Etsy charges a small fee per listing (at the time of writing this is 20 cents), and then takes a percentage of each sale (3.5%). This is a great rate when you consider the over 9 million unique monthly visitors Etsy gets.
Besides Etsy being an awesome place for gifts, it has been at the forefront of revitalizing the value of creativity.
Most artists who were made a name for themselves in World History before the 20th century were commissioned by the aristocratic class to paint or sculpt. People paid thousands of dollars to hang these paintings in their homes. In today’s 21st century society, art appreciation has fallen by the wayside. Etsy changed this by providing a simple and effective way to put artists in contact with consumers.
The First Step in Monetizing Your Creativity on Etsy
Like I said earlier, monetizing a skill on the Internet is not done quickly. There are many steps involved. Think of your reading this article as the first step.
In terms of making money on Etsy, your first step is to figure out what you’re going to sell. This might sound obvious, but you have to take this step seriously to have a clear vision of your goals.
All you need is an hour of two of focused brainstorming to get started. For some of you, you’ll know right away what you’d sell. Graphic designers, painters, and jewelry makers do great on Etsy.
With that being said, the beauty of art is it doesn’t need to fit in a box. Any byproduct of your creativity can be sold. Don’t let the profit from what you create motivate you in the beginning. There’s a good chance it won’t be more than pocket change. Instead, let the feeling of pure joy selling something you created drive you towards your goals.
If you have any questions about monetizing your creativity, then shoot me an e-mail or reach out to me on Twitter. I’d love to help!
