Make money advertising online (Free strategies for beginners)

How would you like to make money advertising online?

Making money advertising for companies is easier than ever with the internet. Yes, there is good money to be made in advertising. You just need to know how to start your advertising career.

Imagine, making enough money to quit your 9-5 job. No longer having to wake up to the sound of an alarm clock. You’ve built a business that makes enough money while you sleep.

Luckily for you, I’m going to show you the exact steps to take to make money advertising online. If you have a laptop and an internet connection, these methods can work.

This article may contain affiliate links which pays a commission and supports this blog. Thank you for your support!

Paid vs organic advertising

In advertising, getting eyes on your offer is everything. If no one knows about your product then no one can buy it. In online advertising, there are two ways to get eyes on your product, paid and organic traffic.

Paid advertising involves paying money to get potential customers to buy something. Paying for advertising can be costly, but if you know what you’re doing it can amplify your profits.

An example of paid advertising is setting up a Facebook ad. You might create an ad with an image and short description of your product. Depending on your ad setup, every time someone clicks or views an ad it costs you money. Ideally, people are clicking over to your offer page where they are buying your product.

Organic traffic is completely free. Unlike paid traffic, organic traffic can take time to see results. Organic traffic comes from anywhere people are online, such as social media or search engines.

For example, you might create a website dedicated to your product, baby clothes. You use Search Engine Optimization to write detailed articles on baby clothes. People might Google, “Best baby clothes for girls” to which they find your article which recommends your clothes.

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Distribution platform vs advertising service

There are two ways to make money advertising online. You will either need a distribution platform or to become a service. Like paid and organic traffic, each have their pros and cons.

Distribution platforms have people come for the free content. Ads and other promotional content are displayed. Traditionally, distribution platforms are television and radio. Today, distribution looks like websites, email lists, YouTube channels, Facebook pages and groups, etc.

I like distribution channels because you’re building a following around a common interest. Send relevant offers to your channel and make sales. However, distribution does takes a while to build.

Advertising services involve working for companies with money to spend. You help them fill an advertising need and get paid for your efforts.

Distribution takes a while to build, but can make money more passively. Ad services will always need to have clients and exchange time for money.

Make money advertising online

The first step towards making money with advertising is knowing your product. Are you going to create a product, sell someone else’s, display ads, etc. Having a good understanding of your product will make sure you’re focusing on the right path for making money.

Next, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to get your product in front of people. Are you going to pay for ads, have affiliates, or chase organic traffic?

Let’s take a look at the best strategies to make money through advertising online.

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Display advertising with ad networks

Ad networks are one of the simplest ways to make money advertising online. Simply display an ad on your website and get paid anytime someone clicks or sees an ad.

Ad networks provide the code you copy and paste onto your website. In addition, ad networks find companies willing to advertise and handle the money. All you need to worry about is creating awesome content that draws people in.

Most blogging beginners start making money with Google Adsense. Eventually, bloggers will move on to higher paying ad networks like Mediavine or Adthrive once they meet the joining requirements.

Revenue Per Click (RPC) vs Revenue Per Mille (RPM)

When working with an ad network, you’ll either be paid based on clicks or views. Usually, you’re paid through a combination of both.

As an advertiser, I can create an ad and choose to be billed when someone clicks my ad (Cost Per Click, CPC). I can also choose to be billed per thousand ad views (Cost Per Mille, CPM).

As a content creator, you earn money based on when someone clicks an ad (Revenue Per Click). You’ll also earn money depending on how many people see an ad displayed on your site. If you have an RPM of $15, then you are earning $15 per thousand views.

How much can you make from Google Adsense?

Google Adsense generally pays publishers between $5 to $10 per thousand views. Therefore, a website with 10,000 pageviews per month should earn between $50 and $100.

Keep in mind, every niche will attract different types of advertisers. For example, a highly competitive niche, such as fitness, might earn more in ad revenue than a bird watching website. Therefore, it can be difficult to determine how much money you’ll make from Google ads.

Is Google Adsense free?

Google Adsense is free for publishers to use. However, Google does require you to apply for an Adsense account and identify which properties will display ads. Your website will be reviewed to make sure requirements are met, such as, a Terms & Conditions page, Privacy Policy, quality content, etc.

Ad agency

Owning your own ad agency is one of the best paying ways for posting ads. Your job is to find clients, set up their ads, and continue to get paid.

Most businesses don’t know the first thing about creating ads on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media. A Yoga studio is great at helping people learn Yoga, but not so much with digital marketing.

You will need to be an expert at creating targeted advertising. Make sure you know how to set up ads and the basics of creating a re-targeting campaign.

How to create your own online advertising agency

Start by creating a list of businesses that need advertising and have money. Hint, all companies need advertising. We are specifically looking to target companies in large cities.

Pick one type of company you want to start posting ads. For example, maybe you want to start posting ads for Crossfit gyms.

Next, call every single Crossfit gym in every large city across the U.S. Calling is better than emailing because people ignore emails all the time. Your goal is to get one business per city to sign up for your advertising service. You will need a contract that you can send over for the business to sign once they agree.

Maybe you charge a monthly $2,000 advertising fee plus any money they want to spend on advertising. Let’s say your average Yoga studio has $5,000 each month to send your way. You get $2,000 and spend $3,000 on targeted advertising.

Now let’s assume you got 10 clients into a 12 month contract. At $2,000 per client, you’re now making $20,000 per month in advertising fees.

Take some of that $20,000 and hire freelancers to create high quality digital Crossfit images for advertising. Personalize them for each gym.

Learn how to create retargeting campaigns where people search on Google for “best Crossfit gym in Seattle” and now they see your ad on Facebook. Now you’re using that same advertisement for 10 different Yoga studios in different marketplaces.

Congratulations, you are now earning $20,000 per month setting up ads.

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Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves selling someone else’s product for a share of the profits. You partner with another company and bring your marketing skills. The company brings the products and customer service.

For example, you might find a digital course with an affiliate program. The course sells for $99 and offers a 50% commission. You promote that course to your followers and make 10 sales. At a 50% profit share, you would earn around $500 for referring business.

Joint ventures are awesome because it allows you to focus on your advertising. You can stick to what you’re good at while the company can focus on making quality products.

Where can I find affiliate products to promote?

Affiliate networks, like shareasale.com, are one of the best places to find products to promote. You can browse a list of companies and apply to join each merchants affiliate program.

The company will review your application to join. Approval is up to each company, but there are thousands of companies to choose from. Most companies are looking to see if you have an established website that works with their brand.

Each company found on ShareASale has different rules. For example, a company may not want you to promote their brand with Pay Per Click ads using certain keywords.

How do I make money with affiliate marketing?

You will receive a unique link once you join an affiliate program. Place your link on your website or social media accounts. Your link tracks when a customer clicks and makes a purchase. Your affiliate account will be credited with the sale amount and paid depending on the affiliate agreement.

So how can you be successful in your marketing? When promoting offers, keep the following in mind.

• Product Reviews. Product reviews can be great at converting visitors into sales. People searching for product reviews are deciding if they should purchase an item. Your article or video can help them make that decision.
• Link to the product when relevant. If you’re discussing a specific topic and you have a relevant product, link to it. You can make sales when the offer is closely related to the article topic. Don’t try and sell someone cosmetics when they’re reading an article on changing car oil.
• Create paid advertisements. Creating Facebook ads or other paid advertisement can work if you know what you’re doing. Generally, the product needs to be high cost to cover ad cost.
• Mention products on social media. Sometimes people ask for recommendations on social media. You can always link to a product that might help.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is consistency over time. Marketing takes time to see profits, so stay consistent and patient.

Required FTC disclosure

When promoting a product, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires you to disclose any relationship with the company. The goal is to make sure consumers are protected. Consumers need awareness that you’re being paid or have something to gain for promoting a specific company.

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Blogging networks and social media influence

Blogging networks are a way for you to earn money advertising online through sponsored content. For example, you might send a tweet, write a blog post, post to Facebook, or upload an Instagram picture.

You could earn money if you own a high traffic website or an engaged social media account. The more traffic or followers you have the more you could earn. Obviously, it’s not easy becoming a social media influencer or building a website.

According to Social Media Today, Khloe Kardashian earns $13,000 to tweet to her 8 million followers! Yes, that is $13k to send one single tweet. People will pay you for being able to get a message in front of people!

The goal is to have a highly traffic and engaged website or social media accounts. Therefore, spend time building your audience. Sure, you could do a sponsored post if you’ve got 1,000 visitors per month. However, you’re not going to earn enough money to be worth your time.

Create your own product

Creating your own product is one of the most profitable ways to make money online. Why? Because when you create your own product then you can keep 100% of the profits.

Start by doing market research to determine what people are spending money on. Maybe your product will help someone with a pain point or help them pass an exam.

Once you’ve figured out your product, it’s time to research. What are people wanting to know about your product? What are the current products available and what are they selling for?

Next, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to distribute your product. Will you have a shopify store, sell on Amazon or eBay? If your product is digital, will you sell it through Gumroad, Teachable, or another service?

How are you going to get your product in front of people? Will you have an affiliate program or will you use pay per click advertising?

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Create your own online store

Another option for making money through advertising is to create your own online store. Build a website, source products, and get customers to your website.

Shopify has made the website and storefront creation an easy process. There are plenty of YouTube videos and Shopify resources that can help you build your own store in no time.

Start by selecting your niche. What products are you going to sell? Maybe you want to start selling watches or cosmetics.

You’ll then need to find suppliers which is easier said than done. Most product suppliers don’t want to work with no name businesses. Going to trade shows is one of the best ways to find a product supplier.

However, owning an online store isn’t an easy process. Marketing your website to get customers will be the most difficult. You’ll also find yourself being stretched thin as you try and find suppliers, attract customers, and fulfill orders.

Shopify is only the beginning for your online store. You can sell on other websites like Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Mercari, etc.

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Advertise consulting services

You can make money advertising online by offering your consulting services. People will pay you money if you can help them retire early, build a business, lose weight, etc.

Advertising consulting services can be a very profitable online business. Let’s take a look at how you could market yourself as a consultant for weight loss and nutrition.

Setting up a consulting business

First and foremost, you should be well versed in losing weight and nutritional guidance. Ideally, you would always be learning and reading books on the subject.

Next, you’ll need to create a website for your weight loss consulting business. In order to do this, you’ll need to determine how much you’ll charge clients and what services you’ll provide.

Maybe your service includes a once per month video call to discuss progress, problems and nutrition. You’ll also include a free meal plan and recipe book for new clients. In addition, you offer email support for clients outside of your phone calls.

You think the value of these calls is around $80 per month and you only want to work 20 hours per week. Therefore, you would need to get 80 clients which would make you $6,400 per month.

Advertising your consulting business

Obviously, you’re going to need to start attracting clients or you wouldn’t have a business. The quickest way to build a consulting business is through paid advertising.

Maybe you would want to set up a Facebook ad campaign. Targeting women in their 30s-40s, you set up a Cost Per Click ad campaign at $0.15 per click. This campaign sends people who click on your ad to your sales page, where you really sell your consulting service.

The goal is to create an ad that is very relevant to your offer. You want people to know what they’re going to see when they click over to your website.

Assuming you spent $1,000, you would send 6,666 people to your sales page. You would get 66 clients assuming one percent of people sign up for your service. Therefore, you spent $1,000, but are now making $5,280.

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What tools and resources can help me make money advertising online?

So we’ve talked a lot about how to make money advertising online. However, there are thousands of tools available to help you with your marketing.

Which tools do you need? Are they free or do they cost money?

You won’t need many tools when you’re just starting out. However, you’ll want to add a few tools depending on how your advertising business is going. As you become more efficient and start earning money, you might be interested in some of these resources.

Email Marketing and Email Funnels

Collecting emails is one of the best ways to stay in touch with your customers. Having an email list allows you to send a message to all of your clients all at once.

Having an email list is a great marketing tool. Maybe you found a relevant product that your list would enjoy. Now you can send them an email and make instant sales.

Alternatively, email funnels are great for building trust and making a sale. An email funnel is an automated series of emails sent to someone who signs up for your email list.

An email funnel starts with a lead magnet, or a reason for someone to sign up for your list. Next, you send them a series of emails related to the lead magnet. At the end, you pitch them a relevant offer.

MailerLite allows you to start collecting emails with their free plan. Eventually, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid version once you reach so many subscribers. Alternatively, you could use a paid service like MailChimp or Convertkit.

Facebook Pixels

Facebook pixels are snippets of code that you can add to your website. When someone visits your website and is logged into Facebook, Facebook records the activity.

How does that help you?

Maybe someone visited your article on the best ways to lose weight. You happen to sell a product related to weight loss, but they didn’t purchase the product.

Now you can create a Facebook ad campaign to target people who’ve visited that page. The more times someone sees your brand, the more likely they are to purchase your product. You can advertise the product, another relevant article, or your email funnel to that person.

Social Media

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media are awesome for marketing content and products. There are two ways to make money advertising on social media, paid advertising and content marketing.

We’ve talked a lot about paying for traffic to your product or services on Facebook. Obviously, you can do the same on other social media sites. However, the real beauty of social media is all of the free organic traffic you can receive.

The first step for marketing content on social media is understanding what does well on each platform. For example, Twitter is great for stocks and financial products. Pinterest is amazing for selling jewelry and other products to women.

Ricky Gutierrez is a perfect example of how to use social media to market your product.

Ricky has built a massive YouTube channel of over 710,000 subscribers. All of his subscribers are interested in stocks. He also sells a stock trading course which sells for over $200. All Ricky has to do to sell is mention the product in the video and link to it in the description.

Tailwind

If you’re on Pinterest, then Tailwind is the ideal place to schedule your pins. So how can you use Tailwind as part of your marketing effort?

Pinterest is heavily influenced by women. Therefore, products aimed at women should do well. You are going to send traffic to your website by pinning images of your products or content.

It’s best to pin during optimal times, like when the kids are in bed. Therefore, you can schedule your pins ahead of time with Tailwind. Now you don’t have to sit in front of your computer each night pinning away!

Tailwind also has “Tribes” which is where you can post your content for others to share. Basically, it helps spread your content over Pinterest.

Shopify

Shopify is one of the best places to start your online store. If you need to build an online store then you can get started with a low-cost shopify store. There are plenty of tutorials online to help you get started.

WordPress

WordPress is the leading software behind most websites. This website is build using WordPress.

If you’re going to start a blog or other online business, then WordPress takes away the coding. Instead, you can download “plugins” to ad features to your website. WordPress might seem difficult at first, but it’s super easy to use once you watch a few YouTube videos.

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Summary: How to make money advertising online

As you can see, there are many ways to make money advertising online.  With consistent effort, you will soon be making enough money to live comfortably, without your 9-5.

Before you get started

Understand that you either need a product or a service to make money online. Your advertising efforts will be focused on getting people to see your product or service.

There are two main ways of advertising your product or service. You can either chase organic traffic or pay for customers. Commonly, building organic traffic involves building a distribution channel.

You can promote someone else’s product if you don’t have your own. Check out which companies will pay you to advertise.

Making money advertising online

The easiest way to make money is through display ads. Ad networks, like Google Adsense will pay you to display an ad on your website or YouTube channel.

Ad agency is a more complex business model, but can be very profitable. Focus on one type of business and approach them about online advertising. Hire freelancers to create visuals that you can use in Facebook and retargeting ads.

Affiliate marketing involves selling someone else’s product for a share of the profit. Link to these products on your website, social media accounts, or create advertising. If you’re good at making sales then marketing someone else’s product is very profitable.

Blogging networks allow you to advertise sponsored content for companies. A company might hire you to write an article about their product or send a tweet.

Owning your own product can very profitable. There are many ways to market your own product, such as, affiliates, paid ads, organic traffic, etc. Best of all, you keep all the profits for sales you make.

You can also make money by creating your own online store. Shopify makes the store front easy to build. However, you might face challenges finding products to sell. Getting traffic will still be your biggest advertising challenge.

Consulting businesses can be a quick way to replace your income and takes minimal effort to set up. However, you will need to constantly provide a service to your customers.

Marketing Tools and Resources

There are several tools which can help make your advertising easier. Start with minimal tools and add them in as your business grows. Email marketing, pixels, social media, Tailwind, Shopify, and WordPress are all examples of advertising tools.

What’s next? See if it is really possible to make money online.