Too many times, most people refer to their other money-making venture away from their primary source of income as a “Side Hustle”.

Well, if you are making a good living from it and it seems to be making you more money than your primary source of income, it is safe to call it a Portfolio career and refer to yourself as a multi-entrepreneur. 

Rihanna made it to the Forbes list as the richest black female artist in 2021 with a net worth estimate of $1.7 billion. But guess what?

The money that got her to that list was majorly from her beauty line FENTY. Fenty Cosmetics started as a portfolio career and a need to fill in the gap for people of color in the beauty industry. Today, the money from that business, made Rihanna the richest black female artist.

With the general rise in global inflation, it’s no longer news that you should diversify your income. Here are some legit ways to make money from your portfolio career; a.k.a side hustle.

1. Selling digital products

Ever imagined packaging and turning your knowledge into digital products for sale? From webinars to e-books and online instructional materials, people are craving knowledge from online sources.

E-learning is now a great way to learn, impact knowledge, gain certificates, and earn an income. Popular platforms are aiding digital creators to turn their knowledge into digital products and enabling them to create wealth by selling them.

Platforms such as Selar are good examples of e-commerce platforms that aid digital creators in selling their products online to people who need them.

2. Affiliate marketing

Being part of an affiliate program means that you are willing to earn commissions in order to promote products for people or companies.

Affiliate marketing has proven to be highly effective in driving sales, creating brand awareness, and serving as an extra source of income. With affiliate marketing, you don’t need to own any product. All you have to do is promote other people’s products to your audience and make a commission on every sale you make.

If you own a blog or a community of loyal followers that you engage with, it is time to use your platform to make money from Affiliate marketing. Various E-commerce platforms offer affiliate marketing programs, both for the merchant as a form of promotion and for the Affiliates as a source of income. Platforms such as Selar also have Affiliate program features that you can leverage.

3. Social media influencing

Social media is a huge platform with millions of active users daily on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) to mention a few. With the increase in the number of active users, social media influence has paved the way for the influencer marketing business to thrive.

Influencer marketing is a social media and marketing strategy, where an influencer who has built a reputation around a specific niche, gets paid to endorse or promote a brand.

To be a social media influencer and make money from it, you need your phone, mobile data, and a working email address. Aside from that, here are a few other things to take into consideration:

• Have an area of interest

Be it food photography, product reviews, skits, tourism, etc. It is important to carve your niche and have a clear understanding of your area of influence, this helps you to build your community of loyal followers. It also positions you as a thought leader in your field and makes you visible to brands who are willing to pay you to help reach out to their target audience

• Identify your platform for influence

You need to identify what platform aids your influence. What platform has your followers or your target audience? Which one do you understand how it works and can optimize for full use? Instagram for example has a lot of functionalities and features such as Reels, Stories, and Feed. It is important to understand Instagram and how it works to fully maximize it for the business of influencing.

• Engage with online users

Engagement brings a sense of emotional connection between you and the audience. It shows that your stories are relatable. Reply to their questions, queries, and compliments when necessary. It is the connection that brands see and capitalize on, then select their favorite influencers based on engagements.

• Pitch to brands

In pitching to brands, you need to get your facts and stats right! This includes your backend traction, number of followers, and the progress or past works.

We are in an era where likes and follows are earning people money. It may take time to build an online reputation, but with consistency, knowledge, and passion, you can make money from your social media account.

4. Blogging

Through writing, photography, and media that are self-published, blogging is another platform to make money online. You can make money through advertising on the ad banners for brands on your blog, writing articles, and covering events for organizations, most importantly through Google AdSense. To start a blog,

• Buy a domain name from Namecheap or Godaddy
• Host it on WordPress or Squarespace
• Identify your niche and start blogging away!

5. Freelancing

This is one of the most common online business opportunities. With the rise in remote work, there are lots of online platforms offering remote opportunities to freelancers. To get started;

• Build a skillset. This could be in copywriting, web design, social media management, video editing, and lots more.
• Sign up on freelance websites; websites such as Freelancer.com aid your visibility to people searching for your services.
• Talk about your skills on social media. Let your followers know what you are up to and encourage them to refer you for a freelance opportunity. To ensure compliance with international labour laws and simplify working with clients globally, consider partnering with an employer of record service.

6. Dropshipping

This is one cost-effective money-making opportunity there is. With drop shipping, you buy products directly from a supplier or manufacturer and retail them to your customers.

You don’t have to worry about carrying inventory or buying products in bulk. You don’t even have to worry about shipping products, because your supplier handles that for you.

Additionally, you get to order only what your clients want, rather than buying and keeping large stock. With this option, you can offer a variety of different product categories.

Conclusion

The internet has brought about lots of opportunities to make money. Choose any of these side hustle ideas to make money and begin your journey to creating passive income.