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Welcome to The Side Hustle University, your ultimate resource for unlocking innovative opportunities to make money online. In today’s constantly evolving digital landscape, many of us are turning to the side hustle to seek additional sources of income.
Finding your way through today’s financial uncertainties is a shared experience, and I know all too well about the anxiety of ensuring there’s enough money for rent, putting a decent meal on the table, or a shirt on the backs of my children. I feel your pain. I understand your challenges and I am committed to guiding you toward useful methods and ideas for creating your very own money-generating machine.
That is precisely why I started this blog, The Side Hustle University. The inception of The Side Hustle University stems from my desire to share insights into diverse online money-making methods. Methods and ideas that I wish I had been shown or even knew about a long time ago. This platform is meticulously curated to equip you with the knowledge and strategies essential for thriving in the virtual landscape. Explore actionable techniques, from freelancing and remote work to e-commerce ventures and digital investments, guaranteeing you possess the tools to transform your online endeavors into a lucrative reality.
The “Clickbait” Era
So we are now living in a time where the attention spans of people are incredibly short. Not only that but also many people do not want to put the time and effort into things such as a side hustle. We all want quick and easy results, with little to no effort.
The problem with this is that many of us find videos on social media that promise quick and easy money. I’m going to keep it real with y’all here, but there is no quick and easy money. If it was quick and easy then everyone would be doing it. Everyone would be doing things like affiliate marketing, posting faceless videos on YouTube or other social media, or blogging and vlogging. We would all drop our 9 to 5 to become an influencer of some sort. And then sit back and watch the money pile up. But it doesn’t work like that. Just look at this dude wearing a suit and riding a bicycle. Where is he going and why is he trying so hard to get there? He has a suit, surely he can afford an Uber.
Photo courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels.com
It takes time, effort, and consistency. I can easily go on YouTube and search for something along the lines of “How to make Money Online” and most of the videos that will pop up are just complete garbage. Filled with lies. These are content creators that are getting people’s hopes up. People like you and me who have a real need to make more money than our regular day jobs can provide. I have a real issue with that. I hate that this exists, but this is also the world we live in. But seriously though…screw those people.
So, people like myself have entered the chat. I want to educate all of you on what methods work and don’t work. What things to avoid, what things to pursue. Along the way, I may call some people out, but I don’t really care. I refuse to let innocent, hard-working people like myself be taken advantage of.
DO NOT FALL FOR THE CLICK BAIT!!! You are smarter than that and smarter than them. I want you to find a long-term, sustainable way of making money with a side hustle. And yes, there are ways. They do exist.
The Titles And Thumbnails To Look For And Avoid
This to me is pretty obvious. If you go over to YouTube and search for something like “Make “ Money Online Fast” for example, you’ll get 100s of videos pop up. The thing you should notice though is that many of them will have titles promising some outrageous claims like, “Make $1000/day, or $680/hr” and so on. This is complete garbage. Just trash. Like I mentioned before, if it were that easy, then everyone would be doing it, and well, they aren’t.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of CashPro, youtube.com
I absolutely hate these kinds of videos and content. There are so many things wrong with it and they are so problematic. And in the long run, it ends up giving things like affiliate marketing a terrible reputation.
Avoid titles like these. If you see them, most likely it will be showing you a method of something that will not work.
Affiliate Marketing – The Copy and Paste Method And Why It Doesn’t Work
I have personally tried many methods of affiliate marketing but the one I absolutely hate the most is this copy a link, post it somewhere and sit back and watch the money pile up. I’ve tried this with CPA links, links from Click Bank, and affiliate links from other sources covering a host of industries and niches. I can tell you confidently that I have not made a single sale from any of them. I am not saying affiliate marketing doesn’t work, I know it does. Many successful people are doing it even further prove that. What I am saying here is that this “copy and paste” method of affiliate marketing doesn’t really work the way some of these creators hype it up to work.
One thing to consider is that these creators already have a massive following. Tens of thousands of people already follow and subscribe to their content. They have made it already, and they have their recipe as to what works for them. That recipe may not work for you though. Keep that in mind here.
One video I came across was posted on YouTube and in the span of a week, already had over 275 000 views. A video created around a method that will not work. It’s frustrating to me that these creators make videos or whatever other content like this and essentially prey on honest hard-working people like you and me with this garbage. It wastes our time, and time is something we cannot ever get back. Watching these videos, and trying them out not only will waste your time but also take you away from another more realistic opportunity.
So with this “Copy and Paste” method, essentially what you will be told is to grab a video from somewhere on social media. A video that you did not create, have no rights to it and can be held responsible in some fashion for it one day, eventually. You are supposed to copy this video, go to a link-shortening website, such as Bitly or Linktree or whatever you use for link shortening, and then create a link. You will then head over to let’s say Pinterest, and post this video you have just basically stolen from some other creator, and you will associate your shortened link with it, and then supposedly be paid boatloads of money every time someone clicks your link and watches the video or content you stole….I mean posted.
Once you get the copy of this video and your shortened link, you are supposed to head over to Pinterest, create a pin with some kind of engaging and catchy image and title, and use the link you just shortened and associate it with the pin you just created on Pinterest. Then someone clicks on the link which is supposed to take them to that video you just stole (I mean copied) and then you start making money. You either get paid for people clicking the link and watching the video itself, or you will get paid through the affiliate program and product you are promoting.
Why This Doesn’t Work
The reason this doesn’t work is simple. The amount of clicks to your link you will have to get in order to make some worthwhile money could be in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands. This may be possible for some of these creators who have been doing this for years already and have amassed a following of 10s of thousands of followers already. But for you and I, this is really far-fetched, let’s be real here.
My bullshit detector goes off on this. It just doesn’t work. The numbers that are used by these creators are usually numbers that refer to affiliate offers paying out higher amounts, as well as higher amounts in different countries. Meaning, there are many affiliate offers out there ranging from just a few cents per click or sale, to upwards of $100 per click or sale. And in some cases, some of the affiliates offers to pay out more in certain countries. So there may be an offer for a certain type of makeup brush in the US that pays $5 per sale. But the same offer might be found in let’s say France, for the same brush, and it may pay out $10 per sale.
Photo courtesy of Imgflip.com
So what these creators do is take that $10 number and use it to come up with their numbers that they then use to hook people like you and me.
The other issue worth mentioning here is that some of these links after shortened will take you to some other random video or website that is entirely out of your control. So an individual who may by some chance decide that they want to click on your link will be taken to some other random place on the internet before being able to view the video it is they wanted to see. This is a surefire way to alienate potential followers of yours. Think about this. If you wanted to see a video about how great a makeup brush is, and then you click a link to see more about it and possibly buy it, and then you are taken to some random video about growing a man’s genitalia 13 inches by taking some pill, you will probably not want anything to do with the creator anymore.
What To Try Instead
What you should try instead of this garbage is making your own original content. Figure out your niche, and create content around that. You can even make your own products like a digital course, or calendars and sell them on Etsy and so on.
YouTube has its own program where it pays creators a share of the ad revenue. Tic Tok and Instagram do something very similar. So instead of putting in a bunch of effort into this “Copy and Paste” method that does absolutely nothing but waste your precious and valuable time, start creating your very own content and start building your very own following. If there are creators out there who have figured out a way to gain hundreds of thousands of followers by promoting methods to make money online that do not work, imagine what you can do if you put the effort in.
Yea, the results will not be overnight, or even remotely close to what these creators claim you can make. And I acknowledge the fact that making your own content is a lot harder than just stealing someone else’s, but again just keeping it real with you all, you will not make any money with this “Copy and Paste” method. You will only waste your time.
Photo courtesy of Leeloo The First, Pexels.com
Now you might say, “Well how do I make content that will attract people?” Listen….for some god-forsaken reason, people are interested in the Kardashians, they are interested in Jake and Logan Paul. There are people who spend hours and hours watching other people play video games instead of playing the video game themself. If these types of creators and influencers exist, then you can make some worthwhile content. Everyone has their own story, and believe me there are people who would be interested in hearing yours.
You can create content about your life, your circumstances, and what you’re going through. And it will be much more entertaining than something like who Taylor Swift is dating today. And if done right and cleverly, it’s going to be much more profitable than stealing someone else’s content. If you do this and create your own unique original content you’re going to have a better opportunity to make money.
Conclusions – the TL;DR Version
I hope this blog post has given you some useful insights on another side hustle idea that may work for you. Tell me what you think. I want to hear your thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Don’t be shy—share your insights by leaving a comment below and let’s ignite the spark of inspiration together!
Finally, if you haven’t already done so, please check out my website, The Side Hustle University, where you can learn to unleash your potential and unlock your financial freedom with my comprehensive website designed for individuals looking to begin a rewarding side hustle journey. Whether you’re craving that extra cash, or looking to launch a thriving business, The Side Hustle University has you covered! Explore several captivating articles, insightful blog posts, illuminating reviews, and innovative ideas, meticulously curated to liberate you from the rat race we all despise. Don’t miss out! Visit The Side Hustle University today and take a bold step towards a brighter, more prosperous future.
To your success,
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any company, organization, or employer. The author has not received any compensation for writing this post, however, there may be some affiliate links throughout the piece. Individual results may vary based on effort and other factors. Any action you take based on the information presented in this post is strictly at your own risk. The author assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of this post.