7 Side Hustles You Could Do Strictly From Your Phone

Some of us don’t have the luxury of having a $2,000 laptop or a car.

Because of this, when it comes to side hustles, you may be pretty limited.

But what if I told you there were legitimate side hustles you could do directly on your phone?

These side hustles don’t consist of surveys or methods that will make you $2 per hour. These are real, feasible side hustles you could do from the comfort of your phone.

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#1 Stock Photos

Not every single stock photo site will accept photos from your smartphone, but some will.

If you like taking pictures, starting a stock photo side hustle may be perfect for you.

All you have to do is go around taking pictures of different objects (whatever you feel like) and then upload them to stock photo websites.

The more photos you have on each site, the more money your side hustle will generate for you.

The way it works is people pay to access the stock photo sites, and every single time someone downloads your photos you’ll receive a royalty.

Tips for taking stock photos:

• Take lots of pictures of each object.
• Make sure the lighting is good.
• Use different angles and settings.
• Edit your photos before uploading them to make them look professional.

List Of Stock Photo Companies That Allow You To Use Smart Phone Photos

1. Shutterstock:
2. EyeEm
3. Wirestock
4. Stockimo (Alamy)

#2 Start a Youtube Channel

With the video quality our phones are able to produce these days, there is no excuse not to start a YouTube channel.

You’d be surprised how many YouTubers actually start with their phone before upgrading to an expensive camera.

What you do on the channel is completely up to you, but some popular ideas include:

• Vlogs
• Tutorials
• Product reviews

What you want to do is start with a niche and go from there.

It’s recommended that you get a keyword research tool like VID IQ or tube ranker in order to increase your chances of getting views.

Tips For Building a Successful YouTube Channel

Here are some tips for building a successful YouTube channel.

1. Pay attention to what other people are doing in your niche. You can take what they’re doing and put your own twist on it.
2. Set a goal of a certain amount of videos rather than a certain amount of subscribers. You should do this because setting a goal of subscribers will set you up for failure. The second you see you’re not doing as well as you thought or that you’re off pace, you’ll get discouraged.
3. Try to make YouTube your main side project. Shiny object syndrome is real and people often quit YouTube because they get bored or lose interest in other side hustles. Stick to it, stay patient, and try to improve your skills gradually.

#3. Start an Etsy Store

If you have any creative skills or enjoy creating things, starting an Etsy store may be a perfect side hustle for you.

You can sell custom paintings, jewelry, home decor, and more on Etsy.

If you have the talent to pull something like the above things off, I highly recommend starting an Etsy store.

Here’s why. Etsy has its own customers.

You don’t have to overly promote on social media, use paid ads, or create content to generate traffic. You can do this for extra traffic, however, it’s not necessary.

Some Tips To Be Successful On Etsy

Here are some ways you could improve your chances of success on Etsy.

1. Choose a good brand name and logo. On Etsy, people choose unique names and logos for their stores instead of just using their own names. This helps you stand out and make a memorable impression on potential customers.
2. Choose your products carefully. Don’t just wing it. Actually, go out and find what’s trending and what people are looking for. Do some market research and see what similar products are selling well on Etsy.
3. Try and offer personalized items. Not only do they sell much better, but when it comes to a marketing strategy on social media, personalized products spread like wildfire because everyone who buys from you will post on their feed, which means free exposure! You could then use that content for your own ads and social media posts. It’s a win-win.
4. Talk to your customers about potential ways you could get better. This is the way many big companies improve their products over time. Ask for feedback and listen to what your customers have to say.

#4 Create Online Courses On Places Like Udemy

Many people have always believed that in order to create an online course you had to have a huge audience.

A big audience definitely does help tremendously, however, it’s not necessary.

With platforms like Udemy, you can create and sell online courses without having a large following.

You just need to have valuable knowledge or skills that people are willing to pay for.

Udemy is practically like Etsy, except for online courses. They have their own traffic so you don’t have to worry about marketing and driving traffic to your course.

All you have to do is create a high-quality course that people will be interested in and Udemy takes care of the rest.

Here’s How To Create a Good Course

1. Regardless of how much of an expert you are in your field, never wing it. Create a thorough outline that will allow you to see what you need to cover and how you should structure your course.
2. Invest in quality. Since you are creating this course once, and relying on it to make money for you down the road, make sure you invest in quality equipment and production for your course. This will make your course more appealing and professional to potential students.
3. Make sure to connect with beginners. A lot of experts forget the basics when creating a course. Remember that not everyone will have the same level of knowledge as you, so make sure to include information for beginners as well.
4. Implement new lessons with the feedback of your students. As you start getting students, ask for their feedback. Use that feedback to improve your course and create new lessons based on what they want to learn more about. Also, improve the course based on technological advances and new information on the topic.

#5 Newsbreak

You don’t hear about this one that often.

However, if you’re into your local scene; food, events, and happenings, you could write for Newsbreak and make money.

Chances are you’ve seen Newsbreak before on the consumption side. But you don’t hear about it as often as the other writing money-makers.

There are two separate ways to make money on Newsbreak. The first way is directly through the app which is called the creator program.

1. 3000 followers
2. 1,000,000 views in the past 30 days
3. and 3 videos posted

Once you have the above qualifications and are a part of the creator program, you’ll have the chance to earn money through the Newsbreak creator fund. You can also get tips from fans as well.

The second way to make money is through the Contributor Program. This is where you write local articles and get paid for them. You get paid based on the impressions and engagements your articles receive.

To qualify for this method it’s a little bit easier:

1. You need 100 verified followers. Verified followers means followers that have signed up to the actual app and made an account.
2. 10 articles altogether.
3. Thats it.

It’s recommended to write local content because of the way the algorithm of Newsbreak works. They push out articles to people based on their location. But if you don’t want to write local content, you can still make money as long as your articles receive a good amount of impressions and engagements.

You don’t even have to go anywhere at all to do this side hustle. All it takes is staying active on local news sites and Facebook pages to get the scoop on certain things, then turning what you find into an article.

#6 Start an Instagram Theme Page

This is one I used to do personally until I ended up selling the page for a couple of thousand dollars.

My niche was singing. My strategy was to post viral singing videos of random artists & tag them. Over time, my page grew to the size of 60,000 followers. You may be wondering how exactly I made money.

Well, I would go on hashtag #artists, #music, #coversong, and more to get artists to notice my account. Then, I’d get a lot of DM’s (direct messages) asking me to post them. The cost was $20 per post. I didn’t make life-changing money doing this, but it was enough to get lunch money every day.

This is just one example. There are many accounts out there that make money in different ways.

One I like to pay close attention to is CreatorKarro. He talks a lot about making money as a creator on Instagram while selling digital products.

He posts videos that go viral, gain millions of views, and then directs his followers to purchase his digital products. These products range from online courses on how to grow your Instagram account, to others.

The way I made money through my Instagram account (shoutouts) was good, but if I did it all over again, I’d choose a route like CreatorKarro and create my products. One single sale for a product could be $200-$300 which was the cost of 10 shoutouts that I used to sell.

Tips For Creating an Instagram Theme Page

Start with revenue in mind. Don’t just start an Instagram page and then realize down the road that you can’t even monetize it. Some niches that are hard to monetize are pages about cute animals or inspirational quotes. Find something that you are passionate about and can also make money from. Some of the best niches to make money from on Instagram are fitness, fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle. These niches have a large following and people are willing to spend money on products and services related to them.

1. Be consistent with your posts.
2. Study the posts of other creators in your niche and add your twist to them.
3. Try and monetize as many ways as possible. Shoutouts, digital products, affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts are just some ways to make money on Instagram.

Some Examples Of Instagram Theme Pages That Make Money

Travel

@earthpix is a wildly popular travel theme page boasting over 25 million followers. It features awe-inspiring photography of natural wonders, exotic locales, and off-the-beaten-path destinations worldwide. Pages like this can monetize by collaborating with luxury resorts, adventure travel companies, and renowned landscape photographers on sponsored campaigns. They can also promote high-end travel gear, luggage, and photography equipment.

Fashion

@fashioninflux is an influential fashion authority with over 4 million style-savvy followers. The page curates cutting-edge runway looks, street style trends, and insider tips from the world’s fashion capitals. It can generate revenue through partnerships with prestigious designer labels, beauty brands, and exclusive e-commerce boutiques. Launching its own fashion line or subscription style box is also a lucrative opportunity.

Food

@ffshungry and @foodyoozy are mouthwatering foodie havens with a combined 8 million followers obsessed with culinary pornography. These pages showcase drool-worthy dishes, unique ingredients, and videos of recipe tutorials. They can make bank by teaming up with gourmet food brands, celebrity chefs, high-end kitchenware companies, and even Michelin-starred restaurants for promotional content.

Fitness

@gymmotivation is a fitness account with over 7 million loyal followers looking to get shredded. Known for its motivational workout videos and lean, chiseled physiques, the page generates envy-inducing engagement. It can capitalize on its influence through fitness app/program sales, supplement brand deals, athletic apparel collaborations, and corporate wellness partnerships.

Art

As an artist’s mecca, @amazing_art has grown to 3 million-strong art admirers and aspiring creatives. The page spotlights masterpieces from icons to up-and-comers across diverse mediums. It represents an opportunity to sell limited edition prints, promote art supplies/tools, crowdfund projects, offer virtual art classes, and earn through gallery sponsorships.

Monetization Strategies

• Sponsored Campaigns and Influencer Activations: Partnering with brands for sponsored content integrations.
• Membership/Subscription Offerings: Providing exclusive premium content or products for a recurring fee.
• Product Lines and Merchandising: Launching your own branded products or merchandise line.
• Affiliate Revenue Streams: Earning commissions through affiliate marketing partnerships.
• Promotion Fees: Monetizing shoutouts, content features or advertisement placements.

#7 Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is probably a little bit easier with a laptop. But with a smartphone, it can be done.

If you know SEO, are a fast typer, and have a talent for storytelling, you can be a successful freelance writer.

All you have to do is sign up to places where people are looking for writers. For example, Upwork.

I’m a freelance writer myself, and I’ve been freelancing for a marketing company over a year and a half now.

Here are some tips to be a great freelance writer

1. Don’t submit work using A.I. It is so obvious when writers use Chat GPT. Anyone in the space fo writing online could spot it in two seconds due to the fact that Chat GPT uses certain phrases over and over again. For example, it likes to use the word delve, like delving into a topic. This is not something real writers use that often.
2. To get work, write for free for your first article. Thats a great way to get in the door.
3. Have your own blog on the side. Because I have 4 of my own blogs, including this one, I have gotten a lot better at writing.
4. If you’re new start with a lower price and work your way up.

Key Takeaways

As you could see, there are many ways to make money strictly through your phone (without ever having to attend a physical event). You can make money in more ways (like surveys), however in this article I chose to go over ones that provide the most potential for income and sustainable earnings.

Let me know what you think? Are these side hustle ideas good ones? Are there any I should add?

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