10 Online Alternatives To Affiliate Marketing

By Author: Abe Cherian
Total Articles: 37
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Right now, if you’re looking to make money online, there are two things working in your favor...

First, technology is moving at an incredibly rapid pace...

Not every business has time to find, hire and train employees to keep up with specific tactics, software and marketing strategies.

Secondly, an unstable economy means that a lot of businesses are trying to cut as many unnecessary costs as they can. Instead of hiring full-time employees that are only truly busy a fraction of the time...

...many have found that working with contracted service providers is a lot more efficient.

Not only does it allow them to pay strictly for the time that’s needed, it also saves other expenses...such as providing benefits or worrying about certain liabilities.

Both of these mean HUGE opportunity for freelancers and business professionals, in many different industries.

One of the biggest questions our clients have been asking, is what other options there are, aside from affiliate marketing.

Below are a few suggestions you could use to earn extra money online, or even transform your skills ...
... into a full-time business!

Social Media Manager
Everywhere you look, including TV commercials, major corporations are making it a point to include their social media information.

If you’re savvy with using social media, there are a lot of companies willing to pay for someone to help.

Your services could be used to generate inbound traffic, field customer support questions, create brand awareness, and more.

And keep in mind: You can even look for LOCAL businesses that are interested in building their online presence.

Virtual Assistant

This is especially great for those looking to work from home.

The technology that’s available now (high speed internet, chat programs like Skype, conferencing tools, file sharing, etc) allows anyone to provide services virtually.

In fact, there are some companies that don’t even bother with their own commercial space. Their entire operation is virtual!

The responsibilities will differ between clients, but some might be:

- Answering customer support e-mails and chat requests...
- Handling incoming calls...
- Editing documents....
- etc.

Virtual Coaching/Consulting

This type of online business has massive potential...

If you’re an expert in your field and have valuable advice to offer, there are plenty of companies that will pay your handsomely for it.

A few examples:

- Life coaching...
- Business coaching...
- Productivity coaching...
- Accountability coaching...
- Financial coaching...
- Dating Coaching...
- etc.

Audio/Visual Production

If you’re great with computers and know your way around editing software, why not offer those skills to businesses?

Some software can be a little tricky to navigate, unless you want to spend a bunch of time reading instructions or watching tutorials.

Not every business owner has the time to do so, which makes you a perfect fit to help.

Niche Blogging

Whatever topic you’re passionate about, chances are there is an audience that feels the same way you do.

Blogging has been around for quite some time now, but is still a great way to earn an extra income.

There are a few ways you can make money with blogging, including publishing ads from PPC networks.

You could also do product reviews. Some companies may only pay you in the form of free merchandise, but a lot of the top bloggers also get paid cash.

It might seem silly that a company would be willing to do so, but the fact is...you’ve already built an active audience FOR them, that has an interest in what they’re trying to market.

Article Writing

If you’re good at writing, there is (almost literally) an endless supply of businesses that could use your services.

Content is a big part of online marketing but, again, not all businesses have the time to write their own, or the resources to hire a full-time writer.

Plus, not all companies have a constant need for writers, which is why freelancing is so wide open!

Copy Editing

If you’re already able to write articles, then you should also have the ability to edit existing content, too.

Some people might prefer to write their own content, but aren’t necessarily great and formatting their text or catching errors, such as grammar or spelling.

If you’re a proficient writer with an attention to detail, you could easily build a nice income by proofing content for others.

Data Entry
What some people may consider mind-numbing and boring, others might see it as a challenge.

This is another great option, if you’re organized and detail-oriented.

Data entry could be anything from importing names to a database, turning print into digital text, cataloging product descriptions, transcribing medical information and even programming.

Audio Transcriptionist
Somewhat similar to the transcription services mentioned above, is audio transcription.

There are a lot of marketers doing audio interviews and virtual seminars (webinars), who then need the audio turned into readable text.

However...

Not everyone has the time, patience, or fast typic skills to do it.

Keyword Research For SEO

Even though it may be possible to just buy software to do this for them, some business owners may not want to invest in the extra expense of purchasing it or training someone to use it.
That’s why this area is one of the most sought after online services.

Proper research and SEO gives businesses two big benefits:

1.) Getting more organic (free) traffic, and in turn...
2.) Not having to invest as much in paid traffic...

This is especially true if you can get a business to the first page of a major search engine.

Some stats have shown that just the first position ALONE makes up almost half of the clicks that the results page gets!

Main Takeaway: No matter what specific skills you have, chances are you have something to offer. To figure this out, you may want to try brainstorming by making a list of your hobbies, interests and skills.

This is a fun, easy way to get an idea of what you have to offer!

Abe Cherian is an Internet Entrepreneur since 1999. As the founder of AdClickMedia.com, a pay-per-click advertising network, and the CEO of Multiple Stream Media, an online Advertising and Marketing firm, Abe and his team has helped tens of thousands of online advertisers reach 'the right market' at 'the right time', with the 'right message'. To start advertising and driving traffic click here to open your free account: http://www.rent-a-list.com