Ever wondered what do singers, comedians, and writers have in common? Aside from the letter “i” in the title, all of these are examples of people living their dreams – and getting paid for it. Thanks to the creator economy, one can earn a living simply by creating and sharing content – whether it be music, comedy shows, or e-books.
As the number and popularity of social media platforms have grown tremendously over the past few years, anyone can now become a successful creator and make money from the comfort of one’s home. If you aren’t sure where to start, keep reading to learn the 13 ways to make $10K a month in the creator economy.
What is the Creator Economy?
The creator economy, or influencer economy, allows creators and influencers to earn money from creating and sharing unique content on various platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and more.
Open up any social media app, and you will face endless content. And while sharing family photos on Facebook is nothing new, today’s TikTok videos, Instagram stories, and YouTube tutorials are not filmed just for fun. From chefs posting process videos to producers sharing previews of new tracks, the web consists of “creators” that make money from making content – thanks to the creator economy.
How to Become a Creator?
The best part about the creator economy is that it is open to everyone and anyone; there are countless things that you can do! In addition, the creator economy allows people to express themselves and communicate with the audience in ways they never could before.
Creators are entrepreneurs who develop their own products, services, and plans and offer them to consumers through digital platforms. Course instructors, life coaches, dieticians, artists, and blog writers. Virtually anyone can become a creator and make money through sharing sponsored content, reviewing products, selling branded merchandise, and more.
Here Go The 13 Ways to Make $10K a Month in the Creator Economy
How much you can earn as a creator depends on various factors, including the number of followers, your audience engagement, and the type of content you share. However, it is absolutely possible to make as much as $10K a month while playing by the rules of the creator economy. Here is how:
1. Become a Writer on a Premium Content Platform
If you are good at writing, you can make significant money by posting your content on premium platforms like Substack. With such platforms, readers have to pay a fee to access premium content, which means you can get paid for contributing.
With most premium writing platforms, content creators are ranked based on the quality of their work and experience. Readers can vote on the quality of the content, – so if you gain enough positive votes, you will be able to grow your ranking and corresponding pay-per-article.
2. Launch a Podcast
Podcasting involves recording and sharing engaging, fun, and informative digital recordings on various topics. Importantly, podcasting offers endless financial opportunities for creators with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Once you gain enough subscribers, you can make up to $10K per month through affiliate sales, sponsorships, crowdfunding, and much more. For example, if you have engaging content that attracts a significant following, you can ask your fans to support the show through donations. Additionally, you can start pursuing product endorsements from companies.
3. Monetize Your Music
You can easily monetize your abilities in the creator economy if you are a talented musician. You can turn your passion into a profitable business by offering online singing classes, recording and selling voiceovers, and uploading content to streaming services.
If you are looking to earn streaming revenue, explore platforms like SoundCloud. Fiverr and Upwork are great for selling voiceovers. Finally, Udemy and similar educational websites are ideal for offering singing classes.
YouTube is another excellent place to seek donations, sponsorships, and for advertising merchandise like custom guitars.
4. Become an Influencer
In the modern creative economy, influencers have acquired a sufficient following and enough social credibility to influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. Companies often hire influencers to shape consumer perceptions of their products and brands.
While there are multiple ways that influencers can make $10K a month in the creator economy, nothing can compete with an influencer network. Such networks are marketing agencies that screen influencers and help them look for advertisers. By joining networks like Grin, Upfluence, or CreatorIQ, you can connect with corporate advertisers faster.
5. Start Live Streaming
If you are a journalist or a blogger, you can make hefty profits by joining the YouTube Partner Program and live-streaming your content. YouTube Live Streaming offers several options to make money. For example, you can use the platform’s “SuperChat & Super Stickers” feature, where your viewers will pay to have their comments highlighted in the chat stream. You will then receive a portion of the generated revenues.
Other ways to make money through live streaming include endorsements, sponsorships, and donations. While there are multiple live-streaming platforms, YouTube offers a better deal regarding live-streaming revenues.
6. Take Your Fitness Instruction Online
As a fitness instructor (or a dance/yoga/skating instructor), you can share content and earn money online by building your brand and selling merchandise.
To make $10K per month in the creator economy as a fitness instructor, you first need to create a fitness studio that offers various fitness plans and products. Then, you would market this content through video-sharing websites like YouTube or social media apps like Instagram. Within the platform, include the links where your viewers can purchase your fitness plans or products. You can even create customized plans or offer one-on-one live sessions for a premium.
You must build customer trust and gain credibility to boost your monthly revenues. You can do this by earning relevant certifications, such as completing personal training and fitness courses.
7. Sell Online Courses
If you possess valuable knowledge of a specific industry or field, you can boost your income by creating an online course to share your expertise. If your course is pre-recorded rather than conducted live, it can become a passive income source.
In such cases, it is a good idea to update your course continuously to continue generating interest among your audience. You are creating scarcity and boosting even more sales by strategically timing the launches of updated course versions.
7. Become a Social Media Consultant
As brands and companies recognize the importance of having a social media presence, they are looking to gain more knowledge on leveraging social media directly from influencers. This means that you can get paid by companies to support them as a social media consultant or advisor, helping you make $10K per month in the creator economy.
8. Sell “User-Generated Content” (UGC) Ads
Over the past year, the rapid rise of TikTok has led to new interest from brands in purchasing rights to “user-generated content,” which can be reposted on their social platform or used for paid advertisements. Unlike sponsored content shared on a creator’s personal page, this new type of content is typically used directly on the brands’ channels.
“User-Generated Content” or UCG ads can become a significant income stream for creators who can craft engaging content but don’t yet have the necessary following to land deals with big brands. In fact, some brands even prefer creators with smaller followers because their content is more affordable and feels more authentic.
9. Offer Subscriptions
One way for creators to establish a consistent income stream is to follow a subscription model, where subscribers can pay to access exclusive content. One of the most popular platforms to share subscription content is Patreon – but there are a variety of others to choose from, like Fanvue, Fanfic, OnlyFans, or Fourthwall. You can even build your own website to host exclusive content.
10. Monetize Your Blog
Blogging is one of the most established ways to make $10K monthly in the creator economy. The first step, of course, is to launch a blog that features regular content about topics you are passionate about or have exclusive expertise in. Then, you would need to monetize the blog. There are many ways to do so, from publishing ads and sponsored posts to including affiliate links within the content.
Like most other creator ventures, making money as a blogger won’t come overnight. You will need to devote time to consistently posting high-quality content to get approved for affiliate networks or advertising. Getting the attention of brands willing to pay you for sponsored content will also take time. However, the numerous revenue streams associated with blogging make it an excellent way to join the creator economy.
11. Publish an E-Book
Gone are the days when becoming a professional writer required finding a publishing house to turn your book idea into a reality. You don’t need to write a hefty body of work to be a respected author, either.
Writing and publishing a book is easier in today’s creator economy. If you have a skill or expertise to convert it into a book, you can use a self-publishing platform like Kindle Direct Publishing to share and monetize your knowledge.
12. Become a Social Media Speaker
Once you’ve established your credibility on social media and gained a significant following, becoming a speaker can be an easy and potentially lucrative way to share your knowledge.
Conferences are always looking for talent, – and while you may have to start your speaking career for free, there is potential to make money. Plus, you can often swing free travel and lodging, which is a worthy perk!
13. Make and Sell a Consumer Product
For those who’ve developed a large follower base, branching off into consumer products can help to increase brand awareness and establish an offline presence. Not to mention the money you can make on selling your merch!
These ventures aren’t ideal for newbie creators – they require a lot of money, time, and audience interest. However, if you grow a sizable following and figure out just the right type of product to sell, you can score an additional source of creator income.
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, there are plenty of ways to make $10K a month in the creator economy. A wide range of platforms and tools offer countless opportunities for creators to share and monetize their content. This means that you can truly make a living doing something you love – what else can you ask for?
However, don’t get your head spinning too soon: we all know that the only free cheese is in the mousetrap. Becoming the top creator, among many others, requires dedication, a unique perspective, and high-quality content. By finding your passion and devoting time to growing your presence on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch, or OnlyFans, you can start making more and more through sponsored content, product placements, advertising, paid subscriptions, and so much more. Plus, by choosing the right strategy, you might even be able to establish a continuous stream of passive income.
