The top ways to make money with digital marketing include:
- Local lead generation
- Content marketing
- SEO
- Paid ad campaigns
- Social media marketing
Digital marketing uses online channels like websites, blogs, social media pages, and emails, among others. As a digital marketer, your goal is to drive traffic to your client’s businesses. A marketing professional or agency that achieves this can make good money online. According to Hostinger, around 58% of small businesses utilize “some form of digital marketing.” Forbes also reports that digital marketing jobs are expected to see a 6% increase - which is significantly higher than the growth rate of most jobs.
There are many other ways to make money online with digital marketing.
For example, YouTuber GlowwithGia makes money doing affiliate marketing via Pinterest. She considers the service as “one of the absolute best tree traffic you can use” online. According to her, she was able to earn up to $14,000 in a month using viral pins. She also encourages aspiring digital marketers to sign up for affiliate programs such as Amazon, Impact Radius, and Awin.
Another YouTuber, Janessa Lynnae, shares about earning over $147,000 within 7 months. She sold e-courses and other digital products through her Stan online store. “Digital marketing isn't going anywhere anytime soon,” she says in her vlog. “It's actually the hottest industry to get into.”
On Reddit, rankeey says working as freelance digital marketers “have the potential to earn a substantial income.” According to the post, marketers may earn $30 to $150 per hour on average, depending on their expertise and location. “Success in freelancing often involves a combination of skill, networking, and effective self-promotion,” the Redditor also points out.
An anonymous post on the Digital Marketing subreddit points out that marketers can earn great income as they provide solutions for people's problems. “Chase (your customers') problems, not your money,” writes the Reddit user. “That will come easy.”
Meanwhile, business guru Laureal Bariana shares some of the disadvantages of digital marketing on Quora. In her post, she writes that information overload is a common obstacle these days. “Consumers are bombarded with digital content from all sides,” she says.
“It can be a challenge to cut through the noise and capture their attention.” Laureal likewise adds that the digital landscape is “ever-evolving.” New platforms, technologies, and algorithms are often introduced. “Keeping up with the latest trends can be demanding.”
We share the top 14 ways you can make money with digital marketing. We also share 3 tips for landing high-paying clients and the average profit you can expect. Furthermore, I share my favorite way to make money online. This business model is more scalable, less competitive, and better source for passive income.
1. Local Lead Generation
Local lead generation is the top way to make money with digital marketing. This business model is pretty straightforward. You will build generic websites that target one location and offer a specific business service. Next, you want to rank your sites on search engines and then rent them out to local business owners.
Since you are focusing on a local market, you are only competing with 10 to 15 small businesses. Getting your lead gen sites to the top of search engine results pages will only take 6 weeks to 6 months. Your site will then be in front of people actively searching for specific products or services online.
Data from Demand Sage says organic traffic is “responsible for 53.3% of a website traffic.” Once your websites attract traffic and leads, you can sell them to a small business owner. You can make profit margins as high as 85% to 90%. The website, the tracking number, and the leads belong to you. Each lead generation site can earn you a passive monthly income of $500 to $3,000.
In 2024, companies are more than happy to pay for your leads. If you can provide businesses with a steady stream of potential customers, you can earn a good income. This is the exact same strategy I use for my local lead generation business. I offer the service to several businesses and make up to $52,000 per month.
2. Content Marketing
You can make money with digital marketing by selling content creation services. For example, you can write:
- weekly blog posts
- emails
- social media posts
- do content for a PPC ad campaign
If you have the skills to write persuasive copy, you can earn from producing content. According to SuperPath, the average content marketer makes an annual income of $95,000+.
Good writing captures organic traffic. The Content Marketing Institute says 67% of marketers confirm content marketing yields an increase in leads. Leveraging this marketing approach can help businesses boost sales and build brand loyalty.
3. Offering SEO Services
Offering SEO services can be a source of income for digital marketing experts. Businesses today need SEO specialists who can help boost their presence online.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is an essential part of effective digital marketing. According to Demand Sage, 50% of companies say that SEO is their best ROI generator. Meanwhile, InterGrowth reports “68% of online experiences start with a search engine.”
On Reddit, one SEO expert shares about $8,000 per month providing the service to clients. According to the person's post, it's a good move to "learn other skills beside SEO" to boost earnings.
Businesses today are willing to pay between $300 to $30,000 per month for SEO services. Other ways to make money with SEO include:
4. Managing PPC Ad Campaigns
Managing PPC ad campaigns can be an excellent way to make money in digital marketing. You will mostly use Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Google ads for your campaigns. The goal is to drive online traffic to your clients’ business.
A WebFX report suggests that 45% of page clicks are acquired by ads that appear in search results. To succeed in PPC ad management, the site says you’ll need to:
- Target long-tail keywords
- Create effective landing pages
- Write catchy ad copy
- Monitor campaign results
In 2024, the average income for PPC ad campaign management is $2,500 to $10,000 per month. Otherwise, you can charge a set percentage of the ad cost, which is typically at 10% to 20%.
5. Providing Social Media Marketing Services
Providing social media marketing services is one of the top ways to earn money as a digital marketer. According to ZipDo, social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate versus traditional marketing methods. Some responsibilities of a social media marketing service provider include:
Sprout Social suggests a social media marketer can charge $500 to $10,000 a month per client. Meanwhile, a ZipRecruiter research says the hourly pay is usually between $8.89 to $61.78 an hour.
6. Becoming a YouTube Advertising Partner
Becoming a YouTube advertising partner can make you money online. The YouTube Partner Program is a chance to monetize the platform. This means you can generate income from videos and ads.
YPP is open to creators who have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours (or 10 million public Shorts views). You can earn around $10 to $30 for every 1,000 views. When calculating how much you can actually earn with YPP, take note that the platform takes 45% of ad revenue.
Other ways to make money with the YouTube advertising partner program include:
- YouTube Premium Revenue
- Channel Memberships
- Sponsored Posts
- Super Chat Payments
Additionally, you may also leverage brand partnerships and sponsorships. Doing so can help increase your monthly income by $500 to $800 or more.
7. Doing Freelance Work
You can make money by doing freelance work as a digital marketing professional. An entry-level salary for a freelance digital marketer is around $41,000 annually. Mid-level earners make about $72,000 per year while senior professionals can earn $80,000 or more per year.
In 2024, digital marketing freelancers get paid based on their skills and knowledge. Other factors include the place where they live and years of experience. The usual rates for digital marketing professionals are:
DemandSage says the most in-demand skill for freelance marketers is social media marketing. However, the site also claims that freelance content writers earn about $42,000 a year.
Consider the skills you have to decide which services to offer. Also, choose which niche you want to target. Decide on your ideal clients and become the authority in your field. Eventually, you can consider scaling your services. You can offer other digital marketing services to earn more money online.
8. Being a Digital Marketing Consultant
Being a digital marketing consultant can be a good way to make money. As a consultant, you develop, execute, and track organic and paid marketing tactics. You help clients with their digital marketing needs. This may include A/B testing, email marketing, and content creation.
The average earnings for a consultant in 2024 is between $50,000 to $100,000 per year. ZipRecruiter suggests the average weekly pay is $1,142 to $2,375 while the annual salary is between $75,000 to $123,500. You can make even more money by offering value-based pricing. The key is to increase the perceived value of your skill set and be known as a niche market authority. For example, you can specialize in SEO, social media, or content marketing. Doing so can lead to greater income.
9. Blogging on Paid Platforms
You can earn money by blogging on paid platforms like Medium, ListVerse, or Cracked. Of course, your earnings will depend on the site you write for. Other considerations include the niche you choose, plus the number of blogs you can write.
On Medium, 94% of writers earn at least $100 or more per month. In fact, one Reddit user shares about making $200 in 2 months writing about their side hustles.
Just take note that some locations may not be eligible for the Medium Partner Program.
Alternatively, HubPages also offers $50 to $100 per month for its writers. Authority Hacker adds that writers “will need to publish a ton of articles to reach this mark.”
10. Selling Ad Space
Selling ad space can be a profitable digital marketing strategy. This primarily works if you have a high traffic blog and a strong online readership.
According to Subscriber, website owners may earn $1,000 to $5,000 per month if they can attract 500,000 monthly page views. Meanwhile, those who get 1 million page views per month may earn a monthly income of $2,500 to $25,000.
You can sell ad space directly to brands or via ad networks and affiliate marketing programs. To earn a steady income selling ad space, you should:
Pro Tip: You can monetize your website further by selling digital products or getting brand sponsorships.
11. Becoming an Amazon Seller
Becoming an Amazon seller allows you to make money online. The average Amazon seller makes $1,000 and $2,500 monthly, according to SellerApp. People trust Amazon and so the platform offers sellers a wide market of potential buyers. In fact, Forbes reports that around 89% of consumers are “more likely to buy products from Amazon than other e-commerce sites.”
You have several options when taking the Amazon route, such as:
- Amazon FBA: This is where you sell products such as clothing, pet supplies, electronics, and others. Amazon handles customer service, order fulfillment, delivery, and product returns.
- Amazon Kindle Publishing: This is ideal for authors and publishers who want to sell paperbacks, hardcovers, and eBooks.
- Amazon Merch on Demand: Upload pictures of your designs and sell hoodies, mugs, shirts, or other products. Amazon takes care of all the legwork for you.
Of course, selling on Amazon has become competitive in 2024. To stand out, you need a stellar product and know how to stay one step ahead of your competitors. Preferably, you should find a niche with low competition and high search volume. Next, create quality ad copy and run ads on Amazon to get in front of more of your potential buyers.
12. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing can be an effective source of income for digital marketers. Kinsta says affiliate marketing is “the most successful channel for 20% of brand marketers.” Meanwhile, it’s also considered as the “top revenue source for 31% of publishers.”
Affiliates are paid on commission and only make money when they land sales, a click, or a user action. The idea is to build trust with your audience and then share valuable products. To boost your earnings, you should share your affiliate links on multiple channels. For example, you can post them on your website, social media pages, or YouTube channel.
Niall Roche of Authority Hacker says affiliate marketers have four categories:
- Affiliate marketing beginners earn up to $1,000 per month
- Intermediate affiliate marketers earn from $1,000 to $10,000 per month
- Advanced affiliate marketers earn from $10,000 to $100,000 per month
- Super affiliate marketers earn over $100,000 per month
To get started, you’ll need to join reputable programs like Awin, ClickBank, or ShareASale. Look for products that offer a high commission rate and are relevant to your audience. Redditor u/dpgandolf also reminds newbies to be patient and to trust the process. According to the affiliate marketer’s post, it took 2 years to reach an earning of $3,000 to $4,000.
13. Managing Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing is still one of the most profitable digital marketing strategies today. Data from Insight For Professionals says that ROIs from email marketing are at 4,400%. According to Talent.com, email marketing specialists earn an average of $65,000 per year.
Emails are a way for businesses to engage people who have shown interest in their brands. The key is to use personalization tactics like:
- Subscriber segmentation
- Personalization of sender details
- Relevant product recommendations and special offers
Email marketing is cost-effective yet it allows businesses to reach a broader audience. As an email marketing campaign manager, you help build brand awareness. Your goal is to create trust with the business' ideal buyers.
14. Selling Digital Products
Selling digital products can be a good source of earnings and even passive income. Some examples of digital products you can sell online are:
- Ebooks
- Digital art
- Online courses
- Printables
- Resume templates
- Software
- Spreadsheets
- Stock photos
- Web apps
On YouTube, Brandon Timothy says one advantage of this business model is that it requires no physical inventory. Sellers also enjoy low overhead costs and global reach. Gumroad, Shopify, and Etsy are some of the most popular platforms.
3 Tips for Landing High-Paying Digital Marketing Clients in 2024
1. Network on the Right Digital Marketing Channels
Networking on the right digital marketing channels allow you to gain attention from your target market. According to Buffer.com, the active monthly users for some of the world’s top social media sites are as follows:
As a digital marketer, you want to use the most effective platforms for your campaigns. You want to identify where your target audience are spending their time online. Which social media channels do they prefer and how do they consume content? To convert prospects, you need to develop the art of persuasion. Your goal is to influence and create a compelling message. You can then share content or videos that add value or solve a problem for your ideal clients.
So build a strong Internet presence and focus on audience development. Engage with people and give the best answer to their questions. Highlight the benefits of your services as you approach high-paying clients. Tell them how your expertise can give their brands a boost and increase their ROIs.
2. Leverage Digital Marketing Referrals
Leveraging digital marketing referrals can help you gain more high-paying clients. According to SaaSquatch, referrals are 18% more loyal. They also have 16% higher lifetime value and 13.2% more spending rate.
“The most important thing for getting referrals is simply (to) ask,” says North Digital founder and CEO Sean Wiggins. So ask your clients if they know any contacts that may benefit from your services. Also, make sure to highlight customer testimonials on your website and social media channels.
3. Focus on Niche Digital Marketing
Niche marketing is a hyper-targeted marketing approach. In 2024, niche marketing offers several benefits like:
- Less competition
- Better client relationships
- Concentrated marketing strategy
- Higher-paying clientele
- Increased brand loyalty
Instead of advertising your digital marketing services to everyone, focusing on a single niche brings higher level results. Clients will see you as an industry authority as you provide a core service. Meanwhile, some of the most profitable niches for digital marketing agency businesses in 2024 are:
- Junk removal
- Construction and home services
- Moving services
- Automotive
- Health and wellness
- Legal services
- E-commerce
- Real estate
- Financial services
- Food
Is Digital Marketing Profitable?
Digital marketing is profitable if you can attract high-paying clients. You can keep making profits as they spend regularly on your services. According to OMG Center, startups and low-performers see an average profit margin of 20% to 30%. Meanwhile, top-performers get as much as 50% to 60% margin. ZipRecruiter also reports a digital marketer can earn an average monthly income of $5,027. Additional data suggests that the average digital marketer in the USA earns 29.01 per hour or $1,160 a week.
Other aspects that impact the amount of money you can make include:
CareerFoundry states that in 2024, people in high-level digital marketing roles can earn six-figure incomes.
Can You Earn Passive Income With Digital Marketing?
You can earn passive income from digital marketing. It all depends on your strategy, skill, and specialty. For example, building lead generation websites can help you make passive income. You can earn profit margins as high as 85% to 90% as you rank your sites and offer them for rent.
Other digital marketing techniques to earn passive income include:
What is the Most Successful Form of Digital Marketing?
The most successful forms of digital marketing are:
Is Becoming a Freelance Digital Marketer a Good Side Hustle?
Yes, becoming a freelance digital marketer can be a good side hustle. Digital marketing is a flexible, low-cost skill that is in high demand. You can make money with digital marketing while still working a 9-5 if you have the skills to get the job done.
On Reddit, u/digitalmathur writes there are plenty of opportunities for freelance digital marketers. He mentions freelancers can charge per hour or per project. He likewise emphasizes the importance of having “a strong portfolio, a specialized skill set, and the ability to market their services effectively.”
A few popular choices in 2024 include:
- Local lead generation business model
- Affiliate marketing
- Google Ads management
- Social media marketing
- Selling digital products
To be a competent marketer, you’ll need to be highly familiar with tools like Ahrefs, MailChimp, SEMRush, and others. You may also invest in a digital marketing course if you want to learn from industry experts. Website Builder Expert shares that 50% of millennials living in the United States have a side hustle. Self.inc also reports that side hustlers spend 5 to 10 hours per week on their tasks.
Why Local Lead Generation is a Better Way To Make Passive Income Online in 2024
Digital marketing is a way to make money online, but only some types generate a passive income. For services like SEO, paid ads, or social media marketing, digital marketers will only get paid for the work they do. Also, you only make money if your clients are happy with the results of your services. Otherwise, they will stop working with you.
Of course, it’s possible to make a passive income by selling ad space on a blog, monetizing a YouTube channel, or leveraging affiliate marketing. However, it takes time to build a loyal audience and make this option work. And with these types of digital marketing, you are competing against a global market.
You can earn passive income with local lead generation. In this model, you are building and ranking business websites that produce leads. You can get your sites to the top of search engine pages in 6 weeks to 6 months. Each site only takes 10 to 15 hours to create and costs around $500 to rank. You also won’t need to do a lot of maintenance work once your site ranks well. Competition is not as difficult because you are targeting a local market. Plus the beautiful thing is: there's no limit to how many lead gen sites you can build and rank.
Personally, I’ve been doing lead generation since 2014. I now have over 50 websites and make $500 to $3,000 from each one. In total, I earn about $52,000 per month providing lead gen services to my clients. I own the websites and they pay me for the leads I bring to their businesses.
For those interested, we have a lead generation coaching program with over 7,000 students. Our repeatable 3-step process will bring you closer to earning passive income. In fact, we've made it easy for anyone to learn lead gen even if they're not tech savvy.
