We all know that Facebook is an excellent social media platform for those who want to get in touch with their friends and family, but did you know that you can make money on this platform too? Facebook is by far, the most popular social media network in the world with over one billion active users per month.
Gone are the days when people were using this platform only to communicate with their family, colleagues, and friends or simply to look for the latest news and useful information. Today, Facebook is used for many different things like shopping for example. All these things mean that you can take advantage of this network and start making money. In this guide, we will showcase 12 popular ways to make money on Facebook.
- Find out how people make money on Facebook
- Learn how to avoid mistakes during this venture
- Discover lesser-known options that FB offers to its users
The options that will help you earn money via FB that we have shared here are different. Some of them are completely free while others require certain investments. In addition, you might have to learn a few things before using some of the suggested methods. Now let’s analyze the most popular ways to earn money on the most popular global social media network.
1. Affiliate advertising still works
Even though there are thousands of affiliates out there, the fact is that affiliate advertising still works. When you have a base like Facebook where you can find millions of people, it’s easier to turn some of the people interested in certain products into customers. So, if you want to make money in this way, you will first have to find an affiliate program. Check the current trends and look for niches that are trending. It would be perfect if you find a niche where the competition is not fierce.
Once you signup and get approved, all you have to do is start marketing these products on FB. You can do this in two ways. First of all, you can do this discreetly on your personal profile. You can share links from time to time, provide reviews and ask your friends to check (and buy) these products. In addition, you can create a Facebook fan page where you can share these links. Once again, you don’t have to create a special page for a particular product. For instance, you can create a fan page for dog lovers and share affiliate links that will lead your fans to dog food or dog toys for example.
- To start this venture, you will have to join an affiliate program
- Use Google to find good affiliate programs
- You can market products on your personal account or fan page
2. Become a member of a local buy/sell group and start selling things
In case you want to make money by selling things, you can always become a member of a local buy/sell group. Some of these groups are invite-only, so you might have to make an effort to join them. But, what’s great is that once you join a group, you can create a post about selling some product and that post can show up on other local groups even if you have not joined them. Obviously, your post should be relevant to these groups. In any case, this is something that you can do for free.
What’s interesting is that you don’t have to limit yourself to specific products. People are selling everything on FB, from old vinyl records to cars. Finally, remember that every group comes with specific rules. Make sure that you’ve read the rules before joining and posting there.
- Some local buy/sell groups have thousands of members
- Facebook makes it easy for users to find relevant groups
- You can sell literally anything in these groups, but remember to follow their rules
3. Look out for contests and win prizes
As we have already mentioned, Facebook is an extremely popular platform used by thousands of businesses. Many companies are running contests that promise money or other types of rewards. In order to participate in a contest like this, you usually have to share a specific post shared by the company or simply follow their FB page.
The best part is that almost all of these contests are completely free, so all it takes to make money there is to make a few clicks. Keep in mind that only a small number of them will offer cash as the main prize, but you can expect other good prizes like Amazon gift cards, tech gadgets and more. Use FB search to look for contests like this.
- There are dozens of active contests on FB on a daily basis
- It takes just a few clicks to become part of these contests which are usually free
- You can rarely get money in this way, but there are some other attractive prizes
4. Use your experience – try yourself as a social media manager
Do you spend a lot of time on Facebook? Would you say that you know this platform inside and out? If the answers to these questions are affirmative, then you might want to consider a job position as a social media manager. Obviously, you need experience in managing FB pages too. We have already pointed out that thousands of businesses across the globe use this platform to promote their products and services. Many of them are looking for social media managers specialized in Facebook. As a manager, you will be responsible for replying to comments, sharing posts, checking ad performance, growing fan base, creating short content and more.
When it comes to this method of making money, we should also mention that businesses usually hire the same person to take care of the rest of their social media profiles. In other words, it would be perfect if you have knowledge on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other popular networks.
- People with tech knowledge focused on social media can make money in this way
- You need experience with GB pages and groups
- You can make even more money if you are familiar with other popular social media platforms
5. Take advantage of Facebook Marketplace
To be honest, Facebook Marketplace works in a similar way as Facebook groups, but it has a few differences. This feature is available to all Facebook users, but there are some geo-restrictions applied, so you might want to check this before you proceed with this option to make money. If Facebook Marketplace is available, you should know that you can sell, buy or even trade almost anything in your place.
This is an intermediate between sellers and buyers. You can add images of your products, price and other details that potential buyers will find useful. We should point out that it’s not possible to sell via FB Marketplace directly. You can only get customer inquiries and find another option to complete a transaction.
- Facebook Marketplace works in a similar way like Facebook sell/buy groups
- You can find many potential buyers in this way
- Remember that you can’t sell directly from this online marketplace
6. Become an influencer
An influencer is a buzzword these days and it represents something that we were not able to find just a few decades ago. To become an influencer, you will have to create a personal page. People become influencers in different ways, but what they all have in common is the fact that they have huge fan bases that sometimes have over 100,000 fans.
If you want to take this road to make money on Facebook, you have to be an active member of this platform. The so-called influencers usually share their thoughts and images through this platform. For instance, there are people who like to travel and they are sharing videos and photos on their pages. After some period of time, they become established authorities in this field and they make comments about certain places, restaurants, hotels, etc. So, as an influencer, you might get contacted by business and asked to write about their product or service in a positive way for a certain fee. That’s one of the easiest ways to make money on FB, but you need a lot of preparation.
- It takes time to become an influencer
- You have to be active on the network almost on a daily basis
- Once you establish yourself, businesses will start offering money for your public support
7. Design and create Facebook Ads
Let’s be clear, you can’t make money out of thin air if you decide to use this method. In order for this method to work, you will need an existing business. To put it simply, this approach should help you boost your sales. In addition, you will also need a website and a FB page. The good thing is that creating a FB page is free.
Surely, investing in Facebook Ads can be a costly venture, but the good thing about these advertisements is that you have complete control over who will watch your ads. We are talking about the target audience that should respond positively to your ads. The basic idea is to make these FB users click on the ad and get redirected to your website or page where they can ultimately purchase your products or services.
- Works only if you have an established business
- You will need a FB page and a website
- This method requires investments
8. Promote and sell your eBook
Writing and publishing a conventional book is a daunting task, but writing and selling an eBook is very easy. This is especially true when you have Facebook on your side. In other words, you can use this platform to promote and sell your eBook. It’s obvious that you have to write an eBook first. Focus on the things that you are experienced with and things that might be interesting to other readers. For instance, do you know a special diet that works? Do you know how to raise a dog? Do you possess any other special knowledge or experience?
Once you write the eBook, you will have a chance to use one of the few free and secure ways to publish it. To make money on Facebook with your eBook, you should simply share a link to your product. The first place where you can do this is your personal account. You can also create a FB page for free dedicated to your book or to you as a writer. Search for groups and pages where people might find your product useful.
- You will have to write an eBook
- Look for a theme that’s popular like how to make money online
- Use FB pages, groups, and your personal account to promote your eBook
9. Start making Facebook apps
Do you remember the time when Facebook apps were popping up on a daily basis and most users were using these apps on a daily basis? Well, times have changed and FB apps are not that popular as before, but the fact is that FB has many more users than those days. Simply put, even with decreased popularity, there are more FB apps than before. But, if you want to make money in this way, you will need knowledge and experience.
What we are suggesting here is earning money as an app developer. As you are probably aware, games are still quite popular on this social media platform, but you can create other kinds of apps too – news, weather, sports, etc. There’s always a possibility to hire someone to develop an app for you if you think that you have a good idea. With an application like this, you can make money from banner ads or by selling digital goods (extras in games, virtual gifts etc.).
- To make money by using this method, you need app developing skills
- You can also hire a developer if you have a good idea
- Banner ads and virtual goods sales are some of the ways to make money via FB apps
10. Set up a shop section on your page and start selling goods
With the help of a Facebook shop, you can showcase and sell your products to other FB users. You need an established FB page to create a shop like this. There’s even a specialized Shopping template that you can use on your page. Simply follow the guide once you choose the Shop tab on the page and your shop section will be ready in minutes. In addition, you have to set up a shopping cart so you can connect payments.
If you want to succeed with this method, you will have to work on attracting more fans. Share engaging content, answer to your fans’ questions, get in touch with other pages – these are some of the things that you can do to achieve this goal.
- Creating a Facebook store through your FB page is free
- Engage with your fans to boost your business
- This is a basic way of selling things on this platform
11. Grow your page and sell it, rinse and repeat
You have to be careful with this option because there’s no guarantee that you or the potential buyer won’t get banned from Facebook. So, it is completely legal to buy or sell a Facebook page, but FB has the right to delete the page in case they believe that this transaction is against their Terms of Service. But, the risk is put more on the buyer than the seller.
There are many people who are creating and growing FB pages for selling. To make this method work, it’s better to focus on a specific niche. For example, you can create a page dedicated to cars. Many page owners use these pages to promote car parts. To grow an FB page, you will need to invest energy and time and in many cases money too.
- It’s legal to buy and sell Facebook pages, but you have to be cautious
- Make sure that you are following FB’s terms and conditions
- Focus on a specific niche to make the growth of these pages easier
12. Find a job and start making money right away
Did you know that you can use Facebook to look for job opportunities in your area or remotely? On the left side of your News Feed, there’s a Jobs tab. Click on it and you will get a chance to look for jobs based on your location, industry or type of job. What’s even better is that you can subscribe and get notifications when there are new job offers on FB.
The process of applying is easy. You should click Apply Now, share information through the application (education, experience – basically your CV) and click send. Remember that this activity is conducted discreetly, meaning that your friends won’t get any notifications about your application. Given that there are thousands of companies that are active on Facebook, it shouldn’t be a problem to find a decent job in this way. Some of these jobs might be associated with FB itself like account management, content writing, etc.
- Use the Jobs section on Facebook
- Your friends won’t be notified about your activities
- You can search for jobs based on your location, job type and/or industry
