How to Make Money on Social Media: Tips and Best Practices

With 2 in 3 people using social media every month, it’s one of the most valuable assets today. Whether you’re a business owner, brand marketer, or content creator, you have numerous opportunities to earn money.

Of course, whether and how much you earn is dependent on how you position yourself. The truth is, many brands and content creators have yet to reap the financial benefits of their social media presence. How do you leave this group? Read on to find out.

This guide looks at tried-and-tested ways to make money on social media. We also explore key best practices to help maximize your earnings.

Ways to Make Money on Social Media

What comes to mind when you think about earning opportunities on social media?If you’re like most people, your answer is probably influencer marketing — rightfully so. However, this isn’t the only way to make money. Here’s a look at other great ideas:

Create Great Content

If you’re on TikTok, creating content can be enough to make money. The platform runs a Creator Rewards Program that pays you for simply posting videos. The more views and engagement you register, the higher your earnings will be.

However, there are several requirements you need to meet to join the program:

• Have a personal account (business accounts are not eligible).
• Live in the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, Germany, Japan, or France.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views in the last 30 days.
• Make sure your account is in good standing.

If you met these requirements, go to your profile, tap the menu icon, and select TikTok Studio. Then, tap Creator Rewards Program and apply. TikTok will get back to you within three days.

Note: You can only earn from videos that are over one minute long.

Include Ads in Your Videos

Facebook and YouTube run ad programs, allowing you to earn indirectly from brand advertisements. To make money through these programs, you simply need to enable ads. When you do, the platforms will display them in your videos and give you a share of their revenue. However, there’s a catch: you must first meet their monetization requirements.

To earn from Facebook’s in-stream ads, you need to be at least 18 years old and reside in an eligible country. You also need to have a Page, not a profile. The Page needs to meet the following eligibility requirements:

• At least 5,000 followers
• A minimum of five active videos
• 60,000 total minutes viewed in the last 60 days (excluding minutes from boosted or paid posts)

To earn from ads in live videos, you need:

• At least 10,000 followers
• 600,000 total minutes viewed in the last 60 days (at least 60,000 of these minutes must come from live videos)
• At least five active videos, three of which must be live videos

YouTube is also pretty specific about its ad program. Here’s what you need to unlock ad revenue:

• 1,000 subscribers
• 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million valid Shorts views in the past 90 days

We know what you’re thinking: “Doesn’t YouTube Premium mean less ad revenue?” In a sense, yes. However, the platform “compensates” creators for lost ad revenue by sharing a portion of YouTube Premium subscribers’ subscription fees. So, you can still earn pretty well.

Try Out Affiliate Marketing

If you have a highly engaged following, consider joining affiliate marketing programs. To earn, sign up for an affiliate network (or multiple), get your unique URLs, and regularly share them with your community. When you do, you’ll earn commissions on all sales made via your links.

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money on social media because it has a lower barrier to entry than other earning opportunities — you don’t really need a large following or your own products. It’s also more manageable than direct brand partnerships, since it typically doesn’t require entire video productions. You can do something as simple as share a photo of yourself wearing an item, add a direct purchase URL, and earn your commission when people use the link.

Don’t know where to start with affiliate marketing? Here are some worth-considering programs and their commissions:

• Shopify: Offers up to $150 for each full-priced Point of Sale Pro referral. Wholesale Ted makes videos teaching people how to start online businesses. Open the description of any of her videos. You will see a link to sign up for Shopify. Because she is a Shopify Affiliate, she earns massive commissions (often $150 or more per sign-up) simply by recommending the software she uses in her tutorials.

• eBay Ambassador and Partner Network: Varies by product category. Standard commissions, however, range between 1% and 4%.
• Amazon Associates: Pays between 1% and 10%, depending on product type. Look at Rachel Meaders on TikTok. She does not sell her own physical products. She posts simple, 15-second videos showing cool gadgets (like a hidden phone charger or a cleaning tool). She just demonstrates the product and says “Link in bio.” That link goes directly to her Amazon storefront. She makes a percentage of every single sale without ever touching the shipping box.

• Awin: Varies by product category and advertiser.

Further reading: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to TikTok Affiliate Marketing

Sell Your Expertise

Some social media users follow creators, not for entertainment but to learn. This is especially common on platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn, where people often go to search for information. So, don’t be afraid to showcase your expertise.

You can earn from your professional experience by offering consultations, coaching users, or selling e-books. For example, if you’re a professional financial manager, offer tax compliance or investment consultations; if you’re a fitness trainer, offer remote coaching sessions; and if you’re a marketer, sell your course.

Many creators are already capitalizing on their expertise. For example, Joey Korenman uses LinkedIn to direct users to paid courses such as UX animation; Andy Guitar uses YouTube to sell online guitar classes; and Alexia Clark uses Instagram to sell workout programs.

Build a Paid Membership

Want to make money while also promoting exclusivity? You can’t go wrong with paid membership plans.

This strategy is pretty easy to execute on platforms that offer native membership features, such as YouTube, Instagram, Patreon, and Twitch. All you need to do is limit your content’s availability to users who pay your membership fee during upload.

The more subscribers you have, the higher your earnings will be. So, be sure to market your plan. Also, offer high-value content to reduce cancellations.

Many people already use memberships to earn money online. Popular “reactions” content creator Layze is one of them. He offers four membership plans, each with exclusive perks, such as:

• Members-only videos
• Photos and status updates
• Early access to general videos
• Priority replies to comments
• Personalized shout-outs
• Thank-you replies

Sell Physical Products

If you run a brand or retail store, social media platforms can be excellent sales-driving tools. They help increase product awareness, drive offline sales, and even facilitate online conversions.

Here are some ways to sell physical products on different platforms:

• Instagram:Create an Instagram Shop, making sure to add all relevant product details, prices, and checkout URLs.
• Facebook: List your products on Marketplace. As with Instagram Shop, add all pertinent product details, upload relevant photos, and list your prices.
• TikTok: Set up an in-app TikTok Shop that features your products and relevant details; create shoppable videos; and host Lives to sell directly to your audience in real time.
• YouTube: Set up YouTube Shopping to sell items directly from the platform.
• Pinterest: Sign up for a business account and integrate your e-commerce platform to create Shoppable Pins.

Enable Gifting

Most platforms allow users to show their favorite content creators some appreciation through gifting. If you have people asking to tip you for your work, enabling this feature can be a great way to make some extra cash.

However, be careful not to come across as entitled or demanding, as this can affect your relationship with followers. A good rule of thumb is to create great content and wait for your audience to reward you — no prompting or constant reminders.

Some platforms that allow gifting include:

• TikTok: Sells TikTok coins, which users can then use to buy gifts, such as animations. You can then receive these gifts during Lives or on normal (non-live) videos if you enable the “Video Gifts” feature.
• Instagram: Lets users purchase stars and send them as virtual gifts on their favorite Reels.
• YouTube: Offers Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks features that allow viewers to tip you during live streams, premieres, and on regular videos.

Try Influencer Marketing

Of course, this list would be incomplete without influencer marketing. This is one of the most lucrative social media earning opportunities, with brands paying between $25 and upwards of $50,000 per post. You can become a brand influencer by doing the following:

• Approach brands directly, making sure to highlight your value proposition.
• Focus on building your social media accounts and wait for businesses to reach out.
• Join influencer marketing platforms like Afluencer and Upfluence to connect with brands seeking partners.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need hundreds of thousands or millions of followers to become an influencer. Some brands prefer partnering with nano and micro influencers because they often drive more engagement than larger content creators.

That said, larger influencers earn more than smaller ones. So, work on growing your accounts even as you earn revenue from your current following.

Money-Making Best Practices on Social Media

1. Manage Your Cross-Platform Strategy Like a Pro

Before you write a single post, you need to think bigger than one account. Successful creators in 2026 do not rely on a single TikTok or Instagram profile. They distribute their content across multiple platforms and niches — one channel for tutorials, one for personal brand, one for a specific market.

Managing all of this manually on your phone is a recipe for burnout.

• The Pro Move: Serious content businesses use a unified tool like GeeLark to run their cross-platform operations from a single dashboard.
• How it Works: GeeLark combines two tools in one place: cloud phones for managing mobile app environments, and antidetect browsers for handling web-based tasks. You never need to jump between different software. Whether you are uploading a TikTok or managing a web-based account task, everything happens in one place.
• The Real Value: GeeLark’s built-in automation handles the repetitive, mechanical work of publishing content across your channels. This frees up your time to focus on creating — not clicking.
• Action Tip: Think of yourself as a small media company. Assign each channel a clear purpose and audience. Then let GeeLark handle the distribution work so you stay consistent without burning out.

2. Build Trust with the “P-S-P” Framework

Now that you have the tools to post everywhere, what should you actually say? Beginners often scream “Buy this!” at their audience. This does not work. Instead, use the P-S-P Framework to show you are an expert who cares.

• P – Problem: Start by talking about a specific problem your audience has. (e.g., “Are you tired of losing 3 hours a day to scrolling?”)
• S – Solution: Show how a specific method or tool solves that problem. Do not just talk; show it in action.
• P – Proof: This is the most important part. Show a screenshot of a real result or a client saying “Thank you!”.YouTube
• Action Tip: Once a month, post a “Why I Don’t Use X” video. Being honest about what you dislike builds massive trust for when you finally recommend what you do like. This creates “Trustworthiness,” which is the “T” in E-E-A-T.

3. The 70/20/10 Content Calendar

You need a schedule so you don’t confuse your audience. Think of your account like a TV channel. If it’s all commercials, people will change the channel.

• 70% Value (Monday-Friday): Teach a skill or share a secret. Goal: Make people say, “I need to follow this person because they make my life better.”
• 20% Connection (Weekends): Share your mistakes, your morning coffee, or why you started this journey. Goal: People buy from people they like. This builds “Experience” and “Authority.”
• 10% Selling (Twice a month): This is your big pitch. “Click the link in my bio to get my guide.”
• Action Tip: Open your notes app and plan 10 posts right now. Write down: 7 Tips, 2 Personal Stories, and 1 Sales Pitch. Stick to this ratio!

4. Kill the “Friction”

“Friction” is anything that makes it hard for a customer to pay you. If your link is hard to find, or your website is confusing, you are losing money.

• The Landing Page: Do not use a confusing Linktree with 20 buttons. Keep it clean. Put your top most important offer at the very top.
• Clear Call to Action (CTA): Do not say “Check it out.” Say “Click the red link in my bio to get 20% off today.” You must tell people exactly what to do.
• Mobile-First Check: 99% of your fans are on their phones. If they have to pinch-to-zoom to read your prices, they will leave.
• Action Tip: Ask a friend to try and buy your product while you watch them. If they have to click more than 3 times, or if the page loads slowly, you need to simplify your website.

5. Master the “Audit”

If you don’t look at your data, you are driving with your eyes closed. Every platform gives you free “Insights.” Here is how to use them:

• High Saves = You are an Expert: If people save your post, they want to come back to it. This is a signal to the algorithm that your content is “High Quality.” Make more of these!
• Low Watch Time = Your Hook is Weak: If people swipe away in 2 seconds, your first sentence was boring.
• The Fix: Start your video with a bold claim or a question. Instead of “Hello guys,” say “Stop wasting money on these 3 things.”
• High Clicks but Low Sales = Trust Issue: If people click your link but don’t buy, your website might look scary or the price is too high.
• Action Tip: Every Sunday, find your “Worst” post of the week. Ask yourself: “Was the title bad? Was it too long?” Learn from the failure so you don’t repeat it next week.

6. Post Consistently

To make money consistently on social media, you have to post consistently. Regular posting builds familiarity, which can increase your chances of registering conversions. It also keeps your products, services, or partner brands top of mind, potentially leading to both online and offline purchases.

If you manage multiple social media accounts across different platforms, lean on GeeLark. Beyond isolating accounts, the cloud phone solution offers ready-made templates that allow you to schedule and automate content posting at scale. This can make it easier to stay consistent.

Unlike most tools, GeeLark uses cloud phones, rather than APIs. The phones enable it to mimic real user behavior, such as tapping “Create or Post” buttons when publishing content. This makes it appear as though you’re posting the content yourself.

Start Making Money on Social Media Today

Social media platforms are a goldmine for many creators and brands. With billions of users who often leverage them for information and product discovery, they are excellent places to sell products and expertise. This could mean consistent streams of income.

Of course, how you position yourself matters. To maximize earnings from social media, avoid coming across as too sales-y, stay authentic to your audience, stick to one niche per account, offer value to every brand, and maintain a consistent posting schedule.

GeeLark can help with some of that. The cloud phone platform isolates accounts, enabling you to create multiple profiles to explore different niches. What’s more, it automates content posting at scale across a wide range of platforms, making it easier for you to stay consistent.

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