LEGIT How To Make Money Using Twitter

[Fred W]

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For the longest time it seems, social media platforms were all about the number of Likes and Follows one can get. It’s not exactly useful currency, but people still were hooked on them enough to spend almost all their waking hours on these sites. But then the advertising industry saw a lot of potential and ad mileage via celebrities and influencers with social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and more - and so now we have monetized ways of using them (cue in the overexposed Kardashians).

But Twitter seems to have been an unusual contender for money-making as a social media platform - until now, that is. Sure, some celebrities use it to endorse products or services, but what about normal people like you and me who are only followed for our - ahem - interesting personalities and everyman opinions? Fortunately, while we might not get the kind of endorsements that better-endowed celebrities (with better exposure) have, we can still make some money using Twitter. Here are some ways how.

Manage a professional Twitter account

If you can’t see yourself giving your personal Twitter over to something that’s professional and money-making, why not go manage someone else’s and make them look good while you’re at it? It’s an easy enough task to look for companies or personalities (local or international ones) that are on the lookout for social media managers, with Twitter being one of the main platforms normally handled on a daily basis. You will have to learn all about the company (or person) you will be handling the Twitter account for, so it’s essentially “ghost Tweeting” for someone else.

If you think you’re ready to go pro on Twitter, just look for social media management jobs at Indeed.

Look for Twitter-related tasks

Interested in making around $5 (or more) per Tweet? Then sign up with freelance service platform Fiverr, which often advertises for Twitter-related services under their Social Media Marketing category. A quick look upon the rows upon rows of users advertising their Twitter proficiency to potential clients will underline how popular this particular side hustle is becoming. So there’s the downside - it has a niche, but you will also be up for a lot of competition! It can’t hurt to try, though, especially with potentially good income involved.

Use affiliate links

If you’re a blogger, you might already know how affiliate links work (spoiler alert: they are awesome ways to make extra cash!). Remember when I said it seems only celebrities can endorse products and services on Twitter and get paid for it? Well, scratch that. You and I can, as well! Affiliated Tweeting makes this possible. For instance, Amazon Associates has a great affiliate program for those who like using social networks. You will need to verify your Twitter account as an associate first, though. After that, you will see that your Twitter name has that much-coveted blue checkmark beside it!

Go for monetized Tweets

And now here we have a clear-cut way to really monetize your Twitter usage. These sites don’t sugarcoat what they need from you, which is to pay you to Tweet website links, PRs, promos, and other stuff that can help their advertisers gain traction in the world of social media platforms. It’s pretty cut-and-dried work and one that can earn you $5 per Tweet - which is not bad at all! So if you think you’re ready to take this kind of job on, consider the following monetized Twitter sites:

• SponsoredTweets - as a full disclosure, this site does require that you have a strong Twitter following (not necessarily be an influencer - though that will surely help!). You will basically act on a sponsorship basis for their advertisers and get paid for it.
• PaidPerTweet - their byline is “Promote Your Service. Get Paid to Tweet”. It’s a byline that works both ways because it appeals to both the advertiser and the Twitter user - all for the love of going viral!
• Twivert - as an ad network for Twitter, advertisers use this site as a low-cost alternative for social media campaigns instead of going full-on traditional print and media. As a result, they are always looking for Twitter users to increase their visibility online.
• TwitPub - this site promises Twitter users a “high 80% payout” with fast payment and quicker scale. They are essentially looking for quality Tweets and content for topics like politics, finance, horoscopes, jokes, etc.

The verdict

While there aren’t any distinctive ways to use Twitter as an income generating tool (except perhaps for the monetizing links I’ve mentioned above), the innovativeness of people to advertise on just about any platform gives me hope that this will change soon. Hey, it’s currently happening on this forum, so why not on Twitter and other social media sites, right?

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Your turn

Would you be willing to use your Twitter account to make some extra income? Or are you currently doing it? Please tell us all about how you’re finding the experience!

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Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.twitter.android&hl=en

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[Ben_the_Hobbit]

Thanks for the awesome article, Fred. I used to manage the social media page of a gadget maker. I wasn’t exactly an “influencer” since I was using the brand’s official account, but it was a pretty good gig to have.

I think a lot of people could make good use of info on how to make money on Twitter. Fred already answered, “how do you make money on Twitter?” Now I’d like to list some of the skills that would help you earn on Twitter.

Here they are:

You gotta speak in the brand voice

I think this is one of the common stumbling blocks of newbie social media managers. Brands have personalities, and that’s especially true on social media. When tweet, you gotta tweet like you were the brand. That means using a writing style that is consistent with the company’s branding.

For example, if you’re repping an energy drink, you’d want to write in a fun, casual voice. If it were a bank, you need to be a bit more formal and authoritative.

You need to be on call most of the time

The thing about Twitter is that interactions between brand and users usually happen quickly. Not exactly real-time, but it’s not like replying to an email, which could take days. That means you might have to be on-call to answer Tweets or respond to any complaints that pop up.

Generally, turn-around times are faster now that Twitter is a thing. So you need to be prepared to make time for this and always be on your toes.

You need to be level-headed

I can’t stress this enough - you need to be level-headed and be a bit thick-skinned if you want to be a Twitter pro. And that’s because you will encounter lots - and I do mean lots - of annoying people. I’m not talking about outright trolls, who probably make up less than 1 percent of people you’ll encounter. I’m talking about your regular, everyday annoying people. People who ask for info that is readily available, people who make you feel like you’re doing a crappy job… these kinds of people.

You need to be patient and be able to brush off abrasive comments. One colleague didn’t have those qualities. He kind of snapped when a commenter gave him some harsh feedback. So be prepared!

Be friendly

Don’t get me wrong Twitter account management isn’t a battle zone. In fact, most of the people you’ll interact with are friendly and appreciative of any help you provide. To that end, it’s always recommendable to be friendly and accommodating.

You need to stay updated on current trends

When promoting your brand on Twitter, it pays to incorporate current trends and events into your tweets; simply posting the same old canned material won’t cut it on Twitter. You need to be responsive and think on your toes. For example, if a celebrity makes a funny comment that goes viral, you can reference it in one of your posts (but don’t use the face of the celeb - that would require royalties). Or if a meme becomes popular, make a branded version of it.