Gems, applause and stars: complementary coins travel on social networks

Earning with social media isn’t just for influencers. There are many ways to monetize your content online, without having to make it a full-time job – but of course taking the time to make it stand out. Some platforms are born with the intention of providing a space for creatives to share works of various kinds with their fans, for a fee. Patreon and Ko-Fi, for example, have subscription formulas at various levels. It is the content creators who decide who has access to what: exclusive or personalized content, previews, reserved channels to interact with the content creator and with the restricted community of supporters, behind the scenes, videos and tutorials that reveal the secrets of the trade. A bit borderline is Onlyfans, a sort of Instagram where you pay to view confidential content, popular with fitness instructors and models who sell videos, photos and livestreaming, but also the realm of those who want to earn something by posting explicit photos on request, given the lack of moderation for 18+ content. And those who don’t want to expose themselves too much can earn money by throwing themselves on the genres: accounts that sell subscriptions for photos of bare feet are very popular. Risky photos aside, they are also suitable channels for those who are beginners and want to monetize a passion: whether they are drawings, crochet creations or fitness workouts. VIPs, small and large, can instead take advantage of platforms such as Cameo, which allow you to request a personalized video message for a fee, both for private and promotional use, or even a 1: 1 video call with your favorite star. There is a bit of everything: athletes, musicians, politicians, even four-legged influencers. Some artists take advantage of the channel for charity fundraising, but for mere mortals, the simplest way remains that of traditional social networks. Twitter also recently introduced the possibility of receiving “tips” in support of their content and activities thanks to TipJar: not a subscription formula but free support from those who appreciate the work of a particularly active and interesting user. TikTok has a dedicated fund to distribute money based on viewing performance to encourage the production of engaging and viral videos. YouTube for its part offers a “revenue sharing” of advertising revenues (without outlay for those who use the content), or, for a fee for users, the activation of subscriptions and membership, or even the possibility of buying virtual “applause” to dedicate to their favorite content creators, or to highlight their comments during the live stream to be noticed. A similar operation has Twitch, where users buy “gems” that they can distribute as a reward or encouragement to content creators. On Facebook, on the other hand, there are the Stars or more expensive Virtual Gifts, which are accompanied by the possibility of creating paid groups that work through membership, in which to view reserved content. Instagram, on the other hand, does not redistribute revenue from advertising or give the possibility to leave tips, but if you have a bit of a following it is quite easy to be contacted by companies that offer sponsored posts or stories in exchange for goods or for a fee, or even for the resale of exclusive products. to their followers. On an even less demanding level, there are affiliate services: the pioneer of the field is Amazon, which allows anyone to create their own affiliate account, generate referral links, and share them among their followers on social networks by promoting certain goods or services while earning a small percentage.