10 Proven Ways People Are Really Making Money Online (2025 Update)
Is Making Money Online Legit or a Scam?
Back when I first started my blog, Makemoneyonlinecenter, explaining the concept of making money online (MMO) was incredibly difficult.
People who were tech-savvy understood immediately. But those who weren’t familiar with digital work were confused, unable to visualize how it worked. Some older folks even completely dismissed it as a scam.
Fast forward seven years, making money online is now a legitimate career path. And like any profession, there are those who excel at it – and those who struggle.
Many people started early and have now achieved great success. Some earn a few hundred dollars per month, while others rake in thousands or even tens of thousands.
Some MMO methods emerge quickly only to fade away, while others stand the test of time.
Each era brings its own opportunities, but one thing is certain: as technology advances, MMO only gets bigger.
10 Real Examples of People Making Money Online
In this article, I’ll share 10 real-life examples of the most popular ways people are making money online today.
Affiliate Marketing: Earn Commissions Without Owning Products
Affiliate marketing is like running a business without the need to stock or manage products. You promote a product or service through a unique affiliate link, and whenever someone makes a purchase, you earn a commission.
Check out this video to understand the basics of affiliate marketing:
[Insert Video]
You can register as an affiliate marketer on well-known platforms such as Accesstrade and AdFlex.
Once registered, you’ll receive affiliate links for different campaigns. Your goal is to drive traffic to these links using strategies like paid ads or free organic traffic. Whenever someone buys through your link, you get paid.
For example, websites focused on product reviews generate income through affiliate marketing:
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At the end of these review articles, you’ll often see buttons with embedded affiliate links. If a reader clicks on them and makes a purchase, the site owner gets a commission.
Another example: Many marketers are making money with the … program through affiliate marketing.
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Some even use YouTube to earn with affiliate marketing:
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To learn more, check out this guide: Earn $900 with Affiliate Marketing Without Spending Money.
Dropshipping: Sell Without Inventory
Dropshipping allows you to sell products without holding inventory. You list items for sale on major eCommerce platforms, and when someone buys, you purchase it from a supplier who ships it directly to the customer.
Popular international dropshipping platforms like Amazon, eBay, Etsy.
For example, this dog necklace is available from Chinese suppliers for less than $1, but you can resell it at a higher price for profit.
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If you have strong digital marketing skills, you can also build your own website for dropshipping using Shopify or grow a YouTube channel.
Here’s an example of a Shopify store selling household items:
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Freelancing: Turn Your Skills into Income
Freelancing is about offering your skills as a service. You create a portfolio, set your prices, and find clients who need your expertise.
Freelancing has become a popular career path for young people worldwide, with many earning thousands per month—and even tens of thousands for professional teams.
For instance, this freelancer on Fiverr offers vintage logo design services:
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With over 10,000 clients at a minimum $50 per order, the profits are enormous.
Fiverr is one of the best platforms to get started. You can offer various services, such as:
- Graphic design
- Web development
- Content writing & translation
- Video editing
- SEO optimization
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Read more: How to Hire Freelancers & Make Money with Fiverr
AdFlex CPO Model Explained
AdFlex uses Cost Per Order (CPO), where you earn commissions when a customer places an order.
Sign up here: [AdFlex Registration Link]
CPO is popular because the commissions are high – typically between $8 to $15 per sale.
Here’s an example of an AdFlex weight loss product campaign:
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Most people run ads on Facebook, Google, or TikTok to promote these products and earn commissions fast.
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Check out these guides:
- How I Made $10,000 with AdFlex CPO
- Beginner’s Guide to AdFlex CPO
YouTube & Facebook Ads Revenue
This method involves creating engaging videos, growing an audience, and earning ad revenue through:
- YouTube Partner Program
- Facebook Ad Breaks
Once your channel meets monetization requirements, you start earning money from ads shown in your videos.
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However, many creators go beyond ads and use their content to sell products or promote affiliate links.
For example, this camera review channel promotes products via Amazon affiliate links:
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Google AdSense & Facebook Audience Network
If you run a high-traffic website, you can apply to Google AdSense or Facebook Audience Network to earn money through ads.
AdSense is one of the oldest and most trusted MMO methods, allowing you to monetize website traffic.
Example: Here’s an AdSense travel blog earning revenue from ads:
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Read more:
- How to Create a News Website and Monetize with AdSense
- How to Make Money with Facebook Fanpages
Amazon Affiliate & FBA Model
Amazon’s affiliate program allows you to earn commissions by recommending products on Amazon.
Most affiliate marketers build niche websites around a specific product category.
Example: A juicer review site optimized for Amazon affiliate marketing:
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Many also build YouTube channels dedicated to reviewing products, earning commissions when viewers click their affiliate links.
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Example: Making Money with FBA
Another way to earn online is through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), a leading e-commerce platform worldwide.
FBA allows you to sell products on Amazon while utilizing Amazon’s storage and fulfillment services.
Your task is to register a store (business) on Amazon, ship your products to Amazon’s warehouses, and list them for sale on Amazon.com.
When a customer buys from your store, Amazon FBA handles the packaging and shipping for you. (Image)
For example, the store above specializes in leather products under the brand name NationsLeather.
Clickbank: High Commission Digital Product Affiliate
Next, we have one of the most established and reputable affiliate marketing platforms—Clickbank, which specializes in digital products with extremely high commission rates. (Image)
Clickbank vendors are skilled marketers who design professional sales funnels. As an affiliate, you can earn commissions not just on initial sales but also from upsells and cross-sells.
For instance, some marketers run Google Ads to promote high-demand Clickbank products, such as Two Week Diet—a highly competitive yet extremely profitable product. (Image)
Just like any other affiliate network, having a niche-focused website can help you promote a variety of products, from physical goods and supplements to digital courses. Clickbank is no exception.
Below is an example of a fitness & yoga website making money by reviewing and recommending a Clickbank yoga course. (Image)
When visitors click the “BUY NOW” button, they are redirected to Clickbank’s checkout page. Once the purchase is completed, the affiliate earns a commission.
👉 Read More: Is Making Money with Clickbank Real or Just a Myth?
Cryptocurrency MMO Methods
Making money with cryptocurrency involves tracking crypto markets (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, etc.) and identifying trends.
You can also check if any reputable exchanges offer affiliate or referral programs. If they do, you can sign up and start promoting them.
MMO Methods to Avoid (And Why)
Some of you might wonder why I haven’t mentioned “easy” MMO methods like:
- Captcha typing
- Clicking ads
- Completing offers
- Online surveys
Technically, any method that generates money online falls under MMO. But I don’t recommend these.
These methods:
- Aren’t sustainable
- Have a high risk of scams
- Offer low earnings that won’t last long
- Don’t help you build valuable Digital Marketing skills for long-term success
If you’re serious about building a future in MMO, avoid time-wasting methods and focus on high-value income streams.
Final Verdict: Is MMO Really Worth It?
If you’re new to MMO, you might still feel uncertain or confused about these methods.
However, once you understand how they work, you’ll realize that thousands of people are successfully making money online.
It might even be someone in your neighborhood – that one guy who bought land, cars, or luxury items while sitting in front of his laptop all day. This is more common than you think.
I’ve just walked you through 10 popular MMO models, each with real-life examples.
MMO is a real profession, and as technology advances, so does this industry.
While you’re still hesitating and doubting whether making money online is real, thousands of others are already generating income from legitimate MMO models.
💬 If you have any questions, drop a comment below – I’ll reply within the day! 🚀
