Unveiling My 2021 Side Hustle Profits and Losses
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Chapter 1: My 2021 Side Hustle Journey
The year 2021 was quite an eventful one for me as I explored multiple side hustles. While some were profitable, others didn’t quite pan out as expected.
It’s a given that not every venture you embark on will meet with success, right? Let's take a deep dive into my experiences this past year, revealing exactly how much I earned and lost through various side hustles.
Section 1.1: The Side Hustles I Explored
Here are the side hustles I decided to try my hand at this year:
- Pinterest affiliate marketing
- Medium writing
- Ebook publishing
- TikTok monetization
- Snapchat income
- Cryptocurrency trading
- Stock trading
Let’s break down these ventures.
Subsection 1.1.1: Pinterest Affiliate Marketing
Pinterest affiliate marketing combines the art of affiliate marketing with the visual platform of Pinterest. There are several strategies to engage in this:
- Be active on Pinterest and include a Linktree in your bio to direct followers to your affiliate products.
- Create affiliate pins (a landing page is essential to avoid account suspension).
- Write affiliate-focused blog posts, promote them with a Pinterest pin, and share on the platform.
Having over a decade of blogging experience and working as a Pinterest manager, I have dabbled in affiliate marketing on Pinterest. When I committed to it, I was generating hundreds of dollars monthly. Although it may seem modest, considering my typical affiliate payouts ranged from $2 to $12, the returns were reasonable.
If I had targeted higher-commission products, like those yielding $50 or more, my earnings could have soared into the thousands. This is something I’m considering for 2022.
After conducting a one-day case study on Pinterest affiliate marketing, I can confirm I made a profit! My tracked earnings ranged between $400 and $1,000, though I acknowledge I could have achieved more with increased effort.
Section 1.2: Medium Writing
I rejoined Medium this past summer, treating it as a serious endeavor. My earnings progressed significantly from $30 in my first month back to nearly $6,000 by November! I typically write around 50 articles monthly, focusing on side hustles, entrepreneurship, and personal experiences.
In just the first week of December, I earned $1,000, averaging over $500 per hour in November. Although I expect my income to decline, I plan to persist with Medium as long as my earnings exceed my previous high of just $2 in a month.
Chapter 2: Diversifying Income Streams
How Much I Made from Side Hustles in 2021 is a detailed examination of my earnings from multiple ventures, including insights on reselling and cryptocurrency.
Section 2.1: Ebook Publishing
Creating ebooks requires more effort than simple articles. After spending a weekend crafting an ebook and launching it on Gumroad, sales began slowly. Now, I enjoy multiple sales each month with minimal marketing effort, accumulating over $1,400 in earnings for the year.
I aspire to increase this income stream in the coming year.
Section 2.2: TikTok Earnings
TikTok offers several monetization avenues, including:
- Creator Fund
- Brand partnerships
- Affiliate sales
- Selling personal products or services
With six TikTok accounts across various niches, my primary account has gained 100,000 followers. The most lucrative income source has been brand deals, bringing in over $5,000 in just the last two months.
Section 2.3: Snapchat Income
I have stepped back from Snapchat, especially after exploring their Spotlight program. While many creators had significant earnings, my experience did not yield financial success. I invested considerable time but didn't see a return.
Section 2.4: Cryptocurrency Trading
My foray into trading began with forex, then stocks, and finally, cryptocurrency, where I found the most success. I turned a $100 investment into $1,400 within days through strategic purchases.
While I did face a minor scam, my overall experience in crypto has been educational and profitable.
Section 2.5: Stock Trading
I joined a stock tip group to enhance my trading knowledge, but my results were mostly losses. Despite the group’s high win rate, I struggled to consistently invest in winning stocks. I have since shifted my focus to cryptocurrency, although I continue to learn about stock trading.
Section 2.6: Forex Trading
Forex trading, involving currency pair analysis, intrigued me, but after several months, I faced more losses than wins. My interest now lies more in stock and crypto trading.
Final Thoughts
The landscape of side hustles is unpredictable; you win some, you lose some. Experimenting with new ventures is exhilarating, and I’m eager to see which ones will yield lasting impacts on my life.
What side hustles are you pursuing this year? For more insights like these, consider subscribing to The Side Hustle Club's newsletter.
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