3 Simple Ways to Make Money From Your Smartphone Today

Introduction

Did you know your smartphone could help you make money online in simple ways you probably never thought of?

According to Chris Grosser, “Opportunities don’t happen, you create them”

So, yes you can do a lot more than just call, text or chat with your smartphone. There are limitless possibilities to what it can help you achieve.

Statistics say there were over 1.7b smartphone users worldwide in 2014, 2.5b presently and expected to reach 2.87b by 2020.

So how can you stand out from the billions of people who do not yet know how to maximize this awesome piece of invention?

You need to learn how to get the most out of your phone as mobile adoption grows and websites become more mobile friendly.

In this post I’ll outline exactly how you can start or grow 3 writing based business or careers using your smartphone.

So,

What Is a Smartphone?

According to Wikipedia “A smartphone is a handheld personal computer with a mobile operating system and an integrated mobile broadband cellular network connection for voice, SMS, and Internet data communication; most if not all smartphones also support Wi-Fi.”

Things We Do With Smartphones

Some of the popular things you’re probably doing with your smartphone(s) include:

calls
texts
chats/social media
selfies
browsing/surfing
research
online learning
online shopping
gaming
remote control/tracker etc

But there’s more to that device you’re holding, in fact a whole lot.

Your Smartphone as a Work Tool

Your smartphone is like a mini PC. Some have more processing power than most PCs, are portable, internet ready, and contain productivity tools and apps like Microsoft Office.

These and more make smartphones mobile offices. Following are some pros and cons of using your smartphone as your major worktool.

Pros:

– Portable

– Mobile

– All-in-one suite

– Access to app stores

– Easier and cheaper to maintain

– Great for follow up and notifications

– Interconnects with PC, Tablets

Cons:

– Easily lost or stolen

– Harder to put away, can make you carry work home even to bed

– Can be overloaded with apps

– Can lead to distractions like calls or texts in the middle of work

– Data subscription can be expensive depending on network or carrier

– Can get carried away with following up or notifications blocking screen

– Risk of losing vital information to phone thieves

Now let’s look at

3 Writing Business You Can Start from Your Smartphone Today

Freelance Writing

Reports suggest there were over 53m freelancers in US as of 2014. Many of these are freelance writers.

The following table is from Bureau of Labor Statistics showing entry for Writers and Authors.

Worldwide there are millions of writers and many groups on Facebook, LinkedIn etc that cater to writers.

A freelance writer writes part time or full time for pay. Companies or clients hire them on a contract basis using an outsourcing model.

Unfortunately, many freelancers who write for content mills only earn enough for their meals.

Bamidele Onibalusi recently started an “Earn Your First $1,000 as a Freelance Writer Challenge” on Facebook. You can join the challenge and learn how to earn better for your writing.

To Do

Install web browser of your choice
Sign Up and Install Google Docs
Join the challenge and follow every step

Recently I’ve done all my research and writing entirely on phone. I type my draft in Google Docs, format, proof and send, download or export as .doc.

Clients communicate with you via Skype, calls, email or social media; all of which you can do from your phone working from home.

Social Media Management

This is another career you can start and build from home with a dedicated smartphone as office for starters.

Here, clients trust you to manage their brand presence on social media like overseeing their Facebook Page, posting updates and interacting with audience or customers.

To Do

Assuming you’re targeting an ecommerce company you can

Learn more about social media marketing
Build or hire a freelancer to help you build a simple website showcasing your services as a professional social media marketer or manager
Approach some ecommerce companies with your services, there are 65m companies on Facebook as of now

You can carry on client communication from the email application in your smartphone as well as monitor your client’s social media activity via a dedicated phone.

Facebook Posting

Yes, Facebook posting. If you have a marketable skill or something of value to share on Facebook you could well be on your way to cementing your career as a speaker or writer.

How, you ask? Simple, but first be sure you’ve something of value to offer. How do you know this? From the feedback (likes, comments, shares) you get each time you make a comment or share a post on Facebook.

For instance, Alison Hyacintho started a Facebook Group where he shares valuable relationship tips and advice. His posts are so rich and in-depth generating tens of thousands of likes, shares and comments.

His over 50k followers trust, respect and love his work. Since he announced the sale of his e-book on relationship the response has been massive.

To Do

Identify an area you’re knowledgeable or very passionate about
Join relevant Facebook Groups and leave rich comments to get you noticed
Grow your network
Post high quality tips and advice on your own page or group, include relevant images, gif or videos
Encourage friends or fans to share
Build an email list
Design a digital product or eBook
Market to your group, page or list

Again you can do this from your smartphone. From here you can grow on to become an acclaimed public speaker or author.

Health Concerns

The emphasis of this post is start, that is writing careers you can start on your smartphone. As you grow you may need to work from a PC or other bigger devices. Here’s why:

Prolonged use of smartphone can have the following effects on you, see remedies in parenthesis:

Eye strain (always use glasses)
Back and neck pain (use ergonomic chairs, lie, sit, etc)
Reduced physical activity (stand, walk, take a break, go outdoors etc)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (take typing breaks, and stretch your fingers or wrists for minutes)
Phone radiation (do not handle phones for hours on end, take breaks)
Other health issues (if mobile telecommunications devices interfere with your health or other medical devices you use kindly seek professional medical advice)

Conclusion:

Your smartphone is an incredibly smart device. Begin to maximize it today and let us know your progress. It’s your call to make.

What other money making businesses have you done with your smartphone?

AUTHOR BIO

Amos Onwukwe is an AWAI trained eCommerce B2B/B2C Copywriter featured in eCommerce Nation, eCommerce Insights, Understanding Ecommerce, Floship, Huffington Post, Dumb Little Man among others.