Instagram started as a fun way to share personal photos or funny videos. It has now exploded into a massive business for social media influencers trying to reach the market of 2.3 billion Instagram users. An influencer is someone who posts on social media platforms, attracts followers, and advertises products or sponsored content for which the influencer receives compensation. You can start as a micro-influencer with less than 100,000 followers and grow into a macro-influencer with 1 million followers. To start, you should create an Instagram account and marketing campaign to attract an engage ..read more

Facebook Marketplace is a huge e-commerce platform to unload unwanted items or profit from selling products to over three billion users. This article will explain how to get started on Facebook Marketplace, tips to sell items, and what legal issues to understand as a seller. What Is Facebook Marketplace? Think of Facebook Marketplace as a localized eBay store, similar to Craigslist. You can view products on Marketplace and buy them by contacting the seller through Facebook Messenger. If you have products to sell, you can list the items on Marketplace with a description and photo. There is no c ..read more

Ready to start your music career? Independent artists (artists without a record label) are releasing their music into the world through Spotify. If you want to break into the music industry and make money off of your music, Spotify could be the tool you're looking for. Get Your Music on Spotify Getting your music on Spotify is not as simple as uploading a YouTube video. First you will need to find a distributor. You will upload your music to the distributor of your choosing, and the distributor will administer it to music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora. Spotify ha ..read more

Podcasting is a great way to create a platform for yourself. Are you a finance expert? A history buff? A true crime junkie? Use your knowledge as a catalyst to start your podcast on Libsyn. What Is Libsyn? Libsyn is a podcast hosting platform where you can publish your podcast to streaming services like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Libsyn provides everything you need as a beginner to start podcasting today; storage space for your audio files, audio editing tools in Libsyn studio, podcasting tips, and access to major podcast listening services. The best podcasts have to begin s ..read more

Airbnb seemed like a win/win for everyone at first. Hotels were expensive and restrictive, so why not rent a room in someone's house or stay in someone's apartment while they were out of town? Just people helping people get a little extra cash in exchange for some homey lodging. What could go wrong? Plenty of things can go wrong nowadays. Homeowners have given way to real estate ventures with fat portfolios of short-term rental properties. Low prices have crept upwards. Guests are expected to clean and maintain the property or else face hundreds of dollars in fees from the owners ("cleaning fe ..read more

Ecommerce is a huge business. Anyone with a computer has the potential to start their own company. With the rise of ecommerce platforms, launching and growing your business is even easier. One of the more popular innovations is dropshipping. What Is Dropshipping? Dropshipping is a popular ecommerce tool where you can advertise and market a product online, sell to a customer, and use a dropshipping company to fulfill and ship the order to your customer. A huge advantage of this business model is that you do not have to manufacture items or carry inventory. And it is easy to set up an ecommerce ..read more

Content creators and social media influencers looking to monetize their social media accounts and websites can look no further than the Amazon Affiliate Program. By recommending Amazon products and including Amazon affiliate links, the influencers get paid a commission for any sales. But really anyone can set up an Amazon Associate account for passive income. Suppose you have a hobby as a blogger about e-bikes. As part of your blog, you might review bikes, batteries, motors, parts, and accessories. By adding the Amazon product links to your product reviews, you can earn a commission each time ..read more

If you have an LLC for a business venture, it is most likely because you want to protect your personal assets from your business activities. An LLC is a business entity that separates your business life from your personal life. But what happens to your LLC when you die? What Is an LLC? A limited liability company, or LLC, is a business entity recognized by your state. You file articles of organization for your LLC and receive a certificate of formation with a formation date and a file number for your LLC. What Are the Benefits of an LLC? Limited liability companies are a hybrid of a corporate ..read more

It's hard to describe America's weight problem without sounding like a crass standup comedian from the early 1980s. Over 42% of American adults are obese. Some 25% of people between the ages of 17 to 24 are too heavy to join the military. Obesity and obesity-related illnesses cost the healthcare system $173 billion per year before you factor in the costs associated with the increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, cognitive impairment, reduced lifespans, and reduction in productive working years. It's a mess. We aren't going to waste time here talking about why obesity rates hav ..read more

There are many ways to make money as an influencer, from making sponsored posts, endorsements, affiliate marketing, or selling ads on social media platforms. And while influencer marketing is profitable, you should brush up on your business law and avoid legal issues. So before you make that next Instagram post, review the following areas where many influencers get into trouble. False Advertising When you promote a product, you should be careful of what you claim the product can do. False claims or deceptive advertising can land you in hot water. The FTC settled a $1 million lawsuit with ..read more