Can you legitimately make money online with Facebook?

Yeah, you can! The world’s largest social media platform offers tons of options for making money online, and you’re about to learn about some of our favorites.

There are options for casual money makers, or people who aren’t interested in starting a business but want to earn some fast cash.

You’re also going to get a couple of ideas that will help you create a steady stream of side hustle income – an ideal option if you’re getting serious about paying off debt, saving more for retirement, or easing some financial stress. Facebook offers flexible options that allow you to make money from home.

Finally, we have some options for how you can leverage an existing business or audience to make money on Facebook. You’re getting it all, so let’s dive in…

5 legit ways to make money online with Facebook

1. Run Facebook ads for local businesses

Let’s start this list off with our absolute favorite way to make money online with Facebook: running digital ads for local businesses.

You’ve probably seen the type of ads we’re talking about – ads for a neighborhood gym, a roofing company in your area, houses for sale, a local market, and more.

On the other end of those ads is either a skilled digital marketer or a small business owner in need of a skilled digital marketer.

See, Facebook continues to be one of the best places for local business owners to advertise, and Facebook ads give you the tools to create highly targeted ad campaigns. The problem is that most business owners lack the time or energy it takes to run an effective ad strategy or to learn how to do it in the first place.

This opens the door for digital marketers to help business owners advertise on Facebook. This service is worth $1,000-$2,000/month per client, and it takes an average of 2-3 hours per week to manage ads. It’s also super flexible because most of the work you’re doing is online. That means you can work from anywhere and on your own schedule.

Running Facebook ads involves:

• Understanding your client’s objective: Are they looking for awareness, consideration, or conversion ads? It will be your job as a digital marketer to explain the options.
• Targeting the right audience: Facebook gives you targeting options based on location, demographics, interests, behaviors, and connections.
• Creating compelling ads: You need to use high-quality images and write copy that sells.
• Consider an offer: Offers give potential customers a reason to click and engage with your ad. It can be a coupon, trial period, discount, or freebie. You’ll want to discuss these options with your client.

That’s a lot of stuff, but learning how to make money online with Facebook ads is a skill you can learn. You don’t need a background in marketing or advertising to make $1,000-$2,000/month running Facebook ads.

If you’re interested, check out the Facebook Side Hustle Course. This course teaches a comprehensive understanding of Facebook ads, but you’ll also learn how to find and land clients.

The Facebook Side Hustle Course also comes with one month of free access to our coaching community where new and seasoned digital marketers share their problems, post their wins, and discuss what’s working for them. Like this one:

Check out the Facebook Side Hustle Course today.

2. Sell stuff on Facebook

Is there stuff sitting around your house that you can sell for extra cash? Are you trying to flip items for a profit? Selling stuff is one of the fastest ways to make money online.

But there’s more than one option for selling on Facebook. We’re going to dig into each option and explain why you might choose one over another.

Option #1: Your personal page

In this option, you create a post (just like posting a status update) listing the details of what you’re selling, add a picture, and share it on your profile. What you’re selling will show up in your friends’ newsfeed.

Selling on your personal Facebook page significantly limits the size of your audience. At the same time, there might be more trust in this group of people over the general Facebook audience. But then you have to ask the question, “Are my friends interested in what I’m selling?”

Maybe yes, maybe no.

If you set your post to “Public,” your friends will be able to share the post and widen your audience.

Option #2: Local buy/sell groups

Local buy/sell groups are Facebook groups where people in your area can post items for sale. The benefit is that your post can reach more people, but because these groups are local, you don’t have to deal with shipping – many buyers and sellers arrange in-person pick-up or delivery options.

You can find local buy/sell groups for your neighborhood, city, county, or specific kinds of items (like children’s clothing or handmade items). Here’s an example of something for sale in a local children’s items buy/sell group:

The seller is honest about the condition, lists the price clearly, and posts several photos so interested parties know what they’re getting. “PPU” means “porch pick-up,” which tells potential buyers that they’ll need to come to pick it up.

Interested parties will comment on your post to ask questions, but use Facebook Messenger to accept or discuss offers and close the sale.

Option #3: Niche groups

Selling in niche groups is a way to make money online with Facebook while finding people who are interested in buying very specific things. These groups often reach beyond your local area, too – so you get a wide, but targeted audience.

Here’s an example of a post in a pretty niche group:

Trying to sell a scooter that is 60+ years old isn’t something most people could pull off using their personal page or local groups. Niche groups are made for stuff like this – think collectibles and hard-to-find items.

These sellers might be able to sell in online forums that are specific to their hobbies, but Facebook has become such a convenient way to reach people.

Option #4: Facebook Marketplace

Posting on Facebook Marketplace is kind of like posting an online classified ad. Anyone on Facebook can see these posts, and they can search based on location and category. For example, you could search for patio furniture within 100 miles of your home.

You can make money online with Facebook Marketplace selling things like:

• Bulky or breakable items: This is the kind of stuff that makes shipping difficult or too expensive.
• Popular items: Things that are in high-demand do pretty well on Facebook Marketplace, like furniture, workout equipment, sporting goods, electronics, and more.
• Baby and kids stuff: Marketplace is the next best option to local buy/sell groups for this kind of stuff. You can sell toys, strollers, baby gear, large lots of clothing, and more.

Facebook makes it easy to list items on Marketplace. You just click on the Marketplace icon, tap “Sell” or “Sell Something,” describe the item, post photos, confirm your location, and select a category. Facebook will walk you through each of these steps.

Best practices for selling stuff on Facebook

While you can easily sell stuff to make money online with Facebook, here are a few best practices you should always follow.

• Describe your items well: A good listing will include exactly what the item is (brand, model, etc.), dimensions, size, and any defects or flaws. Listing exact details will help your items come up in searches, and it also answers common questions.
• Use your own photos: People need to see what they’re buying, and it’s too easy not to include photos. Your photos don’t have to be catalog worthy, but posting your own pictures is much better than using generic website photos.
• Be honest: This one is huge – be honest in your listing. This means taking pictures of flaws, saying if something isn’t working right, etc.
• Price it right: You can look at other listings for similar items to get an idea – use the advanced search function on Facebook Marketplace to search for “completed listings,” which shows what things have sold for. Some people like to leave room in the price for negotiations. Buyers like to think they’ve gotten a deal, and if no one haggles, you can make more than you expected.
• Be safe: Cash is honestly the best way to avoid scams – avoid PayPal, checks, or wire transfers. Lots of buyers and sellers use porch pick-up (PPU), but it never hurts to have someone else home when a stranger is coming over. It’s also best if you don’t let people in your home unless you have to.
• Know what you can’t sell: You cannot use Facebook to sell alcohol, drugs, tobacco, firearms, animals, healthcare-related items, body parts or fluid (seriously), supplements, recalled items, etc. Find the complete list of prohibited items here.

3. Become a social media manager

Social media managers can have a broad range of responsibilities, and what you do will depend on your training and what the business owner wants. But the gist of it is that business owners pay you to manage their Facebook account.

Here are some more specific things you might do:

• Moderate groups associated with the business or page
• Brand development
• Planning, strategy, and goal setting
• Cultivate leads and sales
• Create a regular publishing schedule to promote content
• Respond to comments and messages
• Integrate the social media presence into other online channels
• Create and manage Facebook ads (yes, learning how to run Facebook ads is a valuable skill for social media managers!)

How much you can make as a social media manager

Pay for social media managers varies based on your experience and the skills you offer, but most earn somewhere from $15-$40/hour as a freelancer.  A highly experienced professional working for a big brand can make upwards of $150/hour.

The skills you need to become a social media manager on Facebook

A good social media manager needs to be motivated, organized, have good time management skills, and demonstrate a willingness to learn. Facebook is constantly changing – policy changes, algorithm changes, and more. You’ve got to keep up if you want to be an asset to your clients.

However, social media managers typically don’t need formal training – it can be a plus, but its generally not required. Many freelance social media managers start by creating social media accounts and mastering them, then build a website that lists what kind of services you’re willing to offer.

What kind of services you offer

There is a wide variety of services you can offer, and many social media managers will offer tiered services that include options like:

• Content only services: You post X number of times per day, week, or month
• Interaction: You’re also engaging with users by responding to messages and comments
• Outreach: This is helping your clients gain more followers, partners, and media attention
• Strategy: You set goals with your clients, run reports, and analyze data

After you get the basics, you can start offering a la carte services like Facebook ads, publishing blog posts, product photos, and more.

Finding clients

Many freelancers start to make money online with Facebook management via platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. These platforms make it easy to list your services and engage with potential clients. The downside is that you’re competing with lots of people who are doing the exact same thing you’re trying to do.

Cold pitching clients is a surprisingly good option for new social media managers. It starts with identifying some business owners you’d like to work with, like bloggers and social media influencers. Get to know their business and brand, and then come up with an idea of how you can help them.

After that, you’ll want to craft an email that quickly explains who you are and what you can do for them. Here’s an example:

Dear Laptop Empires,

My name is __________, and I’m a big fan of how you’re helping people start and grow their side hustles. I’ve been following your site for a little while, and I think I can help you grow your social media presence.

Please email me back if you’re interested in hearing more. I have some great strategies in mind.

Talk soon,

______________

Looking for more ways to make money in your spare time? Check out 15 of the Best Side Hustles From Home and 13 of the Best Side Hustles for Teachers.

4. Influencer marketing on Facebook

Instagram is probably most well-known for influencer marketing, like in the example below. Notice the #sponsored tag and the discount code.

But Facebook also offers tools and options that allow influencers to make money from affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and selling your own products.

This option is best for people who already have a fairly large Facebook following or those who are willing to put the time into growing their audience. Here’s how you do that:

• Pick a niche: Your niche is like the subject you specialize in. Are you going to specialize in food, beauty, travel, fitness, or something else?
• Build your profile: Follow pages and people in your niche. Then start sharing photos, post about your life, and using keywords and hashtags related to your niche.
• Be real: Social media is known for being fake, and people can spot insincerity from a mile away. Be honest and upfront about who you are. Let your freak flag fly. Show your flaws. People appreciate honesty.
• Get to know your audience: What do the people who follow you want? Use polls, ask questions, and get to know your followers.
• Post regularly: You need to show up for your audience, and that means posting consistently. Plan to post 3-5 times per week.
• Share content from others: Sharing content is a great way to build relationships with our audience and fellow influencers. Share what other influencers in your niche are posting, as well as helpful things your audience shares, relevant or trending articles, posts, and more.
• Understand the analytics: Facebook analytics analyze how well your content is doing on Facebook by showing you the number of likes, shares, content, and overall engagement. Pay attention to the kinds of posts that perform well, and be willing to try new strategies.
• Don’t be afraid to use Facebook ads: Influencers are business owners, and you can use ads to promote your Facebook page and other online content.

As you build your presence, you’ll want to start reaching out to networks and brands about partnership opportunities, which is how you make money online with Facebook influencer marketing. You can become an affiliate for products you love and get paid when someone purchases a product through your unique link. These links get shared in your Facebook posts.

Companies may also ask you to run sponsored posts, which means that they’ll pay you a set amount of money to create posts about their products. Below is an example of a sponsored Facebook post – it has the “#sponsored” hashtag, and M$M will have to keep track of how this post is performing and report back to his sponsor.

Some influencers even grow their brand to the point that they start creating their own products and sell them to their followers. This would be part of a much longer game plan.

How much money can you make as a Facebook influencer?

Here’s the hard reality: it can take months before you make a dime from influencer marketing. Once you do, the money can start to trickle in – a couple of hundred dollars one month, then starting to earn $1,000- $10,000/month as time passes. This is very much a you-get-out-of-it-what-you-put-in-it kind of way to make money.

5. Run a paid coaching group

This is a legit way to make money online with Facebook for existing business owners. You can leverage your own skills, and it works best when paired with some other kind of service or product, like an online course.

When we discussed running Facebook ads earlier, we also mentioned an online coaching community – that’s our paid Facebook group.

Members get extra live training sessions and coaching calls, and they also have access to course creators and experienced moderators. There’s also a bunch of skilled digital marketers in the group who can help troubleshoot.

Everyone who takes the course gets one month of membership free, and after that, they can pay $47/month for access. Think what you’d make with 50 members, 100, 1000….

Earning money with a paid coaching group requires that you always provide serious value to your members. Make sure you have the time (or are willing to pay others) to help you manage the group, and come up with extras and benefits, like live training sessions, to post each week.

Again, you’ll need to leverage an existing business to get this going, and it’s an especially great option for bloggers and course creators. Here are a few ideas for what a paid coaching group could look like for different niches:

• A food blogger offering weekly meal plans, cooking tips, and bonus recipes
• Fitness bloggers posting daily workouts, motivational support, and bringing guests nutritionists on to offer advice in the group
• A life coach using a paid group to offer even greater support with daily tips

It’s about finding your community’s pain points and filling their needs.

Once you have an idea of what you can offer in your group, start promoting it to people who take your course, follow your blog, or subscribe to your emails.

If you’re at all considering this option and you don’t have an email list, start one now! We walk you through the steps in How to Start an Email List From Scratch.

The final word on how to make money online with Facebook

You just got five legit ways to make money on Facebook, but they’re not all for everyone. Strategies like running a coaching group and influencer marketing are best for more established businesses. Social media management and digital marketing are flexible options that anyone can learn. And selling your stuff is the easiest and most approachable.

But the point is, there is something for everyone. Now that you understand your options, go out there and make something happen. Learn the skills you need, leverage existing ones, and get out there and make some cash.