3 Fun Ways to Make Money Advertising for Companies

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If you’d come to me a few years ago and asked how you could make more money, I would have said you have two choices: Find a better-paying job or take on a second one. Now, I know better.

There are plenty of ways to make more cash without schlepping to another desk or waiting tables at night. Check out these three ideas for ways to bring in the dough without putting in more hours at the office.

1. Help companies go viral on your social media network

Ever watch a funny video and immediately click the share button on Facebook, or see the same funny meme retweeted on Twitter a dozen times in a day? Companies are scrambling to get this kind of exposure through “viral marketing.”

If a company can get you interested enough in its ad to share it, it wins; or it could take the easier route and pay you to watch and share its videos on your social network.

This is where companies such as Wingsplay come in. The idea is pretty simple: You sign up for an account, view available videos, and share the ones you like on sites such as Twitter, Facebook or your personal blog. Every time someone else views the video, you make a little bit of money.

The catch: Your earnings potential depends on how popular you are on social networks. For example, I have 264 Facebook friends and update my status about once a week. I had Wingsplay calculate my influence, and they said I could make $29 a month through Facebook. To make more, I’d need to have more friends in my social networking circles and be more active on the sites.

2. Turn your car into a mobile billboard

It’s no secret that advertising companies pay people to put advertisements on their cars. Take, for example, Adzinmotion. They say they’ll pay you anywhere from $70 to $500 per month depending on the campaign. This could mean anything from a few bumper stickers to a complete advertising wrap, but either way, you’re getting paid while on your regular commute.

To qualify for this program or a similar one, you’ll need a few things:

  • A vehicle in good shape
  • Valid license and insurance
  • Commute daily (Your car needs to be seen around town.)

3. Sport a temporary tattoo

Companies know you’re hounded by billboards, magazine ads, commercials and pop-ups when you browse the Internet. Because you’re so used to the stuff, you’ve also gotten pretty good at tuning it out, so they need to come up with new ways to advertise — like getting people to wear a conspicuous tattoo of their logo.

Not everyone is willing to take on a permanent brand. (There are exceptions, for example, Karolyne Smith had GoldenPalace.com tattooed on her forehead for $10,000, according to this 2005 report.)

That’s where sites such as Lease Your Body come in. They’ll pay you to wear a temporary tattoo in an attention-getting place — like your forehead — but you’ll have to create a profile and get approved before you can start wearing any advertisements.

Looking for more ideas? Watch the video below, which explores other nontraditional ways to make a few bucks.

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