Online Career Ideas: How to Capitalize On Your Popularity Online!

Truth is, you can capitalize on your online presence and benefit beyond your widest imagination. There are various online career ideas that will help you do this. But first, you need to know how to go about it.

Countless tips and ideas abound online on how you can develop your online presence and become the most visible thing on the internet — SEO tricks, neat designs, catchy taglines, subterfuge — but what they don't tell you is what to do once you've established that presence.

Having the most-viewed website on the planet, or being the first result on a Google search page are definitely awesome achievements in their own right, but for those creative types who are not just out to make money from their websites, but actually want to help people or enrich people's lives, what do you do once you have made it to the top?

There is no doubt about it, the best thing to do with an online presence is to sell something.  Once people recognize you as an authority, or just as a generally amazing internet personality, they will trust you and want to buy things from you. (That last part is scientifically unsubstantiated, but I generally find it to be true.  Take it or leave it.)

The question then becomes what should I sell?  People will buy almost anything, but you probably want to avoid capitalizing on that impulsive kind of attitude just for the sake of making a buck.  In other words, instead of selling something useless just because you can, really think about what you have to offer, and try to spin that into something unique, awesome, and helpful.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Niche it up!

Great, you're thinking, but what in the name of Abraham Lincoln does that mean?  Well, basically it means: Think specifically, not generally, about the service you provide.  The smaller the market, the more success you'll have.  If that seems counter-intuitive, think about it this way:  There are WAY too many people on the internet to cater to everyone; BUT, even if you are selling something like tagline consultation (check out beawesomeonline.com), which seems like an ultra-specific thing, there are still hundreds of thousands of people in that niche market.  Try to develop a service that will serve a very specific group of people.

• Sell Yourself!

Ok, not literally.  But there is an almost infinite market out there for creative goods, such as music, film, art, crafts, knick-knacks, brik-a-brak, tchotchkes—you get the picture.  People love creativity, and will more often than not pay boatloads for it.  The great thing is, once you have a following online, any time you release something, there will instantly be a buzz about it.  And what's more, the platforms to publish and upload your art are almost entirely free!

• Be an Expert!

To make another unsubstantiated statistical claim: I'd estimate that 75% of people who go online do so for some kind of advice or information.  That's what's so great about the internet; all the answers are right there at your fingertips. Probably the best way to utilize your online fame is to offer expert advice (provided that you are an expert, which, of course, you are).  Again, the more specific the better.  You say you're the preeminent authority on zoo trip scrapbooking?  Well, offer scrapbooking advice on how to scrapbook after zoo trips.  You won't believe how many people don't know how to do that, and will pay for an online course in zoo trip scrapbooking you design.

I hope these ideas make your stay at the top a little more comfortably.  The thing to remember, (warning: extremely nerdy reference alert) as Ben Parker would say, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Use that responsibility well and greater success will come your way.

This is a guest post by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 [@]gmail.com.