The Online Income Streams I Use and What I Like About Each One

By Alan | SeniorGig.com

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I don’t particularly like depending on one source of income.

Maybe that comes from being self-employed. Maybe it comes from getting older and realizing companies, platforms, algorithms, and entire industries can change their minds about you without asking permission.

Either way, I like having more than one iron in the fire.

That doesn’t mean I’m running ten businesses at once.

It means I’ve built several different income streams that overlap with things I already do, things I already know, and content I’m already creating.

Some pay better than others.

Some are more predictable.

Some take more work.

Some are a whole lot more fun.

And some occasionally make me wonder why I ever thought they were a good idea.

Here are the main online income streams I use and what I like, and don’t like, about each one.

YouTube

YouTube has been one of the biggest pieces of my online income.

I’ve been making videos for a long time, mostly around practical things I already do.

Gardening.

Preparedness.

Tools.

Equipment.

Projects around the place.

That’s one reason YouTube has worked well for me. I’m not sitting around trying to invent a personality or come up with some act.

I’m usually doing something anyway.

I just turn the camera on.

What I like about it

The biggest thing I like about YouTube is that a good video can keep working for years.

You make it once.

Upload it.

And if it solves a problem or covers something people keep searching for, it can continue getting views long after you’ve forgotten you made it.

That is a beautiful thing.

I’ve had videos earn money for years.

Not every video does that.

Some go out into the world and apparently join the witness protection program.

But the good ones can have a very long life.

YouTube also works well with other income streams.

A video can contain affiliate links.

It can send people to a website.

It can introduce them to a product.

It can lead to Amazon Influencer content.

One piece of content can do several jobs.

I like that.

What I don’t like

You don’t control the platform.

YouTube controls YouTube.

The algorithm changes.

Policies change.

Revenue changes.

Sometimes a video you expect to do well dies a quiet death.

Sometimes one you nearly didn’t upload takes off.

That can be a little humbling.

YouTube is also not instant income.

It takes time to build an audience and a library of videos.

Still, it has probably taught me more about online income than anything else I’ve done.

Amazon Influencer

The Amazon Influencer Program is another income stream I use heavily.

The basic idea is pretty simple.

You make short, useful videos about products.

If Amazon chooses to show those videos to shoppers and your content contributes to qualifying purchases, you may earn commissions.

I like it because I already own a ridiculous number of products.

Tools.

Garden equipment.

Kitchen stuff.

Electronics.

Things around the house.

Things around the shop.

Over the years, that turns into quite a product library without anybody trying.

What I like about it

I like the simplicity of the videos.

They don’t need to be cinematic masterpieces.

Show the product.

Explain how you use it.

Point out things a buyer might want to know.

Done.

You also don’t necessarily need a giant social-media audience watching every video.

Amazon has its own shoppers already on the platform.

That makes it different from YouTube.

I also like that I can create content around things I already own.

I’m not trying to become an expert on some product that arrived yesterday.

If I’ve used a tool for five years, I probably know something useful about it.

What I don’t like

Not every product is worth your time.

You can spend plenty of time filming products that generate little or nothing.

That’s why I pay attention to product research, competition, video placement, and which products seem to have real opportunity.

That’s also where tools like Viral Vue have become useful for me.

I’d rather spend my filming time on products that have a reasonable chance of producing something.

Amazon also controls the program.

Rules and placements can change.

That’s another reason I don’t want my entire income depending on one platform.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the simplest online business models to understand.

You recommend something.

If somebody purchases through your affiliate link, you may receive a commission.

Pretty straightforward.

I use affiliate links for products and services I actually use or understand.

That last part matters to me.

I don’t want to become one of those websites where every product is apparently “life-changing.”

I’ve owned tools that were life-changing.

Usually because I wanted to throw them across the yard.

What I like about it

Affiliate marketing fits naturally into content I’m already creating.

If I make a video about a tool and viewers ask where to get it, it makes sense to provide a link.

If I use software that saves me time, I can explain why I use it.

If somebody decides it would help them too, an affiliate relationship can generate income without costing them extra.

That’s a pretty clean arrangement.

Affiliate marketing also works with YouTube, websites, email, and social media.

It’s flexible.

What I don’t like

Commissions can change.

Programs can disappear.

Companies can decide tomorrow that they don’t want affiliates anymore.

And if you recommend junk just because the commission is good, people eventually figure that out.

Trust is worth more than one commission.

I’d rather miss a sale than recommend something I wouldn’t use myself.

Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates is related to Amazon Influencer, but it works differently.

This is the traditional affiliate side of Amazon.

You send somebody to Amazon through your link and may receive a commission on qualifying purchases.

I’ve used Amazon links with YouTube content because it’s convenient for viewers.

If I’m demonstrating a product and somebody wants to see it on Amazon, the link is right there.

What I like about it

Amazon already has enormous consumer trust.

People know how to use it.

They usually already have an account.

That removes a lot of friction.

I also don’t have to handle inventory, shipping, customer service, returns, or somebody emailing me because their toaster arrived upside down.

Amazon handles all that.

I like businesses where someone else owns the warehouse.

What I don’t like

Commission percentages are not huge in many categories.

You need volume.

And once again, Amazon makes the rules.

Still, when it fits naturally with content I’m already producing, it makes sense to use it.

Self-Publishing Through Amazon KDP

KDP lets individuals publish books through Amazon.

That can include traditional books, guides, journals, puzzle books, instructional material, and other useful content.

I like the concept because publishing used to require getting somebody else’s permission.

Now you can create something useful and put it in the marketplace yourself.

What I like about it

You create the product once.

If it continues selling, it can keep producing income.

I like that model.

It also allows you to turn knowledge into an asset.

Maybe you know gardening.

Maybe you know woodworking.

Maybe you know a trade.

Maybe you can create activity books or specialized guides.

There are a lot of possibilities.

What I don’t like

KDP is not automatic money.

Uploading a book doesn’t mean anybody wants it.

There’s a lot of mediocre material competing for attention.

You still need a useful product, good presentation, and some understanding of what people are actually looking for.

But if you enjoy creating useful information, it’s worth considering.

Digital Products

Digital products are another category I like.

That could be:

• guides

• checklists

• templates

• printable material

• courses

• spreadsheets

• specialized reference material

The appeal is obvious.

You can create something once and deliver it electronically.

No warehouse.

No shipping department.

No boxes stacked to the ceiling.

What I like about it

Margins can be good.

You control the product.

You can sell directly to your audience.

And unlike depending completely on a marketplace, you can build something that belongs to you.

That’s valuable.

What I don’t like

You still have to convince somebody it’s worth buying.

Creating a digital product is easy.

Creating one people actually want is considerably harder.

That’s the part the “make passive income tonight” crowd tends to skip.

My Website

I also look at SeniorGig as part of the income system.

The website itself may not be the product.

It’s the home base.

YouTube is rented property.

Amazon is rented property.

Facebook is rented property.

SeniorGig is something I control.

That distinction matters.

I can put articles here.

Recommend tools.

Build an email list.

Send people to resources.

Connect different pieces of my online work.

If another platform changes tomorrow, this website is still here.

At least assuming I remember to pay the hosting bill.

Email

Email is becoming another part of the picture.

Social-media algorithms decide who sees what.

Email is more direct.

Someone says they want to hear from you.

You can contact them again.

That’s valuable.

I’m not interested in filling somebody’s inbox every morning with:

“You won’t BELIEVE this one trick…”

Nobody needs more of that.

But occasional useful information, ideas, tools, and lessons make sense.

Email also gives me another way to stay connected with people without depending entirely on YouTube or Facebook to decide whether they should see what I publish.

Why I Like Having Several Income Streams

The biggest advantage is simple.

If one slows down, it isn’t the end of the world.

YouTube may have a slow month.

Amazon might change something.

Affiliate commissions may fluctuate.

Book sales may move around.

But they don’t all necessarily move together.

There’s some stability in having several sources.

The other benefit is that they support each other.

A YouTube video can generate ad revenue.

That same video can contain an affiliate link.

It might lead somebody to SeniorGig.

They may join the email list.

They may eventually use one of the tools I recommend.

One activity can feed several others.

That is a much better use of my time than building six completely separate businesses.

I Wouldn’t Try to Start All of These at Once

This is important.

I’m listing several income streams because I’ve accumulated them over time.

I would not recommend waking up Monday morning and deciding you're going to launch YouTube, Amazon Influencer, KDP, affiliate marketing, a website, an email list, and six digital products before lunch.

You’ll be hiding under the bed by Thursday.

Pick one.

Learn it.

Get it working.

Then consider adding something that complements it.

The goal is not to collect side hustles.

The goal is to build useful income without turning your life into a circus.

Which One Do I Like Best?

That’s hard to answer because they do different things.

I like YouTube because I enjoy creating videos and because old videos can continue working.

I like Amazon Influencer because the videos are fairly simple and Amazon already has shoppers.

I like affiliate marketing because it fits naturally with things I’m already recommending.

I like publishing because you can create an asset that keeps selling.

And I like having my own website because it ties everything together.

The real answer is that I like the combination.

Several modest income streams can add up to something meaningful.

And you’re not betting everything on one company, one algorithm, or one idea.

At this stage of life, that makes a lot of sense to me.

I’m not trying to build the next Amazon.

One Amazon is plenty.

I’m interested in useful work, flexibility, and income streams that fit the life I actually want to live.

That’s a pretty good definition of a side hustle as far as I’m concerned.

SeniorGig.com