10 ways to monetise your Community

Adam Jones
Adam Jones
3 Mar

10 ways to monetise your Community

Adam Jones
Adam Jones
3 Mar

10 ways to monetise your Community

Adam Jones
Adam Jones
3 Mar
As a community builder or administrator, you may have considered ways to monetize your community to generate some extra income...
As a community builder or administrator, you may have considered ways to monetize your community to generate some extra income...

Whether you have a large or small community, there are several ways to monetise your online community, including advertising, sponsorships, memberships, ecommerce, affiliate marketing, crowdfunding, events, consultancy services, and data insights. Each monetisation strategy requires a clear value proposition, audience targeting, promotion, and revenue model, and should align with your community's values and expectations.

It's important to maintain transparency, authenticity, and professionalism in your monetisation efforts, and to continually gather feedback, insights, and engagement from your members. By leveraging the power and potential of your community, you can create sustainable and impactful revenue streams that support your vision, mission, and growth.

Keep in mind that not all of these monetisation strategies will be suitable for every online community, so it’s important to consider your community’s goals, audience, and values when deciding which approaches to pursue.

Here's our top 10 ways to make money from your community.

1. Advertising

You can sell advertising space on your community to businesses and brands. One way to make money through advertising using your online community is by partnering with brands or businesses that are relevant to your community's interests. You can offer sponsored posts, banner ads, or product reviews that will reach your community members and generate revenue.

Partner with brands that align with your community's values and clearly label sponsored content. You can also use tools like Google AdSense or affiliate marketing programs to generate ad revenue.

2. Sponsorships

To make money through sponsorships, you can partner with brands or businesses that align with your community's interests and values. You can offer sponsored content, such as product reviews, tutorials, or live events, that will provide value to your community members while also promoting the brand's products or services.

Clearly disclose your partnerships to your community and only promote products or services that you believe in and that can bring value and benefit to your members. You can negotiate payment terms based on your community size, engagement, and reach, and consider long-term partnerships that benefit both your community and the sponsoring brand.

3. Memberships

You can create a revnue stream through your community by offering exclusive content, perks, or restrcietd community access only available to paying members. You can offer different membership tiers with various benefits, such as early access to content, private forums, exclusive merchandise, or one-on-one consultations.

Establish a clear value proposition for your memberships and regularly communicate with your members to ensure that they feel engaged and valued. Consider offering limited-time promotions or special offers to attract new members. Additionally, you can use your membership community to gather feedback, conduct surveys, or test new products or services.

4. E-commerce

You can sell products or services relevant to your community's interests and needs. Use your community to gather feedback, test new products, and build a loyal customer base.

You can also consider offering exclusive discounts, bundle deals, or limited-time offers to incentivise purchases. Additionally, you can use your ecommerce store to offer digital products, such as ebooks, courses, or templates, which can be an effective way to monetise your expertise and knowledge.

It's important to offer a seamless and convenient shopping experience, with user-friendly interfaces, secure payment options, and reliable shipping and handling. Check out platforms such as Shopify or WooCommerce for your online store, and leverage your community to drive traffic and sales.

5. Affiliate marketing

To make money using affiliate marketing within your online community, you can partner with companies that offer products or services that are relevant to your community's interests and needs. You can promote these products or services to your community through blogs, social media, or email marketing, and earn a commission for each sale that is made through your unique affiliate link. Disclose your affiliate partnerships to your community and only promote products or services that you believe in and that align with your community's values.

You can use platforms like Amazon Associates, Commission Junction, or ShareASale to find and join affiliate programs, and track your earnings and performance. Additionally, you can use your community's feedback and insights to optimise your affiliate marketing strategy and promote products or services that are most likely to resonate with your audience.

6. Crowdfunding

To make money using crowd funding within your online community, you can launch a campaign on a platform like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or GoFundMe to raise funds for a specific project or cause. You can leverage your community's support and enthusiasm to drive traffic to your campaign, and offer rewards or incentives to encourage donations. It's important to establish a clear goal and timeline for your campaign, and to communicate your vision and impact to your community in a compelling and transparent way.

You can also use your campaign to gather feedback, insights, or support for your project or cause, and engage with your community throughout the process. Additionally, you can use social media, email marketing, or content marketing to promote your campaign and reach a wider audience.

7. Donations

To make money using donations from your online community, you can leverage platforms like PayPal, Patreon, or Ko-fi to accept one-time or recurring donations from your community members. You can use these donations to fund your creative work, support a cause, or provide value to your community.

Have a clear value proposition for your community and communicate the impact and benefits of your work. You can also use your community's feedback, insights, or ideas to improve your work and build a stronger relationship with your audience.

Additionally, you can offer exclusive content or perks to your donors, such as early access to content, private forums, or personalised shout-outs, to incentivise donations and increase engagement. It's crucial to maintain transparency and authenticity in your donation requests, and to only accept donations that align with your values and mission.

8. Events

To make money using events on your online community, you can host virtual or in-person events that cater to your community's interests and needs. You can offer a variety of events, such as webinars, workshops, meet-ups, or conferences, and monetise them through ticket sales, sponsorships, or merchandise sales. Think carefully about your value proposition for all your events, and promote them through all marketing channels, such as your community, social media accounts and email marketing.

Offer exclusive content or perks to your event attendees, such as recordings, notes, or follow-up consultations, to enhance the value and impact of your events.

9. Consultancy services

To make money using consultancy services within your online community, you can leverage your expertise and knowledge to provide value and insights to your community members. You can offer consultancy services in various formats, such as one-on-one consultations, group sessions, or online courses, and monetise them through service fees or subscription models. As with all of these monetisation suggestions, be sure to establish a clear value proposition for your consultancy services and communicate your expertise and community impact in a compelling and transparent way.

You can use your community's feedback and insights to optimise your consultancy services and address their pain points and needs. Additionally, you can use platforms like Calendly or Acuity to manage your consultancy services, and offer flexible and personalised solutions to your clients.

10. Data insights

To make money using online community data insight, you can leverage the data and insights gathered from your community to provide value and solutions to businesses and organisations. You can offer services such as market research, trend analysis, or customer profiling, and monetise them through project fees or subscription models.

You can use tools like Google Analytics or social media analytics to gather and analyse community data, and provide actionable insights and recommendations to your clients. Additionally, you can use your community's feedback and insights to optimise your data insights services and address their pain points and needs.

Maintain confidentiality and ethics in your data insights services and only use community data with the community's consent and in compliance with data privacy regulations.

About OnSerro


We help businesses build long-lasting relationships with their customers. Using the power of community, we help you to increase customer loyalty and drive sales.


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