How to Make Money Online in Kenya using Smartphone in 2023

There are more ways to earn money these days than before. With the digital boom, there are new job opportunities online. Even I personally know at least 15 people making good money just working from home with online stuff.

This article aims to educate my fellow Kenyans to discover the opportunity to earn money using a smartphone. Yes, you don’t need a laptop; a smartphone will do just fine.

How to Make Money Online in Kenya

I have been hearing this question for quite some time now. Many people try to work online and are trapped in scams where they are asked to pay money. Some others try to focus on free methods but can’t succeed. And many even know they can make money using their smartphone for a few hours a day.

No matter in which category you fall, I guarantee you will succeed if you are passionate enough. But honestly, being passionate is one thing, but being on the right path is another crucial aspect.

Top 5 Methods to Make Money Online with Smartphones in Kenya

You won’t be able to earn money if you are passionate enough but do not channel your energy on a suitable medium. I am going to stop being spiritual now and start.

#1 Blogging

As long as the internet is there, people will search for things. We all do. Nobody is Mr Perfect; now and then, we search for answers we don’t know, just like you searched for anything related to making money online in Kenya.

Blogging means “to blog”. And “to blog” simply means setting up a website and writing content that could be useful to others. Once enough people visit your website; you can sign up for any monetization program and make money through your website (or blog).

And you can easily blog daily from your smartphone. Many other things are involved in the process. You can’t just set up a website and post random things.

There is something called “Keyword Research”. Even before you set up your website, you should have an idea about what you are going to write about. Once you have that idea, you need to work on it. You take the help of some free online tools to find out if whatever it is you are going to write is something people search for. Using “Keyword Research”, you can develop multiple potential search terms that people use in search engines and are related to your area of interest. Once you have that, you can set up a blog which requires you to buy a Domain name (name of the website) and hosting (space where you put your website files).

Various free platforms allow you to create a website without spending a dime. You can get started with that, see what kind of response you get, and if all goes well, you can then transfer your free website to regular people and start making money.

I have written a separate article on this.

Kindly Read: How to Start Blogging in Kenya

#2 Affiliate Marketing

We all have social media accounts, right? What if I tell you, you can leverage the power of your social media account to make money online simply from your smartphone?

I am talking about Affiliate marketing. It involves promoting other companies products (services or subscriptions), and when someone buys that through you, you are paid by the parent company. This is as simple as that.

Suppose I run an Apparel brand. To increase sales, I launched an affiliate program allowing other people to sell my products and earn a commission.

If my margin without the affiliate program is 25%, it will be impacted a little; say, it comes down to 20%. But the magic of affiliate marketing is the exponential sales. If I usually sell 100 products a day, with affiliate marketing in place and more and more people promoting my product for commissions, I could sell as many as 10,000 products per day and even more. So, at the end of the day, I earn much more than usual.

I hope you understand the concept of affiliate marketing from the perspective of a business owner. But now understand it from your perspective, someone who wants to make money online.

To get started, you need first to find what people buy online. Before starting a global campaign, you can start from your country. Ask yourself, what is it that people are buying online? You will find that people buy Smartphones (new and refurbished), groceries, home decor items, cloud services (Domain Names, Hosting, SSL certificates) and whatnot.

Now, you need to identify companies (e-commerce websites) selling these products to them. Once you make a list of such websites, continue your search and find which one offers affiliate marketing. Once you find that, the research part is done.

Now, you have two options. You can use your social media account (if it has a good following), or create a website from scratch and start reviewing or giving relevant information related to the products that are selling well.

Then you apply to be part of the affiliate program. You visit the websites (that you found earlier) and sign up there. Then after you get your approval, you can start promoting the products using the affiliate links and make money from every sale through that link.

I have written a separate article about Affiliate marketing.

Kindly Read – How to Make Money with Affiliate Marketing in Kenya

#3 Dropshipping

Dropshipping is not new, but it is still not very popular in Kenya. So, it is an excellent time to get started with it.

Dropshipping is somewhat similar to affiliate marketing, but there are many differences.

With dropshipping, you can start your own e-commerce business without having a single item in your inventory. Yes, you read that right. You can operate an online store without worrying about inventory.

Dropshipping is a retail fulfilment technique that enables stores to process orders without holding the products they sell in stock. Instead, a dropshipping store buys the product from a third-party supplier and ships it directly to the buyer.

Under this strategy, the store connects suppliers and customers. The store makes money by charging more than the source.

Very soon, I am developing a detailed tutorial on “Dropshipping in Kenya”. Kindly stay in touch.

#4 Vlogging

Vlogging is video blogging. So this means that you create videos rather than creating a blog (website) and writing content. With internet speeds improving daily, vlogging is becoming popular in Kenya.

Compared to Blogging, vlogging is simple to start. However, creating professional and high-quality videos requires good video editing software and basic skills.

Like keyword research in Blogging, when you plan to start a vlog, you should research and find out which types of videos are trending these days.

Once you understand that, you can start making similar videos and earn money. Popular vlogging platforms are – Youtube, Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram.

#5 Freelancing

Freelancing is self-employment where people work on projects or contracts for clients. Freelancers determine their pricing and schedules and work independently.

To be a successful freelancer, you should have a Skill in which you are perfect. This could be anything – Video Editing, Content Writing, Graphic Designing, Marketing, Information Gathering, Data Entry or even remote jobs like virtual assistant.

Multiple freelancing platforms allow people to register, mention their skills and start applying for jobs.

Just like you are seeking someone to give you a job, millions of people want to get something done as soon as possible and transparently. You register as freelancers, and such people register as Clients. They post their requirements, eligible freelancers apply for that job, and you are good to go once shortlisted.

Some of the most reputable Freelancing websites in Kenya are :

• Fiverr
• Upwork
• Freelancer.com
• Guru.com
• Truelancer.com

You can sign up from your smartphone and even install the respective mobile application to simplify the process. Unless your service requires a computer, you can do it from your smartphone.

FAQs