Introduction: Make Money With Your Instructables

By Reels

Creating Instructables is fun and has the potential to put some spending money in your pocket for future projects. These ideas are perfectly acceptable and can be applied to most of your projects in some form or another.

This is one way to create an automated income. Once the tools are created and in place, you will be able to sit back and watch the cash roll in.

I will guide you to the resources I use, as well as other avenues for additional income. The main way I make money is through Google applications. If you don't already have a Google profile, now would be a great time to create one. I will also share instructions on creating online stores through other sites.

  • YouTube
  • Blogger
  • Google AdSense
  • Etsy & eBay
  • Instructables Marketplace
  • iTunes

The first key to creating extra revenue from your Instructable project is to have a compelling Idea, something that others will build or enjoy looking at. This part is really the hardest because you can't always predict what your audience desires. I have found that projects I thought would be featured and receive a ton of views have actually fallen flat, while other projects receive a bunch of views and praise.

I have also found that the cover image for your 'ible is the most important picture for drawing a crowd. I started using GIF images and found that viewers are intrigued enough by the animation to view your whole project. I created an Instructable detailing how I accomplished this. You can view it HERE.

I do most of my Instructables on my iPhone. I create the photos, videos and GIF animations directly from apps I have downloaded. I have found that when I have some down time that it is easy to add a few sentences or work on details of a video. I usually finish a project on my computer because there are some aspects of the mobile app that don't allow me to do certain things such as: add links and GIFs.

Step 1: Instructables Marketplace

Instructables.com has a forum dedicated to selling your products. This community forum is a great place to reach your target audience and gives you the ability to link back to your own Instructables.

The Marketplace page can be foundHERE.

While we are sharing our ideas and projects for free, DIYers might want to purchase your finished project directly from you. Links to your product in your Instructable is the first great step followed by including them in the Marketplace. Be sure to add links to your eBay page and Etsy storefront. Individual item links may expire or your items may sell out and this might discourage prospective buyers from delving any deeper.

Step 2: Website or Blog Revenue

Directing your audience to your personal website is another great way to create a following and possible advertising monies. Blogs, such as Blogger, give you the ability to add pertinent advertising. I use Blogger because it is free and pretty easy to edit and monetize. I also use Blogger because it is a Google product and easy for me to link with my other avenues, such as YouTube and AdSense. I have created WordPress sites in the past to accomplish this same task. Both are free and quite easy to use. Post your Instructables on them to create a fan base. Also post your affiliate links and YouTube videos on your new site, as well. The key to a successful site is keywording so be sure to add all the right descriptive wording.

Blogger:

WordPress:

There are a bunch of free blog sites out there. I choose these two as they are easy, have a huge creator base and are free.

You can view my site HERE for ideas on content.

Step 3: Online Store Revenue - Etsy & EBay

Let's say that your Instructable generated a ton of interest and people are asking if they could purchase your thingamajiggy. You could list it in the Instructables Marketplace or you could create your own store on an online retail site. Driving sales through your Instructable requires the right links and Instructables makes that a really simple task. There are quite a few shops you could create to accomplish this task. Below are a few tried and tested sites.

eBay:

Etsy:

There are other sites that help you sell your items, I have just listed the really established online sites.

Step 4: YouTube Revenue

Creating a video of your Instructable is a great way to explain the steps and details of your work. Did you know that you can monetize your video to create an income? It's pretty easy once you have registered and completed the steps outlined by Google. You can decide if you would like an ad inside of your video, on the sidebar or an ad that plays before your viewers get to see your awesome video. If your viewer clicks on an ad and purchases an item through it, you get paid a percentage. This also comes in really handy if your video happens to go viral (some do).

This LINKwill get you started as a YouTube Partner.

I make most of my online income through YouTube. My most watched videos are actually the ones I have posted in my Instructables. I check my earnings everyday and am often surprised as to where my earnings are coming from.

Examples:

YouTube rules state that you are not to encourage others to click your ad links.

Step 5: Creating and Uploading a Video

Creating a video for your Instructable is the main focus of this 'ible. This is where the potential for great income comes from. You never know, your video might go viral and all you have to do is sit back and watch the money roll in. I make a modest amount of money from my videos and check my AdSense account often to see which videos are generating the most hits and clicks. Clicks represent the amount of times that someone has "clicked" on an advertisement on your video. This is how you make money. Keeping track of which videos generate the most views will give you insight as to what compels your viewers to click, as well as, what they like about your particular video.

As I mentioned earlier, I do most of my work on my mobile device. I take photos, create GIFs and create my videos with it. With the right apps, this is pretty easy. I use video editing programs and publish them straight to YouTube. It will the be necessary to log in with your computer to monetize and add the proper links later. It's a bit of a juggling act but gets easier as you go.

  1. Create your video using any number of video editors. Add the photos and motion graphics you used to illustrate your Instructable. Adding text in between photos is a plus or just guide your viewer through the steps as you go.
  2. If you choose to add music to your video, use your own sounds. YouTube will not allow you to monetize your video using other people's music.
  3. Open your YouTube account and press the "Upload" button in the upper right hand corner.
  4. Drag your new video into the "Select Files To Upload" window or add through the app you used on your phone or tablet.
  5. While your video is uploading, add a title that describes your video the best. A great description will bring viewers from places other than Instructables.com.
  6. Tags! Tags are really important to add, they tell people searching the interwebs what your video is about. Add as many as you can think of that pertain directly to your content. Be sure to add Instructables.com, DIY, Do It Yourself to each of them.
  7. Click the monitize button and choose your preferred ad placement.
  8. Swim in your pile of money.

Step 6: ITunes Affiliate

Becoming an iTunes affiliate is quick and easy, I did it in a matter of minutes.

What this does is allows you to post songs, videos, apps and etc. to a link. When someone purchases through your link, you make a small percentage of that sale. After you have been accepted as an affiliate marketer, you will be given a link to the iTunes link maker. From there you can create links to specific titles to match your Instructable.

Perhaps you are creating an 'ible about a Breaking Bad costume and wanted to give examples of the show's charactors. You could provide a link to download an episode with your costume. Your viewers would then be able to download and watch that episode. Here is an example:

Breaking Bad Season 1

Breaking bad Season 1, Cancer Man

The link to get started with the iTunes affiliate program is HERE.

Step 7: Creating a Google Profile

The main idea of this 'ible is to monetize through YouTube. I created a YouTube account and monetized it with ads. I will go deeper into this with this STEP.

The first step is to create a Google account. If you already have a YouTube account, you are half way there. 

*I pulled this info straight from Google's page.
<br>

A Google Account gives you access to Google products like Gmail, Google+, YouTube, and more with a single username and password.

  1. To create Google Account, go to the Create your Google Account page.
  2. Ad all the information they require on the right side.
  3. Check the email you provided to verify your account.
  4. You are now ready to sign into your YouTube account.

*Google requires that you are 13 years old or older to create an account. In order to have the ability to monetize your videos, you must be at least 18 years of age.

Step 8: Creating an AdSense Account

This step is crucial to generating ads for your videos and blog. Once this step is complete, everything is just a few button clicks away.

  1. Access the Monetization page in your Channel Settings and go to the section "How will I be paid?"
  2. From the AdSense Association page, please follow the "next" step to be directed to AdSense.
  3. Select the option at the bottom of the page to choose the Google Account you wish to use.
  4. Enter the password for your Google Account.
  5. Accept the Adsense association.
  6. Provide your contact information and submit your AdSense application.
  7. You will then be redirected back to YouTube, and a message to inform that your AdSense application has been received will appear.
  8. Adsense will update you by mail once your AdSense account is approved and your AdSense Id will be updated on the AdSense Association page (Please note that it may take up to 48 hours for the association to be fully active).