10 Easy & Profitable Online Side Hustles to Try Instead of Social Media Scrolling 

These everyday folks dared to dive into the digital world—and discovered it's way more rewarding than just doom-scrolling.

And hey, if you're thinking : “But I have no tech skills! I need a beast laptop! Is this even real?” — relax. I’ve dug up real examples, so you don’t have to waste time.

Let’s go.

1. Selling Printable Coloring Books

↪ How to Start

1- Pick a niche
Aim for high demand, low competition. Think : architectural doodles, food-themed fun, animal mashups, educational puzzlers, magical kingdoms with a twist—your edge is in the twist.

2- Design your product
Get used to Canva on the free plan, then you can upgrade—perfect for beginners.

⁃ Choose dimensions (8.5×11 in).

⁃ Two shortcuts : AI tools (great but can be tricky to get exactly right) or Pre-made coloring-pages—some legit eye-candy packs. 

Dive deeper into the 9 Rare Pre-Made Coloring Pages You Won’t Find Anywhere Else!

3- List with great SEO

⁃ Use long-tail keywords : e.g., "Tiny Magical Lands Coloring Book for Kids & Adults.”

⁃ Include benefits ("screen-free relaxation, stress relief").

⁃ Use tags like : “adult coloring,” “animal patterns,” “mindful art.”

4- Platform to list
⁃ Etsy : massive traffic; needs connecting to print-on-demand (POD) like Printify or Printful.

When someone buys, Etsy pings Printful → they print + ship.

⁃ Lulu : especially strong for coloring books.

5- Marketing

⁃ Pinterest : free, huge traffic (often 200 M+ monthly visits). Rewards regular pinning.

Buyers often scan Pinterest for creative gifts and unique items.

Full guide : Your Ultimate A-to-Z Guide on How to Start Selling Coloring Books.

2. Launch a Print-on-Demand Store

1- Pick your niche
Find something with demand but room to breathe. Use tools like MerchInformer to spy on what sells and what’s oversaturated.

2- Design process

⁃ Go text-only (think witty puns) or image-driven, or both.

⁃ Canva = your friend (fonts, graphics).

⁃ Or use AI tools like Ideogram or Midjourney for fancy visuals.

⁃ Humor sells—puns often win on apparel.

3- Find inspiration
Instead of scrolling TikTok, browse Etsy, TeePublic, Redbubble for trending ideas.

Note what's missing—and make your unique spin. The more time you spend on these platforms, the more ideas will come to you naturally.

4- SEO title & tags
Example product : “Eat, Sleep, Gaming, Repeat.”

⁃ Let’s craft a better SEO-rich title :
“Limited Edition ‘Eat, Sleep, Game, Repeat’ Comfort Crewneck—Gamers Gift.”
⁃ Use keywords : “gaming sweatshirt,” “gamer gift,” “cozy crewneck.”
⁃ Description should talk benefits (“super-soft, perfect for couch-camping”).

5- Promote like you mean it

⁃ Pinterest again—the merch niche thrives there.

⁃ Optional : Instagram reels or TikTok videos showing your merch in action or fun mockups.

Read more about : Top 15 Evergreen & Low Competition POD Products to Start Selling ASAP.

3. Affiliate Marketing

1- Pick your niche
passion + profit = golden. Maybe beauty gadgets, finance, plant care tools, home DIY, or unique haircare routines.

2- Create your platform
Build a simple blog/website (WordPress, Hostinger) or use social media.

But a website is powerful—it boosts credibility, authority, and rankings. Use Grammarly (free) to polish writing; consistency is key.

3- Content creation
Write honest, useful posts : “Top 5 Plant Care Tools You Need,” “Best Budget Mic for Podcasting.” Insert affiliate links naturally and ethically.

4- Drive traffic

⁃ Pinterest : Traffic on Steroids.

⁃ SEO posts with long-tail keywords (“best plant tools for beginners”) will help.

Remember : Affiliate marketing is often considered easy, but consistency is the real challenge.

You need to post regularly, build trust, and drive traffic. Quick success is possible, but realistically, most marketers need months to see real results.

4. Selling Wall Art

2- Design
Use Canva or AI, then export high-resolution (300 dpi). Use mockups to preview frames.

3- Listing platforms

⁃ Etsy

⁃ Zazzle

⁃ Society6
Use titles like “Mid-Century Geometric Earth Tone Print (8×10, Instant Download).” Use tags like “printable wall art, modern decor, digital download.”

4- Marketing
Pinterest again—a visual goldmine for photogenic art. Use boards like “Living Room Decor,” “Gallery Wall Inspo.”

5. Low-Content Books : Notebooks & Journals

1- Niche ideas

⁃ “Med Student Planner”

⁃ “Daily Gratitude Journal”

⁃ “Goal-Setting Habit Tracker”

2- Design
Layout interior pages in Canva.

Add unique cover designs (minimalist, floral, motivational quotes). Use consistent branding.

3- SEO & listing
Title example: “Minimalist Daily Gratitude Journal (8.5×11, Printable PDF).” Keywords : “daily journal,” “gratitude notebook,” “printable planner.”

Platforms : Etsy, Amazon KDP, Ko-fi.

4- Promote
Pinterest—boards like “Self-Care Tools” or simply "Notebooks Design."

Instagram reels showing you flipping through daily pages is gold.

Full Guide : Your Ultimate Guide on How to Start Making Money Selling Notebooks.

6. Selling Stock Photos

What it is : Sell photos (or AI-generated images) to creators, businesses, bloggers.

↪ How to Start

1- Create or shoot
Niche examples :

⁃ Work-from-home desks

⁃ Food prep overheads

⁃ Travel scenes (beaches, local streets)

⁃ Plants and greenery

⁃ Abstract textures (marbles, clouds)

2- Optimize quality

⁃ High-res (at least 3000 px).

⁃ Use image upscaler if needed (e.g., Let's Enhance).

⁃ Add variation : different lighting, angles.

3- List on platforms

⁃ Shutterstock (beginner-friendly)

⁃ Adobe Stock

⁃ Alamy

4- Use SEO-rich titles : “Top-Down Cozy Coffee Desk Setup” and tags like “work from home,” “coffee,” “desk stock image.”

5- Marketing
Build your portfolio site. Use Instagram or Pinterest to showcase images. Link back to stock sites for buying.

 7. Selling Social Media Templates

↪ How to Start

1- Choose your niche
travel bloggers, beauty brands, yoga studios, fitness coaches...

2- Design
Use Canva.

For colors, Coolors helps generate palettes that pop.

Create sets : 5–10 cohesive templates (Pinterest templates, quote post, announcement, carousel slide).

3- List & SEO
Example title : “Editable Instagram Story Pack for Fitness Coaches (Canva)”. Tags : “social media template,” “fitness IG story,” “Canva template.”

4- Promote
Pinterest boards like “Content Creator Tools.” Instagram showing before/after usage of template gets attention.

Full Guide : Your A-to-Z Full Guide on How to Make Money Selling Social Media Templates.

8. Selling Digital Art

1- Define your style
Minimalist icons, whimsical doodles, modern abstract, pet portraits—niche it...

2- Create art
Tools : Procreate, Illustrator, Krita, or Canva vector tools. Export as PNG, SVG.

3- Sell on :

⁃ Etsy (digital download)

⁃ Creative Market

⁃ Gumroad

4- SEO title : “Floral Line Art Clipart Set (PNG + SVG) for Digital Planners.” Tags: “clipart set,” “digital download,” “floral vector.”

5- Promote
Pinterest board “Digital Art Tools.” Instagram Reels showing speed-art gets love.

9. Selling Courses & E-books

1- Pick your niche
For example : “How to Prune Succulents Like a Pro,” “DIY Self-Care Rituals on a Budget,” “Mindful Home Decluttering.” Find what you know that others want.

To help you always pick the right niche, read more about : 4 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Choosing Your Niche for Digital.

2- Create content

⁃ Write (e-book) or record (course).

⁃ Save everything to the cloud—Google Docs or Drive—because my number one rule is : "Never trust your laptop."

I learned that the hard way.

3- Design
Use Canva : e-book layouts or video thumbnails. Keep it polished.

4- List it on :

⁃ Gumroad : easy to use, no listing fees.

⁃ Payhip : also allows free listing with a store you manage.

⁃  Udemy : massive student base

5- Create sales page : this step is very crucial, you need to represent your product and persuade visitors why they need it.

Also, make sure to highlight the key benefits and any bonus freebies.

6- Promote
⁃  You can use Pinterest, especially in the self-improvement niche.

⁃ Build an email list by offering a freebie in exchange for an email signup!

Full Guide : Your Ultimate A to Z Guide on How to Start Making Money from Selling eBooks.

10. Dropshipping

What it is :
Dropshipping is like running an online store without owning any inventory.

You list products in your store, a customer places an order, and a third-party supplier handles all the storage, packing, and shipping.

Your job? Curate great products, manage your storefront, drive traffic, and promote like a pro.

↪ How to Start

1- Pick a niche
Don’t just list random items—niche down! Customers want curated stores, not “everything shops.” Examples :

⁃ Eco-friendly home goods

⁃ Minimalist desk setups

⁃ Pet accessories (especially trending toys or smart gadgets)

⁃ Seasonal products (think cozy fall décor or summer gear)

Use tools like Google Trends, Etsy search, or TikTok trends to spot what’s hot before everyone else jumps on it.

2- Find reliable suppliers
You want products with good quality and reasonable shipping times. Some beginner-friendly platforms are :

⁃ CJ Dropshipping – Free to start and has warehouses worldwide for faster delivery.

⁃ Spocket – Great for US/EU products with better shipping times.

⁃ AliExpress – Tons of products, but test quality and delivery times first.

Order samples for yourself. This way, you can check the quality and even create your own product photos or videos.

3- Set up your online store
Platforms to try :

⁃ Shopify – Beginner-friendly and customizable.

⁃ WooCommerce – Great for WordPress users.

⁃ BigCommerce – Another option if you plan to scale big.

Add your chosen products, write SEO-friendly titles (e.g., “Eco-Friendly Bamboo Desk Organizer – Minimalist Home Office Must-Have”), and create clear descriptions that highlight benefits, not just features.

4- Promote like a pro
Dropshipping success = marketing mastery.

⁃ TikTok – Organic content can go viral (and it’s free). Show product demos or creative lifestyle videos.

⁃ Pinterest – A hidden gem for product discovery. Use high-quality mockups and keyword-rich pin descriptions.

⁃ Instagram & Facebook – Paid ads work here if you’re ready to invest and test small budgets first.

Quick Recap : Hustles & What Makes Them Pop

1. Printable Coloring Books – Passive printer-friendly art for adults & kids.

2. Print-on-Demand Store – Merch magic, design once, sell anytime.

3. Affiliate Marketing – Share stuff you love; get paid when peeps buy.

4. Wall Art – Decor decals your customers hang, you profit.

5. Low-Content Books – Notebooks, planners, journals—endless themes.

6. Stock Photos – Sell visuals to creators needing great content.

7. Social Media Templates – Ready-to-use posts that save creators time.

8. Digital Art – Illustrations, clipart, graphics people crave.

9. Courses & E-books – Package your knowledge into sellable assets.

10. Dropshipping – Your storefront sells; others pack and ship.
    
    

Final Word :

Why settle for passive doom-scrolling, when you could be crafting real online income, building something fun, and one day maybe replacing your full-time gig?

These hustles are real, approachable, and creative.

Pick one (or two), give yourself a weekend dive, and watch your scroll-time transform into earn-time!