If you grew up consuming and loving popular movies, TV shows, music, and games and have a lot of pop culture knowledge, maybe it’s time to consider turning it into a side hustle. There are plenty of ways to earn money from being a pop-culture savant, and here are some options you can explore to earn some extra income from your knowledge and expertise.
Start a blog or a YouTube channel.
One of the best gifts the internet has given us is the democratization of opinion and reviews. We no longer have to rely on professional film critics and newspapers to find information on a certain movie we want to watch or a game we want to try. If you have a lot of knowledge about storytelling, literary themes, and what makes a narrative objectively good, consider starting a platform where you can share your expertise with others.
Especially if you think your perspective is fresh and that you have something new to say, then consider sharing it through one platform. There’s something about salt-of-the-earth and “regular” people reviewing pop culture that makes it easier for audiences to identify and relate with.
If you have a knack for writing, you can try your hand at blogging. Not only can blogging be a fulfilling hobby, but it can also be lucrative too. Some ways you can earn money through blogging include promoting an affiliate product or service, selling ad space, writing sponsored blog posts, hosting sponsored giveaways or contests, and many others.
On the other hand, if you’re confident about your personality and speaking abilities, starting a YouTube channel may be a good option as well. While you may need additional skills like video editing, you can at least start monetizing your videos once you’ve hit 1,000 subscribers and at least 4,000 hours worth of watches over the past year. But like in every business, starting a blog and a YouTube channel requires a lot of dedication and hard work before you can find a return for your investment.
Sell art or merchandise.
There is a world of pop culture merchandise to explore and an unlimited number of fandoms to sell them to. There’s a reason why the comic conventions sell hundreds of thousands of tickets every year or why they have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy: People are willing to spend money on their favorite musicians, TV shows, or movies.
Look around you and identify the current trends. Check Twitter and look at the biggest fandoms and industries right now. Go through the trends list and take a close look at what Twitter users are talking about. Is it Marvel movies? How about K-pop? Look into your region as well, and check what kind of merchandise you can sell.
Some products that people will always have room for are useful and practical items like mugs, blankets, and other home goods. It may seem scary to launch a business in a pandemic, but experts say that there might never be a better time than now.
Host a virtual trivia night and escape room.
What better way to flex your pop-culture expertise than by hosting paid trivia nights where people can win some money? Quarantine has been hard on everyone, and more people most likely sought comfort by watching more movies and TV shows and playing more video games than they ever have in their life. Put your potential customers’ knowledge to the test by hosting an online trivia game where they can battle it out for a valuable prize of some sort. To ensure that cheating doesn’t happen, you can add a 5-second deadline for people to say their answers.
Another idea is to host virtual escape rooms. If you enjoy abstract art puzzles and problem-solving games, it may be a good idea to have people who share your hobby participate in an online version of escape rooms. There are already plenty of virtual escape rooms in the market that you can test drive with your friends, with genres ranging from fantasy to horror to bank heists. No matter what, make sure you give your customers a virtual pop-culture game night that’s worth every penny that they spent.
The Bottom Line
With research, creativity, resourcefulness, and hard work, you might be able to earn some extra buck from all your years of consuming, enjoying, and loving your favorite movies, TV shows, books, music, and games. Just have a keen eye on the trends and what people want during quarantine, and be open to the idea of providing those pop-culture fixes for them.