Thirty years ago, it may have seemed like a pipe dream to wonder about how to make $30k fast. These days, not so much.
Any quick online search will reveal incredible stories of simple methods people are using to earn money fast. It really comes down to which money making method is right for you.
Now even though making $30k quickly is nothing to sneeze at, it’s very doable with the right guidance.
Outside of taking out a personal loan, one of the fastest ways to make $30,000 is by leveraging the internet. If you have a smartphone with reliable internet, then you have a solid chance of hitting your goal.
Here, instead of listing out a number of different ways in which you can make $30k fast, I decided to do a deep dive on one method only.
There are two very important reasons I decided to go this route.
- ‘Analysis paralysis’ is a very real thing. The more options you have available to you, the greater the chances you won’t do any of them.
- Secondly, I wanted to show you a real method I used to make $30k by leveraging my smartphone and social media sites.
This way, I give you tangible steps on what you can do today to replicate the same results as I did.
So whether you’re looking to pay down debt or need an extra $30k for a downpayment on a new house, this step-by-step guide will help you get there.
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How long does it take to make $30k?
The next obvious question here is ‘how long will it take to make $30k?’
The whole point of this article anyway is to get you to $30k as quickly as possible. Well, the answer is that it will vary from person to person.
Most everyone will be able to make a few hundred dollars within the first week. Heck, many people will even be able to make $500 a day!
That’s because I’ll be sharing with you how to use apps to get free money. After that, it comes down to your drive and commitment to following the simple strategy I have laid out for you below to earn tens of thousands more.
How to Make $30k Fast
The old adage of ‘you need money in order to make money’ is exactly that…old and outdated. Thanks to the internet, things have rapidly changed and so has the way in which people are making money now.
This strategy has earned me $30k fast and is on pace to earning me another $30k even faster. How I’m doing it is much simpler than starting an affiliate blog like this one, and it doesn’t require any startup capital from you.
The Method
The way it works is you download and recommend apps you use and trust that also offer a refer-a-friend bonus reward program.
These apps generally offer new users a one-time cash sign up bonus, as well as cash bonus rewards for referring others.
Examples of App Refer-a-Friend Programs Include:
- Chime Online Banking App – $100 per referral
- SoFi Online Banking App – $75 per referral
- Ibotta Grocery Savings App – $5 per referral
- Rakuten Shopping Rebate App – $30 per referral
- Fluz Gift Card Rebate App – $5 per referral + royalties
I created a list of over 32 apps that pay you real money to refer friends. Feel free to check it out.
The Reason It Works
The reason this works is simple. People take free money when it’s presented to them and when you can show proof of it.
This is especially true in a time when the world is experiencing unprecedented inflation and where the price of everyday consumer products is out of control.
The Proof It Works
To show you how nuts it is to earn $30k recommending apps with referral programs, just take a look at the screenshots below. These are two of the lowest paying apps I use and recommend (they pay $2 – $10 per referral) and have earned me over $30k to date.
The Fetch and Ibotta grocery savings app have been a fantastic duo for me.
Although, imagine if you promoted higher paying apps with $50 or $100 refer-a-friend bonus programs? You could earn money much faster just like the thousands of dollars I’ve earned in referral bonuses with the SoFi banking app.
Things You Will Need to Make $30k Fast
Everything you need to make this happen is available for free. Based on my personal experience, the 4 things you’ll need to make $30k fast are listed below.
- A Smartphone with internet
- A Social Media Account
- A Link in Bio
- A Determined Attitude
I’ll show you how to use these money making assets to quickly earn income faster than you thought possible.
Smartphone with Internet
Statistics show that there’s a good chance you’re part of the 85% of adults in the U.S. that own a smartphone. If that’s you, then you’re in luck! You don’t need to search for more ways on how to make $30k fast, this guide is all you need!
Social Media Account
A TikTok account is preferable for this strategy, although having an Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest or Facebook account will work just as well. I didn’t use TikTok to earn $30k with this strategy. However, if I were to start over again from scratch, TikTok would be my platform of choice.
This is because according to my social media analytics on other platforms, 65% of my audience is made up of people between the ages of 18 – 34 years old. These are the people who respond well to these types of offers, and many of them are on TikTok spending 1.5 hours on the app each day.
Link in Bio
A link in bio is a link for creators who want to house all their links in one easy to find place. Beacons.ai and Linktree are some of the most well known in the space.
They are specifically designed to help you share what you create, curate or sell from your social media accounts. You’ll use a free link in bio tool to keep all your app referral links in one place where your audience can easily access them.
Here’s an example of my Beacons link in bio.
Determined Attitude
I can not even begin to express to you how important it will be to have a ‘can do’ attitude in order to accomplish making $30k quickly. The process I’ll share with you is simple, but if you let your foot off the gas pedal, then your efforts will be in vain.
You’ll need a level of persistence and determination to reach your hefty goal. If you’re good with that, then let’s get to the good stuff….the step-by-step strategy!
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4 Step Strategy to Make $30k Quickly
This method will show you how to make $30k fast promoting apps that pay you real money. These best practices come from my personal experience, not random theory.
Become the Go-To Person
Most people refer to this as ‘picking a niche’ or an area of focus. In essence, you want to be known as the ‘go to’ person for something.
For example, I follow one woman on TikTok who shares all the best restaurants and spots to check out in Boston. Whenever I want to plan a fun outing in Boston, I always check out her profile for recommendations.
(someone should tell her about the Seated Boston restaurant cash back app! She could be earning tons of free gift cards!)
I also follow another TikToker who shares the best couponing deals for the week. And then there’s the travel hacker who shares her best tips for flying free via first-class using only credit card reward points.
Pick something you want to be known for online and where you can share helpful tips.
Decide Which Apps You’ll Promote
The apps you decide to promote should be relevant to your area of focus.
Say for example you’re the go to person for all things finance and money management. In this instance, you’d be much more successful promoting wealth building apps such as Robinhood or Webull, versus apps that have little to do with your niche.
Also, look for multiple relevant apps, not just one or two. Some app referral programs have caps on how much you can earn in reward bonuses per year. Sofi’s referral program is one such case. They cap reward bonuses at $10k per year per member.
(Just imagine making the entire $10k in one week! It’s highly possible, especially since SoFi recently increased referral bonuses.)
Decide which apps you’ll promote, and add your referral links to your Beacons.ai or Linktree link in bio.
Create Short Video Reels
This is where the money is made. Creating short reels from my smartphone is how I initially began earning thousands of dollars in app referral income.
The way it works is you create 7 – 30 second short videos sharing tips, examples and inspiration that drive people to check out your profile link in bio.
Don’t know what kind of short videos to create? It doesn’t need to be complicated.
The less polished and more relatable you make your videos, the better the chances your audience will take you up on your offers. Below is an example of a TikToker sharing grocery savings hacks with a Linktree link in bio promoting apps she recommends. (I actually promote many of these same apps!)
You can find creators all over TikTok in almost any niche possible. Follow them to see what type of content they create that you can also create for your followers.
PRO TIP: You can use free editing tools such as CapCut to create short video reels. Once you start making money and you want to expand faster, then use professional editing services such as NLC to bulk create short videos.
Include Call-to-Action
If you need to make $30k fast, then you need to include a call-to-action on your videos. This can be as simple as ‘check my link in bio for details on how to save on your groceries this week’ to ‘find out which apps I use to fly for free around the world by checking my link in bio.’
Also, avoid being that spammer that only promotes products and free money apps without providing any real value first. More and more, apps such as TikTok are cracking down on these types of creators and showing less of that promotional content to viewers.
Provide real value first, and you’ll begin to see just how quickly you can start earning money promoting free money apps!
PRO TIP: Adding captions on videos is proven to increase the chances of people watching your videos all the way through. This means you can significantly increase your referral income earnings. Use Submagic to add captions + emojis to your videos. Use promo code: PILAR10 at checkout for discount. Read my Submagic Review.
Tips to Earn Money Faster
When it comes down to it, there are two main things that will help you reach your $30k goal much faster with this strategy.
- Create more videos – This is like a snowball effect. The more videos you create and post per day, the more people that will see your content, and the more chances you’ll have to earn app referral income.
- Provide Value – People follow people they like and that don’t waste their time. If you can bring a smile to someone’s face while also sharing with them your favorite travel hacks, then you’ve found a winning combination!
When I first started out, I was posting only about 3 short video reels per week to my social media accounts. I made sure they were my best work, and it got me to $30k in app referral income. If I can achieve that, imagine how much more you can make posting 2 – 3 videos per day?
How to Make $30k Fast Conclusion
My first few reels were horrible. I had no previous experience doing these types of short videos, but I got better in time. Back then, I was mostly posting my reels on Pinterest and later on I expanded to YouTube shorts and FB reels. It was a strategy that quickly morphed into a $30k pay day in no time!
These days, I’ve laid off reels to focus more on my affiliate blog. Blogging is a much more passive approach to earning money, and normally you don’t see the fruits of your labor until a few months later.
***Update! I’m creating tons of short-form video again! Follow me on my new TikTok account!***
On the other hand, leveraging short reels to make app referral income is a much faster approach to earning $30k right now.
For the best chances of success, focus on apps that give away something for free to a new user and ones that pay you instantly for your referral. People love free stuff, and you can make a lot of money helping to give it away!
Read more about earning money now with these 13 side hustle jobs that pay cash on the spot.
