• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
The Daley Doodle

The Daley Doodle

Tips for Creatives

  • Productivity
  • Tutorials
  • Books

How I Made $4200 on Visually

October 30, 2018 by thedaleydoodle Leave a Comment

Dale, you’re not saying you retrained as an optician for a brief period, are you?

Oh, can you imagine? My shredded nerves on those lasers? Visually, my dear friend, is an online content platform that focuses on the visual, rather than the text-based.

A what now?

An online content platform. A place where people needing content for their company’s blog, YouTube, social media channels, boss’ dog’s birthday (we’ve all had that ONE boss, right?) and so on, hire people who can make this cool stuff for them. For the makers, Visually is also a place to share your work, look at cool visual content, and chat with other people within the community. It’s been going strong since 2011.

So what type of visual content can I find on Visually?

The website breaks it down into eight categories. I have done my best to bucket them into groups of similar software and skillsets:

Firstly, we have Illustrations, Infographics, Presentations, Social Media, and Ebooks. I call these five ‘static illustrated.’ Here’s where you’ll use the likes of Illustrator, InDesign, Sketch and specific presentation software, such as Keynote, to make text-based blogs and stacks of information ‘sexier’ with illustrated charts, cheeky characters, and cute fonts.

Then, we have Video and Web Experiences, or ‘dynamic illustrated.’ Here you’ll take the raw data and do the above, but with animation and interaction. More labor-intensive, hence more lucrative, those with After Effects and Illustrator experience will align with Video. Knowledge of HTML5, Javascript, or programs such as Adobe Animate, will give you the tools needed in the Web Experience category.

Finally, we have the photography section. I’ll call this, very simply, photography; let’s not overcomplicate, right? Here, you’ll be snapping to specific requests. You’re going to need a lot of props, licensed stock, a camera (duh) and some skills in Photoshop and Lightroom.

Thanks for the breakdown Dale. So, how did you make money from it?

Well, my story starts with me stumbling across their website after spending more time down the rabbit hole than John McClane in the vent. Intrigued, I created a profile and uploaded some of my infographics (at the time I was ‘all about’ being on all the platforms i.e., Pinterest, Stumble Upon).

One of my pieces, an infographic about bridges, believe it or not, was selected as a ‘staff pick,’ which gave me a surge of views on the platform. A couple of days later, I was invited to apply to become a freelancer.

Oh, you have to apply to be a freelancer on Visually?

Yep. Visually require you to meet a series of requirements, so not just anyone can be listed. Anyone, however, can apply. If you have a significant body of work, are clear about what you offer (e.g., don’t apply for videographer jobs with no video in your portfolio), and fill in your profile fully, there’s a good chance you’ll get selected.

And once I’m aboard the Enterprise, how do we start sailing?

So if you are accepted, the team at Visually will offer you jobs, determined by your skillset, at a fixed price. You then declare your interest or decline, and the client will pick one from the interested parties with whom to work. Visually provide all the middle man services, from communication to payment.

Altogether, I was accepted to work on five projects over 18 months, accumulating to $4200. Not crazy money, but considering infographics were my bread and butter, a great way to get paid for something I genuinely enjoyed doing.

That’s not a bad return at all. Well, not that I’m coming over this Friday Dale, but… takeaways?

Urgh, now you’ve made me hungry! But sure…

1 – Put your work on as many ‘social platforms’ as you can. I initially thought Visually was a ‘Pinterest for infographics,’ but it led to me getting commissioned work. Any new platforms pop up, give them a try; they may end up being the next big thing.

2 – Always create and push content online that is your own, rather than commissioned. Usually, you won’t be able to share commissioned work online under your name. The bridge piece that got me selected was one I did in my spare time, not for a client.

3 – If you’re a content person, I would consider delving more into A: video, but definitely B: interactive web, and learn some HTML5. Not only will people pay more, but many developers also don’t have an eye for design.

Before you go: dat URL doe!

Cheeky, right? Visual.ly, I believe, was one of the first to fuse a name/domain combo. When my home country released the .wales domain, I tried to buy killer.wales. Alas; it was taken. Someone was WHALE ahead of me…

…I said WHALE ahead of me. Yeah, you get-

-We’re done here.

…fair point.

Filed Under: Featured, Make Money

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2022 · The Daley Doodle

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Media Kit
  • Terms
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT