Drones, as we recognize them today, were initially manufactured for military purposes. But advanced technology has seen them become a staple of the consumer electronics industry.
This is particularly true of quadcopters and octocopters which perform a diverse range of functions including photography, filmmaking, search and rescue, fire monitoring, goods delivery, and insurance claim assessments.
Below is a list of some of the ways individuals are making money from their drones.
Table of Contents
Aerial photography and videography
Let’s start with the most obvious way to make money: aerial photography and videography.
While this method is undoubtedly more competitive than it once was, drone pilots can make decent money selling footage provided their drones are equipped with a stabilizing gimbal and high-resolution device such as a GoPro.
Many photographers use drones to capture aerial perspectives of famous tourist attractions – though airspace can be restricted in many locations.
Content is then posted to social media and websites where it can be perused and purchased by tourist operators, governments, and private business owners.
Some real estate companies also employ drone pilots to capture shots of houses that will be listed for sale.
Aerial surveying
Drones have also taken the place of helicopters in aerial surveying in the fields of digital mapping, feature recognition, various geographical information systems (GIS) applications, and are even used at archaeological sites.
Making money from aerial surveying is much the same as any other business.
It is important to be able to market one’s services and attract clients, but drone surveying also requires certain skills, expertise, and certifications.
For example, pilots needs to fly over a specified area in a deliberate way and stitch together images using mapping software.
Event and wedding photography
Event and wedding photography is an extension of aerial photography but one way of making money that deserves its own section.
Wedding photography in particular has traditionally been a difficult industry to enter with competition and the high cost of equipment, but it also tends to be the most profitable.
Using a drone to capture wedding or event shots will require scouting the location beforehand and ensuring the drone is a safe and unobtrusive distance from guests.
Building inspections
Some drone operators also make a living by performing building inspections for construction companies, insurance companies, or utility providers.
Each client in this space is likely to have different requirements, so it is important to discuss the job beforehand and ensure the drone captures the necessary shots.
This is another way to make money from drones that may require a significant outlay of capital.
Drones that assess insurance claims resulting from water damage or insulation quality, for example, may require cameras with thermal imaging sensors that can cost around $3,500.
Emergency response
As the planet warms and natural disasters become more frequent, emergency first responders are turning to drones to capture images of fire and flood damage, among other applications.
Some departments will have their own equipment, while others may outsource this work to private contractors.
The best money to be earned here is from city departments with larger budgets. Small, rural, or volunteer departments tend to have less money to spend on drone services.
Key takeaways:
The most obvious way to make money from drones is via aerial photography and videography. While this method is undoubtedly more competitive than it once was, drone pilots can make decent money selling content in a multitude of contexts.
Aerial surveying is another, more specialized way of earning revenue from a drone that may require specialist knowledge or expertise in other applications or software. Wedding photographers can also add drone shots to their portfolio to upsell clients.
Building inspections and emergency response are two more areas where drones can be used to make money. In the former scenario, there may be a significant outlay of capital for specialized camera equipment.
Blogging is a prevalent and well-established practice, with popular blogging platform WordPress powering many websites on the internet. While a few successful bloggers really make money, those who do usually monetize through affiliate marketing, Google AdSense (or other advertising platforms), sponsorships, memberships, or selling their own digital and physical products.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance turned as among the most successful native micro-video platforms, and it became the go-to platform for millions of young users. Thus, the “TikToker” has already become the evolution of the “influencer” from platforms like Instagram. Those TikTokers make money in a few ways, such as monetary gifts, sponsorships, advertising agreements, affiliations, and more.
Online influencer marketing is a relatively new creation, but it has fundamentally changed how brands communicate with consumers. People with targeted audiences are now the focus of advertising efforts. Influencers can tap from small to larger audiences thus, giving companies another way to promote their products. Indeed, influencers make money by selling digital products via sponsorships and affiliations, brand ambassadors programs, and physical products.
Podcasts make money in several ways. The primary sources of revenues from podcasting come from affiliate marketing, advertisements (in the form of pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll), sponsorships, selling your own products, or by using podcasting to sell consulting services. Podcasting is an effective marketing and distributionchannel, and it can be integrated within a businessmodel.
Influencer marketing involves the marketing of products or services that leverages the popularity, expertise, or reputation of an individual. Influencer marketing is often associated with those who have large social media followings, but popularity should not be confused with influence. Influence has the power to change consumer perceptions or get their audience to do something different.
Instagram makes money via visual advertising. As part of Facebook products, the company generates revenues for Facebook Inc. overall businessmodel. Acquired by Facebook for a billion dollar in 2012, today Instagram is integrated into the overall Facebookbusiness strategy. In 2018, Instagram founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, left the company, as Facebook pushed toward tighter integration of the two platforms.
TikTok makes money through advertising. It is estimated that ByteDance, its owner, made over $17 billion in revenues, for 2019. While we don’t know the exact figure for TikTok ads revenues, given it counted over 800 million users by 2020, it is a multi-billion company, worth anywhere between $50-100 billion and among the most valuable social media platforms of the latest years.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
