Let's be honest—scrolling through Facebook and seeing others seemingly cash in on their posts can be pretty frustrating.

You're there thinking, "I post stuff too, where's my paycheck?"

Trust me, I've been there.

Like most people, I used to believe the myth that if you just get enough followers and post consistently, the money would somehow start rolling in.

Spoiler alert: it doesn't work that way. I learned this the hard way, and my bank account can confirm it.

Two years ago, I decided to figure out this whole "making money on Facebook" thing.

I wasn't looking to get rich quick—I just wanted to see if I could turn my daily scrolling into something more productive. What followed was a rollercoaster of epic fails and surprising wins that taught me more about online business than any course ever could.

Some of my attempts crashed and burned so spectacularly that I'm still cringing about them.

But others?

They actually worked better than I ever imagined they would.

If you're tired of watching other people make money online while you're just... not, this might help. I'm going to walk you through what actually worked, what didn't, and the expensive mistakes you can hopefully avoid. 

Whether you want to make an extra few hundred bucks a month or you're dreaming bigger, these are the real strategies that moved the needle for me.

When I first considered making money on Facebook, I was honestly skeptical. I had about 800 friends and posted sporadically—mostly family photos and the occasional article share.

One lesson I learned early was that my biggest hesitation—feeling "salesy" or pushy—was actually counterproductive.

The breakthrough came when I realized that successful Facebook monetizers weren't being pushy—they were being helpful.

I started by auditing my existing Facebook presence: What topics did I naturally post about? What questions did friends frequently ask me? Where could I provide value before ever thinking about monetization?

Then I refined my strategy and started paying attention to my engagement and other key performance indicators (KPIs).

After testing various approaches, four strategies emerged as my most reliable income generators.

Facebook Groups became my secret weapon.

Instead of creating my own group immediately, I started by becoming genuinely valuable in existing groups within my niche.

My daily Facebook Groups routine:

Within three months, I earned $800 solely from consultation calls that originated from group interactions.

Ideal revenue streams from starting my own group:

Don’t take it from me, Michelle Wolf, the creative mind behind the popular real estate newsletter, European Listings, started off her business with paid subscriptions. By focusing solely on paid subscriptions, she offers a membership that grants access to her carefully curated collection of European homes for sale.

In an interview, Wolf said, “Because I did things backwards, as I only launched with paid subscriptions. I have had over 4,000 customers served through beehiiv. It’s obviously amazing. That’s how I’ve been able to build my business.”

Facebook Marketplace surprised me with its earning potential.

I started by decluttering my house, but quickly realized the real opportunity was in strategic reselling.

What turned my Marketplace revenue mindset around:

My best month yielded a $1,000 profit from approximately 8 hours of weekly effort.

Affiliate marketing on Facebook requires creativity, as the algorithm doesn't favor posts with external links.

My successful Facebook affiliate strategy:

For example, when promoting a project management tool, I posted about a productivity challenge and mentioned that the tool helped me stay organized.

People who commented asking about it received the affiliate link via private message.

This single post generated $340 in commissions over three weeks.

Linda Hwang has extensive experience in B2B marketing and previously worked at a renowned international facilities management company. There, she played a crucial role in creating effective content and social media marketing plans. Now, Hwang is a marketing consultant who helps small businesses create compelling brand stories.

My costliest Facebook monetization mistakes:

Honestly, Facebook Ads would have fared better for me if I had Andy Austin in my arsenal. Andy Austin is the founder of Adsora and creator of the Growth Catalyst Club newsletter.  

To date, Adsora has spent over $10 million on ads, generating over $20 million in cash— statistics that qualify Andy Austin as a master of scaling e-commerce brands, mobile apps, and newsletters with Facebook ads!

Austin once said, “With Facebook, you have ultimate scalability because three billion people are on the platform. You can find the best audience.”

With Austin’s monetization strategy with the Growth Catalyst Club newsletter, he’s made over $29,000 in revenue profitably. “I tried growing organically for two months—then I started monetizing in January and running Facebook ads, so it took about six or seven months to get here. And this is just for one newsletter.”

Looking back now, when I started being transparent about my mistakes, my engagement increased dramatically. Vulnerability built stronger connections than polished success stories ever did.

Below are some lessons I’ve learned about Facebook.

This experiment taught me that authentic, relatable content resonates far more deeply with an audience than overly polished posts or rigid strategies.

My highest-performing content types:

My highest-engagement post was about a project that completely failed and what I learned from it.

Essential tools for Facebook monetization:

To drive newsletter growth, I began using beehiiv to manage subscribers from Facebook.

The platform's analytics helped me understand which Facebook content drove the most newsletter signups, and automation features allowed me to nurture Facebook connections into consistent revenue.

My "do-over" Facebook monetization strategy:

The most important lesson, though?

I believe success comes from consistently providing genuine value over time. Facebook rewards authentic engagement and relationship building, not quick sales tactics.

The strategies I've shared generated additional income for me within two years, but here's the truth: Facebook was just the beginning.

The real breakthrough came when I started building an email list from my Facebook audience.

Why email became my secret weapon:

If you're serious about turning your Facebook presence into consistent income, you need to own your audience, not just rent it from Facebook. 

That's where beehiiv comes in.

beehiiv transformed my Facebook connections into a recurring revenue stream. Its intuitive design makes it easy to create newsletters, automate opt-in and welcome sequences, and track what content drives the most valuable subscribers.

Start your free 30-day trial with beehiiv and begin capturing those valuable Facebook connections before they disappear into the algorithm. Join the thousands of creators who've turned their social media followers into newsletter subscribers and consistent revenue.