7 ways to make money with a drone

We have already talked about how it is possible to go from a personal passion for model aircraft to becoming a UAS (SAPR) operator, that is, a drone pilot.

Let's now see how, by owning a drone, you can find ways to earn extra money outside your main activity, or even enough to make this activity your main (and only) job.

Let's say right away that in the latter case you need more practice, experience and technical skills, but on the fact that earning more takes more effort, that money doesn't fall from the sky and that there is no such thing as "easy money" (at least until we become very rich) we are all on the same page, right?

Well, let's see how many drone pilots manage to scrape together some cash, sometimes even more than "a bit".

Create and monetize a YouTube channel

If you love social networks, don't underestimate YouTube. Several young artists launched their careers by making a name for themselves on the web with distinctive videos unique in their genre.
You could open a channel of aerial videos, or one that mixes aerial footage with ground footage. You could even create a mini series with a common thread.
Some tips on YouTube videos:

1. create short clips that don't last more than two to three minutes (if they reach three minutes they must be really dynamic and exciting; three minutes is already a time limit on the web, especially when there is no dialogue).
2. Join YouTuber groups on Facebook and Twitter because it helps you increase views.
3. Embed the videos in posts on your blog.
4. Use Facebook to spread them but don't use it as your only sharing source. Having 1000 likes under your video on Facebook doesn't help you monetize your channel: the likes must be on YouTube, as must the views. Only then will you be able to start monetizing your channel through advertising

Create a web series

Again for video-making lovers, for people with a good imagination who aren't afraid to put themselves out there and be challenged, creating a video series could be an idea.

The world of drone pilots is still a niche, and finding a niche is precisely the key to success on the web. So, who will be the first to create the series titled 'DRONE PILOTS'?

Film and video making

If you have a passion for directing, start writing impactful storyboards that can advertise your skills as a filmmaker. The film industry has in fact realized that a drone capturing stable, high-resolution aerial footage is much cheaper than using cranes, dollies, tracks and other methods from a few years ago that are now almost prehistoric.

Surveying

Thanks to drones, all surveying, mapping and thermographic inspection activities have undergone, and are still undergoing, a true revolution. Nothing in this field will ever be the same again, and whoever gets there first (that is, whoever learns first and best to master the world of surveying with professional drones) will capture a share of the market that will only grow exponentially in the coming years.

Today, thanks to drones (and drone pilots), companies and private individuals can carry out very complex inspections with less manpower (two or three people at most), in less than half the time and with a negligible investment compared to the past.

Find out in detail how surveying is changing today thanks to drones.

In this field too, there are professional drones designed specifically for the purpose.

Smart agriculture

In the field of zero-impact agriculture, drones and agricultural mapping play a significant role. Any grower or farm that wants to go organic today needs to fertilise in a targeted way rather than indiscriminately, and to know well in advance about potential infections and problems affecting the soil and the crop itself.

All of this is done through drone inspections, connected to specific software that delivers results in real time.

Discover and learn more about the agricultural revolution brought by drones.

Advertising for luxury resorts and hotels

Advertising is the most popular field among drone pilots who want to supplement their income and among full-time photographers who want to diversify the services they offer to businesses. The trend of circulating aerial videos online that show the beauty not only of a property but above all of its surroundings and the environments around it comes from America and from Dubai.

Real estate sales

Watch this video from an American broadcaster to understand what we are talking about:

https://youtu.be/cEBzr5CiY8s

By now this practice is increasingly widespread in Italy too for the online promotion of

• estates
• country houses
• seaside villas
• chalets
• luxury timeshare properties

With the recovery of the real estate sector, the business of promotional real estate videos can only grow.

Of course, to do all this you need ENAC recognition and a licence issued by recognised bodies, such as Aerialclick.
Write to us for more information about our courses. (info@aerialclick.com)