💰 I tested 12 platforms. Only 3 made me money.

Everyone asks me the same question:

"What platform should I start my online business on?"

Fair question. Wrong approach.

Because most people pick a platform, spend 6 months building, and make $0.

Then they blame the platform.

I tested 12 different platforms over 18 months.

Only 3 made me consistent money.

Let me save you the trial and error.

The platform doesn't matter as much as you think.

What matters is:

Most platforms are great for attention. Terrible for income.

You need both.

Here's what worked. And more importantly, why.

What I use them for:
Building an audience and driving traffic to my offers.

Why they work:
Short-form content is the fastest way to grow in 2025. Period.

Instagram Reels and TikTok are printing followers for people who understand the algorithm.

You can go from 0 to 10,000 followers in 60 days if you post consistently.

My results:

The catch:
These platforms are for audience building, not direct sales. You need to drive people somewhere else to make money.

Best for:
Beginners who need an audience fast. Content creators. Faceless brands.

What I use them for:
Selling digital products directly to my audience.

Why they work:
These are "link in bio" storefronts. One link. Multiple products. Clean checkout.

No website needed. No complicated funnels. Just products and payment processing.

I use Stan Store. It's simple, mobile-friendly, and built for creators.

My results:

The catch:
You need traffic. These platforms don't bring you customers. You bring them.

Best for:
Anyone selling digital products (guides, templates, courses, prompts). Perfect for creators who don't want to mess with WordPress or Shopify.

What I use it for:
Converting followers into buyers. Over and over.

Why it works:
Social media is rented land. The algorithm controls everything.

Email is yours. Nobody can take it away.

When I post on Instagram, 5-10% of my followers see it.

When I email my list, 30-40% open it.

And email subscribers convert 10x higher than social followers.

My results:

The catch:
You need to build the list first. And you need to email them consistently (at least weekly).

Best for:
Anyone serious about making consistent income. This is where the real money is.

Let me save you time.

YouTube Long-Form:
Great for authority. Terrible for beginners. Takes 6+ months to see results. Too slow.

Twitter/X:
Good for networking. Hard to monetize unless you're selling high-ticket services.

Pinterest:
Works for certain niches (recipes, fashion, home decor). Not great for business content.

LinkedIn:
Amazing if you're B2B or selling services. Dead for most other niches.

Facebook:
Older demographic. Declining organic reach. Not worth it unless you're running ads.

Medium:
Good for writers. Monetization is weak. Hard to own your audience.

Etsy:
Great for physical products. Doesn't make sense for digital products anymore.

Shopify:
Overkill if you're just selling digital products. Expensive. Complicated.

Here's what I actually do:

Step 1: Build audience on Instagram + TikTok
Post 1-2 short-form videos daily. Drive traffic to my link in bio.

Step 2: Monetize with Stan Store
One link. All my products. Simple checkout.

Step 3: Capture emails
Offer a free lead magnet (my 10 free ChatGPT prompts). Build my email list.

Step 4: Nurture and sell via email
Send 3-4 value emails per week. 1 sales email per week.

That's it.

Content → Traffic → Products → Email → Revenue.

Simple. Repeatable. Scalable.

Stop overthinking.

Ask yourself 3 questions:

1. Where is my audience hanging out right now?
If they're on TikTok, go there. If they're on LinkedIn, go there.

2. What type of content can I create consistently?
Short-form video? Instagram/TikTok.
Long-form writing? Email/Medium.
Visual content? Pinterest/Instagram.

3. What am I selling?
Digital products? Stan Store + Email.
Services? LinkedIn + Email.
Physical products? Shopify + Instagram.

Match your audience, your strengths, and your offer.

Then go all in on that combination.

People try to be everywhere.

Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest.

They post once a week on each platform and wonder why nothing works.

Stop.

Pick 2 platforms max.

Master those. Then expand.

I ignored YouTube for 12 months. Focused only on Instagram, TikTok, Stan Store, and Email.

Made $37k.

Once that system worked, I added YouTube.

Depth beats width every single time.

Stop researching platforms.

Pick one for traffic (Instagram or TikTok).

Pick one for monetization (Stan Store or Gumroad).

Start building your email list from day one.

Post daily for 30 days and see what happens.

You'll learn more in 30 days of doing than 6 months of planning.