Extreme Savings Challenge: Make Money by Blogging

I have taught several Blogging Bootcamp workshops in the past and decided to take a break from those this year and work on writing an eBook on the topic. However, in the last few days, I have had several people ask me how they can make money while blogging. I wrote a post on that and I wanted to bring it back up here for all to see. Blogging is an amazing way to be passionate and creative while also making money for your family. Don't be fooled though...it takes a heck of a lot of work.

{Make Money Blogging}

 If you are new to blogging or have no idea what a blog actually is, be sure to start here with my post, 'What's a Blog & How do I Start One?" Now, that we're all clear about what a blog is, we can talk about how to make money with one. As far as blogging goes, for me, it is more than a full time job and actually, I now have a couple of other people on here helping me too. You can catch a glimpse into my blogging life by reading this post, A Day in the Life.

There are several ways to make money blogging, of course, you do have to make sure your blog looks nice and provides valuable content. Then, there is the social media aspect of it all. A lot of work goes into a post and even more goes into a website. If you have managed to create a blog and have valuable content then you are off to a good start and are ready to start making money.

Here are a few money making methods to get you started....

1. Utilize Ad Networks: This means, make sure you are running ads on the sides, top or bottom of your website. Most are a 'pay per click or impression system.' To make that work, they must be ads that are valuable to your reader, do not just pick any ad you see. To make it easy, you can join networks like Adsense, Burst Media or other gather ads from affiliate networks such as CommissionJunction.com. Again, if they do not appeal to your audience then no one will actually click them. You also want to make sure nothing offensive finds its way onto your site either.

2. Sell Private Ads: This is much easier said than done. Once you have built a following, talk to small companies in your local area that would be a good fit for advertising. Be prepared to quote your Google Analytic stats though and also give them a reason as to why they would want to advertise. Many beginning bloggers trade ad space for actual items like manicures, food gift certificates, etc. I like money better than trading but it is up to you. Trading might be a good way to get your foot in the door.

3. Offer a Service: This is typically the main source of income for most bloggers. They might offer classes, personal coaching, consultations or even products like books or ebooks. Many times blogs or websites are used as a method to lead people to other products. This is a great way to make real money and turn your blog into a full time business just be sure you also have the means of offering good customer service too. Want to write an eBook? Check out BloggingWithAmy.com and learn how to write and distribute your eBook. I have written two so far and yep, I used Amy's site to do it.

4. Affiliate Marketing: This method relates to blogs that post about offers or specific products. Most major companies have 'affiliate' programs. This means if you are using your website to sell someone else's product, you get paid on those sales. Take Target for example, if you visit Target.com and scroll to the very bottom, you will see the word 'affiliate program.' You can click that and apply. Getting accepted to affiliate programs depends on your type of blog and how many visitors you receive each month. Don't lose heart if you get denied, you can always try again later.

You can do this easily by signing up for affiliate networks such as CommissionJunction.com or my favorite, EscalateMedia.com. Remember, it has to be valuable content to your reader and make sense for you to post about it. On this website, we have a full disclosure policy.  At the same time, no affiliate is ever posted just for monetary reasons, it is only posted to let our readers know of a good deal or service. Always stay true to your content.

5. Brand Promotion: Once you've established your own blog and have a committed group of readers, you can start utilizing brand promotions. That is, contact companies (or they will contact you as you grow) and help them promote their brands. This might be in the form of giveaways, reviews, twitter parties or other social media avenues. Some bloggers are compensated with cash and others with products. Again, this is only something you would want to do if it makes sense with your audience.

We love giveaways on our site so it makes sense for us to team up with companies for those. At the same time, there are companies I would not team up with as well. Use discretion and remember, it is your integrity and business on the line. There are also companies that help you do this like Collective Bias (Social Fabric).

These are common methods that will help you make money while you blog. Again, it takes work and many times, you have to go after it to get it. But, hands down, blogging is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life. It is an avenue for me to share what I love with other people and provide for my family too.

And, as an added bonus, blogging can be done at home, at Starbucks or even in the parking lot of your child's school...not that I've ever done that.

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