Blogging is a taxing job. Whether you’re in it to share your mind to the world or to simply help your chosen niche, it definitely isn’t easy. The amount of time and effort you put into blogging is no joke. Creating content that is both informative and engaging is hard work. One has to be innovative, resourceful, and creative in order to stay afloat in this ever-competitive industry. In addition to that, every blogger has to continuously grow and learn the ways of the internet, breathe and live on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and cope with social media trends. With all these things attributed to being a blogger, do I get anything in return other than good words and fulfillment? If you’re asking whether I earn money from blogging, then the answer is a resounding Yes! Here are 6 Ways I Earn From My Blog.
1. Google AdSense
This is the most common way to monetize a blog. Sure, there are a lot of ad networks out there but for me, AdSense tops them all. It has a wide coverage and offers quality ads. It is user-friendly and has a range of ways to beautifully incorporate ads to my website. And the best thing is, I have been earning quite a decent amount monthly ever since my blog started receiving good traffic/views, most commonly from search engines. I started with only $35 in my first month after getting approved in 2015 and it gradually grew until the threshold of $100 a month became a not so difficult task anymore. I haven’t cracked the secret to AdSense yet but I’m quite happy with what I’m getting, especially that the only thing I need to do is to continue doing what I love.
October to December are pretty slow months for my blog but I still managed to generate more than $100 each month.2. Affiliate/Influencer Programs
Long before I got approved for AdSense, I have already signed up for numerous affiliate programs but I chose to run only a few of them on my blog recently. Being an affiliate lets me earn a commission for every sale driven from my website. There are tons of affiliate marketing platforms around but I only found a few to be a good fit for my site. Other than having a great commission scheme, I run programs that I personally use and swear by such as Agoda, Klook, Zaful, and SafetyWing. Affiliate programs are a good alternative if you encounter challenges being approved for AdSense. They are also very flexible as they can be incorporated in my blog through links, images, and banners.
Another well-paying platform I just found out is Intellifluence. This platform connects you directly to brands. I usually apply for campaigns and once approved, I work on the deliverables and get paid after. Deliverables range from blog posts, social media posts and reviews, link placements, etc. Recently, they have enabled influencers to be able to offer their services to make it easier to connect to brands, instead of waiting for offers to come in.
3. Press Releases & Advertorials
At first, I was hesitant about accepting press releases and advertorials because I was scared of the backlash it might cause my SEO. But as soon as offers came pouring in via email, I finally decided to give it a go. Turns out, it is one of the easiest ways to earn from my blog. Normally, marketing outreach agents would come to me and ask to publish ready-made articles containing information about a product launch or new services being offered. Other times, it is simply an article containing links to certain products and services.
Although accepting press releases and advertorials earns me an easy $100-$125/article, I still make it a point to check whether they are up to my standards or if they are thematic to my website as well as beneficial to my readers. The article should also pass plagiarism checks and should not contain spammy links. These articles also contain a disclaimer as specified by Google.
4. In-Content Link Placement
Link building is another form of online marketing and is a very common practice in SEO. What happens is that a website of the same niche or interest would seek to have a link from my blog to his site in exchange for a fee. Normally, bloggers do this by contributing guest posts but other times, they are just more than willing to shell out a small amount to get a link from my existing blogs. I usually charge $75/link with one-year validity but if the client is placing two or more links on two different posts, I consider lowering down the fee to $50/link.
5. Sponsored Content
These are posts I write for clients but with my personal touch. The creative control and the words are all mine. I also refuse to employ bias just because I’m being paid. This may be another form of advertisement but I make sure the content is still as honest and credible as it gets. This doesn’t require experiencing the products and/or services. Most of the time, the client would just send a key phrase and a link and I would just write a normal blog around it and voila! instant $200 or sometimes way more if the client feels being generous or finds a lot of value from my content.
6. Brand Collaboration
Working with brands and businesses is one of my favorites. I usually just receive offers to review a product, go to events, or receive services. Other than obtaining products and experiencing the services they offer, I’m also being paid a blogger’s fee in exchange for a blog on my website or a post on social media or both. These collaboration offers don’t come too often. I’d be lucky to get at least four invites in a year but they pay really well.
A collaboration with Huawei during their P9 series launch.Recently, the blogging industry was then again shaken by rebuke from the online community calling us freeloaders. This has been a struggle we’ve been trying to overcome for a long time. Now, as a blogger myself, I don’t see anything wrong with pitching partnership/collaboration offers to businesses as long as you have the numbers to back it up. I personally don’t do it at the moment because although I somehow have a strong presence in search engines, my social media game is still a work in progress. I have a decent following but I lack engagement which is more important to generate a more favorable result for the brand or business I’m working with. Plus, I’m already getting enough work from my blog that I don’t feel the need for it at this time.
I think the most important thing to consider other than having the numbers and the influence as leverage is carefully choosing the businesses or brands to send offers to. It’s difficult but with good research, it might still work out. I also hope brands and businesses would have an open mind about influencer marketing and other online marketing methods. Simply refuse or ignore any offer you find not useful and refrain from resorting to shaming and cyberbullying.
There you have it lovelies! I hope you find this post useful. If you are planning to put your creativity online, now is the best time to do it. The potential of earning from your blog is pretty limitless but I hope it does not become your sole purpose or priority. Quality content is still what gets you far. Ayt. Feel free to share this with your friends. Until next time. Ciao!
