A question that I’m asked quite often – “how do you make money from blogging?”, and a question that I’m always happy to talk about. Honestly, there are no secrets. We are here to help each other and I think it’s great to encourage others to make the most out of the internet and all these fantastic platforms that we part of.
Whether you’ve recently started a blog and have been wondering how you could monetise it or you haven’t started a blog but have always wanted to and are wondering the same, today is your lucky day! Plus, for some extra knowledge, I’m accompanied by Ad Lab Adobe Magento eCommerce Agency in London, who work closely with bloggers for a variety of marketing campaigns.
Affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing will be your best friend. I mean, who doesn’t love some passive income whilst promoting the products you love to use? There are a variety of affiliate programmes you can apply for, including Amazon Associates, where you share products with a custom link and if people purchase those products with your link, you can earn a commission. Sounds great, right? As Pretty Big Butterflies mentions, “Affiliate links can also be used in other platforms, so if you have a large social media following, make sure to promote your favourite products using those special links!”
Note: Don’t forget to disclose that you are using affiliate links to your audience!
Print on demand dropshipping.
In the ever-evolving world of online commerce, print on demand (POD) dropshipping has emerged as another lucrative way for bloggers to monetise their platform. In essence, POD allows you to design custom t-shirts, mugs, posters, shoes, backpacks and then sell them without the need to maintain an inventory. When a customer places an order, the product is created and shipped directly by the third-party provider, while you pocket the difference between the cost of production and the selling price.
For bloggers, this presents an incredible opportunity to sell branded merchandise or designs related to their niche. For instance, if you run a fitness blog, think of motivational quotes on workout tees; or if you’re into book blogging, how about quote bookmarks or tote bags? The beauty of POD is its scalability and minimal upfront cost. Services like Printify, Teespring, and Merch by Amazon can be easily integrated with most blogging platforms.
Moreover, promoting these products can be seamlessly integrated into your content strategy. Let’s say you write a post on “10 best winter reads,” at the end of the article, you could feature a cozy branded blanket or a mug to accompany those winter reading sessions.
However, like any business model, it’s crucial to ensure product quality, create appealing designs, and promote them effectively. It’s also a good practice to order a sample before promoting to your audience to ensure quality assurance. With the right strategy, print on demand dropshipping can not only enhance your brand identity but also provide a consistent revenue stream.
Shout about your wins.
Show off your metrics, shout out about your engagement – what you do is great and brands want to be part of it. So, shout about it, don’t be shy! Create a tab on your blog dedicated to why brands should work with you – followers, engagement, the whole shebang. If you don’t want to make certain metrics public, you can always have a “request a media pack” button for brands that want this specific information to get in touch.
The team at Ad Lab also recommend partnering up with other creators to further create awareness for your brand and everything you offer on your blog. A great way to promote yourself is to join podcasts that talk about related topics, like Ad Lab’s director David Newman who went on James Sinclair’s business podcast to talk about how he turned £5,000 into £50,000 by harnessing Google.
Then, if a brand thinks that your blog would work perfectly with the product they sell, they will get in touch. Alternatively, if you think that a certain brand would be perfect to partner up with, get in touch with them! Shoot your shot, you never know.
Sell your skills.
You might already have a variety of different skills that you can offer others or perhaps, after years of writing on your blog, you’ve gained skills that you didn’t have before but that could be useful to others. Either way, if you want some extra cash, make sure to promote the skills you have. As Twin Mummy and Daddy ask in this recent blog post, “Perhaps you are bilingual, why not do some translating work? Maybe you are an expert in a particular field, why not teach?” See what type of skills you can offer, and promote them!
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