5 More Ways to Make Money Blogging

Hi everyone! I’m back with How to Make Money Blogging Part 2. If you missed the first installment, you can start here. There is one affiliate link which I have noted below.

When I posed the question Can You Really Make Money Blogging? my goal was to provide other bloggers with straightforward resources for monetization. The plan is to share fifteen, total over three blog posts. If you all would like more updates in the future, by all means let me know! Sharing is caring, after all. 😉

After reading 5 Ways to Make Money Blogging – Part I, a handful of you wrote in with some questions. I’ve combined them to streamline things a ibit:

Your How to Make Money Blogging Questions:

1) What about Blogging Groups? Are they really useful?
I do belong to blogging groups that provide sponsored post opportunities. Usually the group organizer is contacted and she’ll do a call for applications using a Google Docs form. I’ve gotten a few campaigns this way and blogging groups are also a great networking opportunity. You may join a few before you decide to stick with one and you may find one right away and love it. The biggest benefits to me are learning from others, the ability to ask questions, bouncing ideas off one another and getting different perspectives on various topics. A note: PLEASE, PLEASE be respectful of your group’s rules. And yes – read the rules! Feel free to drop me a line if you’d like more info on this; out of respect to the group organizers, I can connect you through an introduction rather than providing URL’s here. Update May 2020: Since I am not blogging so much these days, I can make some recommendations, but please note that I don’t really know anyone running these groups anymore.

2) How can I grow my numbers/followers, fast?
The straight answer to this question is that I really don’t know. While not all campaigns require a huge number of followers or readers, there are those that – well –they just do. I laughed the other day when I read that one brand wanted 100,000 Facebook followers for a social media campaign. There really isn’t one secret recipe. The thing that has worked best for me: doing giveaways and promoting them. My first ever giveaway was for a generous gift card and I think I had 36 entries. I was so bummed. I didn’t realize I had to spread the word! Giveaways help grow my following and most people will stick around to be on the lookout for the next one. I participated in an Instagram loop and gained hundreds of new followers in a matter of days. I know what you’re thinking: They don’t stay. Yes, I do lose followers once a giveaway is over; totally normal. A few people make up fake profiles to up their chances of winning and in the end they delete the profiles and it messes with numbers a bit. It’s a bummer, but you’ll get to the point it rolls off your back. One thing: For the love of cake, PLEASE DO NOT buy followers from places like Fiverr. Fiverr serves its purpose; align your chakras, don’t boost your numbers dishonestly. Brands will check to see if your followers are authentic, so if you’re tempted step away from the keyboard and look into some blog classes instead. I’ll list a few at the bottom of the post. Trial and error; remember what works for me may not work for you and vice-versa.

3) How long does it take to get a campaign?
This will depend on the affiliate/resource. With a site like IZEA the deadline dates for a brand to notify you of selection are given to you up front. In fact, most applications for any brand will list the date range. It could take a day or a couple of weeks. The average is a week, two tops, in my experience. There are cases where you’ll apply for something and two months later you’ll get an email after you’ve completely forgotten about it. Sometimes campaigns get held up. It happens. Roll with it – brands will thank you and remember you for your flexibility.

Feel free to keep sending your questions. I’ll be happy to answer them and if I don’t have the answer, I’ll try to get it for you.

And without further ado,

How to make money blogging – five more ways:

Advowire/HireInfluence – I started with this one quite a while ago and when they changed to a points system I moved away from it. Recently, I went back for another look and they have really changed things around. *affiliate link

• Set up your dashboard and connect your social media channels
• Everything is compensated on a points system
• You can earn gift cards using points or use points to promote your own content (I have done this and the reach is really good)
• You can sell your articles, participate in social media sharing and brands will also contact you directly for campaigns (in this case, you are paid in dollars instead of points)
• Social media shares are pre-written so all you have to do is click and you’re finished!
• There is a great calendar highlighting blog events and conferences
• It seems the minimum amount to claim gift cards and merchandise is 250 points

Acorn Influence – This is a new one for me. While they just happen to be in my neck of the woods, they work with bloggers all over the states. What I love about Acorn is they work with blogs of all sizes and they’re proud of it. They really seem to care about the right fit.

• Set up your account and dashboard – you’ll manually enter your social media numbers, so make sure you keep these up to date at least once a month
• Same goes for your blog – keep the number of views and unique visitors up to date
• Fill out the W9 form
• Wait for the campaigns to come in (I know waiting is the hard thing. We can do it together. I haven’t gotten a campaign yet, but I will be attending one of their events this week. I’m excited to learn more- stay tuned)
• Payment is rendered 60 days after the campaign ends – thanks to Jen at Injenious Life for the info on when payment is rendered

Activate by Bloglovin’– I also just recently joined this one. This used to be Sverve and they joined up with Bloglovin’ to bring influencers some great campaigns.

• Just like most, you’ll set up your profile. They work on a points system in regards to your level of influence – the more accounts you connect, the more points you receive. The higher the number of points, the greater your influence
• While the number of available campaigns doesn’t seem very high – the pay is. There is one available as of the date of this post for which you can apply and the pay is $1,000.00. Not shabby
• Payments seem to be made within thirty days; you have to cash them out via Paypal with the minimum balance for release of payment being $5.00

Mom It Forward – I joined Mom It Forward a couple of years ago. I love that they send emails with details on sponsored posts. You can apply if you want or just skip it if you don’t feel it’s a fit. Some of the brands do ask for higher social media counts and blog followers, so be prepared to see high numbers. I repeat: do not get discouraged. They do have something for everyone.

• They also have retreats for the whole family. You can find out more on the Retreats tab on the site
• There are opportunities to host events where you live and/or host Twitter parties (and yes, they’re paid)
• You can also participate in the #GNO Twitter parties and win prizes
• They offer a lot of printouts for bloggers to use as resources
• You’re generally paid within 30 days via check
• You do NOT have to be a mom, but obviously most of the campaigns are geared toward mothers

On a side note: I really love how supportive this community is.

Social Fabric aka Collective Bias – This is a new favorite that was recommended to me by a commenter on my last Make Money Blogging post. I.love.it. I applied a couple of weeks ago and I’m already seeing results. A HUGE thanks to Hannah from The Perfect Storm – a blog by two BFF’s for turning me onto this one!

• First, I recommend reading through their FAQ’s by clicking here
• Once you have it all down, go ahead and apply. You should hear back fairly quickly
• Once you’re accepted and you login you will see a grid with plenty of opportunities to choose from
• You can apply for as many campaigns as you choose (make sure they’re a fit for you and your blog)
• Remember not to take too much on. You want to do a thorough job. In other words, don’t spread yourself too thin!
• They pay via direct deposit net 30 days after the campaign and if you have to purchase a product to complete the post, they will direct deposit you the funds once you’ve been accepted

Okay, so you have where to make money blogging, now HOW do you grow your blog and following?

How to make money blogging – online classes to help:

Here are a few of those classes I mentioned. I am not affiliated with these sites in any way. These are just resources that work for me and I believe they could work for you, too. They range from free to an investment of up to a few hundred dollars:

• Wham Bam Instagram or anything by Caitlyn Bacher (Follow her on Facebook, too). Caitlyn also offers a free worksheet on her site
• Neely at It Starts With Coffee has some really good choices. I took one of her online courses and it was super laid back and casual. We could ask anything and she gave real deal information. There were those, “Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?” moments and I kid you not, I implemented her lessons and had three campaigns within a week. She gives you information you can start using right away
• Krystal has done such a beautiful job with Bloggers Get Social. For all of the information she provides, her Publish + Promote webinar is a bargain! She also has a FREE workbook available on her site. You can subscribe to her site and get it here
• And one that I have not done: – FREE; May 16-20, 2016 – The Profitable Blogging Summit. Business 2 Blogger is involved and they have some great resources

How to Make Money Blogging – Summing it Up

If there are any questions or you have a piece of advice on how to make money blogging, please don’t be shy! Leave them in the comments and I’ll see you next time! As always, thank you so much for being here!