Are you looking for sure ways to monetize your blog year round?

Monetizing your blog is important! Truly money is not the reason I blog, let me just clarify that but we have a family to feed. I wish I could say that blogging is my hobby and I love blogging but as a stay-at-home mom now, blogging has become my full-time job! If you are a mom blogger like me, you know that blogging takes A LOT of time and hard work, doesn’t it?

Monetize Your Blog Year Around
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I was beyond blessed to begin my blogging career being coached by one of my favorite homeschool bloggers and my personal friend, Rebecca Spooner at Hiphomeschoolingblog.com. Rebecca personally coached me on my first-month blogging and taught me all I needed to know to start monetizing my blog right away.

I tell you how I’ve been making money blogging since the beginning and how you can monetize your blog too!

Here are 7 Best & Sure Ways To
Monetize Your Blog Year Round

1 – Monetize Your Blog With Blog Sponsorship

I was really blessed to have a blog sponsor since my second month and that covered all I spent and invested on my blog. Finding the right sponsor for your blog will bring in $200+ every month in. During a blog party month, my sponsorship rates go up because my traffic go insanely up and traffic pours in! So make sure you adjust your price according to the season!

Here is what I offer to my blog sponsors:

  • an initial blog post review and an updated review if sponsorships last more than three consecutive months,
  • a live broadcast review on Periscope and/or Facebook Live,
  • one e-blast (two on your first month),
  • in post advertisement,
  • prime ad space at the primary sidebar (350×350 ad),
  • a banner above the fold on the right top of the home page,
  • a 200×200 ad space in my weekly newsletter (sent every day during blog party host month),
  • plus several social media shares and “shout outs” throughout the month.

Don’t be afraid of pitching to companies you believe are a perfect match for your blog! If you are a new blogger, just because your numbers are still not that high, doesn’t mean your sponsor won’t see you for your potential. Mine did!!

So go ahead, fearlessly and pitch! No matter how many NOs you will get, one YES will come! 😉 Believe me!

TIP: If you don’t have a Work With Me or Hire Me page yet, go create one as soon as you can! Also, create your Media Kit to have it handy when a client asks for it.

EXTRA TIP: Keep an eye on your social media channels, Google Analytics, and Alexa score to keep your progress and stats updated in your Work With Me and Media Kit.

2 – Monetize Your Blog By Offering Your Services

You can make money reviewing products, advertising on your blog, writing sponsored posts, etc. Check out my Work With Me page!  You can see how much I charge for some of my services here.

I love reviewing products and I have been successful in promoting products I love that have been benefiting our lives! Here is what one of my clients have to say about working with me:

13239400_10208512983955636_4980153759968300188_nAna Willis reviewed my new language arts curriculum, Grammar Galaxy. To say she was enthusiastic is an understatement! She promoted it on all her social media platforms and her blog and has continued to drive sales. Can’t recommend working with Ana enough.

– Melanie Wilson, http://www.grammargalaxybooks.com

TIP: Always ask your clients for an honest review of your work (for your own evaluation) and a testimonial you can share on your blog! Social proof is the best way to build your name, brand and your credibility.

3 – Monetize Your Blog Using Your Expertise to Create & Sell Your Own Products

What are you excellent at that you could offer your expertise as a consultant? Or perhaps you can use that expertise to write your own e-book about it, teach on an e-course or a paid webinar?

I have grown my blog insanely fast by hosting well-designed blog parties since the beginning and often I had other bloggers coming and asking me how I did it. So I saw a need and an opportunity to create my first product!

My first e-course Grow Your Blog Partying in 30 Days is where I will be sharing ALL the details of a successful and an effective blog party! How to network with other bloggers in your niche, how to carefully and intentionally design a blog party to attend the needs of your readers and how to grow your blog traffic up to 10x through blog parties.

Monetize Your Blog
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Here is what two bloggers who have participated in my blog parties say about my expertise on the subject!

14509180_1168357349874210_1716402973_n“When it comes to blog parties Ana knows her stuff. With the 31 Reasons We Love Homeschooling blog party, she went from newbie to pro-blogger in what seemed like overnight! Ana has rocked her blog parties every single time. Not to mention she can help you make it happen.1 If you are looking for a way to connect with other bloggers, add great content to your blog and drive more traffic your way, this course can totally help.”– Forest Rose 7 year blogger at KingdomFirstHomeschool.com

 

“Ana’s idea of blog parties has transformed how I look at blogging both as a professional blogger and Virtual Assistant. I’ve learned to not look at other bloggers as competition but as allies and collaborators to grow my blog1. If you’re looking to take your blog to the next level you will want to take this course.” – Amanda Long from Timesavingmom.com and AmandaLongVa.com

 

TIP: Social proof here again! If you are lacking confidence in launching your own first product, ask your closer friends to give you an honest review about it.

Here are some great examples how bloggers are monetizing by using their expertise and creating their own online products:

Crystal Paine from MoneySavingMom.com has created phenomenal courses using her years of expertise to help moms save money, organize their lives by focusing on their goals and priorities, creating efficient routines so they can be more productive, and grow their blogs successfully!

Crystal has also written life changing books, such as Money-Making Mom, Say Goodbye To Survival Mode and other e-books and products you can check out here.

Abby Lawson from JustAGirlAndHerBlog.com has used her vast blogging expertise to create an ebook and e-course that has impacted tremendously how I blog.

Monetize Your Blog
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My friend Heather Bowen from lifeofahomeschoolmom.com has an amazing expertise in growing her email list. In only nine months, Heather grew her list from 700 subscribers to over 70,000 subscribers, was consistently receiving over 500,000 monthly page views, and was making $10,000-$20,000 each month. How amazing and inspiring is that?!

Currently, she is on the brink of 100,000 subscribers, nearly one million page views each month, and has more than tripled her income. Now talk about expertise in a subject!

Heather is launching Building an Effective Email List e-Course! I have just signed up for this e-course today as she is having a pre-sell and offering 40% off if you sign up before 11/25. When you sign up make sure to tell her I sent you her way! Just type my name ANA WILLIS in the Order Notes section at checkout, will you? 😉

Monetize Your Blog
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4 – Monetize Your Blog Using Affiliate Links

I bet you have seen all the ads on my sidebars and in a post too. Affiliate links can work wonders and bring in pretty good money every month or can be a waste of space in your prime real estate spots in your blog. So, whatever has been on your sidebar forever and never made you a penny, it’s time to take it off. Keep only what sells! (I’m due for a clean up as well!) Leave the other affiliate links for mentions in your evergreen posts.

Here is an example of a blog post with affiliate links that did very well for me and continues to generate sales:

Organize Your Homeschool
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My #1 affiliate income comes from Share-A-Share! Yes, that is where my biggest chunk of income comes from every month. They have tons of companies you can choose from and pick to work with – choose the ones you love and fit your niche! It takes a bit of hit and miss until you find the ones that give you more returns. I have one company in particular that gives me about 80-90% of all my affiliate income, so that’s the one I want to invest my time promoting.

Monetize Your Blog with Share-A-Sale
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TIP: Share and do not sell!! Your readers follow you because they identify with you and like similar things. Share what you use and love ONLY! I refuse to promote resources that I wouldn’t use myself. In fact, I just turned down two major campaigns for this reason but hey, at the same time I was offered a campaign by a company that we love using their program in our homeschool and I am beyond happy with the return I’m getting!

You can also use Commission Junction, Rakuten (Linkshare) and others.

5 – Monetize Your Blog With Refer & Earn Programs

Another resource I HIGHLY recommend to make money from is Ebates! Ebates has a refer & earn program plus cash back on all your online purchases! It’s insanely good. As a blogger, in the long haul, you can earn up to $25.000!

monetize your blog
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If you blog about homeschool, parenting, educational games, toys etc, Educents has a fantastic refer & earn program as well!

Monetize Your Blog
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6 – Monetize Your Blog Using Twitter

Did you know you can make money on Twitter?? This is my new discovery and I am so glad I found this out through my friend Saira Perl from momresource.com. Saira has a course called Twitter Legend where she teaches you step-by-step how to grow your twitter audience and get paid to tweet, seriously! You can sign up for her FREE mini-course here:

Complete Twitter Legend course
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7 – Monetize Your Blog With Linqia

Saira has also taught me about Linqia. Perfect for bloggers who love writing reviews and promoting products through their blogs and social media channels! Linqia will hook you up with the perfect campaigns for your blog from big companies! My first offer was to promote a Nestle product.

Here are the criteria Linqia looks for in influencers:

  • The primary channel is a blog, forum, Facebook, or YouTube.
  • Have 2,500+ visitors or followers on Facebook or Twitter.
  • Demonstrate healthy engagement from members.
  • Focused on fashion, lifestyle, parenting, millennials, home decor, active living, travel, food, and wedding.
  • The audience is primarily based in North America.

Well, that’s it! I have given you my 7 best and sure ways to monetize your blog year round. There are many other ways as well but these are my #1s! Make sure you go ahead and sign up for these money-making resources! You have nothing to lose and all to earn. 😉 Better to start now!


YOUR TURN: From the different resources you learned about here, which ones will you start implementing now to monetize your blog? I would love to hear from you!! Leave me a comment below! Be SUPER blessed!!