So without much ado I thought I’d tell you just how to make money blogging.

The first thing you have to know is you must be passionate about what you are writing about. That first year you’ll be lucky to make $300. That’s not a lot. This is when people give up. If you have the time to blog and the desire then you can make money at it. Here’s where I make my money.

1. Sponsored Posts- What’s a sponsored post? That’s when an advertiser (sponsor) contacts you and wants you to write about their business. Here’s a great example of a sponsored post. The reason sponsors will contact you are: Good page rank. My pagerank is a 2 and that’s when you start getting sponsored posts. This means google thinks I’m reputable as a blogger. The higher the pagerank the more money you make. You need a good Alexa rank too. My alexa rank as of today is 7015 (that means my website is ranked lower than 7014 blogs (which in the scheme of the internet is pretty big and a great score to have.) These are things you have to work on improving to get these sponsored opportunities. But you can do it.

2. Google Ads are placed in my sidebar. These ads are strategically placed so that you might want to click on them. That click earns me money. I make right now about $100/every 2 months (which isn’t a lot)! You don’t get paid until you hit payout and payout is $100.

3. Amazon ads. I am considered an amazon affiliate. I then blog about items you might need for gardening, Easter (here’s an example), etc and if you remember something you wanted from Amazon you might click the link and buy something. When you do I get a percentage. It’s not a lot but I make money every month with Amazon. There’s no getting rich quick in this scenario. But it’s fun and I love to write about gardening so I enjoy this!

4. Affiliate marketing I have a coupons widget on my site. If you print your coupons from me I get a small amount. (I can’t remember a dime for every coupon maybe?) Every little bit adds up though. Other people share all kinds of deals all day long. If you were to click a link about a great deal on a magazine from another blogger they might make a few dollars. I don’t like that kind of affiliate marketing as I feel it’s too repetitive for the readers. I don’t want to follow people who send out posts every 15 minutes with a coupon deal in it. But that’s just me. Others might enjoy those and want them and will happily follow them.

5. Product reviews: I don’t normally receive any money doing product reviews but I do get to keep the products. I’ve also gotten to take some nice vacations because of this. They’ll give us the room and board and a few shows for me to blog about the fun my family had there. And boy is it so much fun to travel with our little family. Video reviews are popular now too and that’s a great way to attract sponsors.

6. Giveaways Sometimes companies want access to my readers to expand their reader base. So they might pay me to run a giveaway for them. I’ve only done this a few times but as long as it’s a product I believe in I’m happy to do it for them. I would never, for instance, blog for Monsanto in any way shape or form. The products you see on my blogs are personal items I believe in. If I don’t believe in them or feel they are a good match for my readers I most definitely pass them up. I’ve said no before and I’m sure I will again. I do not rent or sell your names or email addresses ever. Your privacy is safe with me. The only access they have is when the blog post goes out to people who subscribe or see it on twitter or facebook. You will never be emailed from one of my sponsors (unless you win a prize that you entered from a giveaway).

Blogging does make money but it takes time and dedication.

For instance, last year I made $24000 which I claimed with Uncle Sam. That’s not a ton of money but it’s a start. This year I’m hoping to break the 40k mark and have plans to do it and make that happen! So, if you love to write then begin a blog and go for it. It’s a great way to work a flexible job and make an income. Come back next week and I’ll tell you how to start your own blog! Thanks for reading!