I feel like talking about making money on your blog is still kind of a bit of a taboo, but I don’t really care. I want to share with y’all exactly how to monetize your lifestyle blog…because contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be racking in hundreds of thousands of pageviews to do so, I promise. I personally started truly monetizing last August after about 7 months of blogging when I only had like 2,500 pageviews each month…so you truly don’t need that many pageviews to get started with the monetization process. Now without further ado, here are my tips and tricks on how to monetize your lifestyle blog.
Monetize Your Lifestyle Blog
Affiliates
The very first way that I started monetizing my blog was by using affiliate marketing. It’s quick and easy and requires minimal work on your part. I first started out using ShopStyle Collective because there’s no specific requirements to be able join and they are partnered with a plethora of different stores so it’s super easy to find all the items in one place.
ShopStyle offers commission on a pay per click (PPC) basis so as long as someone clicks on the link, you will make a little bit of money. If someone purchases from your link, you will make even more commission. On ShopStyle, you can find everything from fashion to home décor and more.
I am currently using RewardStyle as my main affiliate program in conjunction with a few smaller affiliate programs. You have to apply to become a member of RewardStyle but once you get in, you’ll be so happy that you did! You earn a certain commission if someone purchases through your link. You don’t earn any money from clicks but you can typically earn money a lot quicker than you do on ShopStyle if your readers frequently purchase from your links and not just click to see where the product is from and move on. Being a part of RewardStyle also gives you access to LiketoKnowIt which is an Instagram based platform that lets people shop your outfit directly from the link you provide which is very helpful since they can get your outfit details sent straight to their email inbox. Although people don’t buy from me through my Instagram as much, it’s still a nice tool to have access to.
Other affiliate programs: ShareASale, CommissionJunction, and Raukten
Sponsored Posts
Another great way to monetize your lifestyle blog is through various sponsored posts. My first official sponsored post was in August 2015 and since then, I have been getting a few opportunities each month. Sponsored posts are a little harder to come by because you have to pitch yourself with a unique idea to the brand in order to be selected for the post which isn’t as easy as it sounds. Sometimes I will think my pitch is awesome, but I won’t end up getting accepted to the campaign. There are also other requirements that different brands look for such as pageviews, social media followers, and overall engagement and reach. It can be a little disheartening to not get selected for those opportunities, but keep on trying. Different blogger networks pay out different amounts depending upon the post requirements, but I usually make at least $150-200 per post if not more which isn’t bad side income if you ask me. Some networks will also do sponsored Instagram posts as well and lately I’ve been getting 75$ or more just for one Instagram post which is awesome!
I have never actually pitched myself to a brand before, but that’s definitely an option if you’re looking to work with brands beyond what the different blogger networks have to offer. This is something that I plan to start doing in the future since not every brand works with influencer networks so you will expose yourself to more potential opportunities if you reach out on your own.
My current favorite blogger networks to find sponsored posts are Acorn Influence, Influence Central, Collectively, and PRIMP.
Although I don’t meet the pageview requirements for these blogger networks, I have also heard good things about Pollinate and Clever Girls. Hopefully someday I will be able to utilize their networks but until then, I will keep plugging along and working to bring up my pageviews.
Ad Networks
A third way to monetize your blog is by displaying ads on your site. From December-February I used Google AdSense which is alright when you’re first starting out but I was making like $5 each month so I eventually applied for Mode Media and got accepted and then made the switch to using their ads. As you may have heard, Mode Media recently went out of business so I am unsure if I will work with another ad network at this point in time because I don’t know if the money is worth it – we will see. Although it’s fairly difficult to monetize your blog using solely ad networks, if you have a lot of traffic, and I mean A LOT of traffic, displaying ads on your site will be beneficial. I’m not saying it’s going to bring in loads of cash, but any extra money is helpful, don’t you agree?
Create Your Own Product
Have a topic that you’re super knowledgable about that you want to share with the world? Then create your own product and market it to your audience. You can create an eBook, an e-course, or even a physical product like a planner or jewelry. These ideas all take a little more time and effort, but it’s still a great way to make a little more income through your blog and is something I am currently working on for my own blog and can’t wait for it to be time to reveal it to y’all.
You can also start offering your own services like blog strategy or social media consulting to increase your overall income – which is another something I will be doing over the next few months.
There you have it – how to monetize your lifestyle blog. If you’ve already started monetizing your blog, what have been your favorite ways to do it? Please feel free to let me know down in the comments.
