This post has been on my to-write list for some time. In equal measures, I've wanted to write this post because I'm all for working smarter and not harder, but on the other hand I hardly ever talk about making money from blogging! But I think it's fair to say most of us want to make a success of blogging and have a slice of the pie when it comes to making money from it!
So here I am finally sitting down to write this post because I feel there's a lot to talk about and endless ways of boosting your income through blogging. All without figuring out how to bring more traffic to your blog, which can be a total minefield, read: headache.
Change up your Google Ad Placement
Now this one feels a bit like dusting cobwebs off an old book because I haven't had Google Adsense on my blog in years. But that's not to say it's not good... just I've found better ad agencies as my own page views have grown.
Presuming you have Google AdSense already installed on your blog I'm also going to presume you haven't ever changed up the placement of your ads... in like ever! It's easy to just keep them where they are, I know, I did. But then I read up on the best placement for ads. This is different for everyone but you want at least two ads above the fold (basically the part of your blog that can be seen before anyone scrolls down). You want also look at placing ads in your blog posts, especially revisiting blog posts that have done well and get traffic from say Google or Pinterest.
It really is all about testing where your ads perform best. It does take time to see if you per day revenue/clicks are increasing but if they are then great if not, time to change it up again!
Be More Affiliate Link Savvy
Affiliate links play a big part in how most blogs make money these days so again I'm going to presume you already use them. If you don't then I highly recommend you read this post to get an idea of what it's all about and a few affiliate programs to join.
Using affiliate links correctly can mean making hundreds of pounds each month instead of baring making enough to pay for a weekly coffee. My main piece of advice is to use affiliate links every time you write a blog post. My second piece of advice would be to go into the analytics of your main affiliate program to see which posts receive the highest amount of clicks and what people buy. This should help guide you in your affiliate strategy no end! Also if you are noticing you are doing well with a certain brand you can sometimes negotiate a higher commission rate with them through your affiliate program or you could consider including a display ad of your highest earning brand in the sidebar of your blog which should bring in some extra affiliate revenue.
Lastly, there's something to be said about the personal touch, both on your blog and social media. If you have bought something recently that you love, even if it's not fully related to your niche, shout about it! But remember don't be too spammy when it comes to sharing items you haven't bought but hope others will buy to get that extra bit of revenue - really make sure it is a balance!
Create a Professional-looking Media Kit
When brands or PR companies approach you wanting to collab on a blog post you want to look as professional as possible! This means no plucking figures out of thin air and writing a quick response on your lunch break. It means already having something to share with them that will detail your fees while also showing off your best stats and who you have worked with in the past.
If you are wondering how to go about creating a media kit then I'd highly suggest giving Canva a try, it's totally free to use and actually offer pre-made media kit templates that you can customise with ease! Alternatives for a small amount you can find professional media kits for sale via Etsy here. Once you have created your media kit I recommend downloading it as a PDF and having it to hand on your desktop so that you can send it over to brands when needed.
Know when to charge
Once you are set with a shiny media kit it's time to be brave and know when to charge for requested promotion on your blog! In the industry it's pretty common for brands to not mention a fee in hope that some bloggers will do the work for free, while others will request to be paid. I've totally been there and been got by this quite a few times, and let me tell you when you see that other bloggers have been paid for work you have just done for free it totally sucks! Although I think a lot of bloggers have been in the same situation it still remains totally stucky when it happens to you.
So I now follow my own basic guidelines which is if a brand or PR company is wanting me to post to a deadline, with specific key information or include a giveaway/promote a giveaway it's all within the realms of sponsored content. So I will reply showing that I'm interested however that I do charge for such posts and ask if they would like to see my media kit or sometimes I will even just attach it.
While this may seem daunting in the beginning this is a surefire way of boosting your income and getting paid where you deserve it.
Consider upping your Sponsored Post Rate
Feeling brave? Now it's time to tackle if you are underselling yourself when it comes to your sponsored post rate. On the whole from surveys I have seen and research done by fellow bloggers, I think most of us sell ourselves short. While being flexible is key you should come to a realistic figure you would like to be paid for a single sponsored post. How to get to this figure? I'm not going to lie, it is tricky, however, it should be based on the time the post/work will take you, your unique visits per month and DA score*.
However, if you seriously have no idea then turning to Google may help you, although be warned articles that suggest multiplying your Instagram followers with your unique visits and dividing it by the number of magnets you have on your fridge are often very unreliable and should be taken with a pinch of salt! Alternatively, when you are approached by a brand you could ask what kind of budget they have, and while some may still prefer to see a media kit with your own fees, some will be willing to share their rough per blogger spend which should give you more of an idea!
If you do feel your fees are too low you could also consider discussing it with other bloggers you know to get more of an idea and to gain a bit of confidence to slightly increase your fees!
*You can find out your DA score here.
RELATED POST: A No-BS Guide To Making Money As A Blogger
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While increasing your blog traffic inevitably will bring more possible ways of increasing your income/side income, I hope this blog post has shown there are ways to increase it with a few simple tweaks.
If you have any questions about anything I have mentioned here feel free to ask away in the comments and I will get back to you!
Fee xo.
