This is a topic that comes up a lot for bloggers, and having done this for a while now, I thought I’d share my two cents (perhaps quite literally). It has become a common perception that you can make a lot of money from blogging, but this isn’t really the case – at least, not for the majority of bloggers. It costs money to buy a domain and host a website, let alone to try all of the things you plan to review or blog about. So where does that money come from – and how can you make a little extra cash?
I’m sharing a few of my tips here today, allowing you to understand where I make a little extra cash and how. First off, I’m a freelance writer and photographer, so I have an income which is steady from those sources. These tips won’t support you fully, but they are a great way to earn a little pocket money.
Use your blog
The first thing to do is to monetize your blog. You can do sponsored posts and reviews, but normally only when you have a more established blog which companies are willing to pay to get featured on. In the meantime, you can look at options like adverts and affiliate codes. I host affiliate ads from Amazon on my sidebar – if anyone buys something through my link, that’s some cash in my pocket. There are lots of sites that offer this kind of service, so find something that fits well with your site and theme.
Use your skills
You can also earn spare change by doing reviews – that’s what you enjoy doing anyway, right? Sites like Slice The Pie allow you to earn a small amount per review, but they only take a couple of minutes each and you can make a withdrawal every time you hit $10. Wait until items are offered at bonus cash levels – this can bring in up to $0.30 a review, meaning you only have to do 4 to get over $1.
You can also answer surveys over at Prolific Academic. Most of them pay pretty well and you also know that you’re helping with important research, which feels great!
If you have a certain service that you’re good at – like writing blog posts, creating reviews, or even making graphic elements – you can sell it on sites like Fiverr.com. I personally do a lot of graphic design there, as it’s something I can do fast and I feel is worth $5. I don’t offer blog posts there simply because I think my work is worth more than that, so bear this in mind if you are thinking of joining up.
If you are a crack shot with a camera, you can consider making photographs to sell as stock. Try PicFair – they have great rates for photographers and are an up-and-coming stock site. I sell my stock there too! Anything that doesn’t make the cut for your blog posts, so long as it doesn’t contain logos or other trademarks, can be sold as stock instead of just wasted.
