Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Behind the Scenes: Blogging Affiliates



**Blogging Affiliates**

Behind the scenes, I've tried to monetize my blog. It's what you do with a blog, right? Bloggers write because they love it. They share meaningful posts full of information for their readers because they want to become an authority on their topic. At the end of the day, bloggers would like to make a little bit of money for providing valuable information.

Not many bloggers will live off the income from a blog's advertising, affiliate links or whatever. At the very least, they want to feel like they're doing something worthwhile and make a few pennies in the process.

I removed the random ads from the blog recently. Not because I'm an artiste who doesn't want to sully her art with something as pedestrian as advertisements. (Can you feel me rolling my eyes? They almost fell out onto my desk!) The reason is because I'd like to control what I advertise. Books, reading, creativity. Those are the things I'd like to advertise on my blog because it feels like those qualities speak to my niche.

Instead of random ads that may or may not appeal to readers of my blog, I've added in some specific affiliates that will add value.



Createspace is a great resource for self-publishers who want to put their work out there in print. I'll be using it when I publish my short novel.





Books-A-Million has thousands of discount books for people who love to read. That can be a help to voracious readers who can't afford to read expensive books. I am always searching for inexpensive books because I read a book every few days on average. (Lately it's been a book a week. Shame on me.)





I've also chosen CanStock Photo. I've checked out a ton of photo sites. They have a very attractive package; 70 photos for $40. That's the lowest I've seen for quality photos. The only hiccup I had was picking 70 pictures! You have to download 10 pictures a day for 7 days. I'd suggest choosing most of your pictures in advance.


I'm waiting for one more affiliate to approve me. I'm so excited about this one, and it figures it's the last one to leave me hanging! I'll let you all know when I hear from them.

Do you struggle to monetize your blog? What tips would you suggest for new bloggers like myself?

**The pictures imbedded in the post are not affiliate links. You can find those links on the right hand side. If you're interested in what they sell, consider clicking the link so I can make a few pennies.**

17 comments:

  1. I am always working on what to do to monetize my blog. I will love to hear others feed back. I am also going to be using Createspace for my book. I just have not put the time over there to start it yet. Shame on me I know!

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    1. I'd love to hear about your experience once you start the process with Createspace. Let us all know how it goes!

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  2. I'm working on this monetizing thing, too. Not the simplest of things to do, either, but you've made some great choice here!

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    1. Thanks! I feel like they're a better fit with my theme/niche thing. I'm not sure if it's the right way to go yet but I feel good about it. We'll see!

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  3. I'm interested in the createspace and BAM for my personal use. Now I know where to go (here) when I sign up! :)
    I'm actually interested in hearing what others have to say on this topic too.

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    1. Fantastic! *points randomly to the right side of the blog* Feel free to click one of those links!

      I hope someone with knowledge shows up and throws some wisdom into the blog comments, too!

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  4. I'm in the process of growing my blog and monetizing. I've been using Google adsense but need to do more than that. Thanks for sharing the resources you've found.

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    1. You're welcome! Good luck with Adsense. It's supposed to be the big daddy of all the options.

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  5. Greetings, MIssy! I'm visiting from the Ultimate Blog Challenge. This business of affiliate links is very important! I've been looking for a few appropriate ones for my business. Thanks for the ideas!

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    1. You're welcome. Thanks for swinging by!

      You're right. Link choices are very important, and it's hard to know which direction is the right direction.

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  6. Oh monetizing. Nothing makes me crazier than a page with pop ups and unrelated links (affiliate links) just for the sole purpose of monetizing. You've picked some great affiliate links and they work well with your writing theme. I don't purchase anything very often (except coffee!), but these days when I do need something online I go first to my blog buddies to see who has what. It makes it easier for me to find great ideas if I can relate what I'm looking for with the blogger in general. Great choices! :)

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    1. Ooo. I really dislike popups. Most of the time I'll leave as soon as a popup flashes in my face. Sounds harsh, but they slow my computer down. I could lag forever with a black screen, and I know a popup is coming! That's the worst.

      I have never thought to do that when I'm shopping. I'll have to remember to check out the sites of my favorite people to see what they have for affiliates.

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  7. I have been playing around with affiliate links a little. I agree with you about wanting them to fit with my blog. I also want them to be things that I can whole heartedly endorse. It can ne difficult finding affiliates that match up sometimes.
    The ones you have listed here are a great fit for you! Good job!

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    1. Picking products that I like and will use was also important to the process. I want people to come here and trust the stuff I might be promoting or the links and tips that I mention as a whole. They are things I use myself like the photo site.

      Good luck with your search, too!

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  8. Really interested to see your post as I am only finally getting around to seriously looking at monetizing - life has come in the way prior to now. But I like your choices. Did you just go to their sites or do you know of an affiliate 'list' that can be sorted by category. Help much appreciated. Now I just need to build my email list.

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    1. I used Commission Junction to sort through choices I felt would fit my overall theme. When I found what I wanted, I had to be approved. That's why I'm still waiting on the last one.

      Oh email lists. That's on my to-do list! I have one in my sidebar, but I'm not sure if it's really working.

      Good luck with your monetizing efforts!

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    ReplyDelete