Happy Monday! I hope the weekend was good to you. Our weekend was FAR better than last week. Here’s hoping next week is good to us.
I’ve had friends and family ask me how bloggers (also called influencers) make money. I thought I’d talk a little about it today in case you were also wondering.
First off, there are certainly some bloggers that earn an income through blogging. I don’t have any stats, but I’d say they are in the minority and many of them started blogging 7-10 years ago. As for me, I do make a minimal amount (<$1,000 a year). Trust me, I spend more than that on clothes each year. :) Sometimes I get caught up in the desire to make more money (I mean, it would be nice). Whenever I feel that happening, I go back to why I started blogging in the first place. And that’s to share the things I love and that bring me joy in the hope that you might find some inspiration in it too.
Okay on to how bloggers make money…although there are a lot of different ways bloggers can make money, these three are the most common. I’ve included a note on if and how I use them.
- Affiliate Programs: bloggers include a link to products and make a commission when you click on or make a purchase. The most common affiliate programs for lifestyle bloggers are ShopStyle and rewardStyle. ShopStyle pays per click regardless if you make a purchase and rewardStyle pays only if you purchase. The most common way I use affiliate linking is in my outfit posts (either on the blog or Instagram) or product roundups. Affiliate programs are how I make most of my blogging income.
- Gifted Product – brands will send product free of charge in exchange for a blog and/or social media post. I’ve done this a few times (my favorites were these Banana Republic shoes and these Shutterfly party favors). I only accept free product if I truly love and use the brand or it’s a new to me brand that fits with my lifestyle. It’s standard practice to note gifted product as c/o.
- Sponsored Posts – a brand will pay for a blog or social media post sometimes along with gifting product. I don’t have enough views for brands to pay me for posts.
So there you have it…the top 3 ways that bloggers make money. Some other, less common ways to make money blogging are banner ads, event hosting, and selling services or products.
If you have any questions about how I earn money blogging, shoot me an email at erica@luvinthebubble.com!
