Tips for Beginners on How to Supplement Your Blog Income

I started blogging way back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth (that might be a slight exaggeration). My first attempts at blogging were really more of a way to record my daily thoughts, like having an online journal. I initially never thought about monetizing my blogs. Those first attempts at blogging were very niche focused on my hobbies such as cooking, arts and crafts, running and cycling.

I actually did start to have a few brands reaching out to me asking me to publish product reviews in exchange for free products. I thought that was pretty cool at the time. My very first blog dates back to about 2006 – I don’t think social media influencer marketing was even a thing back then.

My Blogging Journey

My first attempts at blogging used the Blogger/Blogspot content management system (CMS). Then around 2008, I switched everything over to Typepad when they were offering journalist’s free accounts for life. Again, I still wasn’t doing much to monetize my sites other than a few product reviews or an occasional sponsored post (for next to no money).

After awhile, my interests and hobbies changed, so I stopped writing for those first sites (Bike Diva, Run Diva, Cuisine Diva, Craft Diva) – I think I see a theme. So, this time when I decided to start blogging (I started The Creative Cottage around the end of 2015) I thought I should take a crack at figuring out how to make a few $$. At the very least I thought I could cover my yearly blog expenses (domain names, website hosting, boosted posts, etc.)

The Creative Cottage, and my newer Sloth Athletica blog, are both run on the WordPress.org CMS. There are lots of plug-ins you can use to monetize your blog (that might make for another article). Right now I have a few Google AdSense blocks and affiliate links from sites such as Amazon and Target. I’m making close to $0.00 (zero, nada, zip) from ads and affiliate links so how the heck else can I pay my bills?

Money Making Tips for New Bloggers

I recently quit my full-time day job (I don’t recommend taking this path) with little savings. I am looking for a part-time consulting position to help supplement my blogging income. So, until I start bringing in income from my blog on a regular basis, I am continually looking for additional ways to help make a bit of money to help cover my bills. Bills, bills, go away – come again another day – LOL!

Unless you are the guru of blogging, it can take a while to build up fans and followers to your new blog. Each of my blogs focuses on a specific niche topic, so I wasn’t expecting to get a lot of traffic to begin with. So, how else can you make money while you’re waiting for your new blog to “go viral”?

Here’s a great infographic I found on the Blog Tyrant on how to make money as a blogger. My day job was as a freelance writer and communications consultant so, I can relate to these suggestions.

Get a detailed guide on how to make money when your blog is brand new here.

Additional Blog Marketing Tips

Here are links to a few other posts I’ve written on how to make money from your blog.

Reach Out to The Creative Cottage

Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share on how you’ve made money as an entrepreneur not tied down to a regular 9-to-5 job? Shoot me an email: info@thecreativecottage.net.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe

Founder and Chief Blogger
The Creative Cottage
Sloth Athletica

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