Fun Money Mom

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How I Finally Started To Make Money From Blogging

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Linqia Pinterest

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know from the post Things I Learned In My First Year Of Blogging that I’m still fairly new at this. When I first started a year ago, I wasn’t even thinking about making money.  It really just started as a hobby to keep from binge watching too many Netflix shows!  However, about a month in I realized how much I loved doing this and saw that other people were actually able to make money from blogging!  I decided that I really wanted to try to make this work.  I installed Google AdSense and affiliate banners from my favorite stores and just waited for the money to start rolling in…and I waited…and I waited!  I probably could have made more had I just gone to Vegas!

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Aside from a few cool products to review, I made less than $40 in my first ten months of blogging.  Needless to say, it was pretty disappointing.  Now, just to be clear…I don’t do this for the money.  I genuinely love blogging.  However, I made a deal with my hubby that I’d go back to teaching next fall when my youngest starts school.  Now I’m hoping to weasel my way out of that deal and keep blogging!  I was getting a little worried up until two months ago.

[bctt tweet=”I wondered if it would ever happen but here’s how I finally started making money from blogging! “]

It took me forever to start making money with my blog but I finally did it with Linqia!

That’s when I signed up with Linqia and started earning money (FINALLY).  Linqia is a company that connects bloggers (a.k.a. influencers) with brands.  In order to be accepted, you have to have 2,500 social media followers or monthly visitors and post regularly to your blog.  If you’re trying to get more followers on social media, Mom Resource has some awesome tips for increasing your Twitter followers (I’ve gone from 189 followers to almost 7,000 in six months so I’m proof that it works).

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The way Linqia works is that they offer you a campaign and you can choose to accept it or turn it down.  If you turn a campaign down, it does not affect your chances of future offers. I actually turned down the first job they offered, which killed me, but it just wasn’t a good fit for my blog. 

However, the next one they offered was for a company I love.  I had to make a recipe using their products, something I’d do for free anyway, and they paid based on the number of clicks I delivered to the brand’s site (through a link in my post).   They estimate the number of clicks you are expected to get and that’s your goal.  If you don’t make the projected number, you still get paid based on the number of clicks you did get.  If you go above the projected number, they raise the goal for the next campaign, giving you the opportunity to make more money.

One of my first campaigns was for $42.40 (and I was over the moon about making that much) but now I earn $130-160 per campaign.  I’m still pretty small in the grand scheme of things so bigger bloggers can make much more than that.  If you’re interested in joining, I’d love for you to use my Linqia referral link. 

However, I’m not blogging about this to make money from it.  I just genuinely know how difficult it is to make money as a new blogger (for most of us anyway) and this has been a game changer for me.  Since I’ve been writing sponsored posts, I’ve been approached by several other companies as well.  Would they have reached out to me anyway?  Maybe, but I honestly feel that the fact that I’ve done these sponsored posts through Linqia has something to do with it.

If you sign up with Linqia, I’d love to know how you like it.  If you’ve been working with them already, please feel free to share!

 

If you enjoyed this article, you may want to check these out too:

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How To Use Your Blog To Get Free Stuff

 

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  10 Essentials That Will Make You A Better Blogger

 

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Must Haves For The Successful Work At Home Mom

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Saira @ MomResource

    I’m with you all the way on the weaseling! I’ve made a similar promise to my husband, but am still convinced I can replace my income with blogging. I’ll share everything I learn & hopefully we can continue to be full-time bloggers together!!

    Reply

  5. Jessica

    So far, none of the offers I have gotten from Linqia have been a good fit for me, which is a bummer, but I’ve been chosen for a few campaigns with BlogHer, which is exciting,

    Reply

  7. Julie S

    I’m signed up with them but haven’t gotten any opps except for bladder leakage Lol maybe I need to check my profile again. How do you get them to send you opps? #SITSblogging

    Reply

    • Lisa

      I didn’t get any great offers right away (just one for maxi pads which I turned down). However, once I accepted my first offer, the others started rolling in. I don’t know how long you’ve been signed up but hopefully you’ll start getting some great campaigns soon!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  8. Alia

    I am pinning this for later! I am only 3 months in to blogging so i’m not quite ready to take the sponsored-post leap, but im thinking sometime in 2016 I want to try it!! thanks!

    Reply

    • Lisa

      Thanks so much Keisha! I forgot to mention that you may need to be patient at first. It took me awhile (maybe a month or so) to get my first campaign but once I did, the other offers kept coming! Good luck…let me know how it goes!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  10. Megan

    Thanks for the info, Lisa! My blog is not even a month old so I don’t qualify yet, but I will definitely look into this once I have more posts and more followers. I’ll be following you for more tips on how I can improve. In the meantime, I’d love for you to check out my free Christmas Card List and printable on my blog (and also linked through Link Party Palooza). Thanks!

    Reply

    • Lisa

      Thanks Megan…I’ll definitely check it out! Also, feel free to join our Share The Wealth blog hop tonight (Saturday) at 7pm. Good luck with your blog…it’s a lot of work but totally worth it!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  11. LAURIE

    I HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO REACH YOUR GOALS AND CONTINUE TO BLOG. I WORK FULL TIME AND BLOG AS A HOBBY. I DO ENJOY IT, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO DEVOTE MORE TIME TO IT. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH US AT SNICKERDOODLE SUNDAY!
    ~LAURIE

    Reply

    • Lisa

      Thanks Laurie! It’s hard to work and blog simultaneously! I just started a teaching job that will last three months (while the regular teacher is on maternity leave) and I’m worried how I’m going to do both while taking care of my family too. I guess we do what we have to do, right? Good luck and keep at it! 🙂
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  12. adrian

    Yes, making money from blogging is definitely a mystery. I’ve been at it for about a year now (making money, not blogging – I’ve been doing that for a WHILE) and I’m still in the small potatoes category. I’m on Shareasale and two or three other services that sound pretty much like yours, but I rarely land a campaign. My numbers are low-ish, but not THAT low, so it’s a little surprising. I’ll get the hang of it one of these days. #SITSSharefest

    Reply

    • Lisa

      I’m on Share-A-Sale too but haven’t really made any money with it (though I’ll admit that I kind of stopped trying after awhile). I also belong to three other services that connect brands with bloggers and never got one campaign, even though I applied often. It wasn’t until I joined Linqia that I started getting offers and now I’m on my 10th campaign, with two more starting soon. Last week I finally got a campaign with one of the even bigger services that I recently joined. I’m convinced it’s because I have so many sponsored posts under my belt now (this company asks you to submit your best sponsored post when you apply for campaigns).

      My numbers aren’t super high either but it doesn’t seem to matter with Linqia. I’m honestly not trying to sound like a commercial for them but this has been kind of a breakthough for me so I’m pretty excited about it and wanted to share! Good luck!!!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

    • Lisa

      I know…when I earned 2 cents on my first day with AdSense it was pretty exciting for me too. However, the excitement over 2 cents doesn’t last long…LOL! Good luck with Linqia! It’s definitely been a turning point for me and I hope it’s the same for you!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  14. Linda at Mixed Kreations

    Thanks for sharing your great info. I love sharing my tutorials and craft projects on my blog, I have earned a little money but hoping to eventually earn enough where I can retire early and have a way to help supplement my income. Going to hop over and apply now (via your link) and then checkout the mom resources link. Thank you! Pinning and sharing!

    Reply

    • Lisa

      I’m trying to retire permanently too! I promised hubby I’d go back to work when my daughter starts pre-school next fall but now I’m trying to get out of it! I love blogging and now it’s looking like there’s hope for me to actually do this for a living! Good luck with Linqia and you’ll love the MomResource blog! I get so much great info there!!!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  18. GiGi Eats

    Brands approach me. I pitch my services to them. I never accept just product. Your time and effort is worth more than free stuff! And STUFF does not pay the bills 😉

    Reply

    • Lisa

      Great point! I only accept product now if it’s something I really want because you’re right, I can’t deposit stuff in the bank 🙂
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  21. Kelly @RaisingSamuels

    It’s so cool how something that you start as a hobby can make you money! Thanks for sharing this with #SocialButterflySunday! Hope to see you link up again this week 🙂

    Reply

    • Lisa

      If you are serious about getting followers, there are some great articles on the MomResource.com site! She has some awesome tips and I owe all my twitter followers to her article! Thanks so much for stopping by!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

    • Lisa

      I only had 189 twitter follower in July and now I’m at over 7,000! It’s crazy but it’s all from the MomResource article! I’m in awe of her…she’s a twitter genius…LOL!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  23. Catherine

    Thanks for this! I am not ready to sign up, as my blog is too new/small, but I will get there. I had heard of Linqia, however wasn’t sure what it was until now. Now I have a goal to reach for, 2,500 followers. Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • Lisa

      I know I’m starting to sound like a commercial for Saira at Mom Resource but if you want more followers, you should check out the article (I’m getting nothing from recommending her…just feel like her help is what turned it all around for me) Thanks so much for stopping by!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  24. Erin

    Thanks for sharing what’s working for you! It’s inspiring. I’m only 2 months into blogging, but I’d love to be where you are in a year. Lot’s to learn! 🙂

    Reply

    • Lisa

      You are right about that! I knew absolutely nothing when I started (not that I’m an expert by any means now). Good luck with your blog…I’m on my way to check it out now 🙂
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  26. Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories

    This is very helpful, thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday Linkup. I have not started working with brands and sponsored posts yet but the more money I spend on my blog means I need to make more to break even!

    Congrats on being one of our featured bloggers this weekend!

    Reply

    • Lisa

      Thank you so much! When you get ready to do it, you may want to consider Linqia…it really has been a breakthrough for me. I honestly had days when I thought I’d never make any money but I love blogging so much that I just kept at it. I’m so glad I did and the dream is still alive that I can get out of that deal I made with my husband…LOL!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  27. Emily

    Thanks for posting this! I’m relatively new at this as well. Just had my 3rd baby and my role at work was eliminated at the same time. My husband and I made a similar deal that I’d stay home (for now). I’m motivated to make this blogging thing work as I am really enjoying it. But I have a long ways to go. 🙂

    Reply

    • Lisa

      My best advice is just to keep at it! There are some days when you’ll feel discouraged and wonder if you’re wasting your time (trust me, I know) but you just have to be confident and keep trying to make your blog better every day! I just popped over to yours and LOVED the post about all the things we learn to do one handed once we become moms! It definitely reminded me of when mine were babies! Good luck with the blog and maybe you can get out of that deal with your husband too!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  28. Carisa

    Thanks for sharing! I have thought about sponsored posts off and on but always end up thinking that I’m too small. Maybe I’m not… I’ll check it out!

    Reply

    • Lisa

      I’m pretty small too and they accepted me so it doesn’t hurt to try! It’s a lot of fun and it’s nice to make a little money too! Good luck!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

    • Lisa

      That means a lot to me!!! There were times when I wondered if this was worth all the time and effort I put into it but I love it so much that I didn’t want to give up! Good luck with your blog and hopefully I’ll read all about how awesome you are doing this time next year!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  30. Margaretha

    Never heard about Linqia before – time to investigate! Also enjoyed the post about what you learned in the first year of blogging. Especially agree about the great people one meets when blogging!

    Reply

    • Lisa

      That was probably the biggest surprise for me because I never expected to make so many friends doing this! I already love blogging but that has really added to the experience! Good luck with Linqia…I hope you have as much luck with it as I have!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

    • Lisa

      Thank you so much Erin! I actually just left your blog a few minutes ago because I chose to feature your Thanksgiving turkey post this week. I was in charge of cooking this year and your post gave me some great tips! I had no idea your blog was only a month old. It looks great and I have a feeling you’re going to sticking around for awhile!!!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  34. Nikki Frank-Hamilton

    Congrats to you! I have been blogging for years, just started taking it seriously about a year ago, you are so far ahead of me! Thanks for the info about Linquia, I hope that it keeps getting better for you and that you can stay home and work on the blog!!!

    Reply

  35. Nicole

    Great idea and I just tried to connect with them too however unfortunately they are not currently running campaigns with brands that are open to an international audience…a shame. Hopefully they can change this soon. Cheers, Nicole

    Reply

  39. Dawn

    Necessity is the mother of all invention, isn’t it? I love how you were able to excite your creativity in order to enjoy time at home with your littles and your family and then ended up getting rewarded for your hard work.

    Congrats on your accomplishment.
    Blessings,
    Dawn

    Reply

    • Lisa

      Yes, I was the last person who ever would have expected me to become a blogger…much less love it enough to want to make a living at it! Thank you so much for the support!
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  40. Marva @ sunSPARKLEshine

    I’m glad you found something that works for you. It’s amazing the amount of overnight success stories that I hear. The truth is, blogging is a lot of work and it can often take time for you to meet your goals. I hope you keep going and don’t give up!

    Reply

  42. Carolyn

    Great post! I have been blogging for 3 months and am trying to add traffic so I can get to the sponsored post level. I started to gain some traction this week so I hope to make it soon. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  43. smiling notes

    I just came across your blog and already love it! Thank you for sharing this info with all of us. I’m a fairly new blogger and I’m just doing it as a hobby. However, in the near future, I too would like to start earning from my blog. Linqia sounds great!
    xoxo

    Reply

    • Lisa

      I really do love Linqia. They’re a great company to work with! I also checked out your blog and have to admit, I’m jealous of how often you get to eat out…LOL! Our restaurants have to be kid friendly unless Grandma & Grandpa are in town 🙂
      xoxo
      Lisa

      Reply

  44. Dalba

    Thanks for sharing this! This is really helpful. I’ve only had my blog since Jan 2016, I’m still growing my twitter follows and thanks to mom resources I went from barely a couple of hundred followers to 1k. And I know if I followed her tips to the letter I would have more followers! But since I’m doing this part time its hard to find the time. But reading your post gives me hope that I too can get enough social media followers to use Linqia!

    Reply

    • Lisa

      I’m so glad I could help! You can definitely do this though I know it’s always hard to find the time. Nobody realizes how time consuming blogging can be until they actually do it…LOL! I’m heading over to check out your page and follow you on Twitter now! xoxo

      Reply

  47. Fulu

    Thank you so much for this. Im running two months in the blogging scene now. Ive set up adsense but im not getting any approval.
    Im going to try linQuia as soon as i have enough followers. Im so excited. Your blog is super helpful

    Reply

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