2.22.21 42

Make Money Blogging In 2021

If you are a blogger in 2021 most likely you want to make money. I mean who doesn’t right? You have this platform, you are providing information people need and want and why not make money from it. If it is your full time gig or a side hustle there are LOTS of ways to make money blogging. I am going to deep dive into the ways to make money blogging in 2021 so you can get to hustling!

Make Money Blogging 2021

Make Money Blogging in 2021

Make Money Blogging with Sponsored Posts:

There are two ways to get sponsored posts. Direct offers from brands are one way. Another way is through a middle man, AKA a blogging network. There are a TON of blogging networks out there.

Networks:

  • Linqia (referral link)
  • Activate
  • Massive Sway
  • Clever
  • Acorn Influence
  • Momtrends
  • SheKnows
  • Pollinate Media
  • Izea (referral link)
  • Aspire
  • Ahalogy
  • Popular Pays

These companies are great especially if you are just getting started. They pay pretty well and you can work with reputable brands. I have worked with brands like Gerber, Hello Fresh, Buy Buy Baby, Chase bank, Emergen-C, and more through these networks. Most of them have a base requirement of follower counts, page-views, etc but they will tell you exactly what you need and if you haven’t met the requirements yet you can reapply. Once you are accepted you apply for campaigns on their platforms and sometimes you will get direct offers on campaigns where you can negotiate your rate. From there you sign an agreement, and get to working on the sponsored post!

make money blogging in 2021

Direct Offers:

The second way to get sponsored posts is direct offers from brands. This is done in a few ways. I personally have a management team I work with and they take care of all inbound emails and sponsored post requests. They come to me and ask if I am interested and if I am they run with it and negotiate etc. If I am not then they politely decline. Brands will usually reach out with an offer either through themselves directly or through a PR agency they use to handle their influencer work. I personally prefer working with brands through direct offers more than networks at this point. I feel like it’s easier to negotiate long-term partnerships.

Affiliate Links:

The other HUGE way to make money from your blog is through affiliate links.  I work with both Amazon and Reward Style. Another great affiliate program is ShopStyle. I suggest partnering with one or more of these and playing around with them. I think affiliates are great for fashion and beauty bloggers. I think as a lifestyle blogger it can be a little tricky, but you can still make a good amount of money. Affiliates have personally never been my main focus. But so many bloggers make most of their income this way.

Banner Ads:

Lastly, banner ads. I work with SheMedia and you will see the ads pop up usually at the bottom of my blog. You can make some decent money this way and it’s just another good stream of income to ad. There are other services like media vine, and Google Adsense as well. So just look into them and see which makes the most sense for you.

So, you want to make money blogging in 2021?

It’s simple really, I just laid it all out for you! Just start! Pitching to brands, signing up for networks, signing up for affiliate programs, and doing the work! It may not happen overnight but you will get there.

If you are looking for any other advice in areas of blogging all of those posts can be found here.

This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated for 2021. 

Leave a Comment

42 Comments

  1. Hi Neely!!

    This is a great post!! I loved the tip about tagging brands on social media posts b/c they are always watching! I never would have thought to do that! Your blog is awesome!! I have a huge goal to make $10K per month blogging within one year. Think it’s possible, haha?!?!

    – Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com

    Published 11.3.15
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  2. Melanie wrote:

    Thank you so much for this post! I was wondering how to possibly get this all started! =)

    Melanie | Toots + Dill

    Published 11.3.15
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  3. Love this–simple and straightforward. I’m still looking for as many networks as possible, so I’m happy to see some that are new to me on this list!

    Published 11.3.15
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  4. Lee Anne wrote:

    Great tips Neely! Congrats on being full time for 2 years now!
    -Lee Anne
    http://www.lifeinatx.com/

    Published 11.3.15
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  5. I have been making a great income with sponsored posts this year, but I’ve been trying to work more on affiliate marketing since sponsored posts can fluctuate. Do you have any tips for making more money with affiliate links?

    Published 11.3.15
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  6. Ashlee wrote:

    I’ve been implementing some of the things we went over in your Money class! I loved it! I’m thinking a one-on-one in the future! 🙂

    Published 11.3.15
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  7. Autumn wrote:

    I love the marketing websites you shared! I’ve been in a few, but I hadn’t realized how many there still were to sign up for. Thanks!

    Published 11.3.15
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  8. I don’t know Neely… This all sounds like a lot more work than I was really hoping to have to put into it. I was kind of hoping I could just make money by putting in a little effort here and there… You know, because blogging isn’t a REAL job and it’s not even work at all. ?

    Total side eye to nonbloggers and people in general who just don’t understand!!!

    These are great tips. I’ve implemented some of hem already since our call and I’m already seeing a huge increase in traffic. Which as you know, is only one step away from an increase in dollars! Thanks for sharing your “secrets”!!

    Published 11.3.15
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  9. Carrie De wrote:

    I’m a part of a few of these, but I never knew how many were out there! Thank you for sharing!

    Published 11.3.15
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  10. Great post! Thank you! I do have a question…I literally JUST started my blog last week. Is there an ideal number of followers you should have before pursuing the suggestions you listed above?

    Published 11.3.15
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  11. Love these tips!! I will definitely check out the networks you’ve suggested!

    Published 11.3.15
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  12. Katy wrote:

    These are some great tips! I’ve been blogging for just over 3 years now and want this to be my full-time job. I want to kick my blog up a notch to be able to make more money, so this post came right when I needed it, thank you!

    Published 11.3.15
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  13. Cindy wrote:

    I never knew

    Published 11.3.15
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  14. Shann wrote:

    Great tips. I really love the tip about mentioning brands and tagging ones you really love. Such a great way to get their notice.

    Published 11.3.15
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  15. Emily wrote:

    These are great tips! I’ve just started writing some sponsored posts. I love the idea of mentioning brands you love in your regular posts. I’d love to get a direct offer!! That would be so exciting!

    Published 11.3.15
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  16. Awesome list! I am definitely saving this!

    Published 11.4.15
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  17. Thank you so much for this! I really need it for my next blog as I plan to start it up right! Pinning for reference later too!

    Published 11.4.15
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  18. These are awesome tips! I haven’t heard of a lot of these networks, so thanks!

    Published 11.5.15
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  19. Lindsay wrote:

    Wow Neely! What a thorough post! I’ve booked marked this to add to the Blogging Resources! So good!

    Published 11.6.15
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  20. Jessica a wrote:

    You are so right! Love the list, I will be checking out your blogging classes.

    Published 11.9.15
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  21. Bria wrote:

    Rad resource. Thanks.

    I’ve recently started looking into some blogging networks to leverage my reach, so I’ll definitely be checking these out. I’ve heard of a few.

    Published 11.13.15
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  22. Brittany wrote:

    I can’t wait for the course!

    Published 12.13.15
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  23. Love this post, I am new to the blogging world, so this helped me tremendously 🙂 Feel free to check out my blog! http://Www.abbscadabs.wordpress.com

    Published 1.8.16
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  24. So helpful as always, Neely! Thank you for the tips ❤️✨

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

    Published 2.22.21
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  25. Daphne wrote:

    Thx! Pinned this so I can work on getting to know the blogging networks. Great post.

    Published 2.22.21
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  26. Taylor wrote:

    Great post! I’m always looking for news ways to monetize my blog.

    Published 2.22.21
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  27. GiGi Eats wrote:

    I work directly with brands in order to formulate a partnership. I don’t like middlemen because it can cause misinformation, etc – and they take a bulk of your pay!

    Published 2.22.21
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  28. Joline wrote:

    I started my second blog last year and I really haven’t had time to grow it. This has inspired me! Looking into shemedia for sure.

    Published 2.22.21
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  29. rebecca wrote:

    these are great tips!!! we need to get better about ad usage this year for sure.

    xx rebecca // thecrystalpress.com

    Published 2.22.21
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  30. Stephanie wrote:

    I am part of a few of the networks and have gotten rare sponsored posts from it. But I’ll have to look at some of the others as I’d like to do more. I also use referral links for Amazon and am with SheMedia for my ads.

    Published 2.22.21
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  31. These are great tips! I’ve been blogging for almost 10 years, but never took it to a place where I could really make any money. I’m working to change that this year!

    Published 2.23.21
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  32. aisasami wrote:

    What wonderful tips for someone who wants to make money this year. I might have to try these tips out!

    Published 2.23.21
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  33. Great suggestions. True, it can take weeks to get money but keep the work going. Thank you for sharing!

    Published 2.23.21
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  34. Stephanie wrote:

    For years, I found that directly working with a brand was the best way to go, because it allowed a lot more freedom with a campaign. However, in the past couple of years, I really enjoyed the partnerships I found through Ahalogy and they also pay really well, which was an added bonus. When it comes to book blogging, things are a little trickier, so I’m still navigating the payment part, but I’m excited to see what opportunities are out there!

    Published 2.23.21
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  35. Kendra wrote:

    Thanks for this great resource for money-making opportunities and networks for bloggers. I’ll definitely be adding some of these to my list.

    Published 2.23.21
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  36. These are some great ideas for making money blogging. I will look into the affiliate networks you suggested. Thanks for the info.

    Published 2.23.21
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  37. Great tips! I haven’t heard of SheMedia, will check it out! Also, I’ll join these blogging networks, thanks for sharing 🙂

    Published 2.23.21
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  38. Sarah wrote:

    Thanks so much for sharing the blogger networks! I wasn’t aware of those but will definitely be using some of them as I gain my following. Thanks for the tips!!

    Sarah
    https://onthefrenchpress.com

    Published 2.24.21
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  39. Sarah wrote:

    Thanks so much for the tips!!

    Sarah
    https://onthefrenchpress.com

    Published 2.24.21
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  40. Caitlin wrote:

    These are great tips for new bloggers wondering how to make money! I always have non-bloggers asking too how there is an income in the job!

    Published 3.2.21
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