How to make money blogging... any tips for a family blog?

Hey everyone, I’ve been running a family blog for a bit now, mainly about family picnics, activities with kids, and that sort of stuff. I’m thinking about trying to make some money from it but have no idea where to start. I’ve heard of affiliate marketing and maybe selling products, but I’m not sure what’s best. Anyone have some advice or experience with this?

I’ve been monetizing my blog for a while. Honestly, affiliate marketing is a great place to start. You can link to picnic gear or kids’ stuff you already use and get a commission if someone buys through your link. Also, writing sponsored content is another route once your traffic grows. Have you looked into affiliate programs yet?

@Dalen
Nope, I haven’t looked into any yet. Do you think affiliate programs really work for family blogs? I just don’t know if my readers would actually click and buy anything.

Dare said:
@Dalen
Nope, I haven’t looked into any yet. Do you think affiliate programs really work for family blogs? I just don’t know if my readers would actually click and buy anything.

They can! It’s all about being genuine. If your readers trust you and you’re recommending things you actually use, they’re more likely to click. I started with Amazon Associates because it covers a wide range of products, and I found it super easy to get into.

Dare said:
@Dalen
Nope, I haven’t looked into any yet. Do you think affiliate programs really work for family blogs? I just don’t know if my readers would actually click and buy anything.

Wait, what’s Amazon Associates? I keep hearing about it, but not sure what it actually is.

@Hadden
It’s Amazon’s affiliate program. Basically, you sign up, get custom links to products on their site, and if someone buys through your link, you get a small percentage. It’s a pretty good way to make passive income if you’ve got consistent traffic.

@Hadden
Got it. Seems pretty straightforward. Thanks for explaining. I’ll check it out and see if it fits my blog.

You could also consider selling your own products. Since your blog is about family stuff, maybe you can create picnic-related merchandise or even digital products like guides for family activities. I did something similar with my blog and it worked out pretty well.

@pearl
That sounds interesting! Did you start selling your products right away or wait until you had a decent following?

Dare said:
@pearl
That sounds interesting! Did you start selling your products right away or wait until you had a decent following?

I waited until I had a bit of a following. I didn’t want to start selling before knowing if there’d be interest. Maybe you can start small, like offering printables or e-books, and see how they perform. Once you know what your audience likes, you can branch into physical products.

Dare said:
@pearl
That sounds interesting! Did you start selling your products right away or wait until you had a decent following?

E-books are a great idea. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers selling them as a way to share detailed info. It’s less risky than physical products because you don’t have to worry about inventory.

@Rayne
True. I’ve been thinking about creating a downloadable guide for family-friendly picnic spots in my area. Do you think that would be a good starting point?

Dare said:
@Rayne
True. I’ve been thinking about creating a downloadable guide for family-friendly picnic spots in my area. Do you think that would be a good starting point?

Yeah, definitely! Local guides can be really popular, especially if you add your personal recommendations. You can promote it to your existing readers and maybe even sell it on social media too.

Dare said:
@Rayne
True. I’ve been thinking about creating a downloadable guide for family-friendly picnic spots in my area. Do you think that would be a good starting point?

Totally. And once you have the guide, you could even offer it as a lead magnet to build your email list.

Dare said:
@Rayne
True. I’ve been thinking about creating a downloadable guide for family-friendly picnic spots in my area. Do you think that would be a good starting point?

That’s a great idea. I need to start working on that!

Have you looked into Google AdSense? It’s a good way to make some extra money from your blog without doing much. You just place ads on your site and earn money when people click on them. I wouldn’t rely on it for all your income, but it’s a nice bonus.

@Oswin
I’ve heard about Google AdSense but haven’t tried it yet. Do ads slow down your site though? I don’t want to lose readers because my blog gets too cluttered.

Dare said:
@Oswin
I’ve heard about Google AdSense but haven’t tried it yet. Do ads slow down your site though? I don’t want to lose readers because my blog gets too cluttered.

As long as you don’t overdo it, it shouldn’t be a problem. Just place the ads in spots that don’t interfere with the reading experience, like in the sidebar or between posts. You can also A/B test placements to see where they perform best.

Dare said:
@Oswin
I’ve heard about Google AdSense but haven’t tried it yet. Do ads slow down your site though? I don’t want to lose readers because my blog gets too cluttered.

Also, make sure your site loads quickly. You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check that your ads aren’t slowing things down too much.

@Dalen
Great tips, thanks. I’ll make sure to test it out before adding too many ads.