monday musings: on blogging for bucks

Post by post, reader by reader, my little blog has taken baby steps and grown, not grown up just stretched its wings a little. Social media is a noisy place and in light of that and the number of blogs out there I'll kick this post off with a thank you for taking the time to tune in here. If the whole blogging, advertising, sponsorship thing makes your eyes glaze over I totally understand, skip reading this post and come back tomorrow where we'll be back to normal.

I'm writing this post because the occasional email from PR companies or interested sponsors has started to arrive in my inbox and I want to keep you up to speed with the direction I'm heading in. The day will come where you will see advertising (advertising in keeping with my wholefood values of course) or sponsors on the side bar and I am open to doing a sponsored post now and then if I truly believe in the value and quality of the product or service, they will always be labelled as such though.

So far I have politely declined the requests because they have not been offerings that fit in with what I write about here! Oh and the other problem I had with one request was that I was asked to basically lie by writing about their product but to not label it as sponsored. Cheeky huh?

I've never had a problem with bloggers having advertising on their blog or doing sponsored posts, as long as they are clearly labelled as such. Having worked as a food writer contributing to newspapers and magazines, I'm no stranger to being sent things to review or consider for features and I figure this experience holds me in good stead to stick to what I believe in and only recommend things to you that I personally use and like and think that you would too. Amanda, Em and Jodi do this well. When I say they do it well, it doesn't mean I always read about their sponsors rather it's that they keep the business side of their blog in line with their content themes and personal values.

Affiliate marketing is another avenue I'm exploring. For those who don't know about affiliate links it is where a blogger places a link to a service or product on their blog and if one of their readers makes a purchase via that link the blogger gets a commission. Generally speaking, bloggers only sign up to be affiliates with products and services that they personally have used and believe would be of interest to and benefit their audience. Sonia does this well.

If you are curious about earning money from your blog Darren Rowse has written a number of posts about this on problogger, this one gives you a good overview.

And if you are still reading and are fascinated by the rise and rise of some blogs like I am here's a great interview with Lucy Feagins from The Design Files (do watch the video too) and I also like what Lucy has to say in this video about getting paid to do what you love - that you don't need to apologise for it!

So, yes watch this evolving space. A mama's gotta make a crust too and aren't we lucky that blogging has been invented to help us with that?!

Are you interested in monetising your blog? If you have already, perhaps you'd like to share some tips for us beginners?