With my MomDot interview, I introduced a few of my blogs. Free Sample Deals is a free sample site that my girlfriend runs and I sort of manage. It has earned about $50 in it’s first month. Some asked the questioned how that was achieved. About $5 was done with one block of Google Adsense, and the rest affiliate programs.
Free Sample Deals Case Study
If you take a look at Free Sample Deals, you will see one block of Adsense, and one small block of affiliates on the sidebar. However, the money wasn’t earned with that block. It was earned with affiliates that are giving away free samples.
The trick is to really make all posts look the same. I don’t treat any post different than the freebies I’m not getting paid for. If you go throughout the blog, it will be hard to tell which ones I earn money for people to sign-up to, and which I don’t.
Let me make it easier for you. Here are a few free samples that we found online and blogged about Kashi, Kotex, and Parents Magazine. Now here are some that I earn a commission for every time someone signs up, Gray, Eco-Living, and Enfamil. Can you tell the difference? Hopefully not.
Whats great about these free samples that pay me, is that they are actually free. You don’t need to complete offers first like some “free samples”. However ,most of these companies are offering this stuff for free because they are looking to build their mailing list, or brand their product.
Free Samples Affiliate
Where I have been able to make most of the money is from Logical Media. Their offers range from free samples, free information kits, and other free offers. Each conversion (when someone signs up) pay ranges from 90 cents to $20+.
Logical Media’s offers range and vary each day which is nice. There is usually fresh new campaigns to promote and run, then in a few days, there are more.
Of course there are more affiliate networks like this, but I have found Logical Media to be the best for what I am trying to accomplish with Free Sample Deals.
How Can I Use This?
Mommy blogs are so dynamic because they can really be about anything and everything, yet still be interesting and appeal to your readers. Mommy blogs that I’ve seen lately really focus on kids and babies, great on and offline finds, coupons, samples, contests, and general mommy related stuff. All can be money makers if you know how to make the money (like with Logical Media).
Incorporating the affiliate offers into your post can be as simple as just throwing up a banner on your blog, or actually giving the affiliate offer a post. The most successful affiliate we ran was a free Obama campaign button from Moveon.org. For every sign-up we generated a dollar, ending up with about 20-30 sign-ups. All it took was a post about it, whether you support Obama or not, your readers might.
I will be following up with other affiliate programs and resources that will be perfect for other mommy bloggers, and all bloggers, for that matter. Any and all questions are welcome!
If you are looking for hands on help, I do blog consulting and am working on my portfolio at MatthewHenrickson.com. I’d be happy to help you monetize your blog or anything else you may need.
That sounds like something worth checking into, thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the great tips!!!
Thanks for another arrow in my quiver!
shannon
The Domestic Engineer’s Union
Rock Star Maternity
Im surprised it isnt as popular with bloggers as some other affiliate networks.
The first time I’ve heard of Logical Media – thanks!
I talked to the people over at Logical Media and if you signed up you should be approved. Anyone who needs any helping getting started, feel free to email me or PM me at the forum
Thanks for the tips! I applied with Logical Media this morning and have already been approved! I can’t wait to get started!
Erin,
Which type of books are you reading? What titles?
What exactly are you trying to figure out?
well I can also blog about that. we have some tips over at our blog.
http://blogaboutyourblog.com/category/how-to-increase-website-traffic/
My husband and I have been reading books trying to figure this stuff out. I’ll give your advice a whirl. Thank you!
I figured that the more traffic you get coming to your site, the better. So how do you pick up traffic at your blog?
Cara,
What is cool on some of these affiliates is that you can really give people good deals and get paid for it too. The moveon campaign was giving out free stuff anyways, but they made it even more incentive for me to use their affiliate program on Logical Media. I would of promoted it anyways, but I got to make like $20 in the process.
Thanks Matt!
So not really worth it for me the blogger just to keep in touch with family and for fun?
@ Staci: This is just one way you can make money on your blog, over the following weeks I hope to give you a few more resources to use to make money with.
@ Cara: It really depends on how much money you want to make. The general rule is more traffic=more money, but thats not always true. If making money is worth it to you, no reason not to go for it.
@ Mimi: Most affiliate networks will ask for your SSN. This is due to the fact that if you earn more than $600 in a tax period, they send you a W9.
@ Heather: Very true, marketing is the key word there. If you can market your affiliates well enough, then you shouldn’t have a problem. As I said, sometimes it only takes one post to make some bucks. That post could very well be #1 on google, find a lot of conversions, or really just interest someone enough to sign-up and earn you that commission.
Traffic is the key with affiliate marketing. If you don’t have traffic then you won’t have as many clicking on links. Most good conversion percentages are 3%.
Logical Media… it asks for a SSN… is it safe?
So what if you don’t get much web traffic? Can you still make money or is it not worth the hassle?
I have signed up, so we’ll see what happens. I would love to make some money from my blog.
Thanks for all the advice! I really had no idea how you could make money off your blog. Yet another one of my clueless moments. So I really enjoyed reading this.