Diethood

the eating effect

How To Make Money Blogging: Working With Blog Networks

by 65 Comments

How To Make Money Blogging: Working With Blog Networks | www.diethood.com | #blogging

If there is one question that makes the most appearances in my email inbox, it is How do you make money blogging?! 

Now, before I go on, please know that I am not an expert! Far from it. I am only sharing what I have learned on my own, and what works for me. Please don’t quit your day job just yet. Take what I suggest as a starting point. M’kay? Thanks!

When I first started blogging, I was just happy that I finally found a creative outlet. I enjoy what I do – bake, talk, cook, photograph, talk some more –  and sharing all that with others just added that much more excitement to my hobby. It also added more items to my grocery bill. And a DSLR Camera bill, a web hosting bill…never mind the amount of time that I invest! Suddenly, hot damn, this hobby got expensive! And before my husband got on my case, I needed to remedy the problem. That’s when I decided to look for blog jobs.

Here’s how it goes!

How To Make Money Blogging: Working with Blog Networks

First, and most of all, you need to produce good content. No matter what your niche, it needs to be interesting, engaging, worthwhile. Don’t just take a photo of your bowl of spinach and say here’s how you make spinach! That’s not good content. Tell us what’s different about it, why do you make it, what led you to that recipe, etc…

Brands are not going to want to work with someone that writes two sentences. You need to talk-up that recipe, craft, product. Excite us!

Blog Networks | www.diethood.com

Moving along, I should tell you that for me it is much easier to sign up for campaigns via blog networks than it is to sit down and write hundreds of emails directly to the brands. In all honesty, I don’t know how to do that. I have never attended a blog conference, I have never sat through a seminar, nor have I ever met the people behind the brands. So, I’m clueless! But, I’m learning! And when I feel comfortable enough with it, I will share that tidbit with you, as well.

One of the blog networks I work with is Clever Girls Collective. I enjoy their energy, their work ethic, and their support. They really are a great team. Go and sign up with them – click on the Join the Clever Girls icon and they will hook you up! Promise!

Clever Logo

I also enjoy working with Social Spark. I LOVE their campaigns! I also like Social Spark because I get to negotiate my price directly with the Brand! They list their price first, but then you hit that Negotiate button and tell them how it is!
Set Your Price. Choose your Advertisers. Sign up for SocialSpark!

Disclaimer: If you sign up by clicking the above banner, I will earn a tiny commission. Thank you!

The SITS Girls have some really awesome campaigns. I just started working with them and Massive Sway, and I have thoroughly enjoyed each campaign.


The next great blog network is TapInfluence, formerly known as Blog Frog. These guys have aaaamazing campaigns, and some campaigns pay really well. What’s great about them is that you get to work with big companies like Kraft, Walmart, Redbox, etc…
CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED WITH TAPINFLUENCE!

TapInfluence logo

Are you writing all of this down?! I hope so!

I do have a couple more to share.

Did you know that you can work with BlogHer without signing up for their Publishing Network?! Yaha! Yes, you can! Check this out – the jobs aren’t big and they won’t make you rich, but they are eeeasy peeeeasy. They take less than a few minutes to wrap up. Truly. Go and sign up for their Social Media Influencer Program.

blogher logo

Something new and interesting for Pinterest: TAILWIND! The best Pinterest marketing and analytics platform to everyone.

Tailwind

  • Instantly create the optimal pin schedulebased on audience engagement, virality, traffic and more.
  • Effortlessly schedule multiple pins at oncewith our Chrome Extension and bulk upload.
  • Schedule repins directly from Pinterest.
  • Shape your editorial calendar with simple drag-and-drop control.
  • Track repins, likes, comments, traffic and revenue on scheduled pins over time.

You can also look into getting blog jobs via Business 2 Blogger. These are much smaller jobs, but it is another way to find businesses who want to work with you, or those that you want to work with. It’s pretty simple – you just click on the Job Board and see if any of the listings interest you.

jobboardlogo

And last, but not least, the Job Board over at ProBlogger. The listings never stop and there is a job for everyone!

ProBlogger

 

That’s all for now.

I hope that I was able to help! If you have any questions, or more information, just comment below!

THANK YOU!

~XO~

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Comments

  2. Great post. I just got accepted in a few of these networks in the last couple of weeks. Looking forward to working with them. ..I signed up for Social Spark for awhile ago but I’ve yet seen any campaign that fits my niche.I set the keywords based on the popular keywords. Any suggestion how to see more leads in my mailbox?Thanks!

    Reply

    • HI! At the beginning, I also got really odd campaigns from social spark, but within a couple of months the good stuff started to roll in. 🙂 Stick with it and eventually you will start to get better campaigns. I like working with them – easy going and the staff is pretty awesome.

      Reply

  3. I am really glad for this post. Timing is everything. I was looking into how this all comes together and the how to’s and then I come across your post. I hope you cover more on your findings. I know now that I have more options. Thank you.

    Reply

  4. Wow! So honored to be included in this list, Katerina. Glad that you are enjoying your experience working with us.

    We look forward to more opportunities together in the future!

    Francesca
    The SITS Girls

    Reply

  5. I just shared this over on our Food Bloggers of Canada facebook page. Not sure how many of these groups work with Canadians (I know at least one does) but thought our crew might enjoy the read! Thanks Kate!

    Reply

  6. Sorry we’re a bit late, but thanks so much for this write-up! We’re thrilled to hear your experiences with Clever Girls have been good ones.

    (And while it seems you’ve got this stuff *down* I’m /we’re always happy to answer any questions you may have.)

    Happy Blogging!

    Reply

  10. Thanks for this post! I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I am so confused by Tap Influence. I signed up back when it was Blog Frog, but I literally don’t know what to do. I’m supposed to follow people and create circles? Or something? I was expecting it to be like Clever Girls where they clearly show what campaigns are going to be running, but I’ve been baffled as to how to find opportunities and apply for them. If you have a second to explain how it works, I would be so grateful!

    Reply

    • Hi Elizabeth! I was confused by all that jazz, too! But, you don’t have to worry about that now because they just got rid of the communities. 🙂 Go and see if you have to re-apply and update your profile. Then they will start emailing opportunities that fit your blog.

      Reply

    • Hi Elizabeth,

      I’m sorry to hear that you are confused by TapInfluence. Like Katerina said, TapInfluence works a little differently than other networks in that brands will search for influencers in our Marketplace first, and once they have selected you, you will receive an email. In other words, when you hear from us with an opportunity, it’s because a brand really wants to work with you! Let me know if I can be of more help.

      Reply

  12. So, I have a question 🙂 When you sign up with these companies, what are you doing for them? I was just looking at clever girls and am just not sure I understand what kind of work you do when you apply

    Reply

    • They send you a list of campaigns (i.e. spreading the word about I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Werther’s Original, etc…), and within that list they tell you exactly what they expect. Your choice is to select that campaign and apply. Once you apply, then I believe the advertiser makes the final choice as to who they want to work with.

      Reply

  17. Even though I’ve been blogging for over four years, I honestly don’t know anything about anything…except baking, of course. 😀

    Thank you, Kate! You’re fabulous for helping out everyone – and answering tons of email questions. xo

    Reply

  18. Thank you so much for doing this!! Most of these are new to me. After foodbuzz when down… I scrambled to get some kind of $ for my blog. I am going to bookmark this post and check it all out. 🙂

    PS…. you are so right about the $$ it takes to do the blog. I

    Reply

  21. Thank you for all the tips . I’ve been wanting to get involved in blogging but didn’t know where to start. So thank you !!!

    Reply

  23. This article is exactly the information I’ve been needing! I’m a fairly new blogger and I’ve been so interested in working with brands, but don’t know where to start! This info is invaluable! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us! 🙂

    Reply

  25. Omg you rock! Thank you so much for putting together this information. It’s invaluable and it couldn’t have come at a better time since I’m starting to look for ways to monetize my blog. I need to start covering my crazy grocery and food prop bills!

    Reply

  26. Omg! I LOVE you for sharing all this information, Kate.

    Even though cake decorating is fun, it’s also very pricey. Plus, all the other stuff that goes into keeping a blog running, photography, ingredients, props ALL adds up. So, it would be nice to at least break even each month…hehe 🙂

    Reply

  27. I so understand that part — blogging can get quite expensive. I have spent more than earning so far but I am determined to change that. Thanks so much for all the tips. They are priceless!!! I am taking you as one of my mentors in the blogging world if you don’t mind. Thanks so much also for having answered questions previously when I needed. If there is anything that I can do for you one day, please let me know b/c I’ll be happy to help. Wishing you a great weekend, my friend!!!

    Reply

  30. Fabulous post, Kate! But, hahaha! I loved your line, “…then you hit that Negotiate button and tell them how it is!” So true! The time has finally come for me to put my business and marketing background and education to work. Have been working behind the scenes to get to the next level of blogging after my initial six months. (Just wrote a post about what I’ve learned so far to share with others.) Thanks SO MUCH for sharing! Like Averie, never knew about the BlogHer opportunity outside of their ad network. Thanks again, girlfriend! xo

    Reply

  31. Thanks again for responding to my emails about all this stuff. I really want to get into this blogging gig and I LOVE to write,so to be able to make money doing so is my dream job. Will be bookmarking this post for sure-what a nice summary!

    Reply

    • Happy to know that I can help! I have been doing those little jobs with BlogHer for a few months now and I’m satisfied. There’s really no work involved… you just send a tweet and get paid. 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WEEKLY MENU PLAN (#161) - A delicious collection of dinner, side dish and dessert recipes to help you plan your weekly menu and make life easier for you!
Honey Garlic Baked Pork Chops - Incredibly tender and super juicy pork chops coated in a sticky honey garlic sauce and baked to a delicious perfection. If you're looking for an amazing boneless baked pork chops recipe, this is it!
Steak Stir Fry with Zucchini Noodles - Intensely flavorful and wonderfully delicious Stir Fry Steak and Zucchini Noodles prepared in just one pan for a quick low carb meal that you'll go back to again and again! 
WEEKLY MENU PLAN (#160) - A delicious collection of dinner, side dish and dessert recipes to help you plan your weekly menu and make life easier for you!
OUR MOST POPULAR RECIPES EBOOK