This post is about How To Monetize A Blog Using An Affiliate Network You’ve Probably Never Heard Of!
Your burning question is How To Monetize A Blog?! I know it is because that was my burning question when I started blogging too. It seems a little complicated because you really need a perfect combination of a few elements.
You need lots of amazing content + traffic + affiliate network relationships to monetize said traffic. And that’s easier said than accomplished. It’s doable but it takes work.
And when you’re a brand new blogger you’re still working on blog design and generating amazing content. Once you get those things off to a good start you’re busy working on building your Pinterest presence and trying to drive traffic to your site so you can eventually work your way up to making that excellent affiliate money!
Trust me that we all wish it could happen in a day but it can actually take months to make money blogging, or does it? What if you could monetize a blog faster? With something free and simple to start?
Knowing how to monetize a blog is an issue almost every new blogger faces. So, I went on the hunt for ways to do this and found a solution.
Yes, you will still need content, but there is no minimum traffic requirement (the more you have the more you will earn but there is no minimum) nor do you need any kind of specific affiliate knowledge or relationships in order to make money using this gem of a service!
What’s The Solution On How To Monetize A Blog?
The solution I found on how to monetize a blog was Skimlinks! They’re a free automated affiliate marketing service I’m using to monetize this blog!
Skimlinks, has been one of the top innovators in the affiliate marketing space since 2008. They’re a UK-based company who recognized that manual affiliate marketing is complicated and often very time consuming for most people to make money from when they’re just getting started.
With this, and the publishers’ best interest, in mind they set out to reward publishers for the role that they play in generating sales from your blog’s content.
My Review Of Skimlinks
This blog post is a review of my experience so far with Skimlinks. Their sign-up process was incredibly easy and once approved, you have access to all of the merchants in their system. Skimlinks works with thirty-seven different affiliate networks, giving its users access to nearly 18,000 merchants across all verticals. Implementation is quick; just install one line of code or a plug-in for certain platforms.
Skimlinks will now find any product links that I place on my site (in text or on images) and turn them into tracked affiliate links. I don’t have to do any work outside of placing the links. Can you say GENIUS?! I wish I had known about this months ago!
How does Skimlinks Track All This?
All of the purchases, clicks, and commissions coming through my Skimlinks links are recorded in the publisher interface. Daily commissions reports, calculated eCPCs, merchant reports, outbound link reports and more are all laid out in one place; no more checking into every affiliate network individually.
Also in the publisher interface, there is an array of tools at your disposal. eBay and Amazon search widgets for your site, a URL shortener, APIs; and it seems that they have more great ideas in the works. Once you hit the $10 threshold, Skimlinks can send your monthly payments via PayPal or check. How easy is that?!
And the best part is it’s *free*! How could this possibly be free? Skimlinks costs nothing to use, but in exchange for making monetizing your blog oh so much easier – they do get a small percentage (about 25%) of your affiliate commissions.
Much of this cost is offset, however, by their Preferred Partner Program. Because of their size and reputation, they are able to negotiate higher commissions with merchants, so that they can then pass some of that extra cash on to you.
But Why Not Use Other Affiliate Networks?
You can and should use other affiliate networks! As you become more knowledgeable about affiliate marketing and you learn about all the different affiliate networks like ShareASale, MaxBounty and FlexOffers, you can and should definitely figure out which ones are giving you the best rates for which of your links. That takes time and some killer tracking but it’s worth figuring out.
It’s also important to point out that you could do better if you go direct with a company and sometimes you will do better on an affiliate network like Skimlinks. Again, a ton of work but probably worth it to fo the footwork and figure out especially if you find a certain affiliate is converting really well for you. At that point, it would make sense to put in the exta effort if you’re making a fair rate for them on Skimlinks or if it’s time to do some comparison shopping for where you’re going to get the best payout for your converting traffic! In the meantime, the advantage of Skimlinks is that they do a lot of the work of setting up the link for you.
What About My Exisiting Affiliate Links?
Since I only recently found Skimlinks and I’ve been working on my affiliate marketing for a few months now, I was a little concerned how it would interact with the 30+ affiliate links I already have on my blog. But in reading their FAQ, I found there was no need to worry as they leave already established affiliate links alone and just focus on the plain links.
For example, I’m not an AirBnb affiliate but I mention them in one of my side hustle posts. I looked into becoming an affiliate for AirBnb but you need something like 1 million page views per month and I didn’t qualify. So, before I had Skimlinks I could mention them but would never get paid for sending traffic their way. Not anymore! AirBnb is on their network, so now those links can be monetized! So can links to Target, Amazon and so many others!
And my already established affiliate links will still work and be all mine!
Where Can I Learn More About Skimlinks?
Because some of us are visual learners and the topic of how to monetize a blog is such an important one, I added this video to help you understand Skimlinks and how to monetize a blog even better. Check it out and then read on for even more insights on how I’m maximizing Skimlinks on my blog!
https://youtu.be/IiVwuc0vtR4
How Can I Make The Most Of Skimlinks?
Since the point of all this is figuring out how to monetize a blog, I really wanted to make the most of Skimlinks! So, to maximize my Skimlinks I went back through all my blog posts and ‘linked’ anything that might either already be on their network or might someday be added like Amazon, Target, Starbucks and so on. This way if they are affiliated or someday become affiliated they will be working for me 24/7. This is what I’m talking about: passive income at it’s finest.
So the great thing is that if you’re a new blogger you can get started with Skimlinks today and write content with their network in mind OR if you’re an intermediate or advanced blogger with published posts you could be sitting on another revenue stream! You just may have figured out how to monetize a new and/or an existing blog!
Oh, and did I mention that you can also get paid for referring others to Skimlinks?! It’s such a beautiful thing! Skimlinks will pay you 35% of the first year for all new affiliates referred through your link. What the WHAT are you waiting for? Get on it and register for Skimlinks today!
But seriously, overall, I’ve found Skimlinks to be really easy to use and a fantastic new revenue stream for my site. So far it’s just trickles but as my content grows so will this form of passive income. It is unobtrusive, so it doesn’t bother my users, and I can trust that there won’t be any inappropriate display ads or ugly pop-ups.
And what I love best is that rather than pushing products with display ads, I can focus on creating amazing content and let my site speak for itself. Want to learn more about Skimlinks? Check out their website: www.skimlinks.com so you can learn How To Monetize A Blog too!
Some Of My Favorite Resources…
*This page contains affiliate links which means that if you click on a link I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend things I personally use and like. Thank you for supporting my blog!
If you need to make some quick cash I recommend Survey Junkie. It’s free and is something easy and quick that you can do from your laptop or smart phone or even possibly on the go in your spare time to make some extra cash quickly. Just give them your honest opinion and earn money! Try Survey Junkie and earn $10 just for registering today!
Inbox Dollars pays up to $35 per poll and will give you a $5 bonus just for joining today! They pay you cash (not points) for taking surveys, playing online games, searching the web and more! Check out Inbox Dollars and start earning side hustle money today!
Vindale Research is another great survey site where you can answer market research questions about new products which are going to be released soon. You will not only make side hustle money but you’ll also be getting to learn about brand new products before everyone else does. Sign up with Vindale Research today!
Cash Back!
Honey is my favorite new way to save and earn! I love it because it automatically applies the best coupon code to whatever I’m buying online! How great is that? I’ll never have to search for another coupon code while I’m checking out again. It’s a simple browser extension and I already used it to save money on an Amazon purchase I just made. And, it’s free! And for the side hustle aspect, for everyone you refer to Honey via a link on your blog or social media with your link you will earn $5! Now that’s awesome! Try Honey today!
Another great way to get cash back for your everyday shopping is Ibotta. Just do your normal shopping, scan your receipt in their easy to use app and Cha Ching! Cash back! It’s basically free money. And just for signing up with my link you’ll receive a $10 bonus! Sign up here today!
Blogging Resources
Blogging is one of the best side hustles I’ve found. It’s low-cost, can be done remotely and when you put the work in, it can provide passive income that comes in even on days when you can’t make it to your laptop! The first day I made an affiliate sale on my blog I was sitting on the beach with some friends in town! That was THE BEST feeling EVER! Start Your Blog Today!
Bluehost: I’ve been with them from the beginning and have had nothing but a great experience. You can self-host your blog for as little as $3.95/month plus with my link you’ll also get a free domain ($10 value!)
Tailwind: My go to Pinterest scheduler – oh where would I be without you! Tailwind has automated my pinning and I simply couldn’t live without it! I started with their free trial then moved up to their basic plan and have since upgraded to their unlimited tribes power up so I can make the most of my tribes and their reach to grow my traffic!
You can also find a full list of my favorite resources and online tools here!
*This post may contain affiliate inks which means if you click a link on this page and make a purchase we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we use and love. Thank you for supporting our blog! Our polices page can be found here.
Hi again! If you – yes you! If you found the information here helpful please look at the top of this page. Do you see that little grey bar and that pink button? That’s where you can subscribe so you don’t miss out on any of the fun! My subscribers will have access to exclusive information on flash sales from my favorite affiliates plus access to exclusive content I won’t be publishing anywhere else. I promise not to spam you and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for reading this far! I hope this has helped your learn How To Monetize A Blog!
