10 Tips for Bloggers to Monetize their Influence

Influencer marketing made it possible for bloggers to harness the power of their followers and get good revenues based on their reach, topics, and quality of content. This type of marketing tool is still in its infancy, and procedures and strategies are far from being standardized, but from my experience of working with bloggers, I would like to offer some tips that could contribute to the growth of your business, engagement, and why not, your bank accounts!

1) Treat your blog as a business

If you treat your blogging as a business, more business will follow. From what I have seen, bloggers get more work from brands when they are professional and efficient. Answering emails in a timely manner, being respectful and accommodating in all your communications and being open to collaborations are part not only of the toolbox of any businessperson but go a long way for bloggers too.

2) Use an editorial Calendar

Have an editorial calendar ready and stick to it. When setting up campaigns, brands need to follow a certain schedule that is relevant to their marketing strategic plan. Therefore it is important for them to make sure that bloggers make good on their promises to post on a certain day and follow up on social media according to the calendar.

3) Have a media kit

Have the media kit and rate card ready for the client. Reach and pricing are the most important criteria after blog topic when selecting a blogger. That is why having your information ready when required speeds up the process and may get you top picks on whom to work with. It also pays off to update your reach numbers so they accurately reflect your value and influence. Check out my media kit here which I made via Sidebuy.

4) Know your demographics

Fine tune your Google Analytics to get access to your demographics. Another important element in selecting a blogger is the geographical, gender and age demographics. Brands are interested in targeting a specific group and having that information ready does not only make the blogger look professional and competent, but it may also be a huge factor in being chosen to work with a brand.

5) Be open to suggestions

Bloggers have their own personality and style, and that is why brands want to work with them. But at the same time working with a client means they may have some preferences or insights regarding the products featured, the images used or the angle of the story. If there is a reason why this cannot be done, it would be great to explain it and provide an alternative solution.

6) Balance sponsored and original content

The style and personality of the bloggers are the main reasons they are popular and followers appreciate the original content they produce. While it is tempting and lucrative to get as many sponsored posts as possible, you have to be mindful not to alienate your readers by providing too many paid content.

7) Turn down projects that do not fit your brand

Along the same lines, it may be tempting to get a well-paying client, but if the brand style does not align with that of the blog it is better to say no in the long run. It goes without saying that it is better to refuse a client that you do not like rather than write a negative post.

8) You should be ready to use a code to monitor traffic

Brands want to know what the results of the campaigns are. In this day of analytics and metrics, it is to be expected to measure how a certain strategy performed. This does not reflect badly on the blogger in any way. However, if you are reluctant to cooperate with the brands that do reflect poorly on your reputation.

9) Monetize your blog

Sign up with an influencer marketing platform like Sidebuy to monetize your value. These platforms make it easy for both brands and bloggers to work together. Even if you already have your own clients, signing up on more platforms could get you, even more, business and makes it easier for brands to find you.

10) Provide as much information

When you sign up to influencer marketing platforms, make sure to create a complete profile to take advantage of the services offered. Once you sign up, it pays off to complete a whole profile, including adding a professional picture, linking your social media channels and using the easy instructions to add the tracking code. Brands are unlikely to work with bloggers without a complete profile, the same as any business would be dismissed if it does not post its address and what it has to offer.