Showing posts with label make money blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label make money blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label make money blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label make money blogging. Show all posts

What is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer Marketing is a form of Word of Mouth Advertising


Did you ever have a homepage with Microsoft or are you even old enough to remember those? There's been a steady progression in the world of blogging and I've been along for the entire ride. Now, I'm considered a social media influencer. Influencer marketing is the latest trend on the world wide web, remember that term? Ha. It's been a wild ride. What is Influencer Marketing? 


This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.


What's influencer marketing and a sponsored post?

Influencer marketing is online word of mouth advertising. It goes like this. I went to a new ice cream shop, I loved the pineapple flavor, I took a picture and shared it all over my social media pages. It's true. I do love pineapple ice cream. If I tell you how much I love it, maybe you'll try it and love it too. Generally, influencers are trusted or are recognized as a celebrity or specialist in their area of influence.


Me? The influencer progression went like this: 


  • Microsoft Homepage - I shared my page with my family members to update them on the status of my new baby. (He's 17.)
  • MySpace page for my family - like a scrapbook.
  • Blog - Here's what we've been doing, doesn't it look fun?
  • Facebook page - So, you want how to instructions for the kids activities we've been doing?
  • Twitter profile - Because someone told me I had to have at least 5k followers to be of any value. (Twitter doesn't really fit my niche.)
  • Pinterest profile - Picture this and save it to make later! My stats skyrocketed quickly, so I wrote a how to book which ended up on Amazon's Best Seller's list and that boosted my influencer status.
  • Instagram profile - Everyone's doing it, it's the place to be. So, I did it too.

In between all of those social media platforms, I tried Snap Chat, Periscope, Blog Frog, Google+, and a host of other platforms that you've never heard about. My influencer status grew by leaps and bounds on Blog Frog. Once I caught on to how they got paid when I wrote an article or allowed ads on the page, it was a game changer.


Suddenly,  I realized that I could do that on my own website. I solicited brands, got free product, and a small payment for my articles. This method later became known as the sponsored post. The more sponsored posts I did, the more I was hooked. Next thing you know, I'm a huge (one of the first) Pinterest influencer. It happened while I was looking the other way. 


Over the last several years, my influencer status has grown to include Instagram. People like to see what other people do behind the scenes. That's why these unboxing YouTube videos are all the rage. While I do love to receive free product, as an influencer, it is important that I am compensated for my time. It's how I make my living. Never heard of me? Just Google it.


These days, I like to focus on educational kids' activities and budget friendly family travel. However, my blog is considered a lifestyle/parenting website so I get offered all sorts of influencer marketing proposals. I can afford to be choosy. 


Back in the day, Paris Hilton was one of the first social media influencers. Now, anyone can be an influencer, celebrity not required. You just have to be patient and persistent. There are many bloggers who became influencers by accident. I particularly like this story about the Barefoot Marathoner in the Influencer Spotlight. Like me, she was just doing her own thing, minding her own business when people began to take notice. Surprise, you're an influencer! 


Some Influencers make their money with YouTube advertising. I haven't found the time to focus on YouTube. Notice, I forgot to even mention it my progression list, it fits in somewhere after Facebook. I've helped other websites market themselves with YouTube, but my own profile falls flat. Maybe someday.


We don't have to all love the same things! There are some platforms I just don't love, and they obviously don't love me back. If you want to start building your own influencer marketing business, pick a social media platform that you love. Build it, love it, and they will come. Don't be fake. Just be yourself.


So, how do I use Influencer Marketing?


I get offered products to try. I do a lot of kids' recipes and snacks. So, influencer marketing platforms pair me up with food brands and retail stores who send the product and offer a small payment - they call it a fee. That can be confusing to newbies. It's a fee that I require to publish the article on my website. It's a payment to me.


I also get free tickets to events in exchange to promote the event on my social media pages and write about my experience on my blog.


I get pitched various things to post on my Instagram. I try to curate these to include only things that my followers (largely teachers and homeschoolers) will appreciate learning more about. I charge a fee per post or story.


When I do a sponsored post on my blog, I almost always share it to Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. I charge an additional fee to share it to Instagram because it seems to be a premium service. If sponsors just want me to pin something on my Pinterest profile, I'm happy to do it for a fee. Time is money. Even adding a link to an existing blog post takes time, so I charge a fee for that too. 


What should you know? There are regulations on sponsored posts. Sponsored posts should be noted as such. On my social media pages, I am required to add #ad or #sponsored. Amazon affiliate links require a disclaimer at the top of the blog post. I always say, "This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience." For other sponsored posts, I use different language, 'This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own." or "Post sponsored by INSERT BRAND." 


What's the biggest rage in influencer marketing these days? I'd say it's tiktok. Notice I don't have that listed above? I'm still thinking about it. Still. I've never been an early adopter, but I do okay. Juggling all of those different social media platforms is very time consuming. Many times, by the time I get around to thinking about signing up for a platform, it's already obsolete. 


Now, how do I find these influencer marketing gigs? Well, these days most of them find me. However,  if you're just starting out, just do a search for 'influencer marketing,' 'sponsored posts,' or 'become an influencer.' There are a ton of sites that help pair influencers with sponsors.


Good Luck! If you have any questions on your journey, feel free to reach out to me.



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Ways to Make Extra Money at Home

Need an Online Side Job?


Whether you're self-employed, under-employed, or just always looking for more cash, there are many legitimate ways to make money at home online. As a self-employed entrepreneur, I've tried many different side gigs. I've always got a bunch of irons in the fire trying to find one that is the best return on my time invested. Some things pay well, but are tedious and stressful. When that happens, it causes a shift in my mood. I'd rather do something that took less time and caused less stress. I mean who wouldn't? If you're looking for ways to make extra money at home read on for a list of things you can do as a side job online.

This post contains Amazon and other Affiliate links.

Ways to Make Extra Money at Home
Need a side gig?

Ways to Make Money Online

When working online, you never have to leave your home. Let's get real, you never even have to leave your bed! Unfortunately, you do have to have some marketable online skills. However, there are a range of activities for the amateur to the professional online entrepreneur. So, if you're hoping to become self-employed or to add a little extra cash to your monthly bottom line, it might be worth it to brush up on some English grammar lessons, Microsoft skills, and understand how social media is beneficial to your bank account.

  • If you're a teacher of any sort, including a homeschooling teacher/parent, you can make money by selling your printable lessons online. #worksheets People don't have time to create these and they appreciate the work being done for them by a professional.  Some great sites to start selling your teacher resources are TeacherSherpa.com and TeachersPayTeachers.com  Each website is reputable, and as an added bonus, you can sell the same items on each site. They work sightly differently, so go for it and see which one works best for you! If you're a serial entrepreneur like me, you'll continue to do both.

  • Do you have some random skill? Something you're an expert at and can do quite well in a very short amount of time? Maybe you're a freelance writer, a musician who does jingles, you were born with a great voice for voice overs, you're an amazing cartoonist, skilled at graphic design, or perhaps you can write a kick*** cover letter and resume. Whatever your marketable skill, you can promote it on fiverr.com. Just offer something for $5 and you can add additional fees or add-on work. I haven't sold anything over there, but I have used the service many, many times!

  • My first venture into the making money online came via UpWork. Back in the day, it was known as Elance. With UpWork, you can charge whatever you want. The more skilled you are, the more you can make. I started out low-balling bids on jobs until I gained confidence in a particular subject. Now, I work as a consultant and bid a much higher wage.  I work as a freelance writer, SEO specialist, and social media marketer. However, you can find jobs for draftsmen, architects, interior designers, product testers, reviewers, and virtual assistants. Sometimes, you can even find work offline.

More ways to make money online.

  • If you're a blogger or anyone with a large online following, you can do a search for sponsored social media posts. You've heard of celebrities getting paid to post on their Twitter and Instagram? You can do it too! This is my favorite side gig. It only takes a few minutes to complete and the pay out can be just as good as a sponsored blog post. You decided what pay you want. Your stats, engagement, and follower count play into it. Anyone can do it and earn $1 to over $1000 for a short post.


  • If you are still uncertain about what type of job you would love to do at home or what profession is the most suitable for you, it's important to keep an eye on new trends and analyze different open positions and their requirements. In this case, you can use the best job search websites. For example, you can have a look at the work-from-home vacancies listed on Jooble. Filters such as location, date posting, salary, work experience, and work employment will help you speed up your search and find the most appropriate vacant post in the long run.

  • Write a how to manual, a comic book, or a full-fledged novel! Using Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing tools, you can create book covers, upload content, and sell your book on Amazon. I've done this several times now. The key is quality. This is a pretty hefty time commitment. However, once you've done one book and created a template, it becomes easier. This is not for the faint of heart, the easily stressed, or the perfectionist. If you're any of those things, do the book, but pay someone to set it up for you. Here's one of my best selling Amazon books: Circle Time Activities. Tip: I also have versions of this book available on TeacherSherpa and TeachersPayTeachers.

Now, once you've created your own ways to make money online, you'll need to promote your business. You can do this yourself through boosting Facebook posts, running ads in Google AdWords, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram,  or enlisting a digital marketer to help. Pick me, pick me!

Still looking for more ways to make extra money online? Check out this article from the PennyHoarder.


Pin it!

Need a Side Job?




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Service Projects for Teens: TeeChip Care

Teen Service Project Idea: T-Shirts


This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of TeeChip.Com for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

TeeChip Care is a Great Way for Teen's to do a Service Project.


We're always looking for a great service project for teens and families. TeeChip is a great way for anyone to raise money or earn money online. So, if you have a family vacation coming up, you need money for a school band trip, or you want to raise money for a local family in need, TeeChip is a wonderful way to raise the money you need. We like it because of the TeeChip Care program. Through TeeChip Care, excess products or products that don't live up to their high quality of standard are donated to NGO's. If you are looking for a great way to get teen's involved in community service, this makes an ideal service project for teens. Enjoy! Sign up an organization in need for TeeChip Care: Request form. If you know of an NGO that needs hoodies for the cold-weather or just a shirt to cover their backs, get in touch with TeeChip Care.


Service Projects for Teens: TeeChip Care


Blogger Perks: Chick-fil-a Backyard Barbecue Celebration

How will you do a Backyard Barbecue? Consider Chick-fil-a

Some of the perks of blogging include getting FREE stuff or special treatment. Chick-fil-a invited us to have a backyard barbecue inside their Avon, Indiana restaurant. Despite the recent controversy, I love Chick-fil-a. I respect their rights, just as I respect the rights of all others. So, Enjoy!

Chick-fil-a is a great place to dine with the kids, especially preschoolers. It gives Mommy (me) a few moments to relax while the kids play. The staff pampers you, always clearing your table, bringing you refills, and smiling. So, it is my pleasure to share the latest, new menu items with all of you. You know you like the food.

Our Chick-fil-a Backyard Barbecue and a rare look at me. I'm in the blue.

My blogging buddies and local friends joined me at the backyard barbecue. The Avon staff is truly lovely. Though I live closer to another restaurant now, this one is my favorite. Everyone loved the service and the food. Thank you so much to Ashley and the staff.  :)

My favorite new menu items are the grilled chicken nuggets. If you read this blog, you might recall, I'm somewhat of a poultry-tarian. Well... I was until we got chickens and ducks. That makes it difficult for me to prepare or eat chicken sometimes. I never eat duck. I try to stick to turkey when possible. But... these nuggets are too good to pass up. Right? There's a whole 'nother controversy there. So, please let's just think about the cows. This is what they want. Eat Mor Chickn!

So, what was on the menu? They call it Grilled Love. I've listed some menu items below and tidbits from the Press Release.

On April 14, the Atlanta-based restaurant chain will officially roll-out three new entrees – the Chick-fil-A® Grilled, Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A® Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich and Chick-fil-A® Grilled Nuggets – in an ongoing effort to provide more flavorful and “craveable” grilled options for its nutrition-minded customers. 
 
Chick-fil-A’s new recipe features an unmatched backyard grilled taste. Each grilled chicken breast is freshly marinated with a blend of sea salt, lemon, garlic and savory herbs, and cooked on a state-of-the-art, proprietary grill developed by Chick-fil-A. The technique creates a tender, juicy filet with just the right amount of smoky flavor. 
 
To make this menu enhancement possible, Chick-fil-A invested seven years of testing and more than $50 million to reinvent its grilled chicken recipe. The largest portion of the investment came as the company worked with Garland Grills to create a proprietary grill. This grill sears chicken perfectly on cast-iron grates like it was cooked on a backyard grill, only faster. 
Chick-Fil-A


The sandwiches were a big hit, and so were the condiments. My favorite condiment is the Avocado Lime Dressing. Apple Cider Vinaigrette is yummy too. If you like a little spice, try the Polynesian Sauce!

The Chick-fil-a Cows want you to eat more chicken! I can help. I am giving away 4 Backyard Barbecue Cards! What does that mean? You will get a free sandwich in June and July so you can try out the new Backyard Barbecue Menu for Free. Just leave a comment here (if you don't use Google+ find the post about this on our Facebook Page) and Voila! You are entered in the drawing.





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*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)



Cash Tasks, Earn Money from Inbox Dollars

Looking for a new way to earn a little extra cash?  Try Cash Tasks from InboxDollars.  Everyday InboxDollars will list a collection of available tasks that can be completed for a cash reward.  The tasks range from identifying the content of a photograph, to translating phrases, to completing descriptions for products or services.  Each task is presented with the number of opportunities to complete it and the earnings a member will be credited for completing the task.  To earn the cash reward, you must complete the task requirements and accomplish the entire task properly. Once you have completed all the requirements for that task, they will notify you.  Your account is credited the same day the task is completed.  If you have some spare time each day it is a good way to earn a little extra for the holidays.


You get $5.00 just for signing up.