As a Digital PR who has worked in the industry for over a decade and been blogging for almost the same amount of time (Eeek!) I often get asked about how to make money or get gifted items around the peak consumer periods. Well, dear reader here are some of my top tips for successful blogging during this highly competitive period.
Affiliate links and Marketing
We’ve already discussed this in depth over on this post but affiliate marketing can be a great way to earn some extra pounds over the competitive Black Friday and Christmas periods when brands are trying to get all of the coverage and market share that they can. Simply by promoting something your followers and readers will be likely to buy – anything from online photobooks to a games console – you then get a commission from the sale. It’s worth remembering that high-ticket items will get a higher commission, but fewer people will buy them. Consider the niche you are in and what your readers are likely to buy. Women with young children are less likely to buy police-style gear and clothing from LAPG, but they do want to know how to drop the 2am feed for their six-month-old.
Being an affiliate is also a great tool to have in your pitching portfolio when approaching brands. If you can’t get paid work, being gifted an item based on performing well in previous affiliate campaigns is certainly another approach – you’ll get an item to review and make the content profitable long term. Trust me. I’ve been swayed by those pitches plenty of times and it’s always good as a digital PR to be able to report on the return on investment back to the client.
Outreaching to brands to promote items
If you are in a specialist niche now is certainly the time to be outreaching to brands to see if they are open to working together. I have worked in Digital PR for over a decade and many opps have come via bloggers outreaching to me with a unique offer. Depending on the campaign and Brand I am working on, a blogger doesn’t have to have the best DA or stats if they have the right USP. For example, you may not have the best DA but you have three blogs and an engaged youtube channel and you’re happy to mention said product on all channels if given a particular item – Now, that’s a great offer to land in my inbox!
The perfect season for gift guides
Gift guide season in traditional PR work is usually around July, which is why many bloggers will mention ‘Christmas in July events’ but it works a little differently in the Digital PR world as many of us are in digital marketing agencies and often we are seeking to get coverage through the year. Therefore, outreaching to digital PRs and using the #prrequest hashtag on social can really work wonders if you are seeking gifted items to review. Now speaking of gifted items…
Recycle gifted/old items for cash
When you become a successful blogger you acquire a lot of stuff due to gifting. Now I am not moaning but I don’t know about you but I am so much happier when I have a clear space to work in. Now, as a parent, we all know this is easier said than done! One way to make a little cash and to declutter, thus creating some motivation in doing a dreaded big tidy (Shudders) are places that help you recycle and reuse unwanted items with people who wish to give them a second life. Sites such as Thred up and giffgaff happily push their sustainable ethos and help prevent items from ending up in a landfill. Both are useful sites to check out if you do fashion or tech reviews on your site and get gifted items – which can create a surplus of old items lying around the home. That extra money can then be put back into your blogging and means you don’t feel guilty about having too much stuff you don’t use.
Outreach to your Friendly Neighbourhood Digital PR
Ah, yes. The PR world works on favours and connections. I have known some bloggers for a decade and often we will help each other. I get coverage or am introduced to other bloggers which in many campaigns can be a godsend. In turn, they want to be introduced to a PR of a brand they’d like to review or money is tight and they are seeking a paid gig, so of course, if I can help them I will and pass anything that I hear about to them. If you’re not having any luck with any of the previous tips, then go back to your previous contacts and see if they can help you out. We’re a friendly bunch!
