Although I’ve been writing this travel blog for a short time, I still feel relatively new to the world of travel blogging. The landscape of the travel industry is always changing and as a result, the techniques and programs that we travel bloggers use to help others make the best of their travel plans also changes.
If you have thought about starting a blog for yourself or if you already have an established blog and are looking for ways to make a little money along the way, I figured I would share with you a few ways that I make money from this blog.
Now, I know what you’re probably saying, “You’re making money off of me?” Well…I wouldn’t quite put it that way. The money that I receive from this blog helps me to improve the overall performance of the blog. It also allows me to continue to research new ways of providing content that is relevant to you. This blog focuses on travel, vegetarianism, and adventure among other things.
I am sharing this information so that you too can eventually make money from your blog. Hopefully, one day our paths might cross when we’re traveling the world and living our best lives. One thing I will not be doing is sharing my earnings reports, although that seems to be the golden question. How much you can earn is really up to you and your overall strategy to monetize your blog or website.
Before I get into the ways I have monetized my blog, I wanted to note that any site that you regularly visit usually partners in an affiliate program. There are usually links to the affiliate programs at the bottom of the site or on the “Contact Us” or “About Us” pages. So, as you go along through websites your regularly visit and love, be sure to jot down if they have an affiliate program so you can refer to them later when you go to monetize your blog.
Every affiliate program is different. Each has different rules or quotas that have to be met in order to continue to be an affiliate. So be sure to read the affiliate materials thoroughly before submitting your application. Also, there may be rules on ways you are allowed to drive traffic to your website or parameters for sharing on social media. So, again read the fine print carefully.
I’m sure the ways that I monetize this blog will change over time. I want to make sure that readers of my blog have the best overall viewing experience. It’s still a work in progress. I’ve tried to hone the items that I use to monetize this blog. It is important to keep your monetization congruent with the subject of a post. It is also important to stay relevant to the niche(s) of your blog. Part of the goal is to not ruin your user’s experience when reading through your blog.
My original goal in starting this blog was not to make money but to share information and knowledge based on my experiences. I want to share so that you can have a more pleasant experience in your journey to new destinations but also in your journey through life.
So, now to the good stuff…I’ve included seven ways in which I’ve monetized my blog. I have noted briefly what each has to offer. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment. In order to be transparent, I would like to let you know that if you click on any of the links that lead to any of the sites that I am an affiliate with, I may receive compensation. Any compensation that I receive, I use to help continue to make this site better.
Travelpayouts
The first affiliate that I have a relationship with in order to provide services pertinent to traveling is Travelpayouts. Every time readers of your website click on a link of a travel partner of Travelpayouts, you earn a commission. The commission varies based on the offer that you have activated on Travelpayouts.
What I really like about Travelpayouts is the
Travelpayouts partners make it easy to book everything needed to complete your travel at a reasonable cost. All of the Travelpayouts partners have widgets, links, banners, and coding tools. Affiliates can use these tools to help readers easily access sites pertinent to the user’s travel needs.
Bluehost
The second affiliate program I work with is Bluehost. When I first started this blog, I didn’t really know much about how to even get the blog started or lock in the name that I wanted for my blog. Bluehost is a very helpful and inexpensive resource to get your blog off the ground. They aren’t just a web hosting service. They offer tips and products to help keep your site secure and make it easier for users to navigate your site.
If you’re interested in e-commerce or selling products on your site, Bluehost has products and support services to help you out with that too. Having a website is an investment if you are serious about it. As you navigate through getting your blog site off the ground, you may need to make some investments. You may even be able to deduct some of your expenses on your taxes.
If you decide to sign up with Bluehost, you can also earn cashback on your Bluehost purchase if you sign up for Ebates. Keep reading as there is a link below to help you become an Ebates affiliate as well!
Google Adsense
Google Adsense is a somewhat easy way to produce passive income. Google Adsense is one of the partners I use that requires the least amount of work. Google Adsense is basically coding that you can place throughout your site to show ads to your users. If you are going to use Google Adsense, be aware of every changing data-collection policies and also the GDPR. The Tinylovebug website has a very informative post on what the GDPR is and what the GDPR means to people running websites with readers in the European Union (EU).
Ebates, now known as Rakuten
The fourth website that I partner with is Ebates now owned by Rakuten. I had been using Ebates for the longest time before I even thought about starting this blog. Ebates is amazing! I’m not just saying that because I’m an affiliate, but because I actually just love the concept. Ebates is a program that helps you earn cashback for just making regular online purchases.
I shop a lot online. I mean…who doesn’t? I’ve added the Rakuten Google extension to my browser and I have the app on my phone. Whenever I make an online purchase on a website that Ebates partners with, I click to activate the offer on my browser. If using the app, it will take you to the website once you activate an offer within the app.
Ebates even looks for coupons to use, so you save money while earning cashback. This is great because you can earn money while making purchases you normally would. You can earn cashback buying flights, booking hotels, buying travel gear, or even just doing regular shopping. If you buy things online, I can almost guarantee that the sites you visit partner with Ebates. I’m talking about Walmart, Asos, Birkenstock, eBay, Travelocity, Sephora, Orbitz, and so many more. It’s so easy to earn cash back with Ebates/Rakuten! You earn real money that is directly deposited into your bank account every quarter. I could go on and on but I’m just so jazzed about Ebates because it’s so easy!
Fiverr
One site that I’ve found very useful, especially when I first got started setting up my blog, is Fiverr. As with many of the affiliate programs I have signed up for, your commission comes from first-time users signing up and utilizing the services of the website.
If you’ve never heard of Fiverr, it’s a site where you can work with freelance businesses to help your business be more successful. Fiverr has people who specialize in things like designing a logo, audio transcription, search engine optimization (SEO) audits, digital marketing, video editing for video websites like YouTube, or even business cards or stationary. It’s actually a great site even if you’re not a blogger and just need business services.
If you haven’t noticed already, I like websites where it’s a one-stop-shop so I don’t have to go to several sites in order to get everything I need. I’ve used Fiverr religiously for almost three years. When you use Fiverr, you’re supporting small businesses but also getting quality service. I like that you can read reviews before hiring a service provider and the costs are very inexpensive. If you end up not liking one service, you likely won’t spend a huge amount of money on the loss. I’ve used Fiverr to help design the logo for this website and audit my Instagram among other things.
Groupon
Regarding travel, Groupon helps people find local activities to do as well as international trips to help explore our worlds. I don’t know what your thoughts are about Groupon, but every time I’ve moved to a new area or traveled to a new destination, I’ve looked to Groupon.
Groupon is especially helpful if you make spontaneous changes to your itinerary and don’t know what to do in a particular place. When I moved to Tampa, it was really helpful in getting out of my comfort zone. It helped me learn my new area reasonably quickly.
I’ve even purchased travel deals. You’ve probably read all of my journeys through Iceland including, 10 of the best things to see while in Iceland, a quick look inside the Harpa, and 10 things to know before driving in Iceland. That was my first trip to Iceland and actually was a Groupon travel deal. It was very easy to book through Groupon travel partners and gave my sister and I a small taste of life on the island of Fire and Ice.
*This post is being written during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 but once the pandemic is over I highly encourage you to look on Groupon for activities, tickets, things to do, and travel deals and just take the leap.*
If you’re still skeptical on whether Groupon Deals are legit, another travel blogger that I follow, Tay the Travelista, wrote an interesting piece on her experience with Groupon.
As a Groupon affiliate, you earn a commission when first-time users connect with Groupon and purchase something through the site.
AirBnB
The last affiliate program that I want you to know about is AirBnB. Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of AirBnB. AirBnB is a website that is helpful in finding alternate accommodations. It also offers local experiences that you may not be able to find if your book through a normal tour company. If you become an affiliate you can earn a commission each time a first-time user signs up and books a stay or experience through the site.
One thing that I have learned from being a travel bloggers is that more and more, people are looking for the “local experience” when they visit destinations around the world. I am not knocking tour guide experiences because often tour guides from tour companies are also locals. So they know the inside details if you’re seeking a more authentic experience. I was tipped off to AirBnB by none other than my consistent travel partner, my sister. We were looking to travel to Europe the first time. Almost all of our accommodations as we traveled Europe were through AirBnB. What I loved about using AirBnB was that most of our living spaces were close to great places to eat that were off the beaten path. We really got a feel of the authentic atmosphere of the local streets without the distraction of shops and restaurants that cater to tourists.
AirBnB also has experiences that you can book with locals as well. They have cooking classes, day time farmer’s market or bazaar walking tours, art & museum walks, and everyone’s favorite….street food tours! I highly encourage you to take a look at AirBnB, even if you don’t become an affiliate. Sometimes it’s amazing to get the real experience you’re looking for when you’re staying with or in a local person’s house and see how they live. It makes for great stories to tell.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you’ve found a few options on becoming an affiliate to help monetize your website. Even if you do not become an affiliate of any of the sites that I have mentioned, all of the sites that I have described were still very helpful when I designed my travel blog.
Several of the partners are excellent in seeking out cool things to do. This is great if you’re not very savvy with researching excursions and travel destinations. Since I am often a solo traveler and somewhat of an introvert, Groupon and Travelpayouts partners like Tiqets and Musement have really helped find some experiences that don’t leave me feeling nervous about the social interaction aspect of things. Thanks for making it this far and thanks for reading!
Don’t forget to Pin this for Later!
I haven’t heard of a lot of these, so I will be looking into them more. I’m still new at all of this and slowly trying to figure it all out. Thanks for the tips!
I haven’t heard of some of these, but will for sure be looking into them. I’ve been using Google Adsense, and I like that it’s a set and go service that passively earns income. Groupon is a must for me when I’m traveling. I always find fun things to do that I probably wouldn’t have discovered, and at a discount. Thanks for sharing this list, I’ll for sure be pinning it so others can check it out too.
This makes me so happy to hear. I was hesitant on posting it since it’s not exactly in my niche but I figured someone might find it useful. I agree about Adsense since you don’t really have to do anything except add the correct coding or just do the auto placement. Thank you for pinning as well. I hope someone else finds some use from it. Have a great day!!!