If you’re new around here, this article is just one in a long series about making money in any blog niche! I’ve been getting questions about how to make money when your blog is focused on Christian readers, so I wanted to add this category to our series.
In this article, I’m going to break down some fundamental facts about making money blogging and show you how to make money in any niche (even the Christian blog niche).
Let’s get started!!
This article is a long one, so grab a cold drink and kick up those feet. And pin this baby for later so that you can come back to these tips!!
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HOW BLOGGERS MAKE MONEY
Before we turn our focus to you and your blog, let’s talk about the fundamentals of making money from ANY blog.
Here is how most bloggers make their money:
- By promoting and selling products/services through affiliate marketing.
- By promoting and selling products/services through sponsored posts.
- By creating and selling their own products and services.
- By running ads on their website.
There are other ways to make money from your blog too, but these are the BIG ONES!
You’ll notice that all four of these options require you to promote and sell something. Keep in mind: every money-making business sells something valuable to their audience.
And it is OKAY to sell stuff.
This is what every successful business owner does. If you want to make money with your own Christian blog, you’ll have to get comfortable with the idea of serving your audience through products and services that are valuable and/or relevant to them.
This is how every blogger makes money.
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED WITH MONETIZING YOUR CHRISTIAN BLOG
Before you start trying to make money from your blog, it’s important to have your foundation down and all your ducks in a row.
This will save you so much time and hassle down the road, so do yourself a favor and pay some attention to these few basic truths:
1. You need to set up your blog the right way.
A solid blog foundation includes a self-hosted website that BELONGS TO YOU.
The only way to actually own your website is to use a self-hosted platform to build that website. If you haven’t already taken that step, here is an easy step-by-step guide for setting up your blog the right way.
2. You need to learn the basics of search engine optimization.
If you want people to find your blog post, you need to make sure that each and every blog post is optimized for search engines. This way, when someone is searching for the stuff that you write about, they can find your blog post easily.
Fact: if no one can find your blog post, no one can buy from you… and that is NO BUENO.
For a comprehensive look at optimizing your blog posts for search engines, I highly recommend this kick-booty SEO book, Easy On-Page SEO. This is the one tool that I wish I had from day one, because let me tell ya… going back to optimize a hundred old blog posts is NOT FUN.
3. You need to protect yourself and your blog from a legal standpoint.
Last but certainly not least, you need to make sure you are protecting yourself and your website legally. If you ever decide to start monetizing a blog, you are legally required to have certain information on your website that is accessible to your readers and protects you from liability.
It sounds like big scary legal jargon, but it’s actually a pretty simple process if you have the right help. I got my legal pages from a lawyer and she had me set up within 10 minutes. You literally just copy your information into the highlighted spots of her legally drafted documents and then paste them onto your website.
When you’re ready to start monetizing your website, you can grab the Legal Bundle here.
These three foundational things will save you enormous amounts of time, work, hassle, and headaches throughout your first year of monetizing your blog. So, give them some thought today.
Once you’re set up with these things and you’re ready to start writing some money-making content, we can go to town!
HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM A CHRISTIAN BLOG (WITH AFFILIATE MARKETING)
Popular blogger opinion: Affiliate marketing rocks! It is one of the best ways to make money from ANY BLOG.
Affiliate marketing is simply promoting products/services for a business that you are associated with.
If you’re a Christian-based blogger, you will most likely be promoting faith-related products or services for those businesses. You can also get creative with your content and promote other things that might be helpful to your Christian readers.
And here’s how it works:
First, you apply to join an affiliate program that fits in your niche. It usually takes a few days to get approval, if you meet the qualifications.
Most affiliate programs accept anyone with a live website and proper legal pages in place, but some have stricter rules. The rules are always listed on the affiliate program page, so read them carefully before applying.
When you are approved by that affiliate program, you are given a special trackable link to share with your audience. When someone clicks on that link and makes a purchase, you get a commission – woot woot!
AFFILIATE NETWORKS VS. AFFILIATE PROGRAMS
As a quick side note: let’s clarify the difference between an affiliate network and an affiliate program.
An individual affiliate program is a program that a company runs on their own, without the help of a third party. These are also known as “in-house affiliate programs”.
Amazon Associates is an example of an individual, in-house affiliate program.
An affiliate network is a platform that contains a pool of affiliate programs that you can join. The network is that third party that acts as the connection between you and the affiliate programs that you join. They provide your affiliate links and they make the payouts from their platform.
Share-a-Sale is an example of an affiliate network, and we’ll talk more about them in a moment.
Now that we know the difference between the two, let’s cover the best affiliate networks and programs that every Christian blogger should join.
** Please note: This list is for informational purposes only. All content below is subject to change at the discretion of the affiliate program owner.
AWIN AFFILIATE NETWORK
This is one of my favorite affiliate networks for bloggers. You can join the AWIN affiliate network HERE. There is a $5.00 screening fee to join the network, but the fee is refunded to you after approval.
Here are just a few of the programs you can join and how much you can earn from each of them within this network. Keep in mind that some of them are faith-based programs and some of them might just be helpful to Christian individuals and Christian families.
InstaRead // 30% commission per sale
Hand in Hand // 25% commission per sale
Christian Aid // 10% commission per donation
Forever BeSpoke (UK-based) // 6% commission per sale
Lillypost Book Subscription Box // $10 per subscription box sale
Dinnerly // $10 per sale
PostMark’d Stationary // $25 per subscription box sale
Remember, you’ll join the AWIN network first, and then you’ll apply to the affiliate programs you want to join in the network.
You’ll search for programs to join in your AWIN dashboard here:
When you apply to join a program, you’ll have to agree to the program terms and select the primary promotion method you’ll be using. I personally select my website. You also have the option to “add a message” to introduce yourself and share why you want to join the program.
Don’t overthink it. Just let them know why you’d like to join and why your audience will benefit from these products/services.
SHAREASALE AFFILIATE NETWORK
You can join the Share-a-Sale network HERE. Some of the highest paying affiliate programs are available in this free network. It has thousands of great programs to join, especially for faith-based bloggers!
Here are some of the affiliate programs in the network. Again, focus on the ones that can bring the most value to your readers.
Tiny Devotions // 15% commission per sale
Memory Cross Inc. // 15% commission per sale
Balance of Nature // 15% commission per sale
Christian Strong // 12% commission per sale
Spiritual Gangster Apparel // 10% commission per sale
Simply join the Share-a-Sale network, apply to the programs that you want to join, and then start promoting your affiliate products to your audience.
You can search for programs in your dashboard here:
Similar to AWIN, you’ll have to agree to the terms of the program you wish to join and explain how you’ll promote the products. Again, don’t stress over it too much, just introduce yourself and your promotion plan and hit submit.
RAKUTEN AFFILIATE NETWORK
You can join the Rakuten Affiliate Network HERE. I love Rakuten but I couldn’t find any faith-specific programs. There are hundreds of programs though, in categories like education, gifts, beauty, health, travel, games, finances, etc.
You could easily find products and services that will be helpful or relevant to your Christian readers! Here are a few of them:
Coursera // up to 45% commission per sale
My Wedding Favors // 7% commission per sale
See’s Candies // 7% commission per sale
Tidy Living // 6% commission per sale
Groupon // 5-10% commission per sale
Gourmet Gift Baskets // 5% commission per sale
Once you get approved by Rakuten, you can search for affiliate programs in your dashboard here:
When you apply to a program, a box will pop up asking you to read and agree to terms. Read the terms, click the box to agree, and then hit “OKAY.” And that’s it!
Just like every other affiliate network, you’ll apply to your programs, grab your affiliate links from your dashboard after approval, and then share those with your audience.
Important note: always disclose the fact that you are using affiliate links and make sure you have your disclaimer, terms, and privacy policy pages somewhere accessible on your website…it’s the law.
The idea is to write content that features your affiliate products in a positive light and motivates your target market to purchase them, if it fills a need for them.
That same ‘backyard entertainment food blogger’ could also write a series on the best subscription food boxes, the best wine and spirits for weekend parties, easy appetizers for Superbowl, classy intimate dinner party meals, etc.
All of these articles could be filled with appropriate affiliate links that promote high-quality products and services that your audience will love. The sky is the limit!
>>> You can access my master list of 800+ high-paying affiliate programs right here <<<
HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH AFFILIATE MARKETING
Being successful with affiliate marketing requires a few things.
First: it requires some form of an audience that might be interested in what you’re writing about and sharing.
And to grow that audience, I highly recommend using Pinterest. It is the best way to boost your blog traffic and build your readership. This FREE Pinterest challenge will get you started!
Second: it requires some careful screening to make sure the things you are promoting will be truly valuable to your readers.
Figure out what your audience wants and needs, and then find products you can recommend that actually relate to those needs.
Third: it requires time, effort, and patience. Affiliate marketing (and blogging in general) is not a get-rich-quick deal. In most cases, you won’t start earning income overnight. It can take several weeks, or even several months, to start earning income from your affiliate marketing efforts.
To speed up the process, make sure you have your foundational stuff in place, which we talked about a few minutes ago. Make sure you’re publishing problem-solving content on a regular basis. And then make sure you’re sharing that content on social media and Pinterest!
Now, let’s talk about sponsored work!
HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR CHRISTIAN BLOG (WITH SPONSORED POSTS)
Sponsored posts are the posts that you create on behalf of another business or brand (a sponsor), with the goal of promoting their business to your audience.
To land a sponsored post, you just need to find companies that align with your message and your audience, and then pitch them your ideas! It’s really that simple.
When you promote other people’s products and services to your audience, you are working in partnership with that business, and you deserve to be compensated for your work. So, when you send your pitch, be sure to make it clear that you are providing a service and you are looking for a sponsored partnership.
Similar to affiliate marketing, there are individual sponsorship opportunities and there are sponsorship networks that connect you with those opportunities. I personally find that pitching to companies directly brings more success, but you can always do both!
Most sponsored networks are free to join and easy to use. I personally like these ones:
And there are hundreds more out there!
For a comprehensive look at working with brands, pitching to brands, and my master list of influencer networks to join, check out this blogging course …
Pssst: I have a coupon code for my blog readers only. Use code BLOGFAN for $50 off!!!
When a brand or business agrees to a sponsored post, you will work together to set your terms of the agreement and then you’ll write up your post and share it with your audience.
Each business and network has their own rules about what each sponsored post should contain and where it should be promoted, so be sure to follow instructions carefully.
HOW TO MAKE MONEY CREATING AND SELLING YOUR OWN PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
When I tell new bloggers that they could monetize by selling their own stuff, they usually laugh it off like it’s a crazy idea.
But quite honestly?
Creating and selling your own stuff is the absolute BEST WAY to make money from a blog… including a faith-based blog!
When you sell your own stuff, you get full creative control and 100% of the profits.
If you have a Christian audience, perhaps you can create an inspirational calendar, a prayer book, a planner with a focus on spiritual goals, printables and crafts, a program that helps your audience read the entire bible in one year, a coaching program, etc.
Just throwing out ideas here, but the sky is the limit!
You can easily create a course for free on the Teachable platform. This is what I use for my courses.
You can easily sell printables and planners using SendOwl.
We have so many options and opportunities to build our own money-making blogs. We just have to jump in and do the work!
HOW TO MAKE MONEY THROUGH ADS ON YOUR BLOG
Ads are one of the most common monetization methods for bloggers. It’s a relatively easy and passive way to earn a little money from your blog.
If you are interested in running ads, here are a few options:
Google Ads – relatively easy for new bloggers to get approved
Monumetric ad network – you must have over 10,000 monthly page views
MediaVine – you must have over 25,000 monthly sessions
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER – MONETIZING YOUR CHRISTIAN BLOG
I know we covered a looooot of ground here today, so let’s do a quick recap to put this whole thing into perspective.
There are a few ways to make money from your Christian blog. You can use affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, sell your own stuff, or run ads on your site…
You can and should use some mixture of these options, because you never want to put all of your eggs in one basket. It’s best to have income flowing in from a few different sources!
When you’re ready to start monetizing, make sure you have a handle on Pinterest and SEO, and get your legal pages in place on your website.
Then, get to work writing great content and sharing it with your audience. It will take a little time to build up your readership and your income, but don’t give up! It will be well worth it.
And if you have any questions, come join us in my FREE blogging community for all of the support and blog tips you can handle!
If you found this article helpful, pin it for later!
