If you’re a food or lifestyle blogger, you may be pondering how you can monetize your website effectively. In this post, we’ve put together more than 50 easy ideas to help you get started!
You Don’t Need Big Traffic Numbers
Instead of waiting for your traffic to build, consider alternate ways to monetize your site – and challenge yourself to use a combination of ways. For example, instead of depending on Amazon to build all your affiliate links, search for alternate programs that pay higher commissions.
One way is to go directly to the manufacturer or vendor. Often, they will have their own affiliate programs via platforms like CJ.com, Share-a-Sale.com, or other networks. In many cases, you’ll earn much more by going this route vs. the 4% you can earn with Amazon.
Doing a bit of homework before you start promoting can pay off quite well.
However, even though Amazon may not always be the best program for earning high commissions, it is still a great research tool. If you want to just start browsing for kitchen products, browse the kitchen section of their website. (aff. link)
There are also a lot of direct sales programs related to food and as long as they allow their representatives to sell online only and don’t have any stringent sales requirements, the commissions can be quite attractive, as well.
Your Own Products & Services
Don’t forget about your own products and services! If your goal is to blog about food and turn it into a career, selling your own products and services is important. If you skip this step, you’ll be missing out on a lot of revenue.
Think about it… Your followers like you. They open your emails and visit your site over and over again because they like your stuff. So when you have a product that YOU created, they are going to jump at the chance to buy it.
Plus, when you have your own products and services, you get to keep all the profits. That usually means more in your pocket per sale than if you’re promoting through an affiliate link.
The Big List of Food and Lifestyle Blog Monetization Ideas…
Here’s a starter list of Monetization ideas for you. Many of these can be sold through affiliate links, but don’t skip options like selling your own products and services. That way, you can take yourself from being a blogger to a full-fledged business owner.
- Accepting paid sponsors and sponsored posts — do a quick Google search of where and how to find these opportunities!
- Ad networks like Google Adsense
- Appliances like blenders, juicers, food processors, refrigerators, stoves, freezers, rice cookers and more
- Baking accessories
- Baking classes
- Cake or cookie decorating
- Calorie and other counters
- Catering
- Coffee and Tea
- Cooking classes
- Cookware like roasting pans, baking dishes, pots, pans, woks and more
- Coupon books with coupons from local vendors and restaurants
- Dehydrated food sales
- Diet and/or fitness programs
- Ebooks or printed books
- Food cart
- Food gifts and gift baskets
- Freezer cooking service (teach freezer cooking in the home)
- Freezer-safe storage products
- Fresh meals in a box service
- Gadgets like garlic presses, meat thermometers, food dehydrators, salt and pepper mills, mandolin slicers and more
- Gourmet food sales
- Grocery list planning
- Grocery shopping and errand services
- Herbs and spices
- Indoor herb garden kits
- Food or Wine of the Month clubs
- Kitchen cleaning products
- Kitchen decor
- Kitchen organization service
- Kitchen remodels
- Knives and food slicers
- Lunch and food storage containers
- Meal delivery service
- Menu planning service
- Nutrition counseling
- Pantry organization tools
- Party decorations
- Party planning
- Personal chef services
- Place settings, tablecloths, placemats, centerpieces and more
- Pre-made soup or cake mixes
- Recipe books
- Recipe organization tools
- Restaurant
- Restaurant web design
- Seed bank
- Sell advertising directly to companies and other bloggers
- Vegetable garden set up and maintenance
- Vitamins and supplements
- Wine and beer making kits or services
- Wine, Beer and other alcoholic beverages
Whew! That’s over 50 ideas to get to you started… What other ideas can you come up with?
Take a moment and jot down 2 or 3 ideas that appeal to you – either from this list or your own – and start brainstorming ways you can start Monetizing your site today.
And hey, did you know our Bite-Sized Bundles monthly membership package includes quick and easy monetization ideas each and every month? Not a member yet? Join us here.
