I am breaking one of the top social etiquette rules and actually sharing what I made this month. EEEK.

I want to start off by saying that travel blogging and being a social media micro-influencer are my side gigs. My full-time job is social media management and being a Pinterest Strategist.

However, it doesn’t hurt being able to make a little money on the side. Here are the ways that I made $580 this month! Hopefully, this article will give you ideas on how to make money being a blogger and social media influencer.

Sponsored Posts on Instagram ($200)

Occasionally, I’ll team up with brands that I believe in and promote their products to my audience. This is usually called a Sponsored Post.

I’ve talked about how you don’t need tons and tons of followers in order to get paid by brands, and I’m living proof of that!

What you need is an engaged audience within a specific niche that is going to appreciate and buy the products that you are recommending. Check out this article for a complete e-book about sponsored posts!

Sponsored Blog Post ($100)

Another way that I was able to make a little side cash this month from travel blogging was partnering with a tourism board and writing an article for them! This article was then published on my site and then shared with my audience.

There are several platforms that I have used in the past but one of my favorites is Cooperatize. This website connects travel writers and influencers to travel brands and tourism boards for collaborated blog posts and press trips.

Even if travel blogging isn’t your niche, there are a lot of sites you can join for paid blogging opportunities. A few of these paid blogging platforms include Linquia, Social Spark, Massive Sway, Social Fabric, and Clever.

Advertising On My Site ($80)

If there is a product or service that I know my audience would love to learn about, I offer that company space on my website whether that be a advertisement photo within a blog post, a link directing them to their website, or even a photo within my side banners.

This is a win-win in my opinion. The company wins by getting additional exposure and traffic to their website; while my audience wins by getting to know about a great product or service.

Press Trip ($200)

I can’t emphasize enough of how awesome Press Trips are! Being invited to tour a new city is the ultimate perk of being a travel blogger! Sometimes, press trips will just cover your expenses. However, some tourism boards will actually pay you on top of it in exchange for social media and blog posting.

Finding press trips can be a bit difficult. However, here are a few suggestions on where to find Press Trips.

First, join the Facebook Group EWE Travel Press Trips. Occasionally, members will post opportunities that they heard about or are affiliated with.

My next suggestion is to join TravMedia. This site is a global media network that connects tourism boards, travel partners, etc. to travel bloggers and influencers. You create your own profile and add people to your network just like you would do on Facebook. On the press releases page, you’ll be able to see about future Press Trips that you can apply to.

Other Ways I’ve Made Money In The Past As A Travel Blogger Or Social Media Micro-Influencer

There are so many ways to make money blogging and a ton of ways to make money as a social media influencer! I can’t list them all. However, here are three additional ways that I make money blogging and posting on social media.

Selling Images ($20-$100 per image)

Because I am a travel blogger, I love taking photos of the places that I visit. Some of them turn out so great that tourism boards are willing to buy them from me. I feel so grateful that they love the images that much to buy them!

So, occasionally I sell Hi-Res images that tourism boards then turn around and use on their social media feeds, website, or even marketing campaigns.

In addition to tourism board, brands have also bought my images for their own marketing purposes. Learn about the affordable camera gear that I use while shooting photos.

Hosting a Giveaway ($50-$100)

This one is pretty self-explanatory. A company will connect with me and ask me to host a giveaway on my website or social media channels. Depending on the scope of the giveaway, I usually like to try and get everything set up and ready within a week to two weeks.

One of the advantages of teaming up with me for a giveaway is that I always make it a requirement to follow the company’s account. This helps them grow their audience and gain long-term relationships with their new followers.

I charge anywhere form $50 to $100 depending on how many platforms I am hosting the giveaway on.

Doing an Instagram Takeover ($50-$200)

The last way to make money on instagram is doing a social media takeover on a company’s account. Usually, this is when I am traveling to a destination and the tourism board wants me to showcase my trip on their stories and feed for their own audience.

I love doing this because it gives a fresh, new perspective for their audience of what a newcomer sees, does, and experiences in the city. You don’t need to be a travel blogger to do an instagram takeover!

For example, if you are lifestyle blogger, you can do an account take-over by highlighting a company’s product and how it helps you in your typical day. The sky is the limit!

Pin for later!

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