Get Paid to Blog in the UK
Blogging is such a fun hobby, it's one I've played with on and off for over 10 years now, from using it as a kind of online diary to connecting with people with similar interests to finally changing it to become a hub for everything Sheffield.
How to get paid to blog
There are a number of ways you can start a blog or become a succesful youtuber, whether you want to keep it as a pure hobby or turn it into a business that can make you money. There are lots of different ways to find paid blogging opportunities in the UK and lots of methods to monetize your blog, if this is the route you're taking then make sure you register self-employed and read my blogger tax tips to make sure you're compliant.
Once your blog has started, has content and you've registered self-employed then you're ready to start looking for blogging opportunities here are my top 3 methods of finding paid work:
Blogger Outreach Networks
There are blogger outreach networks specifically created to help connect bloggers and brands together for paid or review opportunities. These networks often require you to apply to opportunities so make sure you check back regularly to apply to anything suitable. My top 3 recommendations would be Getblogged, Zine and Bloggersrequired
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is basically where you will get paid commission if someone clicks your link into a product. It's a really good way of making money but don't expect immediate results. This is a great way to monetize if you're creating product reviews and recommendations as if your audience want to buy the product you'll be paid commission, there are hundreds of different affiliate marketing channels so you'll need to research into which would work best for you. My top 3 recommendations would be Amazon Affiliate, Awin and Skimlinks
Search for Opportunities
Searching for paid blogging opportunities can be a little harder but if you follow the right hashtags and companies it can be quite lucrative to creating lasting relationships. I use my social media channels to search for other opportunities, predominantly twitter and facebook
On twitter I follow particular hashtags - my top 3 are #prrequest #bloggersrequired and #bloggerswanted. Basically PR agencies and brands will use these hashtags to advertise their opportunities and search for specific profiles.
Pay close attention to the requirements these people are asking for in terms of domain authority, type of blog etc. and only respond to the opps that you fit, this increases your chances of getting an email about the role over applying for everything you see. Follow any PR and Social agencies you see on twitter as they'll often advertise opps directly and if you follow them you're more likely to see the content.
Another place to check often for opportunities is Facebook, there are hundreds of blogging facebook groups, some specifically for blogging opportunities. Join as many as you can find and keep an eye out for opportunities being advertised. 3 groups I recommend you join are UK Bloggers, Influencer Assignments and Blogger Opportunities
Pitch to Brands
Another way to find paid blogging opportunities is to pitch to brands. This is often the most lucrative method as you're going directly to the source and cutting out any extra agency / network fees but it's also the hardest method as Brands aren't necessarily looking for a blogger so you're more likely to get a 'no thanks'
To pitch to a brand you need to really focus on what you can offer them, why should they work with you? I'd personally recommend achieving a domain authority of at least 20 and traffic of around 5k a month before pitching to household names but there are hundreds of smaller brands you could approach first
To decide what brand to pitch to take a look around your home, what brands are you already using regularly? Who could you create a full blog post on about the experience you already have. Then take a look on their website and look for a marketing email address or a specific area for bloggers. If you can take a look on Linkedin and find who looks after their social media approach as this team will often be the one you need to contact and a named email will always go down better than a 'Hi X'
Once you've got into a rhythm of finding paid blogging opportunities I suggest creating an editorial calender, this gives you an opportunity to plan your content for the month, making sure you've got a nice mix of paid work and unpaid work (your audience came for your writing so maintain some unpaid posts otherwise your site will look like a huge advert) and also giving you the chance to work out which brands to pitch to each month based on your post plans
Most importantly blog for you. It's amazing making money via a hobby it really is, but the more you write the more experience and exposure your blog will get and the more brands / PR Agencies will approach you directly
How do you find paid opportunities?
