When you think about monetization, affiliate marketing probably comes to mind.
But writing sponsored posts is another great way to make money with your blog.
But if you want to do this, you need to know how to get sponsors.
We put this guide together because so many blog owners don’t realize that finding sponsors can dramatically increase their earnings.
I’ve leveraged this monetization strategy for several years and that experience means I can bring you this valuable information.
Writing sponsored blog posts is a proven monetization method.
You might find the strategies we talk about here effective for your blog money-making strategy.
What is a Sponsored Post?
A sponsored post is a relatively new form of content marketing.
For all its sophistication, it’s pretty easy to understand.
If you have a blog, you can write a post that is sponsored by a company whose products or services you’re promoting.
Like other kinds of content marketing, you’ve got to do a subtle yet effective form of persuasion.
With a sponsored post, you’ll accompany your text with a disclaimer notifying your readers that it’s a sponsored post.
How Do Sponsored Posts Work?
When you write a sponsored post on your blog, you write the piece to promote your sponsor’s brand, product, or service.
Of course, you’re using contextual promotion and you’re always adding value for your readers.
The post should be engaging and enjoyable to read, providing information that your reader wants or needs.
How Much Do Blog Sponsors Pay?
How much money you can command depends on a variety of factors.
The more traffic your blog gets and the quality of your audience is hugely significant.
Your traffic, especially the number of unique visitors your blog gets each month, is a big factor in how much you can be paid for a sponsored post.
Evidence that you have a large following on social media and that your audience is engaged will also be significant.
The Different Types of Sponsored Posts
There are several different types of sponsored posts.
I’ve written all of them and you’ll find the information you need below.
1. Sponsored Reviews
A sponsored review is exactly what it sounds like.
It’s an honest review that you write on a product and the company sponsors (pays for) the post.
2. Niche Edits
Niche edits are one of the least known ways to leverage the sponsored post model.
With a niche edit, you add a link from your client to an already established blog post.
Businesses like getting their links added to old blog posts because they’re already established and have traffic.
What are Niche Edits? SEO Products Explained
3. Email Newsletter Placements
In the email newsletter placements model, companies pay you to talk about their product in one of your email newsletters.
4. Dedicated Emails
If you have an outstanding email list, a company might pay you to send out a dedicated email.
Sometimes people call dedicated emails “stand-alone emails.”
In a dedicated email, you let your readers know about the content you’ve written that mentions the client’s product.
For example, you might write a whitepaper that mentions the product.
You should include a call to action.
5. Social Media Posts
You can create social media posts that mention the sponsored product.
Instagram is a big platform for these kinds of posts.
6. Brand Mentions
With a brand mention, you mention a brand in your content.
With this kind of sponsored content, you must be strategic in where you mention the brand.
Sponsored Posts on a Blog vs Influencer Marketing
While there’s some overlap between the two and you might make money from both, sponsored posts on a blog are different from influencer marketing.
If you’re an influencer and have a blog, you might like to get into writing sponsored blogs.
But non-influencer blog owners may also have the chance to write sponsored posts.
The main difference between sponsored posts and influencer marketing is that you put sponsored posts on your blog.
Influencer marketing, on the other hand, takes place primarily on social media.
For example, you could promote a product on Instagram if you have an impressive number of followers.
How Much Should I Charge for Sponsored Posts?
You have to think about your blog’s popularity and success when deciding on how much to charge for sponsored blog posts.
- Traffic Numbers: Your traffic numbers are the most important metric when deciding how much you can charge for a sponsored post.
- Audience Size: Your traffic numbers and the size of your email list are key in deciding how much you can charge. There are many ways that you can build your audience. Posting regularly, promoting on social media, and writing great headlines are just a few.
- Audience Engagement: Audience engagement means how much time your readers spend reading and engaging with your posts. Engagement includes people commenting on your blog posts and your related posts on social media.
- The Type of Niche You’re In: Some niches pay more than others. If your potential clients are selling higher-priced products, they can probably afford to pay you more. Examples of profitable niches include health and fitness, personal finance, fashion, lifestyle, business, and technology.
How Do I Get Sponsors to Pay Me?
Of course, you’ll need to find sponsors that will pay you for writing sponsored posts and promoting their brand.
- Outreach to Them Directly and Ask: Reach out to potential sponsors and tell them about your blog. Explain you’re looking for sponsors and ask if they’re interested.
- Advertise Openings On Your Website: Set aside space on your site to advertise the chance for sponsors to get sponsored posts on your site.
- Create a Media Kit That Includes Sponsored Rates: You probably already know how important your media kit is. But if you’re new to sponsored posting, you’ve likely not yet added your sponsored rates to it. So, make your media kit complete by adding your sponsored rates.
Places to Find Blog Sponsors
Now you understand sponsored posts and how they work, you need to know how to find blog sponsors that fit your brand.
The most intuitive way of finding blog sponsors is to look for companies in your niche.
Once you’ve done that, reach out to them.
Sponsored Posts on Competitor Websites
This is one of my favorite ways of finding potential sponsors.
Take a look through competitor blogs and see if they have any sponsored posts.
If they do, try reaching out to those brands and asking if they’d like to work with you.
Brands With Large Ad Budgets
The larger a brand’s ad budget, the more likely it can afford to pay for sponsored posts.
Companies That Sponsor Bloggers
Here are examples of companies that are known to sponsor bloggers.
- Amazon: This one is almost a no-brainer.
As well as having an exceptionally popular affiliate marketing program, Amazon will sponsor blog posts when it makes sense. - Olay: If you have a beauty blog, Olay is one of the major players when it comes to sponsored posts.
- Dove: Dove is another household name brand open to paying for sponsored blog posts.
This company produces soap, shampoo, and other personal care products. - Bissell: A legendary vacuum cleaner company, Bissell is known for sponsored post opportunities.
If you have a lifestyle or household cleaning blog, this might be a good opportunity. - CoverGirl: When it comes to makeup, CoverGirl is one of the most prevalent blogs when it comes to the sponsored blog arena.
This cosmetics brand is owned by Coty. - P&G: P&G (Procter & Gamble) is one of the most versatile brands and manufacturers that often pay for sponsored posts.
Just a few of the heavy-hitting P&G brands you’ll know are Pampers, Bounce, Cascade, Gillette, and Always. - LG: If you’re in the tech niche, look into working with LG on a sponsored post.
This company is known to pay for sponsored posts.
Of course, there’s a plethora of other companies you can approach about sponsored posts, too.
The key is to find brands in your niche and make a strong pitch.
Influencer Networks & Sponsored Post Marketplaces
Influencer marketing gets more paramount by the year.
When you become a thought leader or popular name in your market, you influence your readers and followers’ decisions and purchases.
As a blogger and influencer, you can find opportunities in influencer networks.
How to Get Sponsors For a Blog
Here are things you need to know to get sponsors for your blog.
1. Set Up an Advertising & Media Kit Page
Your site needs an advertising and media kit page.
This is a page where potential sponsors will find all the media items they can use to understand and talk about you.
An advertising and media kit page will include headshots, your logo, your bio, and other items the media might like to share if they write about you.
2. Create Content That Increases Blog Traffic
Your blog’s traffic is what will make you an attractive prospect for sponsors.
If your traffic isn’t that great right now, there are many things you can do to improve it.
One of the simplest is to make your content the best it can be.
3. Pitch The Brands You Think Will Advertise
Find brands in your niche that you think will pay for sponsored posts on your blog.
For this, you’ll need to understand how to write a pitch.
How Do You Approach a Sponsor?
Send potential sponsors an email introducing yourself and your blog, highlighting your traffic and reader engagement.
Remember, that’s what sponsors are looking for.
They want bloggers that have a large and engaged audience, so they’ll see and remember their brand.
How Do You Negotiate Rates With a Sponsor?
Like with anything else, you have to show merit.
Show the sponsor how much value you provide in bringing attention to their brand.
The more readers and engagement you have, the more you’ll be able to charge.
In terms of negotiation, the key is showing the value you bring to the table.
What Do You Need to Deliver After You Strike a Deal
You’ll need to write and publish a sponsored blog post promoting the sponsor’s brand and product.
Find a way to disclose that it’s a sponsored post to your readers.
4. Keep in Contact With Brands You’ve Worked With, and Offer Them Discounts
This is essential to your continued success as a sponsored blogger.
Maintain a record of all the brands you’ve worked with and reach out to them on a continued basis.
Final Thoughts
Publishing sponsored blogs is one of the most ignored ways of monetizing a blog, but it can take your business to the next level.
Combined with other monetization strategies, finding sponsors should be a fundamental part of your strategy.
You can get sponsors for a blog by finding brands in your niche.
You need to have high blog traffic and an engaged readership before you’ll be able to find sponsors.
Do you have any questions?
Leave a comment below!
