I make money blogging in a variety of ways. I like to keep my income sources as diverse as possible.

But today I want to share one of the easiest ways you can make money blogging – or actually, make more money blogging…

As you know, I’m a Super Affiliate. The majority of my income online comes directly from Affiliate Marketing, and has for a good number of years now.

But lately I’ve really been branching out. One reason is diversification, the other is testing. I’m constantly studying new ways to make money blogging, and I’ve been seeing a fast-growing trend I simply cannot ignore…

Working With Brands, Sponsors & Advertisers

There is nothing new about online advertising as a source of income. Advertisers and Sponsorships have been around for as long as I have. Which is forever in Internet years (lol). That said, in the last few years, more and more mainstream brands are coming online to connect with their target markets directly – and they’re investing heavily in two things: Facebook and Bloggers.

Over the last year I have been doing tons of research on how those companies choose bloggers to work with, and where the “lucky bloggers” are getting their profitable brand connections.

There’s A LOT of money (and products!) changing hands in certain circles.

While doing my research, I’ve been testing a few options – and I’m very pleased with the results so far. It’s true that many brands research, find and contact bloggers directly. And while there are ways you can set yourself up to be selected (which I’m still testing, and will blog more about soon), there’s an easier way to get noticed – and more importantly, get paid.

Make Money Blogging with SocialSpark

One of my best sources is SocialSpark.

They’re a network that acts as a go-between for Brands and Bloggers. You simply sign up and submit your blog(s), and companies that are looking for reviews and exposure will choose relevant niche blogs for sponsored blog post opportunities.

I’ll give you some live examples of posts I’ve done for SocialSpark, to give you a better idea how it works. One is this post for Logo Mojo, where I earned $150 to write the post. Payouts are based on your reach and traffic, of course.

Another great example was the Fellowes Shredder Giveaway post. Not only did I earn $150 for writing the post, but I also received a FREE shredder ($239.99 value) AND they gave one away to one of my lucky readers! As you know, giveaways bring in a lot of traffic, so it was a very beneficial opportunity in addition to the payment.

Another Reason to Love SocialSpark!

SocialSpark also has a new Blog Display Advertising Network to help bloggers better monetize their blogs and connect them with as many brands as possible.

I am not using it, because you must have Google Analytics installed to qualify (and I currently do not). But this is another GREAT opportunity to earn money!

I was actually one of the beta testers for their ad network a couple months ago, until they required Google Analytics, and passively earned almost $80 just by displaying the code temporarily (literally, for just 2-3 weeks!). They have me just about tempted to install GA on my properties. LOL. I can be slow.

Basically you put the code in your sidebar, just like you would for an affiliate offer or a sponsor. It rotates relevant advertising, and you get paid monthly. So it’s like having a sponsor except you don’t have to worry with the management details!

Joining their ad network will help increase your chances for Sponsorship opportunities too, so that’s a great reason to use that once you join SocialSpark.

At any rate, I’m going to give you full disclosure here. They are currently running a contest for new referrals, and I would really like to win. I LOVE a good challenge! So if you have ever considered working with brands, or making more money with your blog, I would be thrilled if you sign up through my referral link today.

Once you sign up for SocialSpark, be sure to sign up for the ad network as well. You’ll get offers and leads by email, but you can also go into your account and browse the Marketplace for opportunities.

AND you can express interest in specific Brands (go to Account > Brands).

Other Networks I Work With…

While SocialSpark is one of my favorites, there are other networks I am currently working with that you may want to check out as well. Including BlogFrog, Sponsored Reviews, and Escalate Network.

We were discussing SocialSpark on Facebook and my friend Kim said:

Kim, by the way, is the person that introduced me to working online way back in the 90′s. We’ve been friends more than half our lives, since we were 19 years old!

And you don’t have to have a “mom blog”. I use SocialSpark here on ClickNewz, and also on my Low Carb Blog. And I’ll be submitting my new Personal Video Blog there as well – as soon as it hits the 6 month mark in May.

She’s right: excellent payouts, always on time, quality topics to blog about, and GREAT staff to work with. Here’s the link to sign up again. Enjoy!

Best,

p.s. If you are interested in sponsoring a post on ClickNewz about your website or product, see the 2012 Ad Rates and contact me for details.