When I started my blog and Instagram platform as a hobby while pregnant with my first child in 2018, I never imagined it would grow into a thriving business. I needed a creative outlet that had nothing to do with my full-time job, and I also wanted to find a way to connect with other moms-to-be at the same time.

While I had small partnerships here and there, the idea of making it into an actual business really hadn’t crossed my mind… until the pandemic happened. My husband and I watched as friends lost their jobs, and I was faced with the real possibility that we could end up in the same position with two young children to care for.

Running a nonprofit organization left me little time to take on a traditional second job, so instead I decided to throw myself into growing my content creation business. By the end of that year, I had quadrupled my website traffic and consistently made a full-time income as a content creator in the part-time hours I had left after working my full-time job and wrangling my two toddlers. I quickly realized that if I could do this in that small window of extra time, any mom could, too.
Not sure where to start when it comes to monetizing your social media or blogging endeavors?

1. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing allows you to generate income by selling someone else’s product to your audience. You earn a commission when someone makes a purchase through your affiliate link.

Affiliate commissions can vary greatly, from a few cents to a few hundred dollars per sale. If you find the right products and services to market to your audience, it can translate to a sustainable and consistent form of income. If you need help creating your affiliate marketing plan, I created a free resource you can find here.

2. Sponsored posts/paid partnerships/user-generated content

Brands love working with creators of all different sizes to promote their products or services to their target audiences, especially ones that are niched down. For example, if you’re a mom who frequently posts about your newborn or new mom experience, you are in a great spot to create content about baby products, gear, or care. 

While rates can be all over the map for sponsored content, thankfully, it’s no longer tied so heavily to your number of followers. Brands want to see real, authentic engagement on accounts because that translates to sales (their end goal). 

Brands are also looking for creators to produce beautiful photos, videos, and behind-the-scenes looks at products, without the requirement to post on your social channel. User-generated content (UGC) gives creators who are just getting started many opportunities to practice their content creation skills and grow their portfolio of experience.

If you need help, I’ve created a free resource for pitching paid partnerships here.

3. Course Creation/Digital Product Creation

If you have a dedicated social media following and something unique to teach, this might be a great path.

For example, if you’re a mom influencer known for creating easy, family-friendly recipes, you could create a course that teaches other moms step-by-step how to make them on their own.

Love graphic design? Open an Etsy shop and sell printables that you create yourself! These instant downloads can add up to real income.

4. Online shop

There are now so many options that allow you to create and sell physical products without having to have physical inventory on hand through drop-shipping!

You can create a shop online where you manage the product design, marketing, and sales, but a third-party company handles the physical creation and shipping of the product. You don’t have to shell out big bucks for inventory (or figure out where to store it).

5. Start your own blog

For me personally, I make the most consistent income each month through my blogs, and because of that, I always encourage women interested in making money in their part-time to create a website. 

My websites have created true passive income through affiliate sales and ad revenue. I write a post once, insert affiliate links or links to products I’ve created, and make sales over and over again as new readers discover the article. I also earn income through ad revenue generated from the monthly traffic to my website.

It’s truly so powerful because I don’t have to be on social media every single day to make an income to support my family. I was able to take a huge amount of time off after the birth of my third child this past fall, and my business still brought in a huge amount of income through my website ad revenue and affiliate sales from blog articles.

I believe in the power of blogging so much that I now have three websites: motherhood blog Mimosas & Motherhood, family finance blog Budget Baby Budget, and recipe blog Fun Family Meals.

Blogging and influencing have been transformational for our family’s lives. I have loved creating my business, and along the way, I realized that truly anyone could have this same kind of success. You just need a little help finding the right education, resources and plan. 

In 2020 I created a 100% free course to teach other women how to launch their own blogs that are set up for success, and I am proud to share that I’ve taught more than 350 women through it. If you’ve been thinking of starting your own blog, click here for more details on that free blogging course.

I now also teach women how to make money with paid partnerships and maximize their affiliate income with my eBooks. Click here to learn more about landing paid partnerships, and here about affiliate marketing.  If you’re interested in either of these eBooks, you can also use code JOOVY to save 20% on your purchase.

My biggest advice when it comes to growing your income as a content creator is to take it as seriously as you would if you started any other small business. Be prepared to invest in the extra education that will teach you how to grow the right way and connect with other creators you admire who are successful! 

It’s also incredibly important to diversify your streams of income and not depend on just one way to make money. I rely on all five income streams above to generate monthly revenue for my business. Some months I might make more with paid partnerships, while the next month, I might see higher affiliate sales. By diversifying how my business generates revenue, I’m helping to protect myself when things naturally ebb and flow throughout the year.

I’m grateful for the opportunities that content creation has brought my way. It gives me the best of both worlds: I get to be at home with my children, soaking up these little years while also making a sustainable income and growing a successful small business. 

Learn how to start a blog that
actually makes money… for free!

I believe in the power of blogging so much that I now have three websites
Motherhood blog
www.mimosasandmotherhood.com
Family Finance blog
www.budgetbabybudget.com
Recipe blog
www.funfamilymeals.com

Share your content creator journey in the comments section below.

: How to Grow Your Income as a Content Creator