Bloggers – How you earn money with your blog – legally!
Keeping a blog is a fun hobby, a lucky few manage to even make it into a career. But few can feed themselves with writing aline, yet all can earn something on their blog by following these tips.
Blog Adveritsements
Blog ads can be divided into three groups:
1. Direct Collaboration with Marketers
Advertisers often directly contact bloggers and offer different models for cooperation. The advertiser can offer free products or money to write and show off their products. The amount of remuneration depends on the blog’s popularity and the blogger’s negotiation skills. After the first partnership, it pays to ask for a little more. And you don’t have to receive just money, you can ask for prizes to raffle off to your readers.
The best direct partnership is one where you are paid immediately. On the other hand you may generate a larger income over many years if you don’t take a one-off payment. Of course you can work out a deal that is a combination of payment in advance and payment over-time.
Taxes and Bureaucracy
Bloggers should always be clear and forthright about any commercial partnerships. The Consumer Ombudsman say: Surreptitious advertising on blogs is prohibited.
Ad revenue must also be accounted for when declaring your income for tax purposes. Alternatively, you can bill the advertiser via UKKO.fi, then UKKO.fi will take care of all the bureaucracy and paperwork.
2. Affiliate Marketing
An affiliate network is an advertiser that pays you based on how many sales your blog generates. For example, if Boozt.com has a link on your blog, you can earn 10% for ever sale that was directed from your site.
In Finland, there are many companies that offer affiliate marketing programs for bloggers. We recommend Trade Tracker and EuroAds affiliate networks.
The advantage of affiliate marketing is that you can choose from hundreds of advertisers, including just those companies that best match your blog and audience. This way you can also generate an income through your old writings. On the other hand, you do not receive any money in advance.
The best affiliate marketing works when you put a link directly to the product page of the product that you are showcasing. This requires a little work, but it will provide the best results.
Taxes and Bureaucracy
Income from affiliate marketing should be included in your personal tax return.
Affiliate networks in Finland such as TradeTracker and EuroAds can be invoiced directly via UKKO.fi. UKKO.fi will of course handle all the paperwork. Additional information: Affiliate network income can be earned without the need for your own business.
3. Google Adsense
Adsense is Google’s advertising program. When you add an Adsense code to your website, you will automatically include advertisements on your blog that are related to the blog topic. The advantage of Adsense advertising is how easy to use it is. Any advertising banner on a blog generates regular income.
Income from Adsense advertisements is based on the number of clicks a particular ad receives. Advertisers compete for advertising space according to an auction model. The more advertisers in a particular industry, the higher the price will be to have their ad displayed.
Taxes and Bureaucracy
Google AdSense income is also taxable income and needs to be declared on your tax return. Alternatively, you can have UKKO.fi deal with Google as well as all of the government bureaucracy for you.