Can kids really make money blogging? I don't know what your kids do for fun, but mine spend a lot of time on their computers. They do school work, watch movies, and play role-play games.
My oldest just turned 17, and recently got her first job offer editing for a film company. She's pretty excited as she plans to be an animator and wants to learn all she can about the movie making process. She took a film class last semester and making a film was her final project. She won in her genre, which was really cool.
It's great when you find a job that you love. After years in the stock brokerage business and other sales positions, I took a break when I had kids. I started writing as a freelancer and discovered blogging. It's a perfect job for me as enjoy writing, love being on the computer, and I'm fascinated with the power of social media.
If your kids enjoy being on the computer, perhaps blogging would be a great business for them, too. Most kids I know are more tech savvy than their parents. My kids have helped with artsy things I want to do on my site. They are whizzes at PhotoShop. I've even had them both make Pins for me for a post! Why not? It's delegating something to them that they are much better at than I am. I paid them for their time, so it was a win-win.
If your child has an interest in blogging, encourage them to figure out what they would want to blog about. That's really the first step. Many kids are into gaming, and that's a great fit for a blogger. They could simply start writing about games they like to play, strategies they've learned, or tips for getting through a particular game. Who knows, they may get an email from a gaming company asking them to review games. Just Google Game Grumps if you don't believe there's money to be made.
I did not search out people to review products for when I started blogging. I just started writing and people contacted me. I am more intentional about it now, but companies do search out bloggers to work with.
Initially, your child may want to blog just for fun. There's no question that your kids will improve their creative writing skills through blogging, along with spelling and vocabulary. On top of that, they will improve their technical ability. Learning html, photo sizing, and other necessary skills will come in handy for school, too.
But what if their goal is to make money blogging? As many of the programs that help you make money on a blog have age requirements, you may have to partner with your child. It might just give you an opportunity to spend more time together, which is always a good thing.
- Ads: Depending on how much traffic is produced by the blog, ads may be a great place to start. You will probably not make a fortune, but as the traffic builds, so will the income. You can also search out companies in your genre. Let's use that same example as I used above, a gaming site. Your child could contact a company that sells games online and sell them ad space. Usually, a company is going to want to see your traffic statistics, so this may be something you want to try as the site grows.
- Affiliates: Affiliate companies will partner with you to post about their products, link to the company, and pay you when someone buys the product. Easy, right? It's best to partner with products in your genre, as those are the types of readers that will come to your site. You wouldn't want to post about baby clothes on a gaming site, but you sure could post about gourmet popcorn, right?
- Sponsored Posts: Companies in your genre may want to write a post on your blog, knowing you have readers they would like to reach. Again, this is something that will probably happen once your traffic increases.
- Product Reviews: Reviewing products does not usually pay in cash, but the value of the product is still income! If your child loves gaming and gets copies of the latest games for free, they would probably be pretty happy. Many companies will give you a product in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to learn about FTC Guidelines when it comes to disclosure. You must tell your readers the product was given to you in order for you to evaluate it and share your thoughts with your readers.
- Product Sales: Do you have an ebook or other products? Sell them on your site! If you have an idea, research companies who might make the product. Etsy is a very popular online storefront, too.
- Virtual Assistant: This isn't exactly blogging, but assisting a blogger with some of the work. A virtual assistant is just another name for someone who works remotely (usually from home) doing various jobs for others. If your child is artsy, they could make Pinterest pins for bloggers. If they are into social media, they could assist with tweeting or other social media posts. Maybe they are really tech-savvy and could help with more complicated jobs over time. A few virtual assistant jobs could yield a nice income for a student, and they can usually do the work in their free time. My daughter made more this week working for me than she did in her last job!
As far as a blogging platform goes, there are many opinions. Though it is true that most serious bloggers usually use WordPress.org, it may be wise to begin on a free hosting platform like Blogger, just to be sure it is something your child likes doing before you invest in a host. Also, if neither of you is experienced, Blogger is a very easy platform to learn. You can always move to a different host later. Doing a search for blogging platforms as well as blogging ideas will bring you a plethora of results.
Remember to set boundaries. Just because the virtual assistant jobs or review opportunities are presented doesn't mean your child has to take all of them. School comes first! They will have plenty of time to invest in a career later. Be sure to set the limits in the beginning. Good luck!
Rahul Yadav
Thanks for these awesome tips. Honestly, this is a great list. The internet needed something like this. Thank you for giving me ways to pay for college.
Melanie
Do most of the affiliate sites and companies that sponsor posts only work with "kids" who are of a certain age? I know for instance, Smiley360 requires you to be at least 13. I have a 9 year old that had started blogging last year, but wants to start doing it more, build a list of readers/followers and hopefully get into sponsored posts and affiliates Thanks in Advance.
Kelly
I'm not sure Melanie, but I would simply Google blogging opportunities for kids, or monetizing a kid's blog. You'll be amazed at what you'll find! Good luck!
Kelly
Thanks for your kind words, Jackie. My kids are both artists, and Mark Kistler's Draw Squad was a huge help. I think you can get it used on Amazon. He also has a website: http://markkistler.com/ Hope that helps your son to channel that creativity! Thanks for visiting and I hope to hear from you again!
Jackie
I really enjoyed this article and am going to look up that book. I have a 14 year old son with autism who is extremely creative with a great sense of humor. He has walked around with a pen and paper in his hand since he was a small child (before that a Magnadoodle!!!), and he has also migrated to computer drawing. I am looking for him to channel his creativity into something like this. His goal is to become an author/illustrator someday, and this would be a great stepping stone for him. Thanks for the ideas. I think this is our summer project. 🙂
Carlysa
I've talked with my kids about doing this and get mixed answers. I am going to show them this article and see if it entices them any.
Thanks for sharing!
JuJu Sabra
Hi Kelly!
Thanks so much for mentioning my book. I actually just published it's 4th Edition last month and completely updated the content, cover, title and authored it without my mom, Ponn, this time. She's just the Editor now. 😉
I'd be happy to give you and your daughter a review copy if you just email me. Also, I'd love to see your daughter's blog so I can list and review it on my oldest blog, KidBloggersClub.com
I'd love to interview her for my "Teen Success" book, too!
My passion is helping other kids get into blogging. My book lists over 86 Reasons Why Blogging is Great for kid's academic and professional lives.
Thanks again and blog on!
JuJu
Kelly
You are so awesome, Juju! Keep up the good work!
Make Your Own Video
A wonderful post for kids who are ambitious. 🙂 Another thing that kids can do is make their own videos to post on their blogs. It's easy, fun and it drives traffic.
Jesica H
My kids are young yet, but like Sharon I will probably let them guest post to test it out first, then help them from there. 🙂
Sharon
My kids are interested in blogging, but we haven't really let them pursue it too much yet. So far they just guest post for me occasionally. Great ideas! I think I may have to let them do more!
Megan
I really enjoyed this post! Thanks for the great ideas. I think when my son gets a little older, he would enjoy blogging too.
Malia
Great post! I think it's a good idea, if your teen is interested, to start a blog!
Kristin Wheeler (@MamaLuvsBooks)
Great post!!! I do some of these. I know I should probably do more, but I am alway short on time! =(
Ryan Biddulph
Hi Kelly,
I like these ideas! Kids can have fun and earn while blogging.
I have opened almost all of these income streams so you are offering excellent advice. As for Gloson he is amazing; I have followed him for years.
Blogging gives kids a fun, creative and prospering outlet. Keep 'em busy doing something productive.
As you noted school is first. Once the books are closed for the day they can hit their WP or blogger back office and type away.
Thanks for the creative share Kelly!
Ryan
Kelly
Thanks for the insightful comments, Ryan! I appreciate it! I think it's a great way for kids to develop that entrepreneurial side, too!