Update January 2018: Michelle has now surpassed the 7 figure annual income mark.

You can view the awesome video at the end of this blog post  where she shares how she makes $100,000+/mo. while traveling and living in an RV. 

*Bookmark this so you can come back and reference :)

 

Michelle is on her way to earning over $800,000 this year (2016) after starting an online blog 5 years ago.  She didn't have formal training in creating an online business…her journey has been trial and error and a love for sharing and helping others. 

She's your ‘gal next door' and is here sharing with us her tips and advice.  She's won multiple awards over the years for both her savvy advice and her highly successful blog “Making Sense of Cents.”  We're honored to have her here, sharing her pearls of wisdom and advice.

 

This may contain affiliate links.

 

Michelle, you've created a wildly successful online business and you were able to quit your full-time job a few years ago. Can you give us a little background on yourself, how you started your business “Making Sense of Cents” and how it’s going for you right now?

How To Make Money Blogging

I started Making Sense of Cents in August of 2011, after reading a magazine that featured a personal finance website in one of their articles. I became very interested in that personal finance website and everything just grew from there.

I did not create my blog with the intention of earning a living – it was all just a hobby in the beginning. I then realized how much I loved blogging and realized that it was for me, so now I am a full-time blogger! I now help people find ways to make extra money, pay off their debt, reach financial freedom, and more.

Everything is going great and I'm excited to see what the future will be like.

 

What exactly is Affiliate Marketing?  Can you explain this more for people who have no idea?

 Affiliate marketing is when you attempt to make an income by placing a link on your website, social media account, etc. and have people purchase a product through your special link.

An example would be if you linked to a book, where you link to a specific book on your website and try to get people to purchase the book through your affiliate link. Amazon and other companies want affiliates (like you and me) helping them promote a product, because they want all the help they can get to promote the products and services they are selling. If you get someone to sign up through your affiliate link, you are then rewarded by the company for promoting their product.

 

Why did you decide to earn additional income from affiliate marketing on a blog

 Affiliate marketing is a form of income that I really love and I believe there are many reasons to grow affiliate income.

When affiliate marketing is done correctly, it can be a great form of income. Also, you can promote products without turning your readers away, which is something that many bloggers and online influencers are afraid of. If it’s done the right way your readers will actually prefer to see what products you are interested in, and they will have no problem making purchases through your affiliate links.

So, if you're already enjoying a product, why not promote it to your readers and earn some income from it? Your readers want to know what you like, so this is a great way to earn a living!

Plus, it can be quite a passive income once you get the hang of things. I now am able to travel full-time and I earn a great living.

 

How do you determine which products to recommend?

I promote products that I know my readers are interested in. This is something that I teach in my course, so if you are unsure about what you would promote, you will be able to figure this out in the course.

There is so much value in your course…not only in understanding and applying affiliate marketing as an additional income source, but it's a fantastic resource for individuals who may have an interest in improving their online marketing efforts.  What prompted you to create “Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing?”

I created Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing because I knew that affiliate marketing was an area that many bloggers struggle with. I earn far more affiliate income than the majority of the bloggers that I know, yet I receive a low amount of page views when compared to the “big time” bloggers. This has led to me being asked many questions as well about affiliate marketing, and I have been wanting to create a product, so it was just the perfect course topic for me to work on and create.

 

What are some primary benefits of “Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing?”  What types of success are people having from taking “Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing?”

There are several benefits of taking the course. In Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, there are 6 modules, over 30 lessons, several worksheets, bonuses, an extremely helpful and exclusive Facebook group, and more. I go through everything that you need to know about affiliate marketing, such as:

  • What affiliate marketing is and how it works
  • Why affiliate marketing is great
  • The exact steps I've taken to earn over $300,000 from a single blog post
  • How to pick the right affiliate products to promote
  • How to increase conversions
  • How to build trust and not lose followers
  • Required disclosures that you need to know about
  • The one major tool you need for affiliate marketing
  • Different strategies to use to promote your affiliate products
  • How to use Pinterest to succeed at affiliate marketing (yes, this includes the newest Pinterest affiliate rules!)

This course will teach you everything you need to know about affiliate marketing, how to build trust with your followers, and it will even help you to grow your traffic. It is a very well-rounded course and more lessons will continue to be added to it.

I have heard great things about the course as well. Quite a few people have told me they have been able to double their affiliate income in just one month, with one person jumping from $2,500 in monthly affiliate income to $5,000 – in just one month after taking the course!

Another blogger earned their first affiliate commission after just one month of blogging!

 

Michelle, that's GREAT people are seeing immediate results! I did as well.  I followed your course (I was so curious and believe in the power of Master  Minding and love learning various techniques) Your Facebook support group has been fabulous in terms of support and people being on similar paths.

You’ve created a 6 figure income/business and you’re on your way to 7 figures...What suggestions do you have for others who would like to create a 6 figure income?

My top tip would be to start your business on the side of your full-time job, if you are able to. This will make running a business and learning how to run your business much more enjoyable as you will learn the ins and outs of everything but still have the stability of your full-time job.

My other tip would be to network as much as you can with others. Many business owners see everyone else as competition, and that's a bad idea because it can really hold you back. By networking, you can learn valuable tips in your industry, make friends, and more.

 

Michelle, I appreciate your time sharing with our readers some of your journey and how you've created an amazing, successful business.

You’ve designed a wonderful lifestyle and I can see you truly LOVE WHAT YOU DO! And now you’re sharing exactly how you do this so others can do this as well!

 

 

 

Interested in how she does this?  Take a look here

 

You may find interesting:  Learn the 10 Minute Way to starting a blog.

 


 

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Working with  Jaymie has had a profound impact on my accomplishments and productivity.  She’s helped me clarify goals in several realms of my life. I’m productive in many arenas now, not just one or two.  This was a surprise for me.  Jaymie is non-judgmental and encourages me in all of my interests.  She surprised me with the different ‘methods’ or techniques she uses.  She comes at things from different angles than I expect – encouraging and coaxing fresh perspectives.  She’s made an extreme impact, helping me focus and make real strides towards what I want to accomplish.   I’ve gotten more done in the last few weeks, in important areas in my life than ever before!”  Anna Z, Owner Bellalura, Writer and Women’s Empowerment Facilitator