Here is a way to brainstorm blog post ideas for Christmas earnings and avoid tunnel vision. Doing it now will result in better reader engagement and more blogging income.
Blog Post Ideas for Christmas Earnings
Below are ideas for both affiliate products and your own because we sometimes get tunnel vision. Brainstorming some blog post ideas for Christmas now will allow you to prepare targeted content for your readers without hurrying through to “get something up.”
We’ve all been there.
Psst: don’t forget services! Did you know Amazon has a services section?!? They haven’t yet, but perhaps they’ll also put it on a bounty program for the holidays!
Do This (Get a Piece of Paper)
For now, grab a clean piece of paper and write down anything that comes to mind as you read this article about how to make money blogging for Christmas.
Read through the entire article (no skimming ‘cuz there are some gems buried in here).
Pitch, Pitch, Pitch
If you want to work with brands and agencies for the holiday season, you need to be pitching now. Whether it’s for a gift guide or you are putting together a full proposal for a holiday ambassadorship, get on it.
And get help with your pitches from this little ditty right here… Pitching Perfection: A Blogger's Guide to Crafting a Winning Pitch and Earning an Income from Your Blog.
Hint: spend 30-minutes every other day on this and you’ll earn!
Tried and True: The Holiday Gift Guide
Is it tired? Yes. Does it work to earn you money? Consistently. If it works for your blog, write it.
If a holiday gift guide doesn’t work for your site, start a discussion on social about your biggest buys for the holiday season. Then write that post full of *your audiences* suggestions. Your readers will share theirs and wham-bam! Earnings, maximized.
Toys from Amazon might pay less commission than they once did, but that doesn’t mean you can’t earn from them! Every little bit of affiliate income adds up.
I have a client who makes more than $5,000 each year from A SINGLE POST she wrote in 2013. She spends less than one hour a year on that post.
One hour a YEAR = $5,000. That is rock star status.
Makeup and Beauty
This is a goldmine! I share this stuff on my social feeds and I have ZERO makeup or beauty blogs. Hint: “Shop the look” can be done with any photo given to you by a brand, y’all.
Hint 2: Folks like real people using this stuff, not someone with a studio-like setup. Grab your laptop, eCamm Live, and earn with a Facebook Live session.
Surprise yourself and see what a simple 5-minute chat with your page can do. Use the product, highlight a single attribute (or emotion it draws from you, like confidence), and just chat.
Travel
Traveling during the holidays, with or without kids, can be stressful. From long lines to weather-delayed flights, highlighting your best tips (and products) for travel can endear you to your readers and earn you some holiday cash.
Win, win.
You might have some really great tourist destinations in your area that ‘do it up right’ for the holidays. Consider negotiating a booking or coupon code for your readers. Remember, you CAN write and earn with local content on your blog without alienating national readers.
Fashion
From Stitch Fix to Amazon, clothes for the holidays are some of the most agonized over search topics. Get on this if it fits for your site and if it doesn’t, perhaps start up a discussion on Facebook or share some ideas on a Pinterest board.
I snapped a picture of my newest pair of Hunter boots last year and it set off a buying spree on one of my Facebook pages. Good times (and good income when I linked an affiliate program who had them on feature).
Get-Yourself Gifts (Blogging)
Courses, courses, courses {sung to “Horses, horses, horses” from Sleepless in Seattle. If you don’t know that movie, I’m sorry but we can’t be homegirls}.
Give the gift of sharing your “Tools to Blog Better” list. But highlight ONE aspect of a tool which makes you want to pay and advocate for it. Share your favorite themes and plugins to spruce up your blog audience’s sites or any number of ‘upgrades.’
Photography and Accessories
How many of YOU have asked for a fancy camera for Christmas? #almosteverybloggerofalltime
If you’re producing beautiful photos for your blog, why not highlight how you get them to earn? Share your tips, then share the products, courses, or guides you used to get there. Real-life examples are some of the best blog post ideas for Christmas!
Exercise Programs and Equipment
Seriously – sometimes recovering from over-doing it at Thanksgiving is HIGH on a girl’s priorities list! So is looking good in all of the candid photos taken during the holiday get-togethers.
If you have a tried-and-true program you swear by, share (and monetize) it with your readers. Be sure to reach out to the manufacturer or program creator before sharing – perhaps they can give you permission to share a video they created.
Holiday Reading Lists
Books are a big gift item and make stocking stuffer fodder for all ages. Don’t just list the books. Highlight why you liked each one in the article.
Then, be sure to schedule shares for a book series on social media to help boost page views and affiliate earnings.
Hint: choose a specific topic (Harry Potter lovers, readers obsessed with historical fiction, etc.).
Home Decor
I’m a huge fan of DIY’ing but listen – the holidays are busy and the last thing you need to be doing is personalizing your napkins! Decor is one of the best blog post ideas for Christmas (and all holidays) because there are many who’d just.rather.buy.
In our house, we decorate around a new theme each year, lending itself for BIG monetization opportunities. If you’re more traditional, pick one or two significant pieces and write about the story. People LOVE a story and love ideas on how to make them their own.
One of the best examples I can give you of a story spreading like CRAZY because people made the idea their own: Elf on the Shelf.
Do you see the potential?
Bounties
I’m going to keep hammering this one home. If your affiliate program offers bounties, contests, or push-programs, optimize them on your site and social shares.
You can easily add hundreds to your affiliate earnings from this practice. Read the notices which come from your affiliate partners and check the program details sections in your portals.
If you are a top affiliate marketer for a single company or product, go to them and negotiate a higher payout (or different commission structure).
Related Reading: How to Recover from an Amazon Affiliates Earnings Decrease
Over to You
That’s all this brain dump resulted in tonight (it’s 1 am). If you’re still seeking more inspiration, I found this list of 50 blog post ideas for Christmas.
What does your blank sheet of paper look like now?
Go ahead and pin this (hugely informative, money-making) article to your favorite blogging board to elevate everyone! Thanks for hanging out with me today.
Audrey says
I have a few gift guide ideas I need to go write down before I forget. It is time to get these scheduled and posted.
Monica @HappyandBlessedHome.com says
Awesome reminder – now off to work on a gift guide!