Quite a few people manage to bring in a decent amount of money from their websites. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. However, I could make more money from the blogs if I didn’t care where it came from. And that’s my dilemma.

I have quite a bit of consciousness when it comes to my websites and my visitors. Perhaps it comes from owning my own retail business a few times in the past.

Still, it would be nice to even come close to what some tout as an average blogger income.

What Holds Me Back from Making More Money from Blogs?

There’s no doubt I could easily rake in a couple hundred dollars each month from the blogs without Adsense revenue. This isn’t a theory, either.

Compared to the number of requests I get during any given month, I can easily make money from the blogs in the hundreds.

But, I don’t. And that’s because…

Offering Collabs On Things I Never Use

One of the most common problems I come across are people wanting me to endorse products that have no bearing on my audience.

I mean, seriously. Why would a writing channel promote video editing software? It’s not exactly part of the freelance writing niche, now is it? This goes to show that some brand owners don’t care who pushes a product or conduct basic research.

But I do.

Even recently when a watch brand wanted to collaborate, I turned them down. I only wear one watch, and it’s a Fitbit. I have no need for anything else, so I don’t feel I could promote the product justly.

If the product or service has no bearing on the niche, I don’t promote the brand. I really don’t care how much money they offer.

Unprofessional Email Accounts

Whether it’s for my own blogs or those of my clients, I don’t take offers seriously from email addresses using Gmail, Yahoo, or other free platforms. These are used often by scammers, and I really don’t have the time to play with them.

Another red flag is when the brand spells out the “dot” in web addresses. For example, www(dot)MyWebAddress(dot)com. That tells me the person is trying to avoid spam filters, which doesn’t bode well for the interaction.

Another thing that chaps my hide is when they open the email with, “I love your website.” If so, then tell me your favorite post or quote from something you read. Yes, I’ve been doing this too long and can recognize an email template when I see one.

It’s all about personalization. I never use email templates, and every correspondence is written by me in person at that very moment.

Needless to say, I’ve shot down plenty of people using Gmail with cookie-cutter messages.

I’m Not Desperate for Cash

I have a flow of income from my clients. So, I can be quite picky when it comes to products I’ll endorse or sponsor. I’m not hard up for cash and all of my bills are paid.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of people get sucked into the money because they are desperate. And most of the ones I know have had nothing but issues over the last five years.

It’s hard to get untied when you lash your brand to someone’s star…especially if that star is massive and on the verge of a supernova. The only thing left behind is dust.

So, I go out of my way to make sure I’m never in that position. If I get the tiniest of feelings that someone is trying to screw with me, I end the relationship. I read every contract in full and make sure it’s always in my best interest.

I refuse to put myself in the grips of any brand without having a Plan B.

I Don’t Care About Being an Influencer

And lastly, I’ve had some try to play the, “Don’t you want to be an influencer?” card on me. My answer is simply, “Nope.” Apparently, you guys don’t read my blogs or follow my social accounts.

I could care less about social clout or social proof. I don’t even know how many people follow my Twitter or Facebook accounts.

It’s my goal to teach as many people as I can do to what I do for a living. If someone follows me because they find value in the content, then so be it.

But, I don’t pimp myself out just so my follower numbers go up.

This is part of why I don’t participate that often in the Writer’s Lifts that help people gain a following on Twitter. I want someone to follow my account because they like me and what I provide, not because of some obligation to follow back.

Few Things I Support Will Support Me

I tend to sponsor the tools, services, and products I personally use. Unfortunately, many of the things I love don’t have sponsorships, affiliates, or ways to connect to make money.

Still, I’ll use whatever affiliate program I can justify on the blogs. I just wish there were more things available that I truly enjoy or can support.

Then again, I haven’t really been looking very hard. And that’s part of the problem, I suppose.

Since I do have an income, I don’t really spend much time looking for sponsorships or endorsements. I don’t need fancy living arrangements as I have my own house and transportation.

Maybe I’m Too Anal to Make Money from My Blogs

After reading through this post, I sound quite a bit on the anal side. No wonder why I don’t make a lot of money from my blogs. But for me, it’s a small price to pay for my dignity. No one owns my content or can dictate what I say or do.

One of these days, I might invest some time to make money from the blogs. But for now, I will focus on providing the best content I can. Because in the end, that’s all it’s really about.

Can you engage an audience, and will they appreciate your work?

I suppose I just care more about what I can do for my viewers and readers than what they can do for me.