Let’s be honest – moms like you have A LOT on their plate. Between being a full-time mom, keeping the magic alive in your relationship, managing your social life, and pursuing amazing careers and hobbies, your schedule is no doubt FULL! So, if you’re dying to make some extra money, you’ve got to find something you can do at home that generates income passively. But we know what you’re thinking: HOW?!?!?
Mom blogging is a perfect way to develop an income, pursue your passions, and make more time for your family! There are several ways to monetize content you create, which allows blogging to go from a hobby to a side-gig, to a full-blown career.
Today, we’ve dedicated this post to content marketing. We’ll talk all about how to start influencer marketing, talk about everything there is that affiliate programs offer, and list our top affiliate programs for your blog! Let’s get into it:
Affiliate Marketing for Moms
Mom blogs are SUPER POPULAR. In fact, it’s one of the top blog niches out there in terms of both follower count and profitability, which creates the perfect opportunity for monetization. Moms are always looking for expertise, resources, and products to support their own journey through parenthood. This is why being a mom blogger is one of the best ways to build your own influencer business and make money doing it!
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is when you partner with a brand (or affiliate marketing platform) to advertise a product or service through your content. When you mention the product or service in the post, you connect your readers using affiliate links that track anyone who has visited your site and purchased based on your recommendations.
Once they make an average order (that includes that purchase), you earn money via commission! With strong evergreen posts, you can generate a consistent passive income. That means more time to play with the kids, more time to soak in those naptime cuddles, and more time to pursue what makes you feel whole!
How To Start Affiliate Marketing
Step 1: Choose your niche.
Before you choose to start content marketing, you need to select your niche. Being a “mom blog” isn’t quite specific enough to stand out in the crowded market. What is your unique spin on the parenting category?
Just think about your lifestyle. Is there a way your family stands out from others? Maybe you live in a tiny home or do green kids crafts. Maybe you homeschool as a stay at home mom. Also, maybe you’re into eco-friendly living. Or, maybe you all run a business together. Whatever is interesting and special about your family could be your topic. If you can’t think of anything, consider writing about a specific area of motherhood you’re really passionate about.
Step 2: Decide how you’ll connect with your audience.
We’ve, of course, been talking about blog posts so far, but there are lots of ways you could content market and connect with your audience!
You could upload YouTube videos or TikTok reels. You could start a Facebook group or Instagram page. Or, you could even connect with your followers through email marketing. It’s up to you!
Still, we recommend having a blog as a minimum and using other platforms to elevate your web presence.
Step 3: Create your content.
Now, it’s time to create your quality content. Remember, the whole goal is to include affiliate links that will generate affiliate income. Not only do you need links throughout, but the post itself needs to really sell the product or service without feeling too salesy or pushy. All in all – it needs to feel AUTHENTIC.
You could do a product review or assemble a product round-up for an obvious linking opportunity. However, even in your regular informative or inspirational posts, you can link to products that naturally come up in your writing. Don’t force it, but take every opportunity that presents itself.
And remember – only link to products you truly stand behind. If your content seems forced, your readers will pick up on the vibe and possibly regard your blog as a less reliable source of information.
Did you know you can also add affiliate links on Pinterest? Our post “How to Add a Walmart Affiliate Link to Pinterest” shares how to do it step by step.
Step 4: Build your following.
Before you can join an affiliate program and start promoting products, you need a following. (After all, you need people to sell to for affiliate marketing to work.) You need at least about 500-1,000 engaged followers to qualify for most networks. Because of that, it’s super important to focus on building your readership early on!
With great content and good search engine optimization (more on that later), your posts will gain viewership in no time. Start by sharing your new blog with everyone you know and develop a lengthy email list. This will help you gain momentum!
Step 5: Join affiliate programs.
Once you have a following, it’s time to join an affiliate network. Luckily, there are THOUSANDS to choose from!
Find one that has the structure, support, commission, and products you’re looking for. And again, all the products and services you promote should be ones you genuinely love and use!
Once you’re a part of a program, you can finally start adding affiliate links to your posts. We’ll share our top affiliate marketing programs for mom bloggers below!
Step 6: Search engine optimize your uploads.
When you’re ready to upload your content, there is one more consideration before clicking publish. Everything you upload needs to be search engine optimized (SEO)!
Search engine optimization is when you specially format your content to rank high on search engine results pages. When someone Googles your blog post topic, you want your post to pop up near the top!
SEO is one of the primary ways to drive traffic organically to your website. This is an essential piece to making your “passive income” as passive as possible. Let the shoppers come to you using SEO!
Step 7: Track your growth and review your analytics.
Learning to make affiliate sales and generate a significant income takes time. So, don’t be discouraged if you don’t make much at first!
Just keep an eye on your analytics to see what’s performing well and what’s not. Update your 30-day content calendar to reflect what your audience shows they love!
9 Affiliate Marketing Programs For Moms
Amazon Associates
One of the best affiliate programs for mom blogs is Amazon Associates. Not only is there a broad range of parenting products, but you can pretty much bet that anyone who reads your content probably uses Amazon on a regular basis. This means it’ll be MUCH EASIER to make sales!
Additionally, Amazon Associates allows you to develop your own storefront where you can showcase your favorite products, organize them appropriately, and even host live streams promoting them. This gives you even more opportunities to connect with your followers and convince them to purchase your recommendations.
On Amazon, you get 10% of each sale and you just need around 500 followers to get accepted into the program.
Etsy
This is another well-known marketplace full of products parents love!
Etsy is a platform for small shops, handmade goods, and vintage finds. This is great because when you become an Etsy affiliate marketer, you’re supporting other small brands like yours, all while giving your followers truly unique products to try for themselves.
Etsy gives a 5% commission per sale and they use “ShareASale,” which is a popular affiliate network we’ll talk about next. Like Amazon, they require only 500 followers with strong engagement to get started.
If it makes sense in your niche to showcase artisanal products from Etsy’s platform, this is a great program to join!
ShareASale
Most brands don’t have their own affiliate program. Instead, they often use a parent affiliate network that manages the technical side of influencer marketing. This is good news for you because acceptance into the affiliate networks makes applying for their programs a breeze!
You can access thousands of storefronts easily and affiliate market for as many as you want, which widens your reach and opportunity.
There are two types of affiliate payments with ShareASale. You can get paid per lead or sale. Being paid per lead means each time someone clicks the affiliate link on your post and fills in their info on the given website, you get a commission. These commission rates are smaller, but often easier to get. And per sale, is, of course, a commission your readers make using your link.
ShareASale doesn’t say how many followers you need to get started, but they emphasize your need to have a content-rich website or social media page with engaged followers. Our best advice? Aim for 500-1000 followers like with Etsy and Amazon.
Here are a few mom-friendly brands that call ShareASale home:
- Ergobaby
- Frecklebox
- Undercover Mama
- Kindred Bravely
- The Spoiled Mama
- DockATot
- Urban Sitter
- Primary
Skimlinks
Skimlinks is another huge affiliate marketing network with over 25,000 brands! Wow! You’re sure to find consistent products and services that match your content with a marketplace that vast.
Uniquely, Skimlinks takes care of linking for you. You post content and the automated system inserts text links where you reference commercial products! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
For example, maybe you write a post about your favorite car seats for each stage of your children’s lives. Skimlinks will identify the commercial opportunity and insert an affiliate link to “Chicco,” a car seat brand in their network. This also means that you don’t have to apply for programs within Skimlinks, you instantly have access to all of them.
This does come at a price, though. Since you get “automatic” access to the brand, Skimlinks takes 25% of your commission from that program. So, if Fat Brain Toys normally offers a 10% commission, you’ll only see about 6% of that.
Still, it might be a good option for you if you don’t have time to apply for a bunch of programs and don’t want the hassle of affiliate linking.
These are a few of the brands you’ll get instant access to with Skimlinks:
- Chicco
- Disney Store
- H&M Affiliate Program
- Gerber Childrenswear
- Fat Brain Toys
- Skip Hop
CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction)
CJ Affiliate, formerly Commission Junction, is another popular affiliate network with thousands of parenting brands!
Like ShareASale, CJ has lots of commission structures that vary based on the brand that accepts you into their program. Some will be pay-per-sale and some will be pay-per-call. Most often, though, affiliates get about 4% per sale on CJ brands!
You can sign up for CJ Affiliate whenever you want no matter your follower number as long as you have your own website and are over 18 years old. (YES – that means you can start advertising RIGHT NOW!!!) That’s a huge plus for anyone looking to get started blogging and monetizing right away. Plus, there are some stellar brands that are easy to showcase on your posts:
- Crayola
- American Girl
- Baby Bjorn
- Barnes & Noble
- Bed, Bath, and Beyond
- Buy Buy Baby
- Great Wolf Lodge
Awin
Awin’s affiliate network is pretty standard. You make commissions per sale and the platform connects you to plenty of brands to market on your site. We did find that Awin doesn’t have as many parenting-specific programs in their network as others on this list. However, depending on your parenting niche, you could find plenty of brands that match your topic.
Awin has an entry-level option if you don’t have an audience yet, which is a cool feature we don’t see often. However, that entry-level option may cost you more than it makes you in the beginning. This is because Awin will charge you a monthly access fee and a network fee to use their program when you’re just starting out.
For their standard program, however, you won’t be charged these fees. To join this one, you just need an established brand with a dedicated audience. Then, you can get started earning with Awin! Here are some brands you’ll find in their directory:
- Lillypost
- Wordery
- 2Modern
- Attractiontix
- Doona
FlexOffers
If the automatic linking of Skimlinks was exciting to you, FlexOffers has a really similar feature!
You can use traditional affiliate links, or use “flex links” for automatic linking on your content. They also have many pay structures including pay per sale, pay per lead, and even pay per-click.
FlexOffers doesn’t have a specific follower requirement, but in the application process, they’ll ask you about your readership, traffic, content, and more to get an understanding of your brand’s influence. Here are brands you can advertise once you get accepted:
- Nook Sleep
- MomCozy
- HelloBello
- JuJuBe
- Dyper
- Lego
- Sephora
Rakuten
Rakuten is a popular affiliate network that gives influencers commission on sales only.
The commission is around 5% for most products, and the process is pretty straightforward. You join programs within the network, start linking, and get paid!
You do need to have a somewhat established brand to get started. Your website must be active and full of “unique and exciting content,” says the website. So, make sure your website is full of great posts to draw in readers (and buyers!).
Here are a few parenting brands on Rakuten:
- Maxi Cosi
- Stride Rite
- Melissa & Doug
- Naturepedic
Impact
Impact’s affiliate network allows you to generate income using a variety of methods. You can get paid by leads, calls, clicks, and, of course, sales!
You’ll negotiate your terms with each brand and determine how you’d like to showcase the products. This all makes Impact a super customizable experience depending on your affiliate marketing goals.
Like others on this list, Impact wants you to have an established brand before getting started with marketing. When you have an established following and blog, that’ll make it easier to market yourself to brands within the network anyway. Soon, you can start making money off of these brands (and more) using Impact:
- Baby Tula
- Babylist
- Blue Apron
- California Baby
- Carter’s
- KiwiCo
- Walmart
How To Pick A Niche For Affiliate Marketing
Choosing your niche is one of the most important steps in your affiliate marketing journey. It’s what helps you stand out, connect with the right audience, and actually make sales (because let’s be real–that’s the goal, right?)
Follow what you already love.
Think about your everyday life. What are you constantly talking about, researching, or recommending to friends? Whether it’s gentle parenting, budget-friendly living, pet care, or eco swaps–your real-life experience is your biggest asset!
Solve a real-life problem.
The best niches HELP people. Are you helping overwhelmed moms get organised? Sharing quick meal ideas? Recommending products that make life easier? If your content solves problems, people will trust your recommendations, and actually click your links.
Check if it’s actually profitable.
Passion is amazing, sure, but it also needs to convert. Look for niches with products people already buy… think baby gear, home organisation, wellness, education, or even hobbies. If brands exist in that space, that’s a great sign.
Narrow it down.
Okay so “mom blog” is broad. “Minimalist mom of three sharing budget-friendly home hacks” on the other hand? That’s TOTALLY memorable. The more specific you are, the easier it is to attract your people.
Make sure you can keep it up long-term.
You don’t want to run out of ideas after only 10 posts. Choose something you can grow with, something that evolves as your life does.
What Are The Advantages Of An Affiliate Marketing Strategy?
Affiliate marketing isn’t just popular, it’s actually POWERFUL. It gives you flexibility, freedom, and the ability to earn without constantly trading time for money. Here are some of the top benefits of affiliate marketing:
It creates passive income.
Once your content is live, it can keep earning for you. A blog post you wrote months ago could still be bringing in sales today (hello, nap-time income.)
You can work from home, or pretty much anywhere.
Whether you’re on the couch, at school pickup, or travelling, you can run your affiliate business from your laptop or phone.
There are very few startup costs.
You don’t need to create products, hold inventory, or manage shipping. You’re simply sharing what you already love and use.
You get to choose what you promote.
Yep, you’re in control. You get to align with brands that reflect your values and only recommend products you genuinely believe in.
You have scalable income potential.
Unlike a traditional job, there’s no income cap. The more content you create and the more traffic you build, the more you can earn!
It builds long-term brand partnerships.
As you grow, brands may reach out for collaborations, sponsorships, and exclusive deals–taking your income even further.
Is Affiliate Marketing Worth It?
Short answer? Yes! But only if you’re willing to play the long game.
Affiliate marketing isn’t a “get rich quick” kind of situation. It takes time to build trust, grow your audience, and learn what works. But once it does start working, it can become one of the most flexible and rewarding income streams out there.
If you’re consistent, authentic, and focused on helping your audience (not just selling to them), the results will come!
Our recommendation? Just start simple.
Pick a niche you love, create helpful content, and join one or two beginner-friendly affiliate programs. Don’t overwhelm yourself trying to do everything at once.
Affiliate marketing is the perfect way for mom influencers to monetize their content.
Are you ready to start making money as a parenting influencer? Get started blogging or creating other content online to share your experience and expertise with the mom world and make money doing it!
Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to monetize your brand and establish a meaningful influencer career. With the flexibility of a thriving blogging biz, you can spend more time with the kids, spend more time with your S.O., and spend more time doing what you love!
If you’re interested in more blogging tips and tricks, check out the InfluencerSEO blog. We’ve got post ideas, SEO guides, social media know-how, and more! Whatever your blogging needs are, InfluencerSEO delivers!
Jordan Becerra, founder and Lead SEO Strategist at InfluencerSEO, has spent almost 15 years in the creator internet space, the last nine building InfluencerSEO into the go-to SEO partner for content creators, with 500+ creators served from pre-launch to massive publication. She learned creator monetization and community building strategy from the inside working for Lauryn Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential prior to founding InfluencerSEO, so she understands both halves of the game: how search actually works AND how creators actually build a strong community online and make money. Her job now is to stay ahead of where search engine optimization is going, especially as AI rewrites the rules, and to make sure the creators she works with get there first.
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