An Exclusive Interview with Michelle Schroeder-Gardner from Making Sense of Cents

Last Updated October 13, 2024 by Davina Kelly

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we will receive a commission if you purchase through our links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

 

Are you interested in learning how to make money with affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a great way to generate passive income. Once you’ve set it up, you can keep earning money as long as people click on your links and make purchases.

It’s one of the best income streams for bloggers and with the right strategy it can even grow into a full-time income. 

Today, I’m excited to share an amazing interview with Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, who runs the successful personal finance blog Making Sense of Cents. 

Michelle has been blogging for over 13 years and has had great success with affiliate marketing. She went from making $0 to $50,000+ every month!

She has now created a popular course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, to help other bloggers build their own affiliate marketing income streams. 

Aside from sharing her expertise, Michelle also features inspiring stories from other bloggers on her blog. I had the privilege of being featured on Making Sense of Cents, where I shared how I got out of payday loan debt and saved my first $50k (you can read my story here).

In today’s interview, I ask Michelle some of the questions you might be wondering, such as:

• Can you really make money with affiliate marketing?
  
• How do you get started with affiliate marketing?
  
• What are the best tips for affiliate marketing success?

Michelle was very generous with her time and provided a lot of actionable tips and insights. Whether you’re new to affiliate marketing or looking to refine your strategy, this interview is full of helpful advice to guide you in the right direction. 

Also, you can sign up for Michelle’s FREE ebook which helps you get started with affiliate marketing. This is a great resource to help you get started and learn how to make money with affiliate marketing. 

Interview with Michelle from Making Sense of Cents:

1. Hi Michelle, can you give a little background on who you are and what you do? How did you get started with affiliate marketing?

Hi! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, and I run the personal finance blog Making Sense of Cents. I started my blog in 2011 as a way to share my journey of paying off student loans and managing my finances. Over time, I learned about affiliate marketing, and it became one of my main income streams. 

I got started with affiliate marketing after reading about how others were earning money through their blogs. I decided to give it a try, promoting products and services I was already using and loving. It took some time to learn the ins and outs, but eventually, I was able to make a full-time income from it. Now, I teach others how to do the same through my course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. 

2. What inspired you to create your course making sense of affiliate marketing?

I was inspired to create my Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course because I received so many questions from my readers about how I was making money through my blog, specifically with affiliate marketing. I was also receiving a lot of requests for blog coaching, and I even took on some clients. At the time (and I still am), I was earning a significant income from affiliate marketing alone, and people were really curious about how they could do the same. 

I quickly learned that there were only so many people that I could help with blog coaching and answering questions one-by-one.

I also realized there wasn’t much clear, step-by-step information available on how to get started with affiliate marketing, specifically for bloggers. I wanted to create a course that could break everything down in a simple, easy-to-understand way. I wanted to help other bloggers and online entrepreneurs turn their passion into income. So, the course was born out of a desire to help others find the same success that I had found. It’s been rewarding to see so many students go on to earn money through affiliate marketing!

3. What exactly is affiliate marketing and how does it work? Can you explain this more for beginners?

Affiliate marketing is a way to earn money by promoting other people’s products or services. As an affiliate, you partner with companies and promote their products through your blog, social media, email, or other platforms. When someone clicks on your referral link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.

You can promote things like books, kitchen gadgets, cell phone apps, clothing, and more – pretty much everything and anything has an affiliate link that you can share.

Here’s how it works, step by step:

1. Sign up for affiliate programs – Companies manage affiliate programs, where they give you a referral link to share. You can join programs directly with brands or through affiliate platforms like Amazon Associates or Impact Radius.
2. Promote the product – You’ll share the affiliate links in your blog posts, social media, or emails, usually by recommending products you already use or believe in.
3. Someone clicks your link – When a reader clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you get credit for referring them.
4. You earn a commission – The company tracks the sale and gives you a percentage of the profit. Each program has its own rules for how much commission you can earn.

It’s a great way to monetize a blog or social media account because you can recommend things that are genuinely helpful to your audience, and it doesn’t cost them anything extra! 

4. Your course is highly recommended by other bloggers, what makes it different from other affiliate marketing courses?

What makes Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing stand out is that it’s designed to be simple and actionable, even for beginners. I created the course with the goal of breaking down affiliate marketing into clear, step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow, regardless of experience. I also focus on real strategies that I’ve personally used to grow my blog’s income, so it’s not just theory—it’s based on my actual journey and success.

5. You’ve had great success with affiliate marketing, why do you feel it is a good income strategy for bloggers?

Thank you! Affiliate marketing is my favorite way to make money blogging, and I think it’s a great strategy for others too.

I think affiliate marketing is a great income strategy for bloggers because it allows you to earn passive income while providing value to your readers. Once you’ve written a blog post with affiliate links, that content can keep earning money over time, as long as it stays relevant and continues to get traffic. It’s not about trading time for money—you can make sales while you’re sleeping! There are blog posts that I wrote years ago that still earn me thousands of dollars each month or each year, with minimal work to update it.

Affiliate marketing also works well for bloggers because you can promote products that fit naturally with your niche. If you’re passionate about the topic you blog about, it’s easy to recommend products or services that you genuinely use and love. This helps build trust with your audience, which is key to making affiliate sales. 

Another reason it’s effective is that you don’t need to create your own product to make money (so, you don’t need to worry about finding time to make the product, manage customer service, etc.). You can start earning by promoting other people’s products while focusing on growing your blog and audience. And with so many affiliate programs available, it’s a flexible strategy that can work for nearly any niche.

6. Many people believe you need tons of traffic to make money with affiliate marketing. Do you think this is true? What are your thoughts and experience on this?

It’s a common belief that you need tons of traffic to make money with affiliate marketing (I even thought this when I was a newish blogger), but I don’t think that’s entirely true. While having more traffic can definitely help you earn more, it’s not the only factor that determines success. What’s more important is having a loyal, engaged audience that trusts you and values your recommendations. 

In my experience, even if you have a smaller blog, you can still make money with affiliate marketing if you focus on providing helpful content and promoting products that truly solve your readers’ problems. Quality matters more than quantity. If your audience feels like they can trust your recommendations, they’re more likely to click on your affiliate links and make purchases. 

It’s also about being strategic. Writing product reviews, tutorials, or how-to guides that naturally incorporate affiliate links can lead to higher conversions, even with less traffic. So, while traffic is important, building trust and creating high-quality, targeted content can help you make money regardless of your blog’s size.

7. A lot of people wonder, can you really make money with affiliate marketing? What would you say to someone who’s sceptical?

I understand why some people might be skeptical, especially if they’ve tried affiliate marketing and didn’t see results right away. But I can personally say that, yes, you can absolutely make money with affiliate marketing! It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, though—it takes time, effort, and strategy to get it right. 

What I would tell someone who’s skeptical is that affiliate marketing works best when you approach it as a long-term strategy. You have to build trust with your audience, create valuable content, and be thoughtful about the products you recommend. It’s about helping your readers solve their problems, not just throwing random affiliate links on your blog. 

If you’re willing to put in the effort, affiliate marketing can be an incredible income stream. I started small, and now it’s one of the main ways I make money through my blog. There’s real potential, but it’s important to be patient and consistent with your approach.

8. What advice would you give beginners who are worried about coming across as too ‘salesy’ when promoting affiliate links?

That’s a great question! One of the biggest concerns beginners have is feeling like they’re being too “salesy” when promoting affiliate links, but the key is to focus on being helpful instead of just trying to make a sale. My advice is to recommend products or services that you genuinely use and believe in. When your audience can tell you truly love a product, it feels more like a helpful suggestion rather than a sales pitch. 

Also, try to incorporate affiliate links naturally into your content. For example, if you’re writing a how-to guide or sharing a personal experience, you can mention a product as part of the solution. It should feel like it fits into the conversation, not like you’re forcing it. 

Lastly, be transparent. Always disclose that you’re using affiliate links and explain why you’re recommending the product. Readers appreciate honesty, and it helps build trust. If your audience trusts your recommendations, they’re more likely to click on your links without feeling like you’re being pushy. Personally, I really dislike it when a blogger is clearly sharing links that they will be paid for but is not disclosing it – it makes me not trust them.

9. How much do you make each month with affiliate marketing?

I no longer share my monthly income amount, but I have earned over $3,000,000 with affiliate marketing over the years.

10. How long do you think it will take beginners to start making money with affiliate marketing? 

This is a hard question to answer. For some people, they may be able to make money in a month or so, and for others it may take much longer. I had one student of my course who made affiliate income just a day after taking the course, and I am sure that is true for others as well.

The timeline for making money with affiliate marketing really depends on a few factors, like how much time and effort you’re putting in, the quality of your content, and how well you know your audience. For beginners, it can take a few months to start seeing consistent income. Some bloggers might start making small amounts within the first few months, while others may take 6 months to a year to see significant results. 

11. What’s one thing you wish you knew about blogging and affiliate marketing when you first started that would have helped you succeed faster?

One thing I wish I knew when I first started blogging and affiliate marketing is that I should have started with affiliate marketing right away, instead of thinking it wasn’t possible to make money early on. In the beginning, I hesitated to dive into affiliate marketing because I thought you needed a huge audience to make any real income. I spent a lot of time focusing on other things and held back from adding affiliate links because I didn’t think my small blog could generate affiliate income. 

Looking back, I realize I missed out on opportunities to start earning earlier. You don’t need tons of traffic to make money—what matters is having the right audience and recommending products that fit their needs. If I had known this, I would have started experimenting with affiliate marketing sooner, which could have helped me build a steady income more quickly.

12. Could you please give us more information about your course?

Sure! My course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, is a step-by-step guide designed to help bloggers learn how to monetize their content through affiliate marketing. It’s perfect for beginners, but even more experienced bloggers can benefit from the strategies I share.

Here’s what you’ll learn in the course:

• How affiliate marketing works and how to get started, even if you’re new to blogging.
• How to find the right affiliate programs for your blog’s niche and audience, so you can promote products that make sense for your readers.
• How to incorporate affiliate links naturally into your content, so you don’t feel “salesy.”
• How to increase your traffic and get more eyes on your affiliate links, which can help boost your income.
• How to build trust with your audience—this is key for long-term success with affiliate marketing.
• Legal aspects of affiliate marketing, like disclosure rules and how to stay compliant with FTC guidelines.

The course also includes bonuses, like access to a private Facebook group where you can connect with me and other students for ongoing support and advice. 

It’s designed to give you all the tools you need to start earning an income through affiliate marketing, even if you’ve never made a dollar online before!

Note from me: After taking Michelle’s course and implementing her strategies, I was able to start making money within just two weeks so it does work. I’ll be sharing my full review of the course soon, so keep an eye out.

13. Who is the ideal customer for your course? For example, is it suitable for beginners, intermediate or those who have tried affiliate marketing but have not had success?

The ideal customer for my Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course is anyone who wants to learn how to make money through affiliate marketing, whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who has tried affiliate marketing but hasn’t had much success yet.

Here’s a breakdown of who would benefit the most:

• Beginners: If you’re new to blogging or affiliate marketing, the course is perfect because it starts with the basics. I guide you through everything from understanding how affiliate marketing works to choosing the right programs and integrating links into your content.
• Intermediate bloggers: If you already have some experience but aren’t seeing the results you want, the course can help you improve your strategy. You’ll learn advanced tips on building trust with your audience, optimizing your content for conversions, and boosting your traffic—all of which can help you earn more.
• Those who have tried but haven’t had success: If you’ve been doing affiliate marketing for a while but feel stuck, this course can show you where you might be going wrong and give you actionable steps to start seeing better results. Many of my students were in this position and found success after taking the course.

The course is designed to help bloggers at all levels, with a focus on getting results no matter where you’re starting from!

14. How much does your course Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing cost?

My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course is priced at $197. This is a one-time payment that gives you lifetime access (for the life of the course) to all the course materials, including any future updates or added content. It also includes access to the private Facebook group, where you can ask questions, get advice, and connect with other students. 

15. Can you share any success stories from people who have taken your course?

Yes, for sure!

1. One blogger currently makes around $10,000 a month from her travel blog 
2. One blogger makes around $30,000 a month from her budgeting blog 
3. Another blogger started making $3,400 a month from affiliate marketing on her blog just one year after taking the course

And I know many others who earn a full-time income from their blog as well due to taking Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.

16. What are some common mistakes you see people make with affiliate marketing and how can they be avoided?

There are several common mistakes I see people make with affiliate marketing, especially when they’re just starting out. The good news is that these mistakes can be avoided with the right strategy. Here are a few and how to avoid them:

1. Promoting too many products: A lot of beginners try to promote every product they come across, thinking it will increase their chances of making sales. However, this can overwhelm your audience and damage your credibility. Instead, focus on promoting products you’ve used or believe in, and that are truly relevant to your niche.
2. Not building trust with your audience: Affiliate marketing isn’t just about throwing links into your content. Readers need to trust your recommendations before they’ll click and buy. Build that trust by being authentic, sharing personal stories, and always being transparent about your affiliate relationships.
3. Not disclosing affiliate links: It’s important to disclose when you’re using affiliate links, not only to build trust with your audience but also to stay legally compliant with FTC guidelines. Failing to disclose can hurt your relationship with readers and lead to legal issues. 
4. Focusing on the wrong products: Some bloggers promote high-commission products that don’t align with their audience just to try to make more money. This usually backfires because readers won’t buy things they don’t find valuable. 
5. Not testing what works: Many bloggers set up affiliate links and leave it at that, without checking what’s actually driving conversions. Use tracking tools, test different placements, and review your analytics to see which links and strategies are performing best. Then, double down on what works!

17. Lastly, If you could share 3 top tips for beginners who want to get started with affiliate marketing, what would they be?

For beginners who want to dive into affiliate marketing, here are my top three tips:

1. Focus on building trust with your audience: Trust is important for successful affiliate marketing. People are more likely to buy something based on your recommendation if they feel like they can rely on your advice. Be transparent, honest, and only promote products you genuinely believe in and that are relevant to your readers. 
2. Start with products you already use and love: A great way to get started is by promoting products you already use and know well. This makes it easier to write authentic, detailed reviews or recommendations. Your audience will appreciate the personal touch and will be more likely to click on your affiliate links. Plus, it’s easier to sell something that you like, of course!
3. Create valuable, targeted content: Instead of just adding affiliate links randomly, focus on creating content that has real value to your readers. Write product reviews, how-to guides, or list posts that naturally include your affiliate links. This kind of content not only helps your audience but also positions your affiliate links in a way that feels helpful rather than salesy. The more useful your content, the more likely your readers will trust your recommendations and make purchases.

Final Thoughts: Interview with Michelle from Making Sense of Cents

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Michelle from Making Sense of Cents. It’s a long informative one so I hope you found it helpful.

Are you ready to get started with affiliate marketing? Check out Michelle’s Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course here.