How to Earn Extra Income as an Over 50 Blogger and Influencer in 2026

It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging since 2008 and am now making passive income to supplement my Social Security check. We don’t all have fat 401 Ks. Even if you do, you may want to become a blogger or influencer. Believe it or not, many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are earning excellent incomes online.

If you’ve created a blog or want to start one to earn post-retirement income on social media, I’ve listed some of the resources and tools I use and love. Hopefully, it will help you avoid making the techy mistakes I’ve made in the past.

If becoming tech-savvy sounds scary now that you’re older, I’m in my 70s and set up this blog and my social media profiles myself by taking online classes and watching YouTube. If I can do it, you can too, especially if you love to write. People of ALL ages are doing it and using their new skills to reinvent themselves and enhance their retirement income.

Blogging is not dead

People read blogs every day and may not realize it. For those with writing skills, blogging is a creative and often lucrative way to earn a living or enjoy it as a hobby.

The advantage of becoming a blogger over 50 is that you have experienced more than those who are younger and have stories to tell.

However, if managing a website yourself isn’t your vibe, freelancers on sites like Fiverr or Upwork will do it for you affordably.

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links to brands I am partnered with. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please read my site Disclaimer and Privacy/Cookie policy if you have any questions.

Although there is a learning curve, blogging isn’t as complicated as when I first started.

Get started on the best blogging platform

There are many blogging platforms like Wix or Squarespace, but I recommend self-hosted WordPress. It gives you the most control over your content and does not restrict you in terms of advertising. It also has more functionality at the click of a button than custom sites.

• WordPress.org is the self-hosted version of WordPress and is the Number one blogging platform online today. Don’t confuse it with WordPress.com (hosted by WordPress), which has limitations. The software for WordPress.org is free to use, but you must purchase a hosting account to install it. I’ve been using Bluehost forever and love it! (This will cost you around $100 or less per year, which is almost nothing to start a business) You can then install WordPress using your hosting account’s one-click installation program. Bluehost offers one free domain when you sign up. and installs WordPress on your domain as soon as you sign up for hosting.
• Thousands of WordPress themes and plugins are available to integrate with self-hosted WordPress. They perform practically any function you can imagine.
• I buy all my additional domains from GoDaddy because they are affordable and reliable, but I prefer Bluehost for hosting.

Note to bloggers – Do not allow someone else to host your site for you. This is a big NO NO! You need your OWN hosting account. If you have a falling out with that person or they are no longer on the planet, it can turn into a huge disaster. A web host I knew died, and her clients, who were many of my blogging friends, had sites that crashed after she died.

Email Marketing

Whether you have a blog or focus strictly on social media, you will want to build an independent email list. Social media sites disappear, and you can lose all your followers overnight. If you want to communicate with your audience to promote products or stay in touch, an email list is essential. You can link a signup form to your blog or social media profile.

• MailChimp is an effective and easy-to-use email marketing service. It is free for the first 2000 people on your list. It offers opt-in forms, broadcast emails, and RSS campaigns. For a small monthly fee, you can also add an autoresponder.
• MailerLite is another email marketing service I use. It has two types of plans: free and premium. You can compare the features between the free and premium plans on the Pricing page. The free plan is automatically applied to every account upon approval. It allows you to use up to 1,000 unique subscribers and will send up to 12,000 emails every thirty days.

Freelance remotely online

• Find writing and other remote work with FlexJobs – Do you want assurance that you will get paid? Do you desire to work from anywhere in the world? This site offers legitimate freelance work with no ads, scams, or junk.

Time management software

• Google scheduling is free and simple to use. All you need is a Google (Gmail) account, and you can start booking meetings immediately.

Producing videos is where it’s at online

Increase your reach by creating videos for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. The tools below are what I use to create and edit my videos.

I am a big fan of YouTube because it is a major search engine. Your videos do not disappear, never to be found again like they do with Instagram and TikTok. If you want to learn anything, you will find a video about it on YouTube. You can also host a podcast on it. I believe it is the most powerful platform out there and the most fun.

Setting up a YouTube account is easy. If you have a Gmail account, go to YouTube and create a channel using your Google account. You can monetize your YouTube channel with AdSense once you acquire 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. You can also insert product and affiliate links that will pay you into your video descriptions before you become monetized.

There are similar monetization programs on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest for video creators.

• I’ve been using Camtasia to edit my videos for years. There are free programs and smartphone editing apps, but I love the number of assets it has to make your videos shine, and how easy it is to use. Techsmith, which owns Camtasia, offers support and tutorials. I find smartphone apps difficult to use as an older person, and most offer little support. Camtasia works with PowerPoint. Once your video is completed, you can upload it directly to YouTube and other networks or save it as a local file.
• Snagit is another Techsmith product that is fabulous for creating screenshots, editing photos, and recording short videos. It is simple to use. You can also edit your images and videos. Its native editor lets you add text, callouts, resize, crop, add watermarks, graphics, and more.
• Canva is my go-to site to design social media graphics using templates and images. You can also create and edit videos on it. The paid version gives you more options and is worth it, in my opinion. I use the platform constantly to create images, videos, media kits, and other marketing materials.
• Zoom became essential during the pandemic. It is an easy-to-use platform for hosting webinars or interviews. They can be recorded and downloaded as videos. Alternative platforms are Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

Graphic Design

• PicMonkey is a program I’ve been using in addition to Canva to easily create, resize, edit, and add text to photos. There is a free version, but the Pro version has many more options.

Podcasting

Podcasting has become popular, and many influencers and business owners have shows.

Platforms to host podcasts include Podbean, Libsyn, Buzzsprout, and Spotify for Podcasts. Most of them allow you to submit to podcast streaming sites.

YouTube has added a podcast element. You can create a podcast playlist on your YouTube channel using YouTube Studio. You must upload a square podcast logo and a description.

The advantage of hosting your podcast on YouTube rather than on podcast streaming sites is that YouTube is the #2 search engine on the Internet, and you can easily monetize your podcast with Google ads. Find out more about creating a YouTube podcast here.

Amazon Influencer Program and UGC (User Generated Content)

One way that people of all ages are making money online is by creating short product review videos. I have been an Amazon Associate for years and joined the Amazon Influencer Program in late 2023. Check out my storefront here.

I upload short video demos of Amazon products and earn a small commission when customers purchase a product after watching them. The more videos you upload, the more you earn. Once a video is uploaded, the income you earn becomes passive. You do not have to drive traffic to Amazon to earn.

To become an Amazon Influencer, you must be approved and have a moderate social media following on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or a blog. Once approved, you can create an Amazon Storefront. Then you can upload three short product demo videos that must also be approved to be placed on product pages. Do not upload more than three to become approved. Once you get the go-ahead, you may upload as many as you like.

A similar business model is UGC. (User-generated content) Influencers connect with brands that pay for short videos to be used as ads on social media. You can contact brands you love directly or sign up with influencer networks that offer creators opportunities to work with brands. I prefer the Amazon Influencer program because it is reliable and lucrative. However, many influencers do well with UGC.

An advantage of both programs is that you will receive free products that can be used, resold, or given as gifts.

Getting Paid as a blogger or digital creator

• Paypal is a popular payment platform for receiving and sending money. It’s free to sign up, but I recommend you upgrade to Premiere, which is also free. You can download a QR code and a unique link that customers can use for payments. You can also create payment buttons for your website. I love that I can create and manage invoices within PayPal. For current consumer fees, click here.
• Square is an app that takes credit card payments. A customer can tap your phone with a chipped credit card with no fuss or extra equipment. I use it for in-person events, and it’s great!
• Venmo is another popular money app. It lets you safely share payments on your phone. I’ve used it to sell furniture, pay at garage sales, and even at taco vendors. All you need to do is connect your bank account, and you can send payments and transfer money received instantly to approved merchants using your profile name, email, or phone number. No personal information is shared, but you can send emojis to share your payment with friends in the app. Check current Venmo fees here.
• Zelle is a banking app for money transactions through your bank or some credit unions. Banks such as Chase, Wells Fargo, and other participating banks can enroll you on their banking apps. Register your vendor’s or friend’s email address or mobile number to transfer or send money to them. Zelle does not currently charge fees.
• CashApp is a robust app that allows you to pay anyone instantly. In addition to sending and receiving money, you can send stocks with a fractional shares option, buy bitcoin, and file and receive your tax refund. There are no Cash App fees for sending money if you stick to standard transfers processed within 1-3 business days. Check other fees here.
• Patreon is popular with content creators, such as podcasters, to sell subscriptions and digital products. It is free to start. Click here for the fees charged to creators on the platform.
• Ko-Fi allows you to collect donations on your blog or social platforms without paying a fee. It gives you a link, or you can even create a button for your website. It’s popular with artists, actors, podcasters, and other creative types. Fans can sign up for recurring membership fees at different tier levels. There is a low 5% fee for membership payments.

Where to find stock photos

Licensed photos must be used on blogs and social media if you do not create them yourself to avoid copyright violations, which can be costly. The sites below offer free or reasonably priced photos. Some only ask that the photographer be credited.

• Canva is my go-to site for designing graphics for all social platforms and print jobs. It has a large library of photos, graphics, and fonts. You can create and edit videos, use AI Magic Write to help with content creation, create a media kit, printables, and more.
• Deposit Photos has a large inventory of stock photos and videos at a reasonable price.
• Big Stock Photo is an affordable site to purchase stock photos.
• Pixabay offers free images and videos available to download.
• CanStockPhoto offers stock photography with no sign-up required at affordable rates.
• Fotosearch.com has an extensive collection of royalty-free stock photography, clipart, illustrations, and stock footage.
• MorgueFile also offers free images
• GoGraph Stock Photography offers low-cost stock photos.
• Burst has a collection of free stock photos powered by Shopify that can be used for commercial websites.
• Unsplash is an excellent site to find stunning free images.

Photo Storage

Photos and videos can jam up your computer, but can be automatically saved to cloud storage sites.

• Amazon Prime Photo Storage allows unlimited photo backup for full-resolution images with your Amazon Prime Account and 5 GB for Videos. Plus, you get all the advantages of Amazon Prime for streaming, shipping, books, grocery delivery, and more.
• Google Drive – Save documents, videos, audio files, PowerPoints, and spreadsheets for free up to 15 GB and at a low cost for more, depending on how much you need. Sync it to compatible devices and your smartphone.

Monetize your blog and social media sites with affiliate marketing

If you have an active blog or are active on sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok, you can promote products from brands you love and earn an affiliate commission. Affiliate programs are free to sign up and you get paid when someone purchases a product you promote.

Once accepted to a program, you can insert tracking links to text on your blog or social media from brands you wish to promote. If a person clicks on the link you have inserted and purchases something, you will earn a small commission for that sale. This is a passive way to earn extra income.

• Amazon Associates is one of the easiest programs to get started with, especially for beginners. Join Amazon’s associate program using your Amazon login. You can add text links or create ads and widgets.

Affiliate networks – The networks below are connected to top brands in all categories. All payments and tracking are completed within the platform, so you do not have to go from brand to brand to find out how your links perform. However, you must apply to each brand separately and be accepted before inserting your links.

• Awin
• CJ Affiliate
• Impact
• Collective Voice is excellent for fashion bloggers and is easier to be accepted in than other platforms. Create widgets that embed into your content and can be updated on the platform. They can be displayed on blogs and social media sites. You can also create a Store widget that can be embedded by adding code. An advantage is that clothing and other goods on your widgets that sell out can be easily replaced without manually inserting them in your content, so they stay up to date.

Expert blogging advice

• How to Speed up WordPress – The speed of your site makes all the difference in your success as a blogger.

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