If you have a blog, and you want to start blogging for cash - affiliate programs and blog ad networks is the first step. However, today you may not have to look far to find affiliate programs for your blog. There are a couple of very effective blog advertising networks that will allow you to make money on your blog - along with any other affiliate programs that you want to promote.

Blog advertising networks work much like any other advertising network, such as Shareasale or Click Bank. Some even work like Google AdSense, generating ads based on the content of a webpage. Some networks pay for clicks, others pay for sales only. Getting set up with a blog advertising network is quite simple.

Two such blog advertising networks are Blogads at http://www.blogads.com/ and Crisp Ads at http://www.crispads.com/ . These are the two most popular blog ad networks today. Unfortunately, Blogads is by invitation only at this time, and you must be invited by a blogger who is already in the network to start earning revenue through this blog ad network.

However, if you are lucky enough to get an invitation, you will be able to earn anywhere from $50 to $5000 per month, depending on how popular your blog is. You also have the opportunity to network with other successful bloggers, which will dramatically increase your own readership. You have the ability to set your own prices, customize the design, and even write your own sales copy for the ads. You have total control over what appears on your blog site. Again, membership in the Blogads program is by invitation only, so in the meantime, you might want to consider using Crisp Ads. You may even find so much success with Crisp Ads that you don't worry about membership in the Blogads program!

Crisp Ads is less exclusive, but equally effective. You can choose keyword based text ads or graphical ads. Keyword based ads earn a flat twenty cents per click, and Crisp Ads pays out on balances of at least $5 through Paypal. For graphical ads, you can literally name your price for the month, and Crisp ads will find the advertisers for you. Crisp Ads will list your blog in their blog catalog, which is what advertisers use to determine where they want their ads placed.

Because Crisp Ads is open to everyone, it is the most popular choice for blog ad networks. You are able to earn money in two different ways, and with the payouts so small and easy to collect, you can't go wrong. According to Crisp Ads, even the smallest of blogs can earn revenue using their system. Joining is of course free. When you don't have an advertiser through Crisp Ads, you can use the pay-per-click feature instead, so you are continually earning revenue no matter what. You will also have the ability to track your clicks and earnings through the reporting feature for your account.

The important thing is that no matter which option you choose, you still have the freedom of promoting other affiliate products and services on your blog. However, if you hope to run Google AdSense along side the keyword ads through Crisp Ads, treat carefully- this practice may be against the Google AdSense policy - even though Crisp Ads claims it is not against the Google AdSense policy. Use caution!