So, you’re one of the 30 million bloggers that exist on the Internet today.
You’re having a great time making content, but how do you turn a profit?
You’ve likely heard of big-time bloggers like Zoe Sugg or Louise Pentland who have turned their blogs into massive empires, and you’re looking for a slice of the pie.
Before starting to monetize your blog, you’ll need a strong brand presence on social media. Once you’ve got the basics down, the sky’s the limit.
In this article, we’ll talk about how to monetize your blog to create an awesome revenue stream. One day, it might just become your empire.
Pro-Tip: Clean Design
One great tip from webdesignteam.com is to make sure that your site and its copy look great and are easy to read and use. You can even hire a professional to help you on the web design and development front so that your site looks fantastic.
Of course, this doesn’t mean this alone will help you raise revenue for your site. But, readers are more likely and apt to trust your site and companies are more likely to work with you if your site looks professional.
1. Ads, Baby
This is, perhaps, the most obvious way to monetize a blog, but it still bears stating.
Many blogs stick ads on them from websites like Google AdSense or other popular services.
These services don’t really yield a huge turn out of money unless you have some serious traffic, but it does allow some to drip in when you start out. And, hey, if you have a viral post one day, it could give you a pretty big passive payday.
Placing ads on your site is pretty simple. Most of these websites will give you code you can place on your site from the backend. You can also use plug-ins from Blogger or WordPress.
Get enough clicks or impressions, and voila, it’s a payday!
2. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing can be done in many different ways. You can use a site, like Amazon, that links all of the products together, or you can cooperate specifically with a company to earn a share of the revenue.
Affiliate marketing has been around a while. Influencers say it’s like they’re getting paid for recommending a product to you.
Basically, you place an affiliate link on your website. A user on your site will then click on it if it sparks an interest.
If the user purchases the product, you’ll receive a commission. This can range from very modest to pretty sizeable, depending on the price of the item.
Alternately, many people participate in pay per clicks, like ShopStyle Collective. These sites offer you a certain amount of money based on your audience size depending on how often people click on things you recommend.
Before you choose which one is best for your website, it’s useful to analyze if you think your blog will sway readers to purchase an item or simply to click on it.
3. Paid Advertisements
Paid advertisements are very common in blogs. They’re also known as “sponsored posts.” Some fans of blogs have been irritated by the fact that many creators have been using sponsored posts as a way to pad their income, while others don’t mind so much.
As long as you only accept sponsored material from a company you believe your readers would like, it isn’t as likely to receive a hostile reaction from your readers.
Paid advertisements are essentially where a company pays you to promote their item. This can mean they’ll ask you to participate in an event or they’ll ask you to create content about their brand for your website.
For example, if a pair of boots sponsors your blog post, you’ll likely have to take several pictures of the boots and discuss how amazing they are. You’ll also need to talk about the benefits of the boots and perhaps how to pair them with certain outfits.
With a paid advert, the content you’re producing fits into your blog so it seems like it isn’t paid, though it is.
In order to comply with the FTC and other regulatory bodies around the world, however, you do have to disclose that the company has sponsored you.
4. Offer a Service or Product to Readers
If you want your blog to start making some serious cash, offer a product or service to your readers. This will likely have people not only coming in droves but also pique many people’s interest in your blog.
If you’re an expert at something, don’t be ashamed to give people coaching in it. Say you’re great at making sales and have always outperformed others at your sales job. Use that knowledge to offer a coaching service for your readers.
Individuals who have amazing artistic skills might want to use them to create custom products for their readers.
You could even offer t-shirts or other designs that would pull people into your blog. Your content, however, should be what makes them stay.
5. Write and Sell a Book
Writing and selling a book is a fantastic way to ensure that you get some money from your blog. You can do this relatively easily and quickly with Kindle’s publishing program. You don’t even need to put any money into start-up costs!
If you’re an expert at a niche and don’t have time for coaching, consider writing a book that you know other people will enjoy. That way, you can begin monetizing your ideas.
Offer tips and tricks on your blog, but let people know that you have more to offer in your book.
How to Monetize Your Blog: Just the Beginning
So, did you get some great ideas for how to monetize your blog? This article has just tapped the surface, as there are always new ways to do so popping up.
Want to market your blog on social media? Check out some of our tips on how to do so to get your 2019 off to a great start!