You want to make money with your blog, right?
Of course you do.
Everyone wants and needs to earn more money.
So you’ve started a blog because you’ve heard it’s an easy way to make money, but you’re not entirely sure how you can actually make money from it. Or maybe you already have a blog and are looking for ways to monetize it.
I started my blog (BloggingBasics101.com) in 2006, and I knew nothing about blogging and even less about how to make money with a blog!
Now I know a lot about them and my blog is doing pretty well – I get more than 300,000 unique visitors per month and makeover $10,000 per month, which is why I consider myself someone to listen to and learn from when it comes to starting a blog and making money from it. I’m not like that gurubut I definitely know the basics.
No matter what group you belong to, making money with a blog – be it a hobby blog or a business blog – is possible. It’s not a get-rich-quick plan, but if you do it right, you could earn enough to support your family and more.
Let’s dive in and see how you can make a profit from your blog.
Monetize with CPC or CPM ads
One of the most common ways for bloggers to make money is by placing ads on their website. There are two popular types of ads:
- CPC/PPC ads: Cost-per-click ads (also called pay-per-click ads) are typically banners that you place in your content or in the sidebar. Every time a reader clicks on the ad, you get paid for that click.
- CPM ads: CPM ads, or “cost per 1,000 impressions,” are ads that pay you a fixed amount of money based on how many people see your ad.
Perhaps the most popular network for placing these types of ads is Google AdSense. With this program, you don’t have to be in direct contact with advertisers; You simply place the banner on your website, Google selects ads relevant to your content, and your viewers click on the ads. If you find that AdSense isn’t working for you, there are tons of similar programs available, such as Chitika, Infolinks, and Media.net.
Sell private ads
When it comes to selling ads, working with ad networks isn’t your only option. If you have enough traffic, advertisers may come directly to you and ask you to place their ad on your website. You can also contact advertisers yourself. The biggest difference with the above option is that there is no middleman, meaning you can set your own ad prices.
Selling private ads can take the form of banners, buttons or links. You can even make money by writing sponsored posts in which you write about or review an advertiser’s product or service. Another option is to create a signed post or series where you can write about any topic, but the advertiser pays for the “Brought to you by” mention in the content.
The way you make money from it can be different. For example, you can charge a one-time fee for a link within a post. If you host banner ads, you may charge your partner monthly fees.
Bonus tip: To maximize your income, you can also choose to sell sponsorship space in your email newsletters (here are). The 5 Best Email Marketing Software), podcasts and videos.
Include affiliate links in your content
Affiliate marketing is also another great tool to monetize your blog. This is how affiliate marketing works:
- An advertiser has a product they want to sell. She agrees to pay you a commission for each sale if the buyer comes from your website.
- It gives you a unique link that tracks your affiliate code. This way she knows when a buyer has made a purchase using your link.
- You insert your affiliate link on your website. You can do this directly in the content or through banner advertising. When a reader clicks on your unique link and purchases the product you recommended, you earn a percentage of what they purchased.
You can use affiliate marketing through advertising networks like Amazon affiliateor you can enter into private partnerships with advertisers and companies through an affiliate program.
Sell digital products
If you’d rather not advertise other people’s products on your website or are looking for another source of income, consider selling digital products. This can include items such as:
- E-books
- Online courses/workshops
- People can use images, videos or music in their own content
- Apps, plugins or themes
Remember that when you choose one of these paths, you are making it relevant and useful to your readers. Many bloggers make the mistake of assuming they are building a product that their readers need; Listen to your readers first and then create a digital product that meets their needs.
Use it as a content marketing tool for your business
It is also possible to sell physical products on your blog and make money that way. However, instead of assuming that you will make money from your blog, think of your blog as a content marketing tool that attracts visitors to your company’s website.
The possibilities when developing a business blog are almost endless. You could sell handmade products, books, finished products and much more. Or you may already have a business and decide to start a blog to gain loyal customers.
For example, let’s say you refurbish and resell used smartphones from your home. You could use a blog to attract traffic to your website where you have your current phones for sale. Your blog may cover DIY renovation topics. On one level it seems counterintuitive because you want people to buy your phones, but it also helps you build a brand and gain exposure. Social media guru Jay Baer explains the concept Copyblogger:
I was at a conference a few years ago and this is where I first started thinking about this concept and its founder, Robert Johnson, gave a speech…
He said, “Well, our best customers are the people who think they can fix the problem themselves.”
But at some point you will become overwhelmed either on this project or on a later project. At what point will you call then? Do you randomly call someone you discovered on Google, or do you call the people whose logo you just saw in the corner of a 14-minute educational video?
This concept can also be applied to services in all industries. For example, if you offered electronic repair services instead of physical products, you could still use the same blogging concept to increase brand awareness and attract more customers.
Sell memberships
Another way to make money is to sell memberships to exclusive areas of your website. For example, a career blog might charge $10 per month for users to access their job board. A startup business blog may sell memberships to its forums where people can get personal advice about their business.
The key here is that your exclusive membership needs to be more valuable than something your visitors can find for free elsewhere. So make sure you develop something valuable that is worth the price.
Use it to build your credibility
Blogging to build credibility can lead to many opportunities to make money. For example, let’s say you start a blog in the financial industry. People start reading your content and your blog becomes very popular. You are now a recognized personality in the financial industry.
Once you have this authority, you might be asked to co-author a book on debt management, or you might be asked to speak at conferences or run financial training days for your employees.
This is certainly not a direct form of making money from blogging, but it has worked for many well-known bloggers, and it can work for you too. If you’re looking for a direct source of income, popular blogs sell for four to seven figures (sometimes). more) by selling their branding and content.
The most important thing to remember is that you can’t make money blogging by setting up your website and leaving it there. The “if you build it, they will come” mentality doesn’t work here. So make sure you’re willing to put in the time. Most bloggers don’t see a boost in income for several months (sometimes years) after starting their blog. Before you get too deep into blogging, remember these little pieces of advice:
Create high-quality content
You won’t make money from your blog if people don’t read it. After all, your readers are the ones you make money from, whether they click on your ads or buy your products. Always put your readers first.
Don’t spend your time exclusively on your blog
Developing a successful blog has a lot to do with building relationships. This can include relationships with sponsors, affiliate partners, or simply other bloggers who drive traffic to your blog. Make sure you spend some of your time on forums and other blogs (or whatever works for you) to build these relationships and your blog.
Don’t be afraid to experiment
Not all of these tips and income opportunities will work for you. Don’t be afraid to tweak your methods to find what works best for you and your readers.
Making money blogging can take a lot of persistence, but starting from scratch can pay off in the long run. Remember that you don’t have to use all money-making opportunities at once. Think about what other people in your industry are doing and start there.
Over time you will learn what works for you and what doesn’t. If you want to make money from your blog, which option do you start with?
Let me know in the comment section :).
Share the infographic
