Have you been looking for ways to make money online through blogging? Then you are certainly not the only one in those shoes. Blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme; however, you can build a sustainable long-term income if you get it right. Have you launched your blog, and you are searching for a way to make money from it? Don’t worry; you have come to the right place.
So, whether you are blogging as a hobby or you see it as a business venture, we will point out ways by which you can monetize your blog. Let’s dive right in and show you ways to profit from your blog.
Starting A Blog
Launching a blog can be a tricky process, especially if you are not techy. As a beginner, you have two options to explore; it is either you design your website, or you can launch on a free platform. They both have their advantages and disadvantages; therefore, we recommend that you weigh your options before proceeding.
Free Blogging
You can find many platforms to create your blog free of charge, and they are user-friendly as well. If you blog casually or as a hobby, this might be your best option. However, you must understand that free platforms have many limitations. Your blog customization can only be performed to a certain extent, or you may have limited storage to upload your pictures and video content.
Also, free platforms do not allow advert or banner placements as well as an affiliate link, meaning you stand a lesser chance of generating revenue from your blog. The free blogging platforms to use are Blogger, WordPress, and Medium.
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Create Your Own Website
If you want to treat your blog as an online business, setting up your own website is your best bet. Whether you are tech-savvy or not, creating a website isn’t as difficult as it sounds. There are open source templates that you could use to set up your blog within 20 minutes.
Having your own website gives you the flexibility to brand your business; you will have a domain name, and you don’t need to be afraid of having your blog yanked off by the hosting platform. Your site is yours to control. When creating your website, make it simple and less ambiguous so that your visitors can have a smooth experience.
Choosing A Blog Topic
This process could be difficult or easy, but sticking to a particular niche will help a great deal. You will be able to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. Most newbies make the mistake of posting articles from different niches on their blog.
For instance, if you have a real estate blog, you should stick to making only posts centered on the real estate market. Posting fashion content on your real estate blog is a bad idea because it distracts your targeted audience who are visiting your website to catch up on real estate trends.
These are the best methods to find topics for your blog:
- Check your competitors
- Use Google to find major keywords searched by people
- Check forums to find FAQs
- Follow trends
- Explore different types of content
- Recognize what you are passionate about
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How To Drive Traffic To Your Blog
Now, you have set up your blog and created content on a topic you chose. The next step is to get people to read your content. So, how do you make it happen? As a beginner, you will have to increase your blog traffic by promoting it. Here are some proven ways to drive traffic to your blog:
Social Media Promotion
In today’s business world, you will not be noticed or heard if you fail to have social media accounts. You need to create different accounts for your blog on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. Find out which works best for your blog and go with it. Pick a brand color and use the same theme for your social media accounts; this helps to enhance branding.
Your social media account should be used to tag companies and influencers because it increases your chances of reaching your target audience. Paid advertising is also a good way of taking your blog to a bigger platform. When you build great followership, keep them engaged by making regular posts.
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Connect With Other Bloggers
Network with other bloggers who are within your niche. We understand that they might be your competitors, but they can help you grow as a newbie. They can help you boost your page ranking by linking to your webpages and that is a massive SEO strategy. Engaging with other bloggers and sharing their content will compel them to return the favor, and, in some cases, they might even want to collaborate with you.
Respond Actively On Your Blog
If a newsworthy event associated with your niche happens, talking about it could help you build your audience as well as keep them engaged. This is called newsjacking, and it is a proven way of gaining more exposure for your blog.
For instance, if you are in the fashion niche, it is best to stay updated on the latest affordable fashion trends so as to engage your audience with it. Perhaps your audience has been spending more on buying clothes, suggesting an affordable and trendy option for them will always keep them glued to your website.
Social media hashtags could also be used to find recent trends and engage with them. If you become popular in your niche, you will attract more visitors to your blog because they would like to keep in touch with you.
Write Viral Content
With viral content, you can penetrate a new market as well as increase your blog traffic. But you must understand that this is not an easy task, but the easiest technique to create viral content is discussing controversial topics that are associated with your niche. Since you are discussing what you are passionate about, you can make some unique points that the audience will enjoy reading, in turn, they will share and discuss it as well.
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How To Make Money From Blogging
So, you’ve finally set up your blog, and everything is moving well. You would start looking for ways to monetize and make huge bucks for your efforts. Below are the easiest ways to monetize your blog:
Affiliate Marketing
This process is straight forward, you market products by embedding tracked affiliate links in your blog content. For every purchase someone makes by clicking that link, you earn a commission. These links redirect readers to a company’s website, and the commission received is a “thank you” gesture for referring someone to buy from them.
Ecommerce websites like Amazon, Apple, and ASOS have affiliate programs, so you can tap into any of them to promote thousands of popular brands to people around the world. Most bloggers use affiliate marketing as their main source of revenue.
You only needed to be trustworthy and authentic to sell to people. Review products in your articles and give honest opinions. If your readers believe that the product will serve any of their needs, they will purchase it.
Add Banners To Your Website
Banners are considered a more visual advertising method. Therefore, you can sell some advert space to companies that are associated with your niche. You can place these banners anywhere; however, they are mostly positioned at the top or at the sidebars.
With banner placements, you can earn in either of two ways; cost per click and cost per impression. You can negotiate the terms of payment with the company running the ad. However, the invention of adblockers have made income earning from CPC and CPM to decline, but it is still worth trying. Google AdSense is one of the best ways to get started with this.
Write Sponsored Content And Advertorials
Blogging experts have recommended this method as one of the best ways to make money from your blog. These adverts are put up in the form of a blog post or article. For instance, if Puma releases a new line of soccer boots and you run a blog that gives insight on those kinds of products, the company may be willing to pay you to create a write-up centered on their product. You could also add your affiliate links and earn extra cash.
You will benefit more from this method if you have a loyal audience. As soon as your blog starts gaining traffic, companies will want to do business with you.
Charge For Sponsored Social Media Posts
Does your blog have a strong social media presence? A lot of brands look for these types of blogs. Most bloggers generate their entire revenue from making sponsored social media posts. You can negotiate the payment terms with the company in question. All you need to do is to build strong followership and use your social proof as evidence that your visitors will always engage with your post.
Do Guest Blog Posts For Media Outlets
Sometimes, press organizations or other business blogs will want you to write about them if you have established a high level of authority in a particular niche. In this case, your work will be posted on their website, but you will receive the credit.
For instance, if you have good knowledge about how to find good deals, a personal finance website might contact you to write a guest post about what you are good at. You can also approach media outlets and pitch your ideas to them; your blogging portfolio will go a long way to prove that you are worth doing business with.
Collaborate With An Ad Agency To Build Your Blog
Since blogging has become an integral part of the advertising industry, some ad agencies are strictly focusing on doing promotion for bloggers. With this, the bloggers stand a better chance of getting into business with established companies.
Partnering with an advert agency is promising, but you must build your followership before they can consider doing business with you. Agencies charge very high fees, which means that small businesses cannot be able to afford their services whereas the big companies can.
The success rate of this method depends on the type of niche your blog is centered on. For instance, if you are a fashion blogger, agency fees will mostly like stop you from partnering with upcoming designers who are seeking to promote their business.
Sell Digital Products On Your Blog
Do you have any knowledge you wish to transfer to people? Why not put it in a book format. Or you can opt for video courses, webinars, and workshops. If you have built a trusted brand, people will pay to access your products.
However, for this to work, you need to be outstandingly knowledgeable, and the content you deliver must be valuable. It could be a difficult task to demand payment from your online community members because people online have a mindset that everything is free of charge. But it is worth trying.
Get An Employer’s Attention
Another way to make money from your blog is to promote your business. Also, having a blog could get you a job. If you use your blog to sell online, it will be a perfect avenue to promote your products and services.
Your blog could also serve as a portfolio, and this helps to showcase your skills within the Internet space. It also helps you build credibility, which could go a long way in helping you land a good job. So, if you can show a potential employer what you can do and how he will benefit from hiring you, you’re halfway on getting the job already.
Final Note
From the article above, you have seen the various money-making possibilities that having a blog exposes you to. You do not need a lot of money to start up a blog, and if you do things the right way, you can 10x your capital. If you wish to make enough money through blogging, we recommend that you create multiple streams of income with the blog; that way, there isn’t a limit to how much you can make at a given time.
