How to Make Money with Your Blog in 2020
You want to make money, right? Of course, you do. Everyone
wants – and needs -to make money. So you started a blog since you’ve heard it’s
an easy way to make cash, but you’re not quite sure how to actually make money
doing it. Or maybe you already have a blog and you’re exploring ways to
monetize it.
No matter which group you’re in, making money with a blog
– whether it’s a hobby blog or a business blog –is possible. It’s not a get
rich quick ordeal, but if you do it right, you could make enough to support
your family and more. Let’s dive in and see how you can make a profit with your
blog.
Monetize with CPC or CPM Ads
One of the most common ways bloggers make money is through
placing ads on their site. There are two popular types of ads:
CPC/PPC Ads: Cost per click (also called pay per click)
ads are usually banners that you place in your content or sidebar. Each time a
reader clicks on the ad, you are paid for that click.
CPM Ads: CPM Ads, or “cost per 1,000 impressions,” are ads
that pays you a fixed amount of money based on how many people view your ad.
Perhaps the most popular network for placing these types
of ads is Google AdSense. With this program, you do not need to be in direct
contact with advertisers; you simply place the banner on your site, Google
chooses ads relevant to your content, and your viewers click on the ads. There
are countless similar programs available if you find that AdSense doesn’t work
for you, such as Chitika, Infolinks, and Media.net.
How to Make Money with Your Blog in 2020 |
Sell Private Ads
Working with advertising networks isn’t your only option
when it comes to selling ads. If you end up with enough traffic, advertisers
may come directly to you and ask you to place their ad on your site. You can
also contact advertisers yourself. The biggest difference from the above-mentioned option is that there is no middle man, which means you can set your
own ad rates.
Selling private ads can come in the form of banners,
buttons, or links. You can even make money writing sponsored posts where you
write about or give a review of an advertiser’s product or service. Another
option is to write an underwritten post or series, which is where you can write
about any topic, but the advertiser pays for a “Brought to you by” mention in
the content.
The ways you make money with this can vary. For instance,
you might charge a one-time fee for a link within a post. If you are hosting
banner ads, you might charge your partner monthly.
Bonus tip: To maximize your income, you can also choose to
sell sponsorship space in your email newsletters (here are 5 best email
marketing software), podcasts, and videos.
Include Affiliate Links in Your Content
Affiliate marketing is also another great tool for
monetizing your blog. Here is how affiliate marketing works:
An advertiser has a product she wants to sell. She agrees
to give you a commission from each sale if the buyer is coming from your site.
She gives you a unique link that tracks your affiliate
code. That way, she knows when a buyer used your link to make a purchase.
You include your affiliate link on your site. You can do
this directly in the content or through banner ads. If a reader clicks on your
unique link and buys the product you have recommended, you earn a percentage of
what she purchased.
You can utilize affiliate marketing through ad networks
like Amazon Associates, or you can create private partnerships with advertisers
and businesses with an affiliate program.
Sell Digital Products
If you would rather not advertise other people’s products
on your site, or if you are looking for another stream of income, consider
selling digital products. This can include items like:
·
eBooks
·
Online courses/workshops
·
Images, video, or music people can use in
their own content
·
Apps, plugins, or themes
Just remember that if you are going to choose one of these
avenues that you make it relevant and useful to your readers. A lot of bloggers
make the mistake of assuming they are developing a product their readers need;
listen to your readers first, and then create a digital product that will meet
their needs.
Use it as a Content Marketing Tool for Your Business
It is also possible to sell physical products on your blog
and to make money that way. Instead of thinking of it as making money from your
blog, however, think of your blog as a content marketing tool that will drive
visitors to your business website.
The possibilities are practically endless when it comes to
developing a business blog. You could sell hand-made products, books,
manufactured products, and so much more. Or you might already have a business
and decide to start a blog to convert loyal customers.
Lets say, for example, that you refurbish and resell used
smartphones out of your home. You could use a blog to attract visitors to your
website where you list your current phones for sale. Your blog might cover
topics about DIY refurbishing. On one level, it seems counterintuitive because
you want people to buy your phones, but it also helps you build a brand and
gain recognition. Social media guru Jay Baer explains the concept on
Copyblogger:
I was at a conference a few years ago, and this is where I
first sort of started thinking about this concept, and their founder, Robert
Johnson was speaking…
He said, “Well our best customers are the people that
think they can fix it themselves.”
But eventually, you are going to get out of your depth
either on that project on a project down the road, at which point who are you
going to call? Are you going to call somebody randomly that you discovered on
Google or are you going to call the guys who you just watched their logo in the
corner of a 14-minute instructional video?
This concept can also be applied to services in all types
of industries. For instance, if you offered electronic repair services as
opposed to physical products, you could still use the same blogging concept to
increase brand awareness and convert more clients.
Sell Memberships
Another option to make money is to sell memberships to
exclusive corners of your website. For instance, a career blog might charge $10
per month for users to gain access to their job board. A startup business blog
might sell memberships to their forums where people can get personalized advice
about their business.
The key here is that your exclusive membership has to be
more valuable than something your visitors can find for free somewhere else, so
be sure you are developing something of value and worth the price.
Use it to Build Your Credibility
Blogging to build credibility can lead to many
money-making opportunities. For instance, let us say you start a blog in the
finance industry. People start reading your content, and your blog becomes very
popular. You are now a recognized figure in the finance industry.
Once you have that authority, people might approach you to
co-author a book on debt management, or you could charge to speak at
conferences or to run employee financial training days.
This certainly isn’t a direct form of making money
blogging, but it has worked for many well-known bloggers, and it can work for
you, too. If you are looking for a direct revenue stream, popular blogs have
sold for 4-7 figures (sometimes more) by selling their branding and content.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that making money
blogging is not possible by putting your site up and letting it sit there. The
“if you build it, they will come” mentality doesn’t work here, so be sure
you’re willing to put in the time. Most bloggers don’t see a spike of
income for several months (sometimes years) after starting their blog. Before
you dive too deep into blogging, remember these little bits of advice:
Create Quality Content
You are not going to make any money from your blog if
people don’t read it. After all, your readers are the ones who are going to
make you money, whether they’re clicking on your ads or buying 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. That can include relationships with sponsors, affiliate
partners, or simply other bloggers who will direct traffic to your blog. Be
sure some of your time is spent 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 avenues of income are going to
work for you. Don’t be afraid to tweak your methods to see what works best for
you and your readers.
Making money blogging can take a lot of persistence, but
it can pay off in the long-run if you’re starting out from scratch. Just
remember that you don’t have to use all of these money-making avenues at once.
Consider what other people in your industry are doing, and start from there.
Over time, you will learn what works for you and what
doesn’t. If you are looking to make money from your blog, which option will you
start with?
Let me know in the comment section :).
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