Let's be honest: sensational headlines promising instant wealth often lead to disappointment.While some bloggers do achieve incredible success, it's rarely an overnight fairy tale.Building a thriving blog that makes money takes dedication, consistent effort, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
The good news?There are actionable steps you can take tomake money blogging.This post will guide you through proven strategies to turn your blog into a profitable venture.
Hook ‘Em First, Sell Later
When it comes to making money through your blog, it all starts with content.Without amazing content, you won't attract much traffic, and without traffic, there's no audience to convert into paying customers.
Forget fancy monetization strategies for now!Think of stellar content as your blog's foundation.It's what keeps people coming back for more and builds a loyal readership – the key ingredient for a profitable blog.
Create Multiple Streams of Income
Forget the "one-trick pony" approach!When it comes to blog monetization, diversification is king.Building multiple income streams creates a safety net and maximizes your earning potential.Here, we'll explore four proven methods to turn your blog into a cash cow.But remember, this isn't an exhaustive list!Don't be afraid to experiment and discover what works best for your unique audience and niche.
#1 Ad Networks
Joining an ad network is by far the easiest way to start generating income from your site.The more your blog traffic increases, the more you can make through ad networks.Watching your ad revenue grow as your blog traffic grows is a great motivator to continually produce amazing content.It's a win-win situation all around.Three ad networks I highly recommend are:
Google Adsense
If you are a new blogger that hasn't gained a huge following yet,Google Adsenseis a great place to start.Google Adsense is open to anyone, regardless of monthly pageviews, and it's free to sign up.After signing up, they will provide you with ad codes that you can easily place in HTML gadgets/widgets on your blog.Before applying, be sure to review this post:10 Things To Do Before Adding Google Adsense
Monumetric
Once you've reached a minimum of 10,000 monthly pageviews, then you can sign up for thePropel programatMonumetric.Joining an ad network like Monumetric is great because they take care of adding all of the ads to your site for you.You'll start generating an income the second the ads are placed on your site.With Propel, you also receive over 70 courses that will teach you how to increase your blog traffic.They also provide you with a custom reporting dashboard that details all of your stats and earnings.They have different programs that you can upgrade to as your traffic grows:Ascend(80K-500K monthly pageviews),Stratos(500K-10MM monthly pageviews), &Apollo(10MM+ monthly pageviews).
AdThrive
AdThriveis another amazing ad network but it requires a minimum of 100,000 monthly pageviews to join.Like Monumetric, they optimize and manage all of your ads, so you don't have to worry about a thing.AdThrive is famous for producing amazing results.Within just a few days of having ads placed on your site, you'll most likely see a 100-300% increase in income per pageview.They help you make the very most of each page view so you can earn great money as you focus on creating great content for your blog.
#2 Affiliate Links
Getting involved in affiliate programs is a great way to monetize your blog.You can find affiliate programs to join everywhere (even here at Designer Blogs).
If there is a product or company within your niche that you use often and love, check into whether or not they have an affiliate program.Most likely they do!Once you are signed up as an affiliate, you will be given an affiliate link, which you can then use within the content of your site to promote the products you recommend.When one of your readers clicks through your affiliate link and purchases that product, you earn a commission!The more you promote, the more you can earn.However, it's important to remember that your readers should always come first.You should only promote things that you truly feel will benefit them and that you absolutely love or use yourself.Your readers will be able to tell whether you are promoting something just to make a buck or two, or because you really believe in and love the product.Some great affiliate programs are:
Bluehost
Bluehosthas one of the best affiliate programs out there.You can earn a $95 commission each time someone signs up for web hosting through your affiliate link.Bluehost is constantly holding affiliate competitions where you can earn prizes or even an increased commission rate.The best way to promote Bluehost is by creating a tutorial on your blog (like ours here) that walks people through how to start a WordPress blog using Bluehost.Include your affiliate link throughout that post and then promote that post like crazy and you'll start earning big bucks in no time.
Amazon
Amazonsells EVERYTHING, so why not become anAmazon affiliateand start earning a 10% commission on products you promote?You can also add Amazon banners to your site to earn additional revenue.
ShopStyle
ShopStyleis a great affiliate program for fashion bloggers who want an easy way for their readers to shop outfits from their posts.
Promote ourPlanners,WordPress Themes,Accessoriesand/orBlogger Templatesandearn 10%commission on every sale you send our way!Simply display one of our banner ads on your site and/or include your affiliate link in a post and watch your account balance grow as your visitors become our customers.Visit our Affiliate Center to join.
#3 Sponsored Posts & Ads
As your blog continues to grow, you'll start getting contacted by brands that want you to blog about their products or that want to pay to advertise on your site.It's a great idea to have a media kit on hand to send to brands when they reach out to you.If you'd like our help custom design one for you,contact us!Media kits highlight your brand and should excite brands to work with you.
Good things to include in a media kit:
- Bio & photo
- Blog stats from Google Analytics
- Social media stats
- Sponsored post pricing and/or sidebar ad pricing
- Brands you've worked with in the past
- Photos that showcase your brand and style
Once you've sent a brand your media kit and they've selected the type of sponsored post they'd like you to do, then you can send them over an invoice (Paypal works great for this).Be enthusiastic and professional when responding to brands.It's also a good idea to include an example of what a sponsored post by you might look like to get the brands you work with excited about the opportunity to work with you.
#4 Sell Products & Services
Surely you are a talented individual with something that can be offered to the world.What do you have to offer that could be sold?
Here are a few ideas:
- Create digital products (e.g.e-books, downloads, printables, e-courses, etc.)
- Sell physical products that you can ship out in the mail (e.g.handmade items, posters, t-shirts, etc.)
- Offer coaching & consulting services
- Teach a class or create an online webinar
- Speak at a conference
- Sell stuff on Etsy
- Host a conference or blogging event
Be creative and don't be afraid to try new things.It's easy to keep doing the same old things, but if you expand yourself beyond what you are comfortable with, you may find you have skills you never realized you had before.If there is something you've always wanted to learn, step out of your comfort zone and take a class to learn it.It may just end up being the missing piece to your blogging success.
In Conclusion
Building a profitable blog takes time and a lot of hard work, but don't give up!It may take you a few years to start earning a steady income from your blog, but if you keep working at it, you'll get there!
Becoming a successful blogger isn't going to magically happen overnight.It's an ongoing, day-by-day process of persistent work and dedication.Keep dreaming!Keep challenging yourself!Don't be afraid of failure!It's through failure that you'll eventually find your sweet spot.
Be confident in who you are and what you have to offer the world.Value your time, knowledge, and skills.With persistent effort, you'll soon see great results!
This blog was extremely helpful, love it x
Sofia |http://www.theglamchapter.blogspot.com
Thanks for shedding some light!I've been looking for sites for affiliate opportunities and this post helped.
Oh, my God, that is a very impressive resource for all the new and pro bloggers.Thanks for sharing.
I love this, and all your other helpful posts.I am so thankful to have found this website and your services.I recently purchased a pre-made blog theme and LOVE it!Thanks again.
This post is awesome.From someone who has been blogging a long time for fun and wanting to move into making it a job this is a great resource.
Thanks for sharing.
i just made a blog in a blogspot.within 2 weeks time, i have 12,600 pageviews with my own efforts (advertising in facebook groups).now what should i do, should i continue with same blog and add adsense or register my own domain then ask for adsense or monumetrics for ads.i am not techsavy.so my blog lacks all important links like home, contact share in social media etc.
12,600 pageviews are really nice!You should consider investing in your own domain so you can promote it instead of Blogspot address.Adding Adsense is also a really good idea if you plan to make money from blogging.
I applied for Monumetric and got approved.That was because I read about it in this blog.Thank you for that.
Great to hear!Hopefully you enjoy working with them.