If you've got a blog that gets quite a lot of traffic, you've probably already thought about monetizing it. If not, then you should have. Whilst many people treat their blog as a hobby or personal-mouthpiece, countless others are now using it to earn a living. And you can too. Here we're going to look at some of the best ways of turning what might once have been a side project into a way to generate real earnings.
Advertise
This one's probably quite self-explanatory, but you'd be surprised how many people leave empty space on their blogs where they could place adverts. You don't want to turn away visitors by shoving too many adverts down their throat, but a few well-placed banners could help drive income to your site. Not only that, but the right adverts could actually help your readers by offering something they need or introducing them to an exciting new product.
Keep your banners simple and don't put too many of them up. Nobody is going to bookmark your site or come back if you startle them with pop-ups or intrude on what should be an easy-navigating experience.
What different ways of advertising are there?
There are simply thousands of options for advertising on your blog. Loads of networks will rotate a number of adverts on your site, meaning you don't have to pick and choose different people to work with. If you want a more hands on approach, then you can choose the right network or even the right individual advertiser for you. There should be countless options that fit your niche perfectly.
Some networks pay simply for the number of visitors that view their ad on your site. They normally pay per-thousand impressions (CPM). This can be a good option for those who get a large number of visitors but operate in a niche where people are less likely to buy something.
In contrast to this, you can also share the profits or get a cut of any sale from someone who buys something after clicking on an advert on your site. It might only be a small percentage of the sale, but this can add up if you send them a lot of people. It works great for the company trying to sell things, because they can mobilise hundreds of relevant blogs to help promote their product whilst the blog owner gets a piece of the action and an incentive for doing so.
You don't have to rely on simple advertising banners
As a blog owner, you can promote products to your readers in actual blog posts. One of the best ways of monetising you blog posts is to place an affiliate link in reviews or posts about certain products. That way you're promoting to them and adding value along with providing them a service. Most people won't come back if you lose some sense of impartiality, but you can really push those great items you think your readers will like - and get something back for doing so.
Create a list
In internet marketing, many people claim that "the money is in the list". If you can get the email addresses of your visitors, that can be converted into money more easily than you think. Some people say that each email address can be worth $1 a month if you market to it effectively. You might be wondering what you even do with a list of email addresses, but the answer is: offer them something. Make sure you don't spam them, but if you offer them something that's related to your site (and the reason they signed up) then you could make a good number of sales.
A good way of getting a list is by providing a free report or download in return for their email addres. A list is a captive audience, and they've already expressed an interest in something you're offering. Offer them something even better and they might pay money for it.
Final thoughts before you turn your blog into a money-making machine
There are tons of ways to start earning money from your blog. Try a few options and see what works for you and your visitors. You could turn a hobby into a full-time income, or get paid for something you enjoy doing anyway.
About author:Eric Colton is an online marketing expert who recommended white label dating sites to help increase your online income. You can find out more at the dating factory.
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