So, you’ve decided to pursue a career in blogging? The next step is to figure out how to make money off of it. Let’s get started!
Sign up for advertising
The simplest way to generate income from your blog is through advertising. All you have to do is sign up with a platform like Google’s to get started. As soon as you have your chosen ad engine up and running, it will start monitoring your blog’s traffic and figure out the most relevant ads to display based on who is visiting your page, effectively increasing your chances of getting clicks and ultimately getting paid.
The only downside of this approach is that poorly laid out, add-filled websites tend to look amateurish and less credible. Make sure you keep this in mind if you do decide to go the advertising route.
Write sponsored posts
Some brands are willing to pay established bloggers to write about their products. It’s just like advertising but, more often than not, you’ll get to take charge of the content.
Make sure that you keep a good balance between original and sponsored posts, though. Write too many sponsored articles and your readers may start doubting your credibility because there’s no guarantee that you’re not just saying what you’re saying because of the money. And, if possible, stick with brands that you believe in, so you can write from the heart instead of just parroting the words of the marketing team.
Encourage donations
Of course, you can always just ask your followers for donations, but this approach is widely based on how generous your readership is. They’re getting your content for free anyway, so there’s no real reason for them to shell out any cash.
Sell something
How about you just go old school and sell something instead? Well, that should work too provided you can come up with a product or service that’s worth buying. Having great content and a strong following are a great help, though.
Take Elliot Hulse of Strength Camp, for example. A former strongman athlete, Elliot started his blogging career by providing free fitness, nutrition, and wellness advice to people. He also ran a small makeshift gym—which would eventually become a full-featured strength and fitness center—on the side. Over the next couple of years, Elliot has successfully established himself as an expert in the field and built a massive following in the process. He then capitalized on all this success by selling workout programs, e-books, and gym memberships—all while still sharing free advice to his followers via social media.
So, which one should you choose?
Well, the good thing about all these different strategies is that you can mix and match them in whatever way you want. So feel free to pick whichever ones you think will best suit your needs. Just keep in mind that these techniques work better the bigger your following is, and one great way to build an active readership is to start with remarkable content.
Check out this guide for tips on getting more people to read your blog.
Do you know of any other ways to generate income from blogging? Share them with us in the comments!
