Wondering how to monetize a blog? We will discuss 5 proven methods for making money from a blog.
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Blogs can be highly profitable if they are monetized correctly. Monetizing a blog can be done in many ways, and it is important to find the method or combination of methods that work best for your particular blog and online business.
The keys to monetization are:
a clear target audience in a profitable niche
a clear problem that your blog is solving for them
- fast & reliable web hosting
quality content that’s optimized for search engines
a call to action on every page
choosing profitable monetization strategies
Here are 5 proven ways to monetize a blog:
1. Sell advertising space
2. Sell products or services
3. Use affiliate marketing
4. Use sponsorship
5. Use Google Adsense
Let’s take a closer look at each of these methods.
1. Sell advertising space (display advertising)
One way to make money from a blog is to sell advertising space on the site. This can be done by contacting companies directly and offering them advertising space on your site. Rates will vary depending on the size and location of the ad, as well as the traffic your site receives.
This method is best for: established blogs with a large amount of monthly traffic.
How to get started:
Research advertising rates and contact companies directly to offer them space on your blog. You can also research an ad network that caters to your particular blog niche.
Preparing a media kit with statistics about your blog is good before reaching out to companies. You can learn more about preparing a blogger media kit here. There’s also a free media kit template here.
The Penny Hoarder is an example of a profitable blog selling ad space.
2. Sell products or services
Another way to monetize a blog is to sell products or services directly from the site. This can be done by setting up an online store or using a service like PayPal to accept payments for products or services.
You will also need to arrange for shipping and handling if you sell physical products. Alternatively, you can use a print-on-demand service like CafePress or Zazzle to sell products without worrying about shipping and handling.
You can avoid the hassle of shipping physical items by selling digital products. This is a good way to make money online, and most bloggers offer some kind of product or service as part of their revenue mix.
This method is best for: blogs that focus on a niche market or have a loyal following.
How to get started:
Decide what products or services you will offer for sale, then set up an online store or payment system to accept payments.
Examples of niche blogs that sell products include The Sweet Setup, which sells software and productivity products, and Carrots ‘N’ Cake, which is a fitness blog that sells fitness apparel and equipment.
An example of a blog that sells services is the one you’re reading right now – Authentic Marketer! Check out our services page here.
3. Use affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a popular blog monetization strategy. With affiliate marketing, you promote products or services on your site and earn a commission when someone clicks on the affiliate link and makes a purchase.
This method is best for:
Blogs that get a lot of traffic and have an engaged audience. Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to generate passive income after you’ve gone through the process of signing up and setting up affiliate links on your most popular blog posts. Promoting affiliate products is also an easy way to start when you don’t have any products of your own to sell.
How to get started:
Find affiliate programs for products or services you want to promote, then sign up and get your affiliate links. To find affiliate programs, you can search for affiliate networks like Clickbank, Partnerstack, or ShareASale or contact companies directly to see if they have an affiliate program.
Spend time creating content such as product review posts and educational posts where it makes sense to place the affiliate links. This is the ideal way to start promoting them to your readers.
A good tip that I learned from Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income is that affiliate marketing works best when you focus each piece of content on promoting one affiliate product only. And optimizing each piece of content for getting found in Google search. So keep this in mind as part of your content creation strategy, as it will help you earn more money blogging.
Some popular niche blogs that use affiliate marketing include The Wanderlust Kitchen, which promotes cooking products, and The Fitnessista, which promotes fitness products.
4. Use sponsorship or influencer marketing
Another way to monetize a blog is through sponsorship. This involves finding companies who are willing to pay you to mention their products or services on your site. Rates will vary depending on the traffic your site receives.
Influencer marketing is similar to sponsorship, but companies will pay you to create a piece of content (such as a blog post or video) that promotes their brand instead of paying you to mention their products or services.
This method is best for: blogs with a lot of traffic and/or a large social media following.
How to get started:
Research companies that may be interested in sponsoring your blog, then contact them directly to pitch your idea. Alternatively, you can sign up with an influencer marketing platform like Izea or TapInfluence to find sponsorship opportunities.
5. Use Google Adsense
Google Adsense is a program that allows you to place ads on your site and earn money whenever someone clicks on an ad. Adsense ads are typically text-based, so they blend in well with most types of content.
This method is best for: blogs that get a lot of traffic from Google.
How to get started:
Sign up for a free Adsense account, then add the Adsense code to your WordPress blog (or whatever you’re using). Once the code is added, Google will serve the appropriate ads based on your site’s content.
Some popular blogs that use Adsense include Problogger and Copyblogger.
How to monetize a blog FAQ
How many views do I need to monetize my blog?
There’s no set number of views you need to monetize your blog. However, it’s generally advisable to wait until you’re getting at least a few thousand page views per month before trying to monetize to have enough traffic to make money.
Can I monetize my blog with ads if I don’t have a lot of traffic?
Ad display networks typically require that you have at least a few thousand pageviews per month to join, so if you don’t have much traffic, this may not be an option for you.
However, there are other ways to monetize your blog with a few readers, such as affiliate marketing or selling products and services.
If you want help to get more traffic to your blog, check out our guide on this topic.
Can I monetize my personal blog?
Personal blogs can be monetized similarly to any other type of blog.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that readers of personal blogs may not be as receptive to ads and other forms of monetization, so you’ll need to strike a balance between making money and maintaining your personal brand.
One example of a profitable personal blog is IJEOMA KOLA.
How much do bloggers earn per 1000 views?
Blogs that monetize with ads typically earn $1-2 per 1000 pageviews. However, this can vary depending on the niche and the quality of traffic. For example, a blog about personal finance may be able to earn more per 1000 views than a general interest blog.
Do bloggers get paid monthly?
Pay frequency varies depending on the method of monetization. For example, if you’re using Google Adsense, you’ll be paid monthly by Google. However, if you’re selling products or services from your blog, you’ll be paid whenever someone makes a purchase.
It’s quite common for bloggers to have multiple income streams, as relying on one monetization method (such as ads) can be unstable. This diversification helps ensure that bloggers can still earn an income even if one method dries up.
Are blogs still profitable?
The reality is that many blogs are not profitable. In fact, many bloggers never make any money from their blogs. However, making a living from blogging is still possible if you’re willing to invest the time and effort to build a blog in a profitable niche and experiment with various monetization methods.
Can I make a living blogging?
In our article How Do You Make Money With a Blog: 25 Proven Ways, we shared some examples of bloggers making six figures and more.
Whether or not you can make a living as a blogger depends on several factors, including your niche, the quality of your content, and your willingness to experiment with different monetization methods.
That said, it is possible to make a decent income from blogging if you’re willing to do the work like most successful bloggers.
How quickly can you monetize a blog?
This will depend on several factors, including your niche, how much traffic you’re getting, and which monetization methods you’re using. However, it’s generally advisable to wait until you’re getting at least a few thousand page views per month before trying to monetize your blog.
How do I drive traffic to my own blog?
Three common ways to drive blog traffic are search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and guest blogging.
However, there are many other ways to drive traffic to your blog. We wrote about them in our guide.
What are some other ways to monetize a blog?
You could look at the following:
– selling online courses
– sponsored posts and sponsored content
– making offers via email marketing
– banner ads
– offer services such as social media marketing or online coaching
– become a freelance blogger and create content for businesses hiring freelance – writers
– digital products
– set up a membership site
– set up an ecommerce store
– accept donations
– offer exclusive content
We dive deeper into these and more in our article How Do You Make Money With a Blog: 25 Proven Ways.
Why do blog owners fail to monetize their blog content?
Many bloggers fail to make money blogging because they’re not using effective methods, they’re not driving enough traffic to their site, or they’re not offering content that people are willing to pay for.
Now that you know how to monetize blog, what next?
We’ve covered five common ways you can generate revenue from your blog. Your monetization strategy will depend on your blogging niche, content, audience, and traffic. Experiment with different methods to find what works best for you.
Remember to focus on producing valuable content for your blog readers and not rely on a single revenue stream.
Article Featured Photo by Alexander Mils.
