Blogging is not a hobby. It is a legitimate, full-fledged career path. It is not just about sharing your thoughts and journaling them in the hopes of keeping a record. Blogging is one of the most lucrative business models today.
If done right, it can rake in thousands of dollars. However, there needs to be a strategic approach to the whole thing. You cannot expect to see results if you do not understand the right ways to make money blogging. This article is about that.
Over here, we will look at ways to make money from blogging and how you can turn your hobby into a sustainable business model.
Why Blog Monetization Matters?
Blog monetization matters because it is one of the easiest ways to make money if you can write, have a stable internet connection, and a plan to break into the business. However, this is not for someone looking for overnight success.
Making money while blogging is not for the faint-hearted, as the revenue stream is dicey and there are actual caveats one needs to understand to get it right. If your plan to make money blogging works, it can help you financially.
How To Make Money Blogging?
Before you could rake in big checks, you needed to understand the fundamentals of blogging. These include: what you are writing, who you are writing for, and how you are writing it. Niche, audience, and method play crucial roles in the grand scheme of things. You cannot expect results if you are not clear on these things.
Finding a niche is not just about following a trend. It is about creating an audience for yourself. Minimalist Baker is a case in point. The creator did not chase trendy recipes or concoctions. She built her expertise in creating approachable recipes that one can make at home. As a result, she managed to make money blogging.
With those notions, here are some ways you can make money while blogging and create a good following and revenue stream:
#1 Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest and most sustainable ways to make money from blogging. The principle is simple: you suggest products or services to people via your blog. When someone clicks and buys using your link, you earn a commission.
However, affiliate marketing is not as easy as it sounds. Audiences have matured and can spot a hard sell from a mile away. Therefore, do not plaster affiliate links all across your content. That will make the content feel like a glorified infomercial in words and will be a turnoff for many.
Wirecutter is a great case study for perfecting affiliate marketing in blogs. The platform is now owned by The New York Times and had humble roots as a product review page. The platform built a loyal fanbase by providing honest, detailed reviews.
Wirecutter took time to build credibility and subtly introduce affiliate marketing elements in the game. As a result, the platform turned a humble blog vertical into a million-dollar business.
#2 Display Advertising
Display advertising has been around longer than any other variants. In fact, it is one of the first forms of advertisements that bloggers gravitate towards. The reason is simplicity and ease of integration.
However, they are not always lucrative. Display ads are only profitable if you have a significant traffic surge. In other words, it is not viable for small blogs with limited traffic. Platforms such as Google AdSense make it easy to begin, but the revenue can be quite modest.
A mid-sized lifestyle blogger with around 150,000 monthly visitors im implemented display advertisements through Mediavine. The blogger was worried about cluttering the website. However, she implemented smart and careful designs.
Right and limited placement of display advertisements in non-intrusive areas of the site made them lucrative. This allowed the blogger to earn roughly $2,000–$3,000 per month. Therefore, showing that display advertisements are great if a discipline if followed.
#3 Sponsored Content
Bloggers with a loyal customer base can effectively monetize their blogs through sponsored content. Sponsored content is not only great for earning money but is also great for exposure. As a result, it can help you with a multi-pronged, beneficial approach.
However, the challenge here is maintaining authenticity. Readers will flock to your website because you offer value. As a result, you need to safeguard that integrity and not stray far for the sake of a paycheck. This can lead to a loss of faith.
Imagine yourself as a travel blogger with a moderate following. Your niche is making traveling cheap and affordable. However, you start promoting five-star hotels and exotic experiences. Over time, you would see a gradual decline in your following. This is a result of your sharp shift from your niche.
#4 Selling Digital Products
Digital products such as e-books, online courses, and exclusive content on your website are a great way to attract people’s attention. This is one of the most profitable ways to generate revenue. The beauty of digital products is their scalability.
In other words, you do not have to maintain an inventory. If your content is right, then people will scoop it up with no hassle. However, the product cannot be generic or feel too repetitive. It needs to present a real value to its users.
Take the Blogging Wizard, for example. The website has maintained a sizeable corpus of blogging professionals. Now, it has managed to revamp itself and sell courses to people who want to enter the blogging arena.
Making Money From Blogging
There are ample ways to make money blogging. However, there needs to be a balance and level-headedness throughout. You cannot overdo something, as that would lead to problems, nor can you undersell something, as that also has its own challenges. Therefore, there needs to be a sense of balance. If you have struck that balance, then you can monetize the blogs and make them more lucrative.
