How to Profit From Your Blog

Blogging can be a very lucrative business.

Blogging has come a long way since 1994 when Swarthmore student Justin Hall created the first blog. Blogs today range from personal diaries to full-fledged websites. Blogs have tremendous potential to make money if done properly, but there is a learning curve. The best way to get involved is to create a blog and start writing. As you begin to develop content and see how your readers interact with you, it will make the development of a monetization strategy much easier.

Instructions

1. Add pay-per-click advertising to your blog. This type of ad is often simple, containing little more than some text and a link to another site, or they can be more traditional banner ads that contain colorful pictures. You get paid from the advertiser each time someone clicks on an ad, whether or not they actually purchase something. Some affiliate advertising networks, such as Google's AdSense or Chitika, offer this type of advertising. Before applying to the network, make sure that your blog has a good amount of content or you may find that they turn you down.

2. Sell products to your readers. Online product sales work like pay-per-click advertising where you place an ad on your blog that leads readers to another site. Unlike pay-per-click, you earn a commission only if the reader purchases something. Veteran blogger Mark P. Knowles uses several networks, including Amazon, eBay, Commission Junction and Clickbank, but there are many product-based networks to choose from.

3. Sell banner ads or other space directly to relevant companies. Use this strategy only if you have a significant number of readers visiting your site each month, or if you are a recognized authority in your niche. Charge advertisers either a set annual or monthly fee, a set amount for every 1,000 readers that views the ad, known as CPM, or a fixed price for each click the ad receives. If you choose a set price per month, the amount could range from $10 to thousands of dollars depending on the value of the placement to the advertiser.

4. Write an ebook and promote it on your blog. Darren Rowse, who earns a six-figure income from blogging, says that although his ebooks cost less than $20 each, sales add up and sometimes are his largest income source. Make sure that the book's content is relevant to your blog and that you do not duplicate content between the blog and the ebook.

5. Sell subscriptions. If you are an authority in a particular subject, you can sell subscriptions to newsletters or mailings that contain valuable information to those who subscribe. Food bloggers often sell subscriptions to weekly menus and shopping lists, while crafters may sell patterns and instructions. Keep the costs down when selling subscriptions, however, and try to make your money by selling in quantity. People who see a $10 charge each month on their credit card may be more likely to cancel it than someone who sees an occasional $1 charge.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that you learn how to incorporate on-page and off-page search engine optimization to ensure that your blog ranks highly in search engines. If people cannot find you when they search, your money-making opportunities will become limited.

• Read the fine print when you join any advertising affiliate network. An inadvertent rules violation could get you banned for life.

References

• MarkPKnowles.com: How To Make Money Blogging
• ProBlogger: Make Money Blogging
• "New York Magazine"; The Early Years; Clive Thompson; February 2006

Resources

• Blogussion: Little Known Ways Darren Rowse Makes Money Blogging
• CNET News; Blogs Turn 10--Who's the Father?; Declan McCullagh, et.al.; March 2007
• BusinessInsider10 Basic SEO Tips To Get You Started; Blanca Male; January 2010