Most bloggers don’t do what they do simply for the fun of it. Sure, there are some out there who only want an outlet for their voice, but most bloggers have other goals in mind. The primary purpose of just about any blog is to drive traffic to a site that then converts browsers into paying customers. This can be achieved with a number of different techniques, each with their own subtleties that have the potential to boost your income even further. Blogs are not free to run, just like any other website that requires hosting. If you’re using a hosting service, like A2 Hosting, you’ll want to offset the cost by creating a revenue stream with your site. By optimizing the selling ability for your blog, you can maximize your income through static, simple changes. We’ve outlined below a few of the most effective ways to jumpstart your blog’s earning potential.

 

Private Ad Sales

Selling advertising space is perhaps the most common way of earning significant money from a blog. If you own a blog that gets a decent amount of traffic, you’re much more likely to find an advertiser willing to purchase space on your site. Private ads won’t just fall into your lap like other possible forms of income. You must seek out advertisers and work with them in placing the ad. It helps if your blog falls into the same category as the advertiser you pitch, since those advertisers want their ads to be promoted by sources that are related to their product or service. If you can establish a direct link between your blog and an advertiser’s product, you might receive more revenue.

 

Ebooks

Blogs can be thought of as free content for those who want specific information. If your blog specializes in a single niche, you might be able to parlay the knowledge that you’re giving away into a successful ebook. The same people who seek blogs as an information source may very well pay a small fee for a much more comprehensive overview of what you have to offer. It is true that ebooks take time to create and launch, but once they are put into place, they essentially become a passive form of income. You can also sell ebooks on your blog directly to your readers as opposed to selling through a publisher or other third-party seller, which creates an even larger profit margin for you as the content developer.

 

Affiliate Marketing 

This form of advertising is the most common you’ll see in general, but it typically provides less income than private ad sales. Bloggers are attracted to affiliate marketing because it works well with a small audience, and it requires less planning on the part of the blogger. It is recommended that newer blogs with little traffic take advantage of affiliate programs before attempting to sell ad space directly to a business. Pay-per-click ads are a basic form of affiliate marketing. PPC programs pay out based on the number of clicks their ads receive on your blog. This could mean little or no income if your ads are often ignored, or it could mean significant income if you have lots of interactive traffic.

 

Exclusivity 

By selling premium memberships to your site, you can save your best work for those willing to pay for it. Just because most blogs are typically free doesn’t mean they have to be. Supply and demand is what makes the entire economy turn, so if you have enough demand for your material, you can set how your readers access the supply. You can easily accomplish this by creating a single page on your blog that requires membership status to access. This will prompt new readers to join the exclusive area, and it will instill a sense of privilege in your active members. You must be sure to maintain a consistent level of new content in the members area in order to create a substantial revenue stream.

 

Service Promotion 

Targeted blogs have slowly started to form a new sort of advertising. Bloggers who have established themselves as authorities in their field can partner with businesses in that field as a way of advertising the services of that business in a direct way. If you write blog posts that highlight the positives of a business, and subtly promote their services at the same time, you can help drive traffic to that business. This is a much more effective advertising method than selling ad space, but blogs require heavy traffic for businesses to see a return on any advertising investment. Building a relationship with a service provider is a good way to promote your blog as a viable advertising medium.

 

Paid Writing

The opportunities for online writing jobs are growing every day, and blogs are an ideal way to show your writing ability to a potential client. You may not make money directly through your blog with this method, but you’ll earn money writing articles that otherwise might not have been offered to you without the blog as as example of what you can produce. Not only does paid writing boost your exposure to a new audience, but it opens the door for new connections in your field. Be sure to research different places you might sell articles, like magazines or websites that fall into the same niche as your blog.

 

Public Speaking

Once you have a well-established blog, you might have the ability to translate that digital exposure into real-world experience. Some bloggers are hired to speak at conferences or other public events that relate to their area of expertise. The more content you’re able to produce for you blog, the more likely you are to be taken as a realistic source of knowledge on the subject. You may find that the first few speaking engagements you’re offered don’t come with any pay, but that’s normal. Paid speaking events will become more common as you continue to prove your worthiness as an expert in your niche. You might even find that your credibility becomes great enough for you to be paid simply to make an appearance at an event.

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