I’ve been a full-time blogger for about seven months now, and it’s been quite the journey. Earning money as a professional writer is about just about everything except writing. Sure it’s important to have solid content, but that’s just the beginning. Solid content nobody sees is like the noise a tree makes falling in the woods when nobody hears it…except nobody knows about you to even question what you’re saying…
In order to start a blog, either sign up at Blogger, or select a WordPress Hosting Service. Once you have a blog, here are five lessons I learned about how to make money blogging…
1 — Promote Your Blog…
If you never tell anyone about your blog, nobody will ever see it. You have to post links to it everywhere. The more links you get out, the more people will visit your blog, the more people will read your blog and subscribe to your blog. When people read it and like it, they’ll promote it as well, giving you strong word-of-mouth marketing buzz. Facebook is a great place to market your blog. With ads on your site, each view earns you a fraction of a penny, but those add up. This brings me to the next tip…
2 — Advertise on Your Blog…
Ads are a pain in the ass as a user, but as a professional blogger (i.e. a blogger who makes money) they’re your revenue stream. Sign up with various advertiser affiliate services, and place a variety of ads within your site. Placing unmasked (i.e. not hidden or shortened with a URL-shortening service) ads throughout your blogs will help you create much needed revenue.
There are three types of advertisements you should be aware of as a blogger. I’m going to use Amazon as an example, because their affiliate program is intuitive and vital for any blogger’s toolkit…
Embedded Text — Embedded text links are placed on relevant text to direct web users to a specific site or product like this link for Amazon Prime. Embedded text links have a low click-per-view ratio, but, when combined with a link-shortening service like Bit.ly, text links (especially Amazon, who people tend not to block) can bypass user’s ad blocking software. When leveraged correctly, these links can also boost your site’s SEO rankings.
Banner Links – The link above (which has likely been removed) is a banner link. Banner links are picture, gif, or video ads that visually entice readers to click on them. As these ads are more flashy, they get more clicks than text links, but they are often blocked by users with ad-blocking software and browser add-ons. In addition, many ads won’t display properly on mobile devices.
Content Marketing – The most effective method of marketing on your blog is content marketing. Seeing a link or ad is one thing; reading a review or endorsement of a product is entirely different. People like to know what products other people are using, and since the gf and I hate Walmart for reasons both ethical and hygienic, Amazon Prime’s free 2-day shipping is quite useful.
3 – Network with Other Bloggers…
Speaking of meaningful endorsements, there are other bloggers out in the blogosphere. They’re building a following themselves, and being friendly with them will produce varied results. Some bloggers I’ve met have invited me to write guest posts. Others have mentioned me in blogs or given me a s/o on social media. Every link counts (this is especially true when starting out), so get out there and start meeting people. You’ll open yourself up to new ideas and perspectives, and it’s always nice to meet someone new.
4 – Ghostwrite for Other People…
Ghostwriting is a little scary when you think about it: sounding authoritative is difficult enough – doing it in someone else’s voice is close to impossible. When I finally decided to try my hand at ghostwriting, I found that it was actually difficult, but it was a good thing. It challenged me to improve. It made me a better writer…it pushed my per-word rate over $1.00, which, if I can maintain it for a full year, will skyrocket me to the top of the blogger earning pile. Speaking of improving your writing…
5 – Join a Content Mill…
Working for a content mill isn’t glamorous, and it doesn’t pay well. It’s steady work, though, and you’ll get consistent emails with story ideas from the assignment desks of top media companies. You may get paid $10-30 to write a post a week, but you’ll also have dozens of ideas for your own blog. Some content mills will even allow you to post your affiliate ads or links to your blog, which improve your blog’s SEO status.
By following these five tips, you’ll be well on your way to earning more money from your blog. If you have any questions or need any clarification, please feel free to leave them in the comments below, tweet me, or contact me on my blog…
Brian Penny is a former Business Analyst at Bank of America turned whistleblower, freelance consultant, and troll. He’s a frequent contributor to The Street, Huffington Post, Cannabis Now, and Fast Company.