If you happen to have a blog, no matter how large or small it is, it would be wise to not only share your thoughts and insights but also earn money from it. There are numerous ways how to monetize your blog, and you should choose one that works the best in accordance with the theme of your blog. But, despite the number of ways, there are a couple that should work universally. These are three effective and well-known ways how to monetize your blog.
Sponsored posts
It is pretty much guaranteed that you have already seen some sponsored content in one form or the other. They appear on TV broadcasts, streaming videos, and even various news outlets all over the internet. Considering the overall spread of this way to monetize your content, it is no wonder that you can utilize the same technique on your blog too.
Sponsored posts in blogs essentially boil down to collaboration between you, the blog owner, and various businesses. Brands will pay you to add a post to your blog that promotes and advertises their products and services. The form of compensation depends on your agreement with the business owner. It could be a flat fee or a commission based on sales of the promoted product.
It is a rather old way of monetizing your blog. But, its age only confirms that this method is still working well and brings a noticeable income to blog owners all over the internet. What makes this an advantageous way to earn from your blog? The fact that sometimes the business owners themselves will provide you with the text for the sponsored post. In these cases though, you should check carefully if the text (and the product advertised) matches the overall style of your blog and does not stand out.
Affiliate and Referral Marketing
Similar to the previous monetization tactic, affiliate marketing involves you becoming affiliated with a certain brand or product. As you are an affiliate of such a business, you will provide more posts about the products that the business provides. The difference here is that you will be providing a direct link to their products, and you will earn money based on commission (a certain percentage from the final selling price of the product/service). If you have seen some influencers on various social media outlets, they are doing the same thing in a sense.
On the other hand, there is referral marketing. You invite people to join certain websites and services that have a lucrative referral program at hand. For example, the Honeygain app. This app offers a passive income solution based on selling your unused internet bandwidth. The referral system it provides works two ways: people who join using your referral link will get a $5 sign-up bonus, whereas you, as a person who refers them, will receive an equivalent of 10% of their earnings.
Considering that you need to accumulate at least $20 in order to cash out on the Honeygain app, having your link visible on your blog and inviting people will make this process quicker, and you will be able to monetize your blog effectively via this referral marketing method.
Online Courses
If your blog is at least a little tied to some educational content (it could be anything, from healthy eating to painting walls), you can capitalize on that by creating online courses. The market for e-learning, which includes online courses themselves, is an incredibly large business on its own; thus, creating your own course may be a great solution to monetize your blog.
There are pretty much no limitations when it comes to creating them. You can make video lessons, text-based lessons, and audio lessons — the world is your oyster in this regard. You should go for whatever is most comfortable for you. The equipment required is already at your fingertips. You can use your phone for filming and recording audio, and your computer to write the texts if you wish to do so.
The good thing about online courses and their advertising on your own blog is that it works in multiple ways. First, you can attract your already existing user base to join in and earn from that. Second, online courses on their own can attract new members from the outside to your community. Third, online courses do not disappear into thin air. As long as they are on the internet, they will keep on bringing passive income. This makes both a way to earn directly from your blog as well as from people who do not know your blog too well.
Online courses may require more effort, but it is well worth it, considering the possible monetary outcome that it provides. From new users to passive income once the deed is done — online courses are the way to go for each blog owner on the internet.
All in all, having a blog and not using it to earn money is a missed opportunity. With many ways to earn, you should jump right into it and figure out the best option for yourself.
