Who would think that blogging can be an income-generating activity? But, it is and you won’t have to do anything illegal to make money blogging. We’re not saying that you can’t do go to extreme ends if you need money to make ends meet (hopefully, you won’t). But we’re giving you options that would allow you to earn extra cash and not end up in the Interpol or FBI Most Wanted List. Making a profit from posting relevant content is now a common means for people to support themselves through their studies and adds a significant income to add to everyday expenses. But we’d like to remind you, of the millions of blogs out there, only thousands earn money. Still, the blog elite earn enough to leave their day jobs and do it full time. Here are a number of helpful tidbits to start you out on your profitable blogging career.
9. You’d better have something original to say
First of all, you have to realize that people will pay you for blogging only if you have something to say that people would want to read about. And you should have the tools to say it. To simplify, you’d better have original content and you’d better have some serious writing skill. Contrary to popular belief, blogging is not easy. You’d have to be creative. And to be a successful blogger, you would have to be more creative than hundreds of people who might be saying or writing something similar.
8. Consider self-hosting
Before you can make money, you have to have an actual blog and that’s what you have to set up. The choice if platform will determine the income-generating opportunities that you will get. There are a number of free options if you are just starting out. Why invest at the outset when you haven’t made money just yet? Some of the most popular blogging platforms where you can post your original content for free are Blogger, Tumblr and WordPress. There are pros and cons to each option and you have to take the time to consider which fits your income-generating goals best. Or you can put up blogs using all three. There are no rules that say you can’t.
7. Find a niche and set down your roots
We’re almost down to the actual money-making activities, but this needs to be said. At the outset you have to be clear on your inclinations and interests. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time blogging (yes, that’s the only way you can earn from it), you have to be fully involved. So you have to find out for yourself which of the many topics being talked about online you are interested about and have the knack to write about as well. Most importantly, you have to be knowledgeable about the topic. Creativity goes a long way, but knowledge is the foundation with which you’ll work your way up from.
6. Build an online network from Day One
Traffic is something you get away from in real life, but traffic is what you need to find if you want to make something of yourself as a blogger. Before you even think of search engines and optimization strategies, you can start with old-school e-mail marketing to introduce your blog/s to the rest of the world. Friends, family, and co-workers are the best people to start with, especially if you are well-liked. They would surely use all the strengths of social networking platforms to spread the word about your blog/s. And that helps generate online traffic to your site/s.
5. Promotion, promotion, promotion.
There’s a reason why you are working for hours on end building your blog. You want people to see it. And if no one is visiting, how will you earn money (we’ll get to that soon, don’t worry)? You have to interact, communicate, shout out, promote, promote, promote. Make flagship content. Ask friends to share and link to your sites. Take advantage of the promotional powers of social networking platforms and multiply your exposure by likes, hearts, and thumbs up. Let the world know that you and your blog exists and you are worth taking time out from their work to read and browse.
4. Offer yourself up to freelance work
And now we’ll start talking about making money. Once you’ve established yourself and your blogs in the World Wide Web, you will have more opportunities at earning extra money if you market your skills as a freelancer. Aside from blogging, you can market your skills as a writer, graphic designer or consultant in whatever niche or topic you are good at. Many successful individuals actually use their blogs to present their online portfolio to the Web.
3. Apply to AdSense
This is passive income, but don’t misunderstand. You have to work on your blog before you’d even get approval from AdSense. They do have a set of rather stringent criteria, and if your blog does not reach their standards, then you’ve got to work on it some more before you get check with an impressive number of zeros. It would be better if you explore the requirements of AdSense yourself, but if your blog is not yet a month old, don’t bother just yet. Longevity and traffic are AdSense requirements. But once you’re in and the ads format you’ve chosen is the perfect fit for your blog, then you’re in for a treat.
2. Infiltrate affiliate advertising networks
Since we’re on the subject of blogs, one sure way to earn money is to be part of affiliate advertising networks. The system is quite simple, really. Affiliate programs are provided by affiliate networks which act as middleman. The website owner is given rewards (income!) for his or her marketing efforts that bring potential clients to their programs. Some even offer revenue shares. You may start out by joining networks that do not require fees and start building your extra income from there.
1. Private Advertisement and Sponsorship
The best thing about this money-making strategy is that you can choose which ads you want to put in your blogs. There are so many advertisement sizes and types to choose from, and that’s what makes this fun and income-generating at the same time. There are no guarantees though that all the ads you allow will earn you money and this is where you exercise your business savvy. Here’s our advice. Wait a couple of months and if you earn fifty dollars with one ad, then keep it. If not, the space ought to be occupied by the next item on your waiting list.
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