Viral Now - Five Ways to Generate Income with Your Blog

There can be a number of reasons as to why we choose to run a blog. For some, it’s to offer viewers a form of entertainment, whereas others may just be looking to showcase a certain art form. Whatever the reasons are for the blog, webmasters can be confident that it has a home in the online world.

Due to many regulations enforced by Google over the last few years, blogs are quickly becoming a commodity within the online world, as they have to offer a brilliant user-experience and killer content for them to rank well within search engines.^[1] As such, more and more webmasters are ensuring that they only employ “white hat” methods when it comes to promoting their blog online.

As more quality blogs are introduced into the online world, more readers are keen to absorb the information. Many people even find that their blog becomes an overnight sensation due to one piece of phenomenal content. As such, your blog can become a hot ticket within the online blogosphere.

Those who have been on the blogging scene for some time will no doubt be aware that many bloggers make money with ad programs, such as Google’s Adsense, Outbrain and Taboola, but are there any other options available to those looking to make a profit on the Internet?

Fortunately, the answer is yes, and the following options should at the very least be on every blogger’s consideration list when it comes to monetizing their blog.

1. Affiliate Marketing

The great thing about affiliate marketing is just how much opportunity it offers both parties if employed in the right way. Affiliate marketing works by a blogger placing an advertisement or a link to a third-party’s product or service on their site, usually in a form of a coupon. Should viewers like the look of what they see, they can choose to make a purchase. This means that the business gets a sale and the blogger gets a percentage of the profit. Affiliate marketing is ideal for a blog that has a certain niche. For example, if you were running a blog that focused on video games, you could look towards affiliate schemes that offered not only video games but also paraphernalia, such as joypads and gaming tablets.

Of course, some research should be carried out in relation to the affiliate programs you wish to use, but if used in the right way, affiliate marketing can be a great way for your blog to generate income.

2. Direct Advertisement

When looking for direct advertisement, you have to prove that your blog is a viable place to advertise. Hence, you should ensure that the user-experience is up to par, as well as your incoming traffic.^[2] However, those who have had their blog for some time may be becoming frustrated with some of the limitations in place by more obvious solutions, such as Adsense.

In this regard, you can either look to pitch your site to businesses within your niche, or you could find that you receive direct offers if your blog has posted some viral content as of late. Of course, you need to ensure that you read all the terms in relation to any advertising that takes place, but, when done in the right way, direct advertisement can be a great way of making money with your blog.

3. Create and Sell eBooks

If you’ve become something of a reputable source within the online world, then it’s likely that you will be the first place people come to when it comes to new developments within your niche. You’d be surprised by the fanbase that can be built with the right kind of research, meaning more and more people are craving the information you offer. As such, why not offer some reading material for your visitors in the form of an eBook?^[3] Even a small charge can help garnish your income, and who knows, you could be writing a lot more books in the future.

4. Run Your Own Set of Services

Have you created your own website and somebody has given a comment as to how great it looks? Maybe somebody has complimented you on your content? Whatever your strengths are, there’s very little reason why you can’t market them within your blog. Some of the things you can consider are as follows:

Blog Migration
Logo Design
Content Creation
Consultancy
Social Media Management
Website Design & Development

Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what services can be offered. Simply find something that has served you well and pitch its benefits on your website. Before long, you should be able to generate income via the strength of your blog.

5. Paid Reviews

If we deal with a number of reviews, it only makes sense that we monetize our opportunities wherever possible. For example, if someone is offering you a software to review and looking to profit on the back of your review, then it can be worthwhile considering charging for the review. Of course, you need to have a high influx of traffic to your blog to justify a charge, but paid reviews can be an ideal income funnel for your blog.

To Conclude

This is merely an overview of what can be achieved when it comes to making money with your blog, but you do have to be certain that you’re employing the right kind of strategy for your particular blog, which can mean that some research may be required.^[4]

This can mean looking at what past content has done well on your blog, and how this can be used alongside the marketing potential of your blog. Other factors to consider can be the search terms used that bring visitors to your site, which can assist you when trying to choose the right kind of affiliate for your blog.

It’s also worth making sure that you’re not altering the tone of your blog to conform with advertisers. Remember, the success of your blog will always be based on how many people visit and read your content, so be sure that you don’t alienate visitors by introducing too many changes and taking the focus away from the content.