6 Ways to make money of your blog

The internet is full of free content, which can be a real drag on profits. But you don't have to let your blog be another casualty of the "free" economy. After all, if you're going to spend time creating valuable content, why not get paid for it too?

Sell your own products

If you're a blogger, it's likely that your blog is related to your interests. If so, then those interests may also be able to be turned into product lines. For example, if you are an avid cook who loves baking cookies and selling them at local farmer's markets on the weekends (and making a profit), then why not create an e-book with recipes for different types of cookies? Or perhaps even write an e-course about how to bake the cookies with step-by-step instructions?

Make sure whatever product(s) you create are easy for people to buy and use though; otherwise no one will want the product.

Use affiliate links in your content

Affiliate links are a great way to make money off your blog. Affiliate programs allow you to earn commissions on sales that come from your site and can be used in any number of ways. For example, you might want to use affiliate links as part of an email list sign-up or social media ad campaign. You might also decide to create content around one specific product that could benefit from an affiliate link--this is called "sponsored content," and it can be used anywhere on your website (or even outside the web).

To get started with affiliate marketing, sign up for an account with one of the many online networks like Amazon Associates or ShareASale. Once signed up with them, they will give you access to their database which includes companies looking for affiliates like yourself!

Sign up for sponsored content programs

You may be familiar with sponsored content, branded content. It's essentially a form of advertising that looks like your regular blog posts except it contains information about a brand or product and is usually marked as such (for example, "This post was sponsored by [company name]").

You can find sponsored content opportunities on sites like Sponsored Review and BrandBacker. Both sites have listings for thousands of companies looking to pay bloggers for their opinions on products or services.

Use ads to make money

The most obvious way to make money off your blog is through ads. Ads can be annoying for readers, but they can also be targeted to your audience and placed in places where readers won't mind seeing them.

Ads come in all shapes and sizes: text ads, image ads, video ads--you name it! The best thing about this option is that there's no limit on how many different types of advertisements you can use on your site.

Write Guest Blog Posts

Another way to make money off your blog is by writing guest posts for other blogs. This can be a great way for you to get exposure for your blog and build relationships with other bloggers in the industry. When you write a guest post, you'll typically include a brief bio and a link back to your blog, which can drive traffic and potential customers to your site.

If you're looking for guest posting opportunities, check out sites like ProBlogger and Elance where people are looking for writers all the time. Make sure to read the guidelines carefully and follow them to increase your chances of being accepted.

Offer Coaching Services and Classes on Your Blog

Offering coaching services and classes on your blog can be a great way to make money. You can offer paid content, such as e-books or courses, which are usually in the form of PDFs that you'll have to sell through platforms like Gumroad or Shopify.

If you're looking for something more traditional and don't want to deal with all of the hassle of selling products yourself, then setting up a membership site might be better suited for you. With a membership site, you can offer premium content to members who pay a monthly or yearly fee. You could also offer one-time consultations for readers who need more personalized help.

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Okay, so now you have some options — or maybe you're already pursuing a few of them. That's great! But if you want to maximize your income, you need more views. You can't just publish a blog post and write on Instagram, "New post! This week I tested [insert brand of shampoo] and my hair is amazing." Well, you could, but the only people who will see that are your mom and your followers. You want more eyeballs on it! That's how you can earn real money.

This is where Pinterest comes in. With over 450 million users, a lot of people can see what you said about the shampoo — and they can see how amazing you look. There's a lot that goes into Pinterest, and I'm not going to open up that box right now — I'll never stop. But you need it!

And you need me. I'll get you started with a free consultation or a 1:1 session where we talk strategy. Head over to my service page and take a look.