I’m not a great list-builder. I don’t consistently email my subscribers with offers to work with me. I don’t have Facebook ads continually running, and I don’t have any fancy funnels set up. What I do have is a consistent flow of high-quality leads booking consultations with me to see if we’re a good fit to work together.

If they’re not a referral from another client or colleague, 99% of them are readers of my blog because I consistently share high-quality information.

Making money with your blog happens when people start reading it, interacting, and sharing your links and articles. When you commit to using your blog as a powerful resource for future clients, you’ll really start to see your monetization efforts pay off!

HERE ARE MY TOP MONEY-MAKING TIPS FOR YOUR BLOG

1. Specialize!

You might think that being a general catch-all for every topic in your niche will bring in more readers. Not so! Make sure your blog is centered around one niche specialty; something you can become known for and that people will associate with you and your brand.

2. Don’t Be Too Impatient

There are all sorts of ways to monetize a blog. At first, you may have to experiment to see what works for you; what brings results. Be sure, however, to give each method a reasonable test period and measure your results against the growth of your blog.

Some methods take time to get going, so if you’re trying out methods like Google AdSense, start modestly with a small budget and track your results over time.

3. Choose Money-Making Methods You Find Easy

When you try a new money-making method, there is often a learning curve, but don’t choose any monetization tactic you will have to continuously put significant work into unless you plan that to be your sole source of income.

4. Remember That Affiliate Links are NOT Set & Forget

While it’s true you can put links to tools and systems in your “Resources” section and forget them, you’ll make more money if you actually invest time into promoting them. If you’re displaying links for a high-commission product or program, the person whose link you are promoting will expect you to work at it to get that big reward.

So, run featured articles on topics associated with the products you promote and actively recommend them. This should flow naturally after you’ve discussed the pros and cons. Write reviews.  Interview the creator. Interview people who have had success with the product or program. Run contests.  Talk them up in your social groups and platforms.

Do this, and these products and programs will work harder for you too, and make you more money on your blog.

5. Know What Result You Want Each Blog Post to Generate

It’s one thing to give your blog post a ‘job’, but also make sure that the job is based on the result you want to create!

Getting the result clear in your head before you ever start to write and refine your post will help you write a clearer, more focused piece and a better-converting headline.

6. Consider a Donation Button

If you’re not quite ready with paid products to promote yet, but you’re providing a ton of precious instruction or content, consider whether or not it feels right to add a donation button to your blog.

Granted, donation buttons are not likely to make any significant increase to your income, but if your CTA for your donation button is engaging enough and what you’re offering is high-quality stuff people can’t find anywhere else, this gets them in the habit of thinking about reimbursement … and you might make more than you expect!

7. Add Extra Products to Your Blog Offerings

Are you selling products from your blog? Add some more! For example, if people love a particular quote from one of your blog posts or image quotes, install a Shopify plugin and offer them the t-shirt. (Or mug or mousepad; or even a bumper sticker!)

Just make sure you discreetly brand your product with your business name and/or website, or logo.

8. Add a CTA to Your Resources Page or Products

Don’t just passively provide a well-curated list of resource links and products. Add a CTA asking people to share your resource list and add sharing buttons after your CTA to make this even easier for them.

9. Optimize for Mobile

This really should no longer be an option. When people are looking to buy, studies overwhelmingly show they do it on their mobiles, so don’t take it for granted yours is a mobile-optimized site. Check on it before-hand, when looking at themes or talking to your web designer. Get people to check it out on their phone and let you know about any sticking points that make them bounce out of your site.

And remember that some ads don’t display well on mobile (or at all, in some cases). So, always check in advance that ads and buy buttons will show and work smoothly on mobile.

10. Use a QR Code… Creatively

Think ‘Easy’ when writing for mobile users. Short posts, graphics that fit … and don’t forget about QR codes. They’re not at all dead, but like anything else in marketing, however, you need to provide people with an incentive to check yours out (something ninety percent of other marketers often don’t think to do).

• Make your QR code fun – incorporate it into a graphic
• Use a CTA. Ask a question or hint at a big promise or reward at the other end of the code.
• Tell them exactly how to scan
• Make sure that if they take the time to scan your QR code, what they find is either entertaining, irresistibly appealing or really helpful.

The good news is, people don’t have to download and learn how to use QR code scanners nowadays most mobile phones have these built-in.

As for your reward, that’s where even more creativity comes in. Depending on what people are used to from you or what they’re looking for, try things like:

• Secret Discount Code
• Extra resource
• Free digital download
• Joke of the Day or Horoscope (or whatever fits your brand)
• Extra juicy tip or recommendation
• Game or quiz
• Write your own! __________________________________

11. Think Auxiliary Products or Packs

Whether your blog sells services or a high-end main product or course, consider adding auxiliary ‘packs’ of digital material relating to your main product, service or course.

For example, someone who has just been taught how to set up a Standard Operating Procedures Manual (SOP) might really appreciate a pack of ready-made, do-it-yourself forms and templates to help them set it up quickly and correctly.

Or someone who has just watched your video on Expanding Your Energy with Yoga might be interested in purchasing a pack of guided meditations if they loved the one they just followed.

What can you create as a monetized auxiliary or add-on product to the ones you’re promoting in your blog?

12. Consider Adding a Review Section

Increase conversion on your affiliate links by adding a review section to your blog.

Use a good review template (or a theme optimized for reviews) to make sure people remember your review section. Using a template teaches people what to expect from your reviews and that increases return visits!

Remember also that comparison charts are big draws when it comes to reviews even if you don’t include more than your favorite type of SaaS or app in your “Resources” section. A comparison chart lets you legitimately add an affiliate link for products you don’t actually use yourself right on your comparison page.

13. Put Your Metrics to Work

Be sure to consider your metrics when deciding which posts to monetize with affiliate links. Concentrate your energy on your most viewed and popular posts.

14. Monetize for the Long Term

Don’t waste your time running affiliate promotions on your blog for OTOs. Instead, focus on making a steady flow of income from evergreen offers that will never go out of demand and always be available.

15. Promote Annual Events

If there are high-ticket events you attend every year, consider promoting them through your affiliate link well in advance, as well as afterward.

Creating a solid campaign, complete with expert interviews for these types of event promotions will bring greater affiliate rewards, but you’ll also become a hero to the JV whose event you are promoting, and your interviews will increase your perceived authority as an expert too.

16. Use High-Profile Guests to Expand Your Reach

Contact influencers and ask for guest spots on their blogs, podcasts or webinars. Just make sure you have something enticing to offer (such as a high-value free gift) to their subscribers, on top of being relevant to their own brands.

Just remember to include links back to your blog.

17. Find the Gaps

You’ve heard of finding the gaps in your market when it comes to creating products. Well, use that principle to find the gaps in your audience too. What is missing that your competitors don’t provide? Does everyone have information on writing business letters but no one provides templates? Does everyone provide templates, but no one provides a course?

Be the one to fill that gap and ensure that your visitor will subscribe, return, and recommend.

18. Stand Out

You don’t have to dye your hair sixteen colors to stand out to your ideal blogging audience, though that’s certainly one way to be memorable (unless everyone else starts doing it too.)

Stand out by being yourself, not trying to mimic every other blogger in your field. Do the stuff you enjoy. Blog about it. Share the tips, secrets, and epiphanies that interested and worked for you. Share your journey and take your audience along with you.

Being yourself is the best way to develop a strong blogging voice and identity, and that’s bankable.

19. Be Strategic

Being unique doesn’t mean you run your blog on feelings alone. It’s even more powerful when you add strategy as well.  Take advantage of seasons, holidays, trends, and changes in your niche. Anticipate them. Do your research. Ask your audience, schedule, and track.

Scheduling and putting advance thought into your blogging goals, articles and promotions ensure you’ll present a consistent brand as well as pleasing your audience, providing you’re putting equal time into planning for their needs too.

20. Create a Media Kit

This is critically important if you are hoping to attract JV partners, get articles published in top magazines or work with sponsored posts.

This is different from creating a traditional Media section or page, which would have photos of you, a list of your notable appearances, a short bio, a link to a long bio and so forth: This type of media kit is a media page for your actual blog.

Sponsors and networks will request a media kit so, have it ready! Impress them by providing a media kit that contains:

• Your blog name and link
• Screenshot of your Home or “Start Here” page
• Traffic statistics
• Email list statistics
• A short bio of your ideal reader (your Avatar)
• Your short bio
• Why you’re a good fit

21. Whatever You Talk About Should Be On Your Blog

What is a topic that gets you going? You find it easy to discuss, you’re eager to share ideas, and you can virtually hold an impromptu course on it? If people pick your brain or ask you about it, that topic is your potential gold mine.

Build your blog about it. Teach a free course on how to do it. Offer templates, checklists, and a cheat sheet. Create a Facebook Group. Do Livestream Q & As and blog about the takeaways.

Monetization is easier when you build your blog around a single topic that you love talking about. You’re more likely to see more and more opportunities for natural monetization that doesn’t leave you feeling sales-y and awkward.

Most blogs fail because people are hit-and-miss about them. A blog is like any small business. It takes time and consistent habits to build it up, but if you invest the time to do this and you are strategic about it, one day when you least expect it, perhaps much sooner than you thought. If it’s a labor of love, you’ll find yourself making money from your blog.

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