You’ve been pouring your heart and soul into your blog, learning new skills, researching your audience, and networking with other bloggers.
You’re putting in the hard work to provide valuable content for your readers, and you’re finally starting to build a following.
You’ve been thinking about how to monetize your blog, but you’re not sure how to do it without alienating your readers.
The good news is, there are plenty of ways to make money from your blog that will bring value to your readers and won’t make you feel like a sell-out.
In this post, I’ll share 13 ways to monetize your blog without turning off your readers.
1. Create a sales funnel
A sales funnel is a series of steps that takes a potential customer from a complete stranger to a raving customer who can’t wait to buy from you again.
The purpose of a sales funnel is to take someone who’s never heard of you and turn them into a paying customer.
There are different types of sales funnels, but they all have the same basic structure:
• At the top of the funnel, you have your free content. This is the content you use to attract potential customers and build trust with them.
• In the middle of the funnel, you have your lead magnets. These are free offers that you use to capture leads. A lead is someone who has expressed interest in your products or services.
• At the bottom of the funnel, you have your paid offers. This is where you make your money.
The key to creating a successful sales funnel is to provide value at every step of the process. You want to make sure that your potential customers feel like they’re getting more and more value from you as they move through the funnel.
2. Write a book
If you have a lot of content on your blog, you can compile it into a book. You can sell your book on Amazon or you can create an eBook and sell it directly through your blog.
Self-publishing has made it easier than ever to become a published author. You don’t have to wait around for a publishing house to pick up your book. You can write a book, get it edited and designed, and then sell it directly to your readers.
Writing a book is a great way to establish yourself as an authority in your niche and it can be a great source of passive income. Once you have your book written and designed, you can sell it for years to come.
3. Offer a membership site
If you have a loyal following, you can create a membership site to give them access to exclusive content. Membership sites can be used to offer premium content, online courses, webinars, and more.
You can charge a monthly or annual fee for access to your membership site, or you can offer a one-time fee for lifetime access. You can also offer different levels of membership, with each level offering different benefits.
4. Sell products
If you’re a creator, you can sell products that you make. For example, if you’re an artist, you can sell your art. Or if you’re a writer, you can sell ebooks. If you’re a photographer, you can sell prints of your photos.
If you’re not a creator, you can sell products that other people make. You can do this through affiliate marketing, or you can create an online store and sell products that you buy wholesale or dropship.
5. Sell your blog
If you’re ready to move on to another project, you can sell your blog. Just like a physical business, you can find a buyer who’s interested in your blog and sell it to them. You can list your blog for sale on a website like Flippa or use a broker to help you find a buyer.
Selling your blog can be a great way to make a big payday, especially if you’ve built up a large following and have a lot of traffic. However, it’s not a good option if you want to keep your blog and continue to make money from it. If you sell your blog, you won’t be able to make any more money from it in the future.
6. Write for other blogs
If you’ve been blogging for a while, you’ve likely become an expert in your niche. So why not share that expertise with other blogs?
Many blogs accept guest posts and will compensate you for your work. Writing for other blogs is a great way to get your name out there and drive traffic back to your own blog.
You can also use your guest posts to link to your own products, services, and affiliate links. Just make sure to get permission from the blog owner first.
7. Get speaking gigs
If you like the idea of creating a course but don’t want to have to learn a whole new platform to host it, you might want to consider getting speaking gigs.
Speaking gigs are a great way to monetize your blog because you can use your blog to showcase your expertise and get in front of people who want to hear what you have to say.
You can get speaking gigs at conferences, workshops, webinars, and more. The key is to find events that are related to your niche and that have an audience that would be interested in what you have to say.
You can find speaking opportunities by doing a quick Google search or by checking out websites like SpeakerHub and Lanyrd.
Once you land a speaking gig, you can negotiate your speaking fee and even offer to promote the event on your blog in exchange for a higher fee.
8. Get radio and TV interviews
I’ve been interviewed on radio and TV stations across the country and have been paid anywhere from $200-$500 for about an hour’s worth of work.
You can get paid for your time and expertise, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home.
A great way to get started is by signing up for a service like Help A Reporter Out (HARO).
HARO sends out three emails a day with a list of different stories and segments that are looking for experts.
You can then reach out to the reporter and pitch your expertise.
I’ve found that the best way to get a response is by keeping your pitch short and to the point.
For example, if a reporter is writing a story about how to save money on groceries and you’re a personal finance blogger, then you could pitch yourself as an expert on the topic.
You could say something like, “I’m a personal finance blogger and I have a lot of experience with saving money on groceries.
I’d be happy to share some of my tips with you for your story.”
If the reporter is interested, then they’ll reach out to you and you can schedule an interview.
In addition to HARO, you can also reach out to your local radio and TV stations and let them know that you’re available for interviews.
You can also pitch yourself to national shows and networks.
The key is to be proactive and to get your name out there.
The more interviews you do, the more exposure you’ll get and the more money you’ll make.
9. Create an app
If you have a blog that’s already in a mobile-friendly format, you can create an app that allows users to access your content more easily.
Apps can be a great way to monetize your blog if they offer a unique experience that can’t be found anywhere else. For example, you could create an app that allows users to read your blog posts offline, or an app that sends push notifications whenever you publish new content.
You can also monetize your app through in-app advertising, in-app purchases, or by charging users a one-time fee or a subscription fee to download and use your app.
10. Do affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money from your blog. With affiliate marketing, you promote products or services on your blog and then earn a commission when someone makes a purchase through your unique affiliate link.
There are many different affiliate programs you can join, and you can promote products and services in just about any niche. Some popular affiliate programs include Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and ClickBank, or you can manage your own using affiliate program software
Affiliate program software, like ReferralCandy, allows you to easily create and manage your own affiliate program. You can invite influencers, loyal customers, or content creators to join your program, track their performance, and automate commission payouts.
When you’re choosing products and services to promote as an affiliate, it’s important to make sure that they are relevant to your audience. You should only promote products and services that you truly believe in and that will be helpful to your readers.
You should also disclose that you are using affiliate links in your blog posts. This is important because it helps to build trust with your readers.
11. Create a course
If you have a high-traffic blog, you’re likely an expert in your field. You can leverage your expertise to create a course and sell it on your blog.
You can create a course on just about anything. For example, if you have a cooking blog, you could create a course on how to make the best pasta. If you have a marketing blog, you could create a course on how to create a successful content marketing strategy.
You can create a course on any topic that you’re knowledgeable about and that your readers would be interested in learning.
12. Offer your services
Do you have a skill that you can offer to your readers? If so, you can turn that skill into a service that you offer on your blog. I’ve seen bloggers offer everything from graphic design services to career coaching to meal planning.
If you go the services route, you’ll want to create a services page on your blog that outlines what you offer, who your services are for, your pricing and how to get in touch with you. You can also create a contact form that readers can use to get in touch with you about your services.
13. Get a job
If you love blogging but don’t want to deal with the stress of running a business, then you can get a job as a blogger. Many companies and brands hire bloggers to create content for their websites.
You can also get a job as a freelance blogger and write for a variety of different websites. Blogging jobs can be found on job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and Freelance Writing Jobs.
If you want to take your blogging skills to the next level, you can also become a blog editor or content manager. These roles are typically more senior and involve managing a team of writers and creating a content strategy for the company or brand you work for.
Conclusion
All bloggers want to increase their traffic. One of the best ways to do that is to use an SEO tool that can help you figure out which keywords to use and how to use them. Our blog title generator and keyword optimization tool can help you increase your traffic and get more clicks.
What are you waiting for? Get your blog on.
