Making money from blogging is the desire of most bloggers today but not many actually understand what it takes to make money from this blogging of a thing. Well, it is safer to say that we are all still learning the art of blogging because all bloggers need to work towards self improvement in order to avoid being out-shined.
For aspiring bloggers and even those of us who are still trying to get a strong grip at blogging, this post will guide you through what it takes to make money from blogging.
The Content
If your blog must earn you money, you will also have a part to play. Yes, it’s a win-win thing. Your own part of the contract is to load your blog with quality content. Quality content must be valuable, unique and engaging. It must be valuable because people need a reason to visit your blog. This value will have different forms, depending on the type of blog that you have.
Must Read: Content is King— The Biggest Lie in Blogging
Quality content must also be unique, else people won’t need to visit your blog to read it and the rule is NO TRAFFIC, NO MONEY. When people visit your blog you expect them to do the following:
- subscribe to the RSS feed,
- subscribe to the email newsletter,
- click on affiliate links and make a purchase,
- click on ads,
- submit a post to a social bookmarking site,
- check your profile on social networks,
- check the blogs on your Blogroll,
- leave a comment,
- bookmark your website on the browser,
- email one of your posts to a friend,
- download your ebook, and
- purchase your product.
Interestingly, the quality of your blog’s content helps you a great deal in achieving all the above but a poor content does the opposite.
Design and Usability
In the early days of your blog, you will inevitably need to spend some time working on the design and usability aspects. If you are just starting out, there is no need to spend money on your design. WordPress users have a wide range of free and beautiful themes to choose from and same also applies to those on the Blogger platform. I always advise that all bloggers should have some knowledge of HTML/CSS at least.
Must Read: 10 Sure Ways to Drive Instant Free Traffic to Your 10 Days Old Blog
Good Networking
In most professional fields, who you know is at least as important as what you know. Blogging is no exception. If you have a good relationship with many bloggers and site owners they will be more likely to link to your posts, recommend your blog to other people and even help you sell a product or service.
In other words, networking is key.
Creating Awareness for your Blog
Writing outstanding content is not enough. You need to make sure that many people as possible will be exposed to that content. This is where promotional activities come in.
Must Read: How Many Blogs Should You Have to Make Money Online?
Monetization
I reserved the last point for monetization exactly because it should be the last part of your overall blogging strategy. In other words, before worrying about making money with the blog you need to make sure that:
- your content is top notch,
- your traffic is high,
- your blog is seen as an authority inside its niche,
- you have a loyal audience, and
- your design is clean and ready to receive ads.