Blogs are capable of generating quite a bit of money as long as the developer puts in the effort to create engaging content. Perhaps the best way to do this is to use systems that don’t require a lot of input to maintain. This frees up time to concentrate on developing the material.
The best part is that virtually any web hosting platform is capable of generating revenue to some degree. While some methods are more productive than others, something that allows a blogger to concentrate on what he or she does best may be more ideal.
The following methods allow creators to perform an initial setup and then focus on writing content that drives traffic. Without having to worry about shipping products or other activity, the blogger can simply write.
Using Google Adsense
Google Adsense is perhaps one of the most popular forms of generating ad revenue for blogs. It’s literally a system that anyone can set-and-forget. Once the initial coding from Adsense is added to a blog, all the owner needs to do is write content and accept direct deposits from Google.
However, Adsense relies heavily on large numbers of visitors to generate a significant amount of money each day. A new blogger can’t simply add the ad-sharing network to his or her website and expect to get rich overnight. In reality, a site may need thousands of visitors per day for Adsense to pay out enough to support the blogger.
There are several major components that play into the success of Adsense:
- The amount of traffic a site receives.
- The niche or industry relevant to the blog.
- Location on the site where the ads are placed.
Essentially, the same methods used for search engine optimization will increase the site’s potential to make money. The more quality visitors a blog receives, the more likely he or she will click an ad. And this is where the money from Adsense is made. It’s all about creating quality blog content to drive interest.
Integrating Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate network marketing is similar to Adsense. However, the payout relies more on whether a visitor to a blog makes a purchase after clicking the affiliate’s banner. Some of these commissions are incredibly high, and it’s possible to make a fair amount of money with these networks.
Like Adsense, affiliate marketing relies on creating strong blog content that drives traffic. The focus isn’t merely looking for visitors, though. It’s finding a target audience who is more likely to click the advertisement and make a purchase.
The amount a blogger makes through these systems depends on the available affiliate. Some programs offer quite a percentage of the sale ranging from 20 to 30 percent. This is also dependent on the industry and what products are offered through the system.
Affiliate marketing takes a bit more effort to maintain than Adsense. Bloggers don’t want to fill up the website with banners as it makes the blog look less appealing. So, this means website owners need to be more selective when it comes to the affiliates added. As a result, many bloggers will try an affiliate out for a couple of months and trade the spot for a new one if the first performs poorly.
Directly Selling Ad Space
If the blog receives quite a bit of traffic, it may be possible to directly sell advertisement space to select customers. This is when a business will pay the blogger directly for hosting a banner or even creating a blog post centering around a product or service. Many find this method to be incredibly lucrative depending on the agreement and the industry.
One of the best things about directly selling ad space on the blog is the site owner has complete control over the income and the advertisement. If the ad is not in line with the niche and content of the website, the blogger can simply reject it.
Many bloggers like the idea of selling ad space in this fashion as it gives them more control over what is added to the site. Instead of relying on a third-party to distribute materials, the blogger can do it all him or herself.
Selling ad space directly takes a bit more work than the above-mentioned methods. This is because a system needs to be installed to feed the ads to the blog, accept money from clients and approve banners or product links. However, it also has potential to be more lucrative if the site is popular enough.
Freelancing Portfolio
A common method a lot of people use to make money on a blog is by hosting an online portfolio. Using a contact form and a payment acceptance platform, a blogger can essentially be hired to do a variety of jobs based on his or her experience. This is seen often from ghostwriters and graphic designers.
In reality, the blog is used to showcase a person’s talents while using a soft call to action to hire the individual. Then, a contact form is provided if a potential client is interested in hiring the blogger. After an agreement is met, systems like PayPal are used to run payments.
A portfolio for freelancing is perhaps one of the more difficult methods to generate revenue from a blog. Instead of relying on banner clicks or ads, the blogger needs to focus more on being hired for a job. This means the quality of the site needs to be much greater with emphasis on personal skill.
The trade-off for the freelance portfolio is that it could lead to far greater monetary opportunities. Instead of a single click from a visitor, a client could hire the blogger on a semi-permanent basis. By creating a list of regular clients, the blogger may make more money than any other method used on a web hosting platform.
In conclusion…
There are a lot of ways almost anyone can make money from his or her blog. Some of the best methods are those that don’t take time away from a blogger’s primary function: creating content. As the above methods can easily be added to any web hosting platform, all it takes is a few moments of time to set many of them up.
