Monetizing Your Blog Can Make You The Money

Monetizing Your Blog Can Make YOU A Mega-Star!

You’ve taken the leap into “blogdom”…Hoooraay! Keep in mind the phrase spoken by Bette Davis’ character, Margo Channing, in All About Eve — “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!”

Please don’t misunderstand. My intention is not to dissuade you from your goal to monetize your blog. In fact, my desire is quite the opposite. I’m delighted to be able to share 3 tips that can make your ride a little less bumpy!

1ne: Pen Your Passion

Don’t waste time blogging about topics that only vaguely interest you. Pen (blog) about your passion! Emotions are powerful motivators and passion transmits equally as intensely through words on a page as it does through actions, tone of voice or facial expressions. Your excitement creates a contagious enthusiasm with your audience and maximizes the likelihood of building a loyal following.

Building an engaging site that entices substantial and consistent traffic is the first crucial step in monetizing your blog. The phrase — “If you build it, they will come” — made famous by Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, in the movie Field of Dreams does not hold true in the game of monetizing your blog! You must publish a professional blog, consistently convey valuable content, doggedly cultivate authentic connections and be desirous of giving more than you get!

2wo: Consider Including “Pay Per Click” Ads

You’ve created your niche by penning your passion and cultivated an extraordinarily large following of “fans.” Bravo! Now, it’s time to get your groove back, financially speaking, by using “pay per click” ads through Google and Yahoo.

Although these are fantastic money-makers, you shouldn’t lounge on a beach sipping a tasty beverage! Monetizing your blog using pay per click ads requires diligent follow-through. Keep a keen eye on the stats (type of ads appearing, pricing & click-through rates) and promptly make necessary adjustments.

Perhaps the ads aren’t targeted closely enough to your niche and click-through rates are suffering…be ready to make adjustments to align ads with the interests of your target audience. Click-through rates will improve when ads match the audience. Attentiveness to detail is crucial in finding your groove when monetizing your blog!

3hree: Affiliate Marketing Is A Top Gun Tool

Unlike the quote spoken by Maverick, Tom Cruise’s character in the movie Top Gun — “You don’t have time to think up there. If you think, you’re dead” – implementing affiliate marketing to monetize your blog does require thought!

You must identify products/services pertinent to your niche in order to fully realize the star quality affiliate marketing offers. Consider items associated with branding or products/services that compliment who you are as well as your vision.

When your audience clicks the affiliate links and makes a purchase, you earn a commission on the sale! Choose affiliates wisely! You don’t want to ruin your impeccable reputation by aligning your blog with a less than stellar company.

Be the star of the show! Following the script and incorporating these tips will surely make your blog a blockbuster!

Regular Columnist: Lynn Brown– Social Media Marketing  – Blogging Strategies – LinkedIn Specialist helping small business owners, online marketers and professionals achieve increased company branding and visibility through social media for their specific products, programs or industry.