Many website owners have turned blogging into a full-time job, but simply dedicating a substantial amount of time to your work does not guarantee you will make money. In numerous instances, it is important to discover methods for making your blog’s content profitable.
Affiliate marketing remains one of the most effective ways to make money on your site as it allows you to collaborate with major brands without the need for manufacturing or purchasing obligations.
Moreover, if you choose to work with a high-paying network, you will be given the opportunity to earn a respectable profit.
In this post, we will explain the functioning of an affiliate marketing blog and how you can utilize it to monetize your blog posts. Let’s begin!
What Affiliate Marketing Is (And Why It’s Important)
Affiliate marketing involves the act of suggesting a company’s products or services to your audience and receiving a commission for any sales that occur as a result.
The process is similar regardless of the products or services, and this technique is used across nearly all industries.
In most cases, your initial action will be to become a member of an affiliate network. This network will furnish you with a distinct link for each affiliate item, which you can integrate into your content.
Hence, your promotional efforts can be traced back to each relevant conversion, ensuring that you receive a portion of the profits.
Affiliate marketing is highly appealing due to its affordability as a means of establishing your own business. Moreover, it allows for significant autonomy in terms of the hours you commit and the affiliations you establish.
Joining an affiliate program can be highly rewarding if you dedicate the necessary time and effort to put in the work.
4 ways to make money blogging
If your blog receives a reasonable amount of traffic, you should contemplate utilizing any of these strategies. If you have a small audience, the first two methods are most likely more suitable. Regardless, incorporating multiple methods to generate income will enhance your chances of making money.
1. Display advertising
You have likely come across digital advertisements for cell phones, credit cards, and other products while browsing websites. Additionally, companies have the opportunity to place ads on your blog by utilizing programs like Google Adsense. With this program, you have the authority to choose the type and placement of ads on your page and receive payment when readers click on them.
Estimating your potential earnings can be challenging, but this comprehensive guide on monetizing with Google AdSense can assist you. Here’s the basic notion: Suppose your website attracts 2,800 views within a month, and 1.5% of these viewers engage with a display ad, resulting in 42 clicks. If the advertiser offers a bid of 75 cents for each click, your estimated payment would amount to approximately $30.
According to Joseph Hogue, the author of “Make Money Blogging,” receiving a check of $30 or $50 can serve as sufficient motivation for novice bloggers to persist with their blog and eventually reach higher earnings.
How much money can you make from blogging? Here’s what Google says
Google is the ruler when it comes to content, particularly your content. Google has the authority to determine whether your content is discoverable through a search and subsequently compensates you for displaying its advertisements on your blog.
Google has a content earnings calculator which discloses information about the amount of money you earn, depending on the traffic your blog receives.
These are a few illustrations of the estimated annual earnings Google predicts for a blog in North America with 50,000 monthly page views, according to different content categories.
The cost of sports is $2,538.
The category of arts and entertainment costs $3,372.
The cost for automobiles and other types of vehicles is $5,520.
The cost of beauty and fitness amounts to $7,806.
The total amount spent on shopping was $8,400.
The cost of travel amounts to $8,460.
The total cost for food and beverages amounts to $8,598.
The finance amount is $19,278.
It is evident that the larger your audience is, the greater your earnings will be.
2. Repurposed blog content
Since you are already creating content, why not consider transforming your blog posts into chapters for an e-book that can be sold on Amazon?
While self-publishing may not lead to wealth, according to Hogue, it can serve as a great way to generate passive income. This implies that you can practically disregard the content once you have compiled and published it on Amazon, collecting payments every now and then.
Additionally, you have the ideal marketing platform in place, which is your blog, with an audience that is highly relevant. Hogue promotes his e-books on investment and generating passive income through his own personal finance blog, PeerFinance101.
If you can break down your thoughts into step-by-step processes, consider rephrasing the provided text as follows: If you have the ability to think in a systematic manner, try to rephrase the aforementioned passage without altering its meaning or excluding any information. Additionally, if your content is suitable for video format, explore the ways to generate income through YouTube.
3. Affiliate marketing
If you frequently mention products in your blog, consider exploring affiliate marketing. For instance, if you have a blog centered around smoothies, you can include a link to a particular blender available on Amazon within one of your posts. If a reader clicks on the link and purchases the blender, you will receive a commission.
According to Hogue, by becoming a member of an affiliate network like ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, FlexOffers.com, Rakuten Marketing or Amazon Associates, you can discover advertisers and products for your website, resulting in earnings ranging from a few dollars to hundreds per purchase.
Many bloggers find affiliate marketing to be a significant source of income. Hogue generated approximately $2,000 every month in 2017 through this method, with his two blogs being the sources. He is aware of individuals who make tens of thousands of dollars monthly using affiliate marketing.
This approach is most effective for blogs that have a high volume of visitors. The greater the number of readers, the higher the chances of someone viewing the post, clicking on the link, and making a purchase.
4. Sponsored content
Companies use this strategy to offer you a fixed payment for publishing a post promoting their product. For instance, you or a blender company might compose a post on your smoothie blog endorsing a particular blender, along with a link directing readers to a website where they can make a purchase.
If your blog doesn’t get much traffic, it might be difficult to find sponsored content opportunities. However, Hogue advises that even bloggers with low traffic should ask for a minimum of $100 if given the opportunity. If you have to write the content yourself, you should request a higher amount. Once your blog has a larger audience, you can ask for a few hundred dollars for each piece of sponsored content.
Opportunities to find these can be discovered on ad networks or by contacting potential sponsors. There is also a chance that you may receive unsolicited emails offering money for a sponsored post.
Not everyone is suitable for this tactic. Hogue says that some bloggers feel uncomfortable endorsing a product in exchange for money because it gives them the impression that they are merely a spokesperson for a company. He advises promoting only products that you have personally tested and genuinely recommend. Additionally, the products should be relevant to your content, so avoid praising a carpet cleaner on a smoothie blog unless you frequently spill your drinks.
3 Steps for Monetizing Your Blog Through Affiliate Marketing
To obtain the advantages of affiliate marketing, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the initial steps required to get started. Let us commence by examining the three most vital stages within this procedure.
Step 1: Establish Your Niche and Target Market
While it may be tempting to choose whoever offers the highest commission, it is crucial to collaborate only with brands that suit your blog.
Having a clear understanding of your site’s niche and target audience is crucial because if the product you’re advertising is not relevant to your other content, it is improbable to gain success with your audience.
In order to determine the appropriate solutions, it is essential to take into account the unique requirements of your audience and anticipate the challenges they may face. This will allow you to identify the types of products that can effectively address their needs.
Step 2: Find Relevant Affiliate Programs
Once you have determined the preferences of your audience, you can then proceed to iron out the particulars.
One way to begin is by using a well-known affiliate network. There are numerous choices available, with some being affiliated with bigger companies like the Amazon Associates program, which provides an added benefit.
You might realize that several of your preferred brands have affiliate programs. It only takes a few minutes to join, and we provide a 25% recurring commission on your direct-referred sales.
A good way to begin promoting products or services is by choosing ones you already enjoy. This allows you to provide a more informed explanation of how to use them and personally endorse their high quality.
It is important to note that you have the option to join multiple affiliate programs. However, it is commonly advised to begin with a conservative approach and gradually increase your participation over time.
Step 3: Integrate Affiliate Links Appropriately
After selecting at least one affiliate network and product, it is now time to commence with the promotion process by thinking step by step.
Although there are various approaches to accomplish this, linking out to relevant products within your blog posts is arguably the most common method to start.
You have the option to create complete content centered around affiliate products, such as writing reviews or highlighting special features.
It is important to always disclose your participation in an affiliate program when endorsing a product or service on your blog. Neglecting to disclose this information can lead to serious legal issues.
Being deceptive to your readers is one possible consequence of not thinking step by step. It should be kept in mind that honesty is key when producing effective affiliate content.
When writing reviews, it is important to think logically and present information in a step-by-step manner. It is crucial to provide honest opinions and maintain factual statements. Avoid using excessive promotion in order to preserve the integrity of your content and the reputation of your business.
