This is a guest post from one of our friends discussing how to make money by blogging about products that you already own. Hope you enjoy a break from all of the paid survey talk you are used to on our blog. Enjoy the post!
The world of blogging is becoming increasingly niche. No longer can you rely on your wit and charm to garner interest. That particular area of the blogosphere is already full, thank you. No, modern blogs have to be far more concise about subject matter and topics, and have to be far more carefully conceptualized than previously.
The trouble is that if you can think of a niche, the chances are that you will be able to find a blog on it. So how do you go about creating a monetizable blog that you don’t have to spend a fortune on?
The answer is really quite simple. Create your own niche.
In the internet world we live in, so many customers, readers, clients and users are looking for something unique online. Something authentic. And what better way to generate authenticity than being (and marketing) yourself and your lifestyle?
This all sounds a little airy-fairy, but stick with it. If you look at your hobbies, for example, then you look at the style of your home and the kind of holidays you have, the chances are that little combination is something that others do and want to hear about. You have, in essence, created your very own niche.
Of course, this has the added benefit of you not having to fork out for expensive items to unwrap in front of camera, or having to purchase unwanted things for review. It’s win-win. Your readers get the info that’s relevant to them, and you don’t have to pay anything to keep your blog fresh.
However, it’s understandable that a blog about your lifestyle may not have that killer USP to get readers on board. This is where you have to start thinking carefully about where you’re going to promote your blog. This is reasonably straightforward, as it’s the kind of places you’ll inherently know about. If you play video games, advertise it on gaming forums. If you’re a musician, do the same with music forums etc… Create links with blogs that share some interests with yours, and you’ll start building critical mass reasonably quickly.
So what about the actual monetization? Obviously, you’re working in a very specific niche, and banner advertising may be a little hard to come by. However, it can still be very profitable if done right. If your blogging site is a WordPress one, there’s even a couple of plug-ins that can make the whole process of finding and rotating your ads much easier.
PPC is another obvious way of generating cash. However, you’re unlikely to make much from this until you start getting regular readers. That said, the targeted nature of the readership means a better CTR on your ads.
In-line ads can net you a whole bunch of cash really easily. These kind of adverts place adverts in the text (separated by lines) based on your keywords. Companies like Kontera can be used to build a context-specific ad structure around your website, where you get paid for each click.
If you find a product that you love, why not try a little speculation. Endorse it, or set up an affiliate scheme whereby you make money for every product that gets sold through your site. This is one of the easiest ways of making money from your blog, especially if you’re a trusted source with your readers. Remember, however, only to endorse those products you believe in. There’s no quicker way to lose readers than to sell out.
There’s still no guaranteed single way of making big bucks out of blogs, but spreading the monetizing weight is a good way to monitor what works and what doesn’t. You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a great and successful blog, but you can certainly make a packet out of it.
About The Author
David Ingram is a writer and blogger based in the UK. By day he works for a leading estate agents chain, by night he writes for numerous personal finance, property and travel blogs.
