When people research ways to make money online, they will often come across blogging as a career path. And you might have even read some stories about people who started a blog and became really popular while making a lot of money doing what they enjoy. But is it really possible to make money from a blog in 2017? We explore this question below so that you can make the right choice for your financial future.
Develop Great Content
First off, in order to have a successful blog, you need to really stand out from the crowd by developing stellar content that is shareable and optimized. And, in addition to great writing, you also need to have a strategy for distributing your content, so developing a strong presence on social media with a lot of followers will help you expand your reach. Once you have a solid readership and subscriber base, you can start generating an income by monetizing your blog.
Include Ads on Your Blog
One of the most common ways that people make money from their blog in 2017 is by incorporating advertisements throughout their website. In addition to selling private ads directly to businesses, such as small companies in your area or medium sized businesses in your niche, you can also add what are known as CPC and CPM advertisements. CPC ads are “cost per click” ads that typically come in the form of banners throughout your blog. Every time one of your reader’s clicks the link, you will be paid. CPM stands for “cost per 1,000 impressions,” so you will be paid based upon the number of readers that view your ad.
Become a Guest Blogger
In addition to writing content for your own blog, you can go a step further and become a guest blogger for other blog sites. You can get paid a fair rate for every piece that you can contribute, or you can simply use every guest post as an opportunity to link back to your blog and put your work out there. This is a good way to generate more followers and more interest in your own blog, and you can also make money by writing and distributing your content beyond your personal site.
Sell Products on Your Blog
You can sell digital products, such as an eBook, on your blog, or you can offer your services to your readers and use that as a means to generate an income stream. In addition to selling your own products and services, you can also incorporate affiliate links to receive a commission on every sale that’s made through a click-through from your blog to a seller’s website.
As you can see, there are several ways that you can generate money from a blog in 2017. With an easy-to-navigate blog filled with valuable content, a good promotional strategy, and a solid plan for generating even just a small amount of passive income, you can slowly grow your own brand and make money on the side in no time.