Niche blogging is among the easiest and cheapest ways to start an online business. Blogging allows you to tap into an audience of eager readers looking for niche content, and if you can provide quality you should expect a loyal following who keep returning to your blog. While many blogs manage to develop a following, they are not always as successful in monetizing their site. There are many ways to make your blog profitable, with the obvious options not always being the most successful.
Affiliate Products
Affiliate marketing works incredibly well when combined with blogging. Instead of creating your own product, writing the sales copy, and dealing with customer service, you can simply direct your traffic towards the offer in exchange for a commission. Of course, there are more effective ways to increase your conversion rate, including well-crafted reviews and pre-sales, but a quality, relevant product should guarantee you some sales. There are affiliate products available in almost every niche, and a quick Google search will normally uncover a number of options.
Banner Advertising
Banner advertising is probably the most common method of monetizing a blog, but there are different approaches you can take. Simply adding Google Adsense is an easy way to get started, with some code being added to the relevant locations on your site. You can run various tests and experiments to optimize this advertising, allowing you to increase earnings with the same amount of traffic. If you reach a high level of traffic, negotiating a price with media buyers can be a way to make more from the same ad space.
Guest Posts
Guest blogging is a popular technique in SEO, so there are plenty of opportunities to make some extra income. A guest blogger will submit some content to your site in exchange for a link back to their own site. While some guest posts are exchanged without any payment, there are many people willing to pay to be added to a quality blog and receive increased exposure. Ultimately, you only want to accept great content to avoid gradually damaging your own reputation, but with proper management you can make guest blogging a secondary income stream.
Email List
Taking a long-term approach, building an email list is a proven method for strengthening relationships and maintaining popularity. Every good blog will have a core audience, but the casual readers can quickly forget about you with the typical online distractions. Building an email list is a way to keep your site fresh in the mind, while also generating extra revenue. After growing a list, building a relationship, and maintaining quality, you can start promoting relevant products, discounts, and offers.
Take Donations
Accepting donations has become a common way for individuals to provide content to a niche audience. It is hard to generate donations without first having proven yourself, but when people can see the work you are putting in they will often contribute. Crowdfunding has advanced in recent years, with sites like Patreon or Go Fund Me making the process simpler for all parties. If you can convince enough people to pledge a small amount each month, your focus can switch solely to content creation.
E-commerce
There are certain niches that fit perfectly with e-commerce. Fitness and fashion, for example, have numerous products you can sell from your blog, but even smaller niches can include a basic store. Running an e-commerce site may be more than you want to take on, but you can still build a store using sites like Amazon. Third-party sites let you earn a commission without needing to take care of the fulfillment process, making the process as easy as copying and pasting some code. Even if the products are available from numerous locations, your audience might prefer to purchase via your blog in order to support you.
Sell the Site
There may come a time when you want to move on to new projects. If your blog is getting consistent traffic and receiving revenue, selling the site can be your best option. Sites like Flippa allow you to set up an auction, with the highest bidder taking control of your blog. Buying and selling websites is a major online industry, so there should be no shortage of people bidding on a profitable blog. However, your blog will be more attractive to buyers if it does not appear overly reliant on your own personality.
While the blogging industry can appear oversaturated, there is always room for new opinions, approaches, and outlooks. If you can stand out in any given niche, there is no reason why an audience won’t flock to you. When you have developed this audience, it is a simple matter of choosing the most appropriate monetization method. Readers can be reluctant to stick around if there is too much promotional activity, but through tracking and testing you can find a balance that brings in reliable income.
