WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR
Blogging brings in a lot of benefit. Not only do blogs direct potential customers
to a startup’s site, but they can also help sell a product, inform readers
about a service, or act as a megaphone for thoughts and opinions.
But did you know that blogging can bring in the bucks too?
It’s true. If done
effectively, blogging can generate extra cash for your startup. And when you’re first starting out, any money is better than no money at
all!
Many startups may already have an established blog (but if
you don’t, be sure to read this article before you get started: The
Blog Brawl: 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Enter the Blogosphere). Blogs can be easily set up through sites like
Blogger, Wordpress or even Joomla.
Once your blog has been created, generating interesting and
consistent content is key. When you
write about topics that people are interested in reading, more users will visit
your blog. And when more users visit
your blog, you have more potential customers in your market. With patience, a blog can bring in thousands
and thousands of viewers a month (or even a week!)—and that’s a lot of
potential new customers.
Once your blog has built a strong readership and is
well-received by the public, it may be time to look into generating blog
bucks. But how?
1. Blog Ads
Blogs can make money through the display of
advertisements. Many bloggers use Google
AdSense, a service that pays based on how many readers have clicked on a
blog’s advertisements (and it’s free!).
Other bloggers use CPM-driven tools
that pay by the total number of impressions the advertisements receive. For this, a startup can use ContextWeb,
AdClickMedia, Adbrite or Adify.
If you’re interested in taking your blog advertisements a
step further, look into BlogAds. BlogAds
hook bloggers up with would-be advertisers and levies a commission in return
for ad placements.
The biggest concern that most startups have about
advertising on a blog is that the advertisements will not match up with the
blog’s theme or topic. But tools such as
AdSense account—the service pinpoints certain words in the blog so that the
content matches the advertisements.
2. Direct Ad Sales
Selling space directly to advertisers can be a challenge,
but it is possible! With a
highly-accredited blog, many advertisers may want to “buy” space on your blog,
much like a newspaper or magazine. Find
services and products that tie into your niche market in order to place direct
ad sales on your blog.
3. Affiliate Programs
Blogs can serve as a conduit between readers and online
sites that offer goods and services. One
of the best affiliate programs out there today comes from Amazon.com (Amazon
Associates on Blogger).
When a blog mentions or reviews a book, it can link to the
Amazon.com page so that readers can buy the book with a few clicks of the
mouse. When people find the book on your
blog and then purchase them from Amazon.com, you get paid!
Other companies with great blogging affiliate programs
include FlexOffers, LinkConnector, Commission Junction, Shareasale, E-Junkie,
LinkShare, ING Direct, Ebates, Perkstreet Financial, Mint.com and
Sharebuilder.
4. Inbound Marketing
Many blogs exist just so that users can shout their opinions
and thoughts to the world. But what
about using your blog to generate business?
That’s what inbound marketing is all about.
A startup can expand blog thoughts and opinions by talking
about how a particular service or product can create solution or solve a
problem. By providing a call-to-action
at the bottom of the blog, readers may feel a sense of urgency to look at your
website or call your new startup. Use
effective search engine optimization, link building and keywording to bring
more people to your blog—you never know; this could produce more customers!
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig
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