If you’re a writer, you are likely passionate about keeping up with your blog. That is a good thing! However, there is this thing called “balance,” and sometimes it gets tricky to figure out what we want to do, what we should do, and what pays the bills. Not everything fits into all three of those categories!
Create a Community
If you have a significant following, encourage your audience to pay for the increased value you provide through a private membership option. In order to require payment for additional content, the information has to be worth it for your members. In a private membership area on your website or a confidential forum, you can:
- Offer personalized coaching or consulting.
- Provide an opportunity for members to get to know and learn from each other as well as you (specialized, premium membership).
- Give out detailed information, such as workbooks, courses, checklists and advice that is not accessible to the general public.
Maybe you have found that connecting with the global population is exhilarating and powerful. However, you can burn out quickly if you’re not being paid for your efforts. It isn’t a lack of enjoyment, but there is something to be said about paying the bills and keeping the lights on so that you can do what you enjoy!
Here are some suggestions on what you can do to help monetize your blog and earn a few extra bucks, doing what you love.
A successful private community requires engagement. Connect with and in the group on a daily basis. As an effective leader, you’ll encourage the group to interact even when you’re not there, freeing you up to work on other monetization approaches.
I really enjoyed my stint with MyBlogGuest, as featured here on SearchEngineJournal. As a part of building the community, I started up the MyBlogGuest Hangout, which was really successful. It even gave me the idea for starting a curriculum called “HangoutQueen!”
Of course, the real credit goes to the community and Don Sturgill for coming up with the hangout idea and Ann Smarty, the queen of MyBlogGuest (and now ViralContentBuzz and MyBlogU). What I am trying to say here, is just in this paragraph is a representation of communities galore! And successful ones, at that!
But, let’s not stop there. One of the best community builders I have ever met is right here on this blog (that is part of the reason why there are so many awards shown to the right!). Her name is Gail Gardner. Gail creates communities as easily as most of us breathe. So, my advice is that if you want to understand how to create a community, follow Gail and watch how she does it. Don’t forget to actually participate in her communities, too!
- How to Promote A Brand By Building Community #smallbiz
- Engagement From Scratch Compiled by Danny Iny: Free eBook Download
BTW – My favorite membership plugin is s2member.com. It may not be for everyone, but I have used it personally (several times) and I love it! In fact, I loved it so much that I became an affiliate! For those who want to see a complete list, here is an interesting article covering a bunch of membership software: The Best WordPress Membership Plugin of 2015. Ok, it isn’t a brand new article, but it is a pretty good list.
Make a List
I admit that that does not sound like a monetization method in and of itself, but give it a moment to percolate. What I mean by making a list is that you sit and brainstorm all of the different ways that you could make money. This also includes ways you could make money offline. Remember, this is brainstorming.
Do you have a teacher in elementary school that taught you how to brainstorm? (If not, it is probably time you learned!). One of the aspects (in fact one of the main aspects) of brainstorming is that you write anything and everything that comes to mind.
That is why it is ok to write down things that you would consider “offline” and having nothing to do with blogging. Then, after you have made your list is when you may cross off items that you don’t want to include. Also, that is the time to consider what items from the “offline” category fit within the money-making approach of blogging!
Tip from Gail @GrowMap: Use @Trello when brainstorming to categorize and reorganize your research. Click To TweetTrello is free and looks just like what you see in the photo above being done with sticky notes. Create columns:
- Priorities
- Other ideas to consider
- Crazy brainstorming ideas
Create a separate card for each idea, type details and even add URLs, videos, images or documents to the back of the card, and then drag and drop them into how feasible they are. Prioritize the ones in your Priorities list in the order you want to work on them. Use labels to track whatever is most important. See a video on ways I use Trello in this post on how to collaborate with us.
As a part of your process of brainstorming, don’t forget to add “research” to the list. This includes brainstorming creative keywords and keyword phrases to help you find other lists (where other people have brainstormed) to add money-making ideas to your list!
I’ll get you started here with a list of clever money-making ideas that I found. That should also give you ideas for additional search terms to find even more articles that have content and ideas to add to your list! Who knows, you may even have a blog article there!
Start a Podcast
If you’re funny, sincere and find people hanging on to your every word, you may want to expand your audience by creating a podcast. If you regularly broadcast material that resonates with your listeners, you’ll attract more traffic. You can then monetize your podcast by:
- Offering guest spots or interviews to other experts in exchange for an advertising fee or advertising your enterprise on their spot on the web.
- Building on your fame by securing speaking engagements.
- Asking a podcast hosting service to sponsor you in exchange for a shoutout at the beginning of every recording.
- There are so many other ideas on how to monetize a podcast that I’ve actually started a “How-To Podcast” course. For GrowMap readers only, here is a growmap coupon link to “get in the door” for free. I am still developing the curriculum, but free is free and when it has been completed, you will already have access.
Even if you are not funny, there are options. I have several podcasts and one example, in keeping with mentioning MyBlogGuest is the former MyBlogGuest podcast.
As you can see, it was as simple as lining people up for interviews! Gail was recently interviewed on the Marketing Impact Podcast and she is their #1 most viewed podcast there to date.
“If you are looking to try podcast hosting for only $5, with one of the top companies, visit libsyn.com. Rumor has it that you may be able to get the first month free if you enter the promo code ‘socialwebcafe’ under “promo code” on the check-out page.
Either way, LibSyn is one of two premier podcast hosting companies and definitely worth the $5. Wondering what podcast hosting is and why you can’t just use regular hosting or places like SoundCloud? I’m afraid that is a longer explanation and one for a more specific discussion on podcasting.”
Write a Book
Many experts suggest writing e-books to promote your brand, but you can position yourself differently than every other blogger by creating a physical book. Websites like Create Space will print your book and distribute it on platforms like Amazon.
All you have to do is create the content and upload it. You’ll earn royalties as the book sells. Marketing your product helps too, of course.
If you want to expand your options, you can set up a web store on your blog using a software like WooCommerce, added to a WordPress self-hosted platform and actually allow people to purchase your physical book by putting it in a shopping card and paying for everything in the shopping cart via PayPal.
Did you notice that word, “everything?” That next step, after installing WooCommerce, is to add even more “stuff” to your store and sell it from your site/blog. But, of course, we may be getting away from ourselves just a little bit… for now.
Ready to Start Monetizing Your Blog?
Do you see what I mean by the sky is the limit? I’ve only given you three ideas/four steps and you are off to the races! What other ideas do you have for making money while enjoying the aspect of blogging?
You can turn any e-course into a workbook that students can actually write in and save. This provides more perceived value than an e-book and can be beneficial for people who don’t have access to a printer.
You can also create a book from all of your blog posts. Make it a comprehensive collection of all of your content, and refer to it as the ultimate guide.
If people like what you’re putting out, they’ll be willing to pay for extras. Position yourself as an expert in your industry and add these perks to help pull in some profits from your blog.