We all know that one of the many ways to make money online is to start a blog.
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Not only does it provide you with an avenue to write about what you’re passionate about, but it also offers you countless opportunities for growth.
Also, blogging is a relatively cheap and easy way to build a business empire compared to other money-making schemes that require large capital and extensive technical know-how.
Now, if you’re a blogger working your way towards financial freedom, then you know very well how important it is to diversify your income stream. Sure, having a fairly successful blog may make you more popular, but your blog content on its own won’t be enough to pay the bills.
More importantly, and here’s a bitter pill to swallow for some, success takes time.
Lorraine from Wisetoast.com says it best: “A lot of people look for the ‘fast option’ instead of the ‘right option’ and end up making a loss. Always, look for ways to make money that are right for you. Do not just follow what everyone else is doing.”
So for those looking for a side hustle that will help you earn some extra cash, sit back and learn from the experts!
In this article, you’ll learn how to build your brand and create multiple income streams using your blog.
1. Sell branded merchandise
One way that you can increase your brand’s popularity and engage your followers is to release branded merchandise. Whether it’s shirts, caps, or limited edition prints, selling real tangible products allows you to earn a profit from every item that customers buy from your website.
Building your own eCommerce store on your blog is easy if you have the right tools. You can use sites like Shopify or use plugins to get your store up and running. Don’t forget to check out PayPal and 2Checkout to see which one would be a better payment gateway for your potential customers.
Right now, you’re probably thinking:
“Well, I don’t have the capital to fund for the development and marketing of the product. Are you kidding me?!”
First off, you don’t need a large capital to jumpstart selling products on your blog. You can start small and scale accordingly to gauge demand.
Also, you don’t have to worry about packaging, shipping, and transporting the products to your customers. You can sign up for a Fulfillment by Amazon or FBA account to help you manage this part of your business so you can focus on developing your product.
There are lots of people who found success with this approach. Here’s a feel-good story about a person who made over $1,000 in three weeks on Amazon. The post details the exact steps she took that you can replicate to earn that much money if not more!
2. Get into video marketing
Video marketing is all the rage in today’s marketing landscape so if you still don’t have a YouTube Channel, then you’re missing out on the action. Even though YouTube has changed its ad revenue policy, the platform can still be effective in getting your brand in front of a wider audience.
The best part about creating videos is that you can use it to promote your blog content on your social media platforms. As long as you create high-quality video content that adds value to your audience’s lives, you can turn your video marketing strategy into a money-making machine.
3. Develop your own online course
If you have a special skill that you can share with your audience, why not develop your very own online course?
Not only will it give you a chance to help people develop their own skills set, but it can also provide you with a steady income flow. For every student that signs up, you can either charge monthly tuition or an all-in fee that will give them access to your learning materials.
Known as one of the most successful bloggers, Darren Rowse of Problogger.com fame didn’t settle for just monetizing his blog posts. He developed online courses that teach people how to blog the way he did.
The best thing about his course is that everything is automated.
Once users sign up, they receive emails regularly informing them of the next task at hand.
Basically, his courses run on autopilot that he earns money from the membership fee and engages users without lifting a finger!
Before you can build your online course just like Darren did, you first need to decide on your expertise. Try to look for skills that you think your target market wants to improve on and see how you can help them become better at it.
Your learning materials should be engaging, as well as attractive so make sure that your website or learning platform can accommodate videos and images.
4. Get paid to promote other brands
Partnering up with advertisers for sponsored content can be a good way to fill your content calendar and make some extra cash at the same time. Nowadays; countless brands pay good money in exchange for publishing quality content promoting their products and/or services.
The great thing about producing sponsored content is that you have the freedom to choose the brands you want to work with. You can even choose the topics that you want to write about as long as it’s aligned with the brand sponsoring the content.
On the other hand, the problem with sponsored content is inconsistent inquiries from brands. One month, you’re getting lots of orders. The next month, you’re not.
At best, sponsored content is the perfect way to earn money on the side of your blog.
5. Release your own ebooks
If you already have a strong following, releasing your own series of ebooks may be a good way to make some extra cash.
All you have to do is choose a problem that your target market is dealing with and put together a quick guide to address that problem.
Not only will it establish your brand’s authority, but it will also help you attract a new audience to your brand. Some writers publish their books on Amazon as Kindle eBooks to tap into a new market.
Look no further than Ryan Biddulph of Blogging from Paradise.
You’ll always see him away traveling different parts of the globe with his wife.
You’d probably think he’s a big shot or something.
Well, here’s the truth:
That’s because he is!
And it’s all thanks to over hundreds of e-books sold via Amazon throughout the years!
He details his mindset on how he writes e-books at a very prolific rate in this podcast.
Wrapping it up
Even with so many options, the work doesn’t stop with finding the perfect side hustle.
That’s because there’s just so much to play around with your blog and find multiple ways to make money off it!
For instance, part of building your blogging empire is choosing the best blogging platform. If you end up picking the wrong one, you’ll have a hard time diversifying your income streams effectively.
That goes on top of the things mentioned above and then some!
But what’s important is finding ways to improve your blog.
You can’t settle for just earning from affiliate links or ad units.
There’s always something more out there – it’s up to you to look and try them out!
Thankfully, above are five of the most effective and profitable ways to earn a quick buck from your blog.
If you’ve tried any of the tactics featured in this post, comment below and please share your thoughts. I want to learn from you as well!
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