So you’ve made the leap from web 1.0 to web 2.0 with your new blog. You’ve picked a layout that your readers will go wild over and content that rivals “The New Yorker”. So now I address the question in the back of a lot of your minds of which my boss so eloquently asked after my last post Blogging For Business, “But the key question becomes…How can a business make money by spending precious resources on a blog…Inquiring minds want to know”.
Well first I’d like to note that if you’re in the business of blogging to make money then your probably in the wrong business. I only say this because I believe blogging is more about helping other people than helping yourself. If your blogging strictly for money, the quality of your content will go down over time and you will begin a counterproductive spiral ultimately resulting in your blog being labeled as spam. So rather than think about the money, think about all the lost souls you will save with your life changing content”.
Okay, so now on to the part where you make money.
Turning readers into leads
The first and most natural way you’re company will benefit from maintaining a blog is through legitimate business sales. Through your blog, the masses will begin to recognize the sincerity and worth of you business thus becoming more likely to do business with you. Before purchasing a product or using a service, people tend to research by asking friends and family, looking on search engines and reading blogs. By maintaining a blog you can help control your company’s message and possibly stimulate positive conversation around your company’s brand”.
Advertisements and Affiliate Links
Google’s adwords is probably the most popular advertising medium on the web because of it’s ease of use and, well to be honest, Google seems pretty trustworthy. There are also plenty of other niche specific and cross-media advertising solutions if you look in the right places. A few to get you started could be; Text Link Ads, BlogAds, DoubleClick, Adbrite , Clicksor , TextAds , Fastclick .
It is recommended that if you plan to advertise on your blog that you do it from day one. The thought process is people are more likely to become used to seeing the ads. If you wait until you grow a following and then start to advertise, it is more likely users will become irritated.
Affiliates links are another easy way to make some money off of your blog and you can choose what links you think suit your site the best. Amazon and Clickbank are two of the more popular sites however there are plenty other services to choose from.
Paid Reviews and Paid Blogging
If you company is blogging about a specific industry there is always the possibility of being approached to blog about a specific product or service. Likewise, another company might hire you to guest post on their blog if they feel they might benefit from your input. There are sites like Bloggers for Hire among others that can help facilitate the paid blogging job search.
When all is said and done, remember not to make it about the money, CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT, and everything else will fall into place around it.
UPDATE: Go here for 101 other ideas
Comments
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. :) Cheers! Sandra. R.