Blogging is still a big thing in the digital world. It can be even more exciting if you’re able to look beyond written blog posts, exploring other types of content and media. Making money from blogging isn’t necessarily easy, but there are lots of avenues to explore that could help you achieve your goal. If you’re prepared to be dedicated and put a lot of work into making your blog work, it can even become a full-time career. Setting up a blog is pretty simple, but where do you go from there? Maybe your blog is already mildly successful but you’re not sure how to take it to the next level. With the right moves, you could make being a blogger your only job.
Find the Right Niche(s)
Half of the struggle in creating a successful blog can be choosing which niche is best. There are a handful of niches that are more profitable than others, such as food and travel, but these are also often overcrowded and highly competitive. But if you niche down too much or choose something less popular, you could struggle to find your audience.
Even if you’re already running a blog, you can consider whether it’s time to narrow down your niche. There are lots of things you might take into account when deciding what your blog should focus on. Profitability and opportunities to monetize are obviously important. But you should think about your own knowledge, experience, and passion for certain topics.
Explore Different Ways to Monetize
It’s important that you don’t limit yourself too much when exploring the ways you can monetize your blogging activities. Google AdSense and affiliate marketing are the two most popular ways to monetize a blog. But for blogs that bring in the most money, it’s actually selling a product or service that makes the highest profit.
It pays to look at different options for monetization and perhaps experiment with what works best for your blog. Is it advertising, membership, an online store, sponsored content, or something else? What works for one blogger might not work for the next one, so you have to find what brings you the best results.
Grow Your Network By Attending Events
Just like in many other things, who you know in blogging can be just as (or more) important than what you know. Having the right connections can help you get further in the blogging sphere. Attending blogging events is the perfect way to make these connections, forming relationships with everyone from potential sponsors to fellow bloggers. There are tons of great blogger conferences to attend in the US that are not just great for meeting people but also give you opportunities to learn new things. You can attend workshops and talks to learn about how to grow your blog and be a successful blogger.
It’s All About Consistency
If there’s one thing you have to be prepared to do as a blogger, it’s be consistent. Just like Rome, no blog is built in a day. It takes time to build a blog that gets consistent levels of traffic and can start to make some money. If you only update your blog sporadically, it’s going to take a long time to build up enough content to keep people engaged. Similarly, you have to be consistent and dedicated when looking for ways to monetize your blog. You can’t just sit back and wait for opportunities to come your way if you want to keep growing. Whether you’re just getting started or looking for ways to transition your blog from a side project to a full-time job, you need to treat it like a job that requires your time and energy.
Expand Into Multiple Blogs
Many bloggers who make blogging their full-time gig don’t just stick to one blog. Sometimes a single blog may be enough, especially when you’re using it to sell a related product or service. But it’s not always going to give you enough revenue to support you without any other income. Instead, you might explore the option of starting multiple blogs, perhaps within the same niche or maybe in different areas. Doing this diversifies your blogging activities so you’re not reliant on one website to make money. If one blog isn’t doing so well, another could be helping to support you.
Hire Others to Help
When you’re trying to make money from blogging, it might seem counterintuitive to spend your money on paying other people. However, hiring others can be a huge timesaver that allows you to pursue more ways to make money. If someone else is helping out by writing blog posts for you, creating other content, or even just handling some of your admin tasks, it gives you time to concentrate on growing your blog. You can look for new sponsorships, develop products or services, or spend your time networking to form valuable relationships.
Use the Right Tools
Another excellent way to save money is to make sure you’re using appropriate tools. There are so many tools that can help you be more efficient and do more with your time. Something to help you manage your email marketing, for example, could save a lot of time and allow you to concentrate on other things. Sometimes you only need the basics, such as a word processor, to complete essential tasks. But as your blog grows, you will likely want to start looking at tools to help you manage your content calendar, advertising, email list, and more.
Keep Up with the State of Blogging
You might set up a successful blog, but it could all change if you’re not careful. Many things can affect the success of your blog, from the interests of your audience to search engine algorithms. As things change, it’s important to keep your finger on the pulse. You need to keep up with new trends, new technology, and anything else that might affect your blog.
It takes time to get established as a blogger, especially if you want it to be a full-time job. But if you’re prepared to put in the work, you can achieve your goal.