This is a guest post! You’ll read more about the author after the post….
A question that I often get asked by bloggers is “how do I turn my blog into something I can make money from?” For many bloggers, the ability to monetize their blog is the Holy Grail – the ultimate goal. But looking outside of your blog for a second, did you know there’s another way for you to make money online?
If you’ve been wondering how to up the income that you make from your online presence, then you’ve come to the right place! Use your experience as a blogger to break into ecommerce and maximize your profits online.
Related reading: My Top 6 Methods to Make Money Online.
Create your own digital products
Take a step back from your blog for a moment and take a look at your online presence as a whole. How many followers do you have across your social channels? Do you regularly get asked the same questions by your audience? If so, then perhaps there’s a demand for more information out there – and you could be the one to provide it.
As you’ll already know, a good blog is a source of information for many people, as well as something that has an entertainment value. Your followers look to your blog for your views and opinions on certain subjects. In a way, you are meeting a need.
Therefore, if people are regularly asking for your advice on a particular topic, why not go one step further and look to create some digital content that you can sell? Not only will you be providing your readers with the deeper level of insight they’re looking for, but you can utilize your skills as a writer to up your income at the same time. One blogger made over $80,000 by following this strategy!
When considering digital products, there are several options available to you:
How-to guides
If your blog covers the fields of beauty or cooking, then you could look to offer how-to guides. Share your knowledge with your readers by offering advice on how to perfectly apply their foundation or cook a range of healthy recipes for their family. If you run a health and fitness blog, you could also look to sell diet plans, for example.
These guides can take the form of PDF documents, which you can sell on your blog for a set fee. And the best thing? Once you’ve spent a few hours creating your guide and getting your ecommerce platform set up, you can generate a passive income from it.
Online courses
If you like the idea of selling how-to guides but would like to take this concept one step further, then why not look to sell your own online course? If you want to teach people how to apply their own wedding makeup or learn the basics of diet and nutrition, then this could be a great option to provide them with that level of information and detail.
The length of the course is completely up to you, and you’ll need to decide how to deliver the course – PowerPoint slides or videos tend to be good options. Again, once you have created the materials and got the course set up, it’s possible to make money from it again and again.
Webinars
Perhaps the idea of running an online course sounds intriguing, but you’re concerned about the level of work involved? This is where webinars provide a time-saving alternative. You can choose to run webinars a certain number of times each month, and look to deliver the same kind of materials that you would offer in an online course, but in a 1-2 hour-long web session.
Membership groups
This option will require the most amount of regular work but has the potential to make more money over a longer period of time. If you have a large established following, why not look to create a special membership group or area on your website where your followers can get VIP access to more content from you?
By paying a set fee for a determined period of time, your followers can receive content that non-paying followers can’t – think extra blog posts, behind the scenes videos, or exclusive tutorials and guides. This is a great way to maximize the level of loyalty and interest that your following has for you.
Build an online shop and sell physical goods
Does your blog link to a particular product? If so, why not consider selling these items directly? Ecommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, and dropshipping services like Oberlo, mean it’s easier than ever to sell goods online under your own brand.
Depending on what the product is, you have two options available to you. First, you can choose to work with a supplier to create your very product own line. Or, if you regularly talk about a particular brand in your blog posts, you could contact them to inquire about becoming a third-party distributor.
Leverage your existing following
The main advantage that you have as an established blogger is your knowledge of your followers’ interests. You know what products appeal to them and you know which ones don’t. So why not utilize this for your own benefit?
When it comes to creating your own products, there is obviously a lot of effort involved, both in terms of research and cost. You can maximize your influence here by producing something that meets a real demand. At the same time, you can build your own brand and influence as a blogger.
A great way to promote your products is to work with other bloggers and influencers. If they have a similar audience to your own, why not make the most of their following by offering to write a sponsored post? A recent survey found that 83% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, compared to other types of advertising.
Although the concept of ecommerce might seem daunting at first, you really shouldn’t be worried. Ecommerce platforms aren’t super complicated – you can even add functionality to your existing blog. As a blogger, you are well placed to make a success of ecommerce, thanks to the contacts that you already have, your ability to capture an audience, and your writing skills. So why not give it a go?
Have you been successful in using ecommerce or any of the other strategies mentioned above to maximize the income of your blog and online presence? I’d love to know about your experience, so why not leave a comment below?
Victoria Greene is a brand marketing consultant and freelance writer. She has her own blog at VictoriaEcommerce, as well as running a few ecommerce businesses. Victoria loves content marketing & working with startups to develop their brands.
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