Blogging has become a way for many people to have their voices heard. Whether you are a mom who needs to vent, a professional who has something relevant to share with the business world or you just really enjoy writing, sharing your story and your passion through words is becoming increasingly popular.
Since COVID-19 took the world by storm and through many people for a six, there has been a lot more blogging happening and more so than ever people are looking at ways of turning their passion for writing and sharing their stories and insights into an income generator. Not only because they need a side hustle but some people have unfortunately found themselves without work now and blogging may be the answer to many who are needing to make some kind of a living.
In this article we will look at the proven techniques, used by many, that may help you get to a point where your love for writing and blogging can become your full time gig and help you generate a decent income (it won’t be easy, but it is possible).
Are you ready? Let’s take a look …
THIS IS NOT A GET RICH QUICK SCHEME
Before we go further and get into the actual ways you can make some money while blogging, we must make it clear that if you are wishing to make millions overnight online, then you best not read any further.
Blogging is not a get rich quick scheme and it will take time to generate money, however if you are consistent and stick to the technique or techniques you choose, you will be able to get some sort of funds coming in to sustain you.
Anything that looks too good to be true usually is. That is the unfortunate reality.
You may have already come across those posts that state you can buy mansions and fancy cars just by blogging or “just do these easy steps and you too can have all this” – most times they end off their blurb with “For just xxx dollars”.
So, the question now is this – how do filter out the scams from the genuine article (excuse the pun) and figure out what will work for you and get you to some sort of stable income in the future?
Carry on reading to find out …
YOU CAN MAKE MONEY (BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME SORT OF INVESTMENT)
In this article we will mostly be looking at the ways to make money blogging while using WordPress, so many of these techniques will be related to WordPress in general.
As there are many, many ways to create an income stream from blogging, we will only touch on the most popular and link you to a space where you can read more.
AFFILIATE MARKETING – I am sure many of you have come across these links when you are reading through your favorite bloggers latest blog. Affiliate marketing happens when you mention a product or service or company to your target audience and use special tracking links. You get a referral commission if someone purchases said product or service using your unique link. Often you will be required to make a certain amount of commission first before you are able to cash out – but affiliate marketing is very popular amongst bloggers and a great way to create a steady cash flow. How to get started with affiliate marketing? Think about what products you really love and see if they have an affiliate program, if that does not work take a look at Amazon and ShareASale, these being the most popular and widely used.
(WordPress specific information: Once you have decided on the products you will be promoting you can install a plugin called PrettyLinks to help manage your affiliate links)
GOOGLE ADSENSE – This is one of the easiest ways to start an income stream when you first start out making an income online. You will display a Google AdSense script on your WordPress website and then start displaying ads on your blog. Whenever someone clicks on one of those ads that are on your website you will get paid on a “cost per click” basis. The merchant advertising will set this rate, but you will be able to create a steady flow of money with this. You can read more about how it all works here.
WRITE REVIEWS FOR CASH – You can forego the advertising per se and write reviews for products and companies in an attempt to generate income. Although not the best way to get money in, it can be a start as well.
The above methods are referred to as MONETIZING YOUR BLOG. There are a few other ways you can do this which you can read about here.
Besides the monetizing of your blog you can also use these following techniques:
GET PAID TO ADVERTISE A BUSINESS – This can happen when you create a directory website. This is where people will pay to have their businesses advertised on your website. It is good to have an actual niche market and audience for this to work effectively. But that being said, there are many directories which advertise various businesses and have success.
DIGITAL PRODUCTS – A lot of tech savvy individuals and creatives like to use this method of creating money online. You can use your website/blog to sell your digital products which can be anything from e-books to printables to custom templates for social media and online courses. Whatever your forte is, use that to create an income stream that can steadily grow. The initial investment of time (and maybe money) can pay off in the long run.
Other ways you can find yourself gaining some income that are not necessarily blog related are:
Creating a marketplace website
Starting an online ecommerce store with WordPress and Woocommerce
Design WordPress websites
Start freelancing as a designer
And so much more … again you can find out the in depth details here.
THAT’S A WRAP …
So as you can see, there are a plethora of ways to actually, legitimately create an income online – many via blogging in way or another. The key is to find what will work for you and what is sustainable in the long run. Who are your target audience and what would they most likely want to buy/read/subscribe to? And it is most important to realise that no matter what route you go … you will not become rich overnight.
It will take time and it will take some kind of investment on your part, but at the end of it all it will be worth it when you start to see the income rolling in. The article links shared herein are all very informative and if you have further questions after reading this article, take a read through the various other ideas on the WordPress website.
