5 Working Methods to Monetize Content on Your Blog
It seems like everyone has a website or blog these days. After all, there are currently over a billion active websites and blogs on the internet today. With all of that content being created and flooding the internet with more information than ever before, this also leads to new opportunities in monetization and how to make money with a website.
Today we are going to look at five working methods for monetizing your site content. Each of them is unique in their own way, while extremely effective in generating revenue. Some of the top websites on the internet today are generating millions of dollars through each of these methods below.
Be sure to explore your options using each of these methods, as they are all proven to be effective means for not only monetizing site content on the internet today but also to help other businesses and brands grow in the process.
1. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective ways to make money with a website or blog because you are earning a commission every time a legitimate sale, lead, or action takes place on an advertiser’s website. At the same time, it also allows bloggers to team up with some of the biggest brand names in the world today through ad networks and individual affiliate programs. View the websites of any of these top bloggers and you will be sure to find several methods of affiliate marketing earning revenue for them off their sites and content. To find an affiliate program that is right for your audience, simply search Google for a brand name you would like to advertise on your website and then add the word “affiliate program”. Some of the top ad networks to join, which provides instant access to thousands of affiliate programs, are Commission Junction, Shareasale, and Tradedoubler.
2. Google AdSense
Google currently has millions of advertisers that appear in the search results on a daily basis. Each of these advertisers is paying on a per click basis to rank at the top of Google for specific keywords and search phrases. Through the use of the Google AdSense program, site owners can have the same advertisements being displayed on their website. After joining the Google AdSense program, site owners will have a line of code to place a banner on their website, then Google will start to display relevant advertisers to such audiences. Site owners will then earn a commission on a per click basis for advertisements shown on their website. This Google Adwords infographic has a breakdown of some of the highest paying keywords and niche markets on the internet today. If you’d like to earn the most money with your site content and Google Adsense, be sure to focus on some of these key areas.
3. Native advertising
Native advertising has quickly become one of the most effective ways to not only make money with a website but also for media and advertising network to drive traffic to advertisers. The great thing about native advertising is that it looks like regular content on your website, which results in a much higher click-through rate, which then results in higher earnings for site owners. Some of the top native advertising on the internet today is done through Outbrain and Taboola. Each native advertising is unique in their own way. To see which platform might be best for your site and audience, be sure to check out this native advertising comparison guide. You can then join any of the mentioned ad networks to start serving native advertising on your own site.
4. Selling of ad space
With each of the options mentioned above you will be serving advertising on your own website, however, you will only be earning a percentage of the actual revenue generated. A better option for site owners with real traffic and lots of volume is to sell direct advertising on their own. The benefit here is that you get to work directly with advertisers, while also earning 100% of the revenue. This can result in much higher CPM’s and longer-term deals.
5. Create an online course
For site owners and bloggers who specialize in a certain area or have an expertise that their audience is looking for, creating and selling online courses might be a great opportunity to build a profitable and legitimate business. The business of creating and selling online courses has been extremely effective and lucrative as of lately. With such demand for online courses, there are now many online solutions that make it easy to create a course and then sell them, without the need to hire a designer or learn how to code. You can see examples of this on udemy.com, which is currently one of the top marketplaces for online learning and courses. In addition to selling online courses, also be sure to check out this list of top digital marketplaces for selling all types of premium tutorials, guides, and digital content online.
Choosing the Right Monetization Method for Your Blog
With so many different monetization options available, it might seem like a hard decision which is best for your site. The best way to answer this is to simply find what solution is best for your audience and site visitors. For example if you have a review website, then affiliate marketing is probably best for you, as your audience is likely already in buying mode. If you have an information based website and aren’t sure what your audience wants or how to best monetize your content, then Google AdSense is likely a great option for you.
At the end of the day it’s all about understanding your audience and what they want. Explore your options with each of the monetization methods above. Feel free to join an advertising program related to each of the methods above and start testing them with your site traffic. If you have a decent amount of traffic flowing through your site, you will have a good idea on what methods are working best within a few days time.