We have to think outside the box when it comes to having a blog that makes money. The key is to get started with your blog right now because it takes time.
Most blogs have a way to add more income streams to them. I advise my clients to begin with one money-making idea for their blogs and then add on others. That is what I have done and I now have multiple streams of income. I one stream dries up, I have others flowing in.
Following are 10 brief ideas to take your blog from hobby to profit:
Selling your Own Product or Service. When it comes to monetizing a website, it usually boils down to two choices: selling your own product/service or selling someone else’s. Having your own product or service is one of the best ways to make money on the internet because you keep 100 percent of the profits! Information Products are very profitable because there is little or no overhead.
Affiliate Marketing. If you do not have your own product, the next best option for you would be affiliate marketing. That means selling someone else’s product or service for a commission. Amazon.com has a “free” affiliate program you can join. Once you are signed up, you can place links to any products that Amazon offers and when someone clicks on your link from your website you make money. For example, let’s say you have a blog about travel because that is your passion and you are a world traveler. Following the steps I have outlined, you are consistently writing fresh content on your blog and building your list. Now, you want to start earning some affiliate commissions; consequently you sign up at a website that has a service that complements your travel business as a FREE affiliate and they pay you a commission from anyone who clicks on your affiliate link from your site and purchases their service. As an example of how this would work, let’s say you write a blog post about that service, upload some great photos and naturally talk about ordering the service from the affiliate company. Just make sure you use your affiliate link throughout the blog post!
Promoting Digital Products of Others. This is Affiliate Marketing with digital products such as ebooks, ecourses, software, etc. Clickbank is the number one website if you are looking for “digital” products to sell from your site. Clickbank is also free to join! Not long ago, I promoted an affiliate’s online course, sent out two emails to my list and made $500 in one day! Only promote products that you believe in and recommend in order remain credible with your readers. Reputation is everything online.
Drop Shipping. This is a wonderful way to monetize your blog without having to purchase or store inventory. Drop shipping means they come to your site, purchase the item and the “drop shipper” sends out the product to the customer. You are essentially a middle man. For example, let’s say you have a blog about “tea”. Perhaps you are a connoisseur of tea! You write your blog posts about different teas that you love and you sign up as a “FREE” Affiliate at: http://www.artoftea.com/affiliate/ . Whenever someone clicks on your affiliate link that you will place strategically in your blog post, you are paid a commission.
Membership Sites. This is a wonderful concept because for “access” to a private membership area where you would give valuable content such as video tutorials, special reports, contents, ebooks, modules, etc. the member agrees to pay you a monthly membership fee for that privilege. This is a nice business model because it gives you a regular, steady monthly income!
Coaching Services. If you have a niche or specialty area of expertise that people are looking for, you can charge to coach them in that area. Life Coaching has is now popular and you can be a coach on an area within your expertise.
Private Advertisers. You can allow graphic ads on your website and charge a fee for that ad as a way to monetize your website. I know a successful blogger who sells space on his blog and sells each advertising block for $325 per month . He has approximately eight spaces…you do the math!. You really have to build up the traffic and list to do this. Some people do not like ads on their site–it is really a personal preference.
Google Adsense. By placing a line of code on your website, you allow Google to strategically place related ads on your website. If someone clicks on those ads, you make money.
Paid Reviews. If you bring in a lot of traffic on your blog, you could potentially get paid to write a review on your blog about other company’s products or services. I know of people who charge as little as $5 for a review for up $1000 or more for a review. Make sure you sign up with Aweber and start building your list today!
Product Reviews. You will be reviewing a product that you have personally used (or recommend) and writing the review on your site. Some bloggers review high end products that pay them high commissions! 
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