How To Make Money Blogging 11 Ideas for (Hobby) Bloggers + Price Proposals
Again and again, there are blog parades in the blogosphere on the subject of “Earning money with blogs“. Not all are pro-earning money, often with the argument that readers are being deceived (especially when advertising is not labeled – which, by the way, I don’t think is good either). I have also often heard the argument that bloggers can no longer be objective when they get money for an article.
But: all of this only relates to sponsored posts. There are so many different ways to make money from your own blog. I wrote down 11 ideas and possibilities, some of them are more complex, some less. In the free freebie, you have noted the overview of the expenses so that you know what you can implement, even if you are not a full-time blogger. Oh, and I’ve included tools and price proposals! The prices come from my own experience on the one hand, and on the other from discussions with other bloggers and my latest findings from the Fashion Camp 🙂
Table of Content
Earning Money with Blogs Tip : 1. SPONSORED POSTS
I know, I said there are other options. But this method is the classic among blog collaborations. And most bloggers want to make money from this method. That is why I have included them in my list for the sake of completeness.
This is how it works:
You get paid to write a blog article that you post on your blog. Usually, one or more links are placed on the website of the cooperation partner so that the partner also benefits from SEO. Your cooperation partner also benefits from your (personal) relationship with your readers, which a company will probably never reach, and of course from your reach.
Your advantage:
The method is practical for you because you know in advance how much money you will get for a contribution. How much you charge for a contribution depends, among other things, on:
- the niche of your blog
- the range
- the effort you put into creating an article (it makes a difference whether you test a product or come up with a recipe, cook, photograph, and write about it)
The right price is individual, as a rule of thumb: no item should be sold for less than 100 €. That is the absolute lower limit, the SEO value is just paid for! If you want to read more about how to calculate your sponsored post price, read this blog article where I try different sponsored post formulas.
Your disadvantage:
There are readers who immediately doubt your credibility when you flag a blog article as a sponsored post (and yes, you have to flag!). In addition, you can never estimate when and how many cooperation offers will arrive in your mailbox. As a result, you may have more offers than you can accept in one month and none at all the next month.
Earning Money with Blogs Tip : 2. AFFILIATE LINKS
This is how it works:
In affiliate marketing, you include a link that links to an online shop, for example. The link is provided (in simplified terms) with your little bow, through which the operator of the online shop knows that the reader is coming from you. Every time someone buys something through your link, you get a small reward. Your reader no longer pays!
Your advantage:
You can include as many and as often affiliate links as you want – in theory. Because here too you have to be careful that the relationship between paid and “normal” links is right. You can get the links via special publisher networks, of which there are now very many. Tracdelight, for example, is ideal for fashion bloggers, if you are a fan of Etsy, you can apply to Awin.
Your disadvantage:
The commission you get from your sellers is usually low. Often you don’t get more than 3-10% of the purchase price. This means that the more expensive the product you are promoting, the more money you get. If you are promoting cheaper products, they may be bought more often, but you also need more traffic. In other words, you need a strategy for this method to work.
Important for affiliate marketing: use the no-follow attribute for these links, otherwise you could be penalized by Google (and get fewer visitors via the search engine)!
Earning Money with Blogs Tip : 3. BANNER ADVERTISING
For a long time, banner ads were the only advertising that was integrated into websites and quickly fell into disrepute as annoying and spammy (similar to pop-ups). But: these times are over if you use them sparingly!
This is how it works:
You integrate a banner in your sidebar, under your blog article, in the footer, or another prominent part of your blog. The price is calculated using the TKP (Thousand Contact Price): for every 1,000 people who visit your blog, you get a certain sum. This amount depends on the size of the banner and is usually between € 15 and € 45.
Your advantage:
In contrast to affiliate links, you are not necessarily dependent on networks, you can also sell banner spaces yourself. You also don’t depend on your readers to click the banner and buy something. This means that you can calculate well in advance how much you will take in a month.
Your disadvantage:
As already mentioned: banners have a reputation for being spammy. And it’s not that wrong because if they’re too much and placed in bad places, they can be disruptive. In addition, the income is usually relatively low if you do not have that many readers.
Earning Money with Blogs Tip : 4. SELL E-BOOKS
One could say that you are an expert on the topic you are blogging about – whether it’s fitness, quick recipes, or a mom: you constantly deal with the topic and can share your experiences. Or do you write short stories that would be in good hands not only on your blog but also in a book? You already do that on your blog – so why not write an e-book about it !?
This is how it works:
In principle, it’s very simple: you write a book and then sell it on your blog. You don’t have to start from 0: use your most popular blog articles as a basis! With services such as DPD, Sendowl, or Gumroad, you can sell the e-book via your blog with minimal effort!
Your advantage:
You don’t have to be a tech guru to write an e-book: you can write it in Microsoft Word or Pages for Mac and then export it as a PDF. And you can also reach your target group, your readers, via your blog and you no longer have to invest a lot of money for it. A landing page and a few well-placed Facebook ads can work wonders!
Another advantage that should not be neglected: you are not dependent on a company or network.
Your disadvantage:
Writing an e-book takes time. Even if there isn’t a lot behind it technically, your book should have a concept and a common thread. There is also the risk that you will put a lot of work into your e-book and that it will not go down as well with your readers as you thought. It is therefore important that you ask them in advance how they like the idea (e.g. with a small social media survey)!
Read Also: Earn Money with Apps – We show the Tricks
5. SELL THE E-COURSE
This is how it works:
Producing an e-course is similar to writing an e-book: most of the work is in preparation. You’re selling a course on a subject that you are an expert in and can teach others about. There are basically 3 types of courses:
- Video courses
- Email courses
- Text courses (which also often contain videos, downloads, …)
There are several platforms on which you can sell your course. For video courses for example Skillshare or Edudip and for “normal” courses Coursecraft. And e-mail courses can be implemented with Mailchimp, for example.
Your advantage:
Just like with an e-book, you don’t have too much work after producing it. You can also sell the course when you are not online. However, a good marketing strategy doesn’t hurt to reach enough people.
And here, too, you are not dependent on corporate budgets.
Your disadvantage:
As with an e-book, e-course production is also time-consuming, especially if you integrate videos. Your course should also have a common thread and, ideally, be interactive.
6. DONATIONS OR CROWDFUNDING
Another way to make money from your blog is to seek help from readers. After all, you keep providing them with free content. But: I have to admit, I’ve never tried it myself but I’ve seen it on a couple of blogs. I’m a little skeptical about whether and how well this method works, but I didn’t want to withhold it from you 😉 If you have experience with it: leave a comment and share it with me!
This is how it works:
You integrate a PayPal donation button in your blog, either in a sidebar widget or under your blog article. So that you don’t “beg” too clumsily, you can, for example, add a “Buy me a coffee” button or use this plugin to come up with your own text. For example, what you would use the money for a new outfit for your fashion blog? Craft material for your DIY blog? Then you could almost call it crowdfunding 😉
Your advantage:
You have little effort to integrate the button and you do not have to rely on a cooperation partner.
Your disadvantage:
These buttons work via PayPal, which means your readers have to use PayPal to buy you a coffee. And how much the income is (and whether there is any) depends on the generosity of your readers.
7. PAYWALL
Another method I haven’t tried yet. You can hardly find it on any blog, which may be due to the fact that readers are not used to paying for content.
This is how it works:
There are different types of paywalls. With the pay-per-view method, readers have to pay for every article they want to read. With the Metered-Paywall System, a certain number of articles per month is free before payment has to be made. You can find a detailed description in this article.
Your advantages and disadvantages:
The system is easy to install with the help of WordPress plugins. However, it can quickly lead to frustration among readers because articles are not freely accessible. And this increases the risk that they will look for other blogs where they can get similar content for free.
Earning Money with Blogs Tip : 8. LECTURES AT CONFERENCES
Do you not only want to inspire or inform other people with your blog, but you also have no problem speaking in front of a crowd? Then see if there are events or conferences in your niche where you can act as a speaker and give a lecture!
Your advantage:
You make new contacts and you will probably learn something professionally (because let’s be honest: you can always learn something).
Your disadvantage:
At first, you will probably have to approach the organizers of the event organizers yourself and ask if you can act as a speaker. And as long as you haven’t made a name for yourself, you may have to forego a fee (especially when it comes to smaller events). Also, don’t underestimate the time it takes, after all, you have to prepare for your big performance!
9. DIGITAL PRODUCTS & 10. MATERIAL PRODUCTS
This is how it works:
Do you realize DIY projects on your blog that your readers would also set up at home? Or jewelry that your readers would love to wear? Or do you design invitations that your readers would like to use for their next event? Believe it or not, not everyone is skilled in the craft or can use the right programs. So why not sell your ideas through shop systems like Dawanda or Etsy?
Your advantage:
Through your blog articles, you have direct feedback from your readers about which ideas they like and you can more easily decide on a product. In addition, your blog is the best marketing channel ever!
Your disadvantage:
The effort involved in the production is more or less complex, depending on the type of product. This not only applies to material products, but also to digital products, if you customize them for your customers (e.g. for the above-mentioned invitations). So if you hardly have any time besides your full-time job, this method is probably not intended for you.
Earning Money with Blogs Tip : 11. SELL PHOTOS
As a blogger, you take photos all the time and are asked again and again whether you have learned that because your photos look so great? Then benefit from not only showing them on your blog but also selling them!
This is how it works:
Many (stock) photo databases such as Fotolia offer the option of selling photos. Most of the time, you get a percentage of the retail price when your photo is sold. But be careful: it is worth looking carefully and reading through whether and which rights you are giving up with the sale!
Your advantage:
You hardly have any additional work because you are shooting and editing the photos for your blog anyway.
Your disadvantage:
If you have sold your photo, you do not necessarily give up the rights to your pictures (depending on the platform). But you can usually still not control by whom and for what your images are used.
AND NOW SUMMARIZED AGAIN
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