How To Boss Being A Freelance Blogger & Run Your Own Killer Blog

Image Credit: rawpixel via Pixabay

There’s no doubt that the prospect of being able to make money from your writing and community management is an attractive one. Yet turning this dream into a reality can seem like an overwhelming task. There are so many options to consider, and how can you know which will work for you?

The best answer to this is to simply learn by doing. Many potential revenue streams cost little more than your time to implement, so if you’re willing and able to put the work in, there’s no reason not to try. Furthermore, the better you know your audience, and the more preliminary research you do, the easier it will be to nail down the best options for your blog.

And when you start to slowly shift your mindset into a success mentality, you will start to truly see the benefits of living life by your own rules. But don’t fall into the trap of believing that success comes from just thinking — it’s the doing that really counts. 

To get you started, here are some pretty reliable ways to start making money with your blog…

First Steps: Is Your Blog Ready To Make Money?

Naturally, before you can earn a penny, you’re going to need a blog with steady traffic and an engaged readership. Otherwise, you just have an empty shell of a domain that’s of little value to your or any potential customers or sponsors.

Pick a topic you know you will enjoy writing about, and will continue to be interested in for the foreseeable future. You’re going to be creating a lot of content around this topic, so you don’t want to burn out after month three. Try to find a theme or mission statement that will help crystallise your blogging voice.

The next step is to research your ideas using tools such as SEMRush and Google Trends to get a sense of which topics are growing in popularity, and the sort of search terms being used by your intended audience. Search term research is essential in helping you plan out a strong editorial calendar, and optimise any existing posts with potential.

WordPress is a great option for new bloggers. Not only was it originally designed specifically for blogging, but it’s also very versatile and straightforward to use. It allows you to focus 100% on content production and spreading your message, rather than worrying too much about technical aspects.

Even if you’re a seasoned blogger, you could probably benefit from reviewing the following:

• Your hosting arrangements
• Your blog theme/design (these get outdated fast)
• Your mobile experience and speed (install speed plugins)
• Your social media presence
• Your blog photography and visuals: free stock photo sites like Pexels or image sharing sites like Flickr can help you stand out from the crowd
• Your apps and plugins (particularly ones that can increase subscribers and followers)

Laying a strong foundation is the only way to be truly professional, and be taken seriously as a publisher and blogger.

It doesn’t mean you can’t be quirky, sassy, and wonderfully oddball — but you have to plan your blog out meticulously and commit to engaging a readership first.

If you are primarily using your blog as a ‘hook’ for freelance clients, then bring them in by showing off positive case studies and by making ordering content or workshop calls from you easy. The less thinking (and clicking), the better.

Spread the Word: Promote Your Content + Build Authority

You need to have an authoritative domain in order to pick up regular search traffic. Though a lot of people discover blogs on social media sites and places like Quora and Reddit, steady organic traffic should be one of your core goals as an aspiring pro-blogger.

It’s also worth setting up some ‘share’ buttons and automating your social media scheduling. And make sure your SEO is on point on every single page and post on your blog. The more regular traffic and positive social media interactions you accumulate, the more authority your domain will have. Optimising blog posts for SEO is super easy (and fun), and means that you will get more out of your blog, faster. Don’t neglect this crucial stage of your blog’s growth.

Authority is an important factor in how your website is handled by search engine crawlers. The more established your blog is, the more likely it is to show up higher in search results. This ultimately means more web traffic, and more chance for your revenue streams to take effect. Build authority by networking with other blogs and media publications, and be sure to publish plenty of relevant content.

A great blog isn’t built in a day. But if you’re passionate and committed to it, your hard work will ultimately pay off.

Ads Ahoy: CPM vs CPC

One of the most obvious ways to earn some money via your blog is to host some ads. You may have heard of Google AdSense, and this is a great place to start. These ads are selected to be relevant to your audience, and the highest-paying ads are given priority.

The benefits of this are twofold:

• Ads that are more relevant to your audience are more likely to be engaged with, meaning a higher return for you on a CPC model.
• Seeing ads that are genuinely useful and relevant can improve audience impressions of your blog, as they feel more natural and in keeping with the rest of your website. In contrast, adverts that are unrelated to your content or audience feel intrusive and salesy, diminishing the perceived value of your site as a whole.

An important decision to make is whether to use a CPM or CPC model. This largely depends on the type of audience you cater to, and your overall traffic volume. With CPC, or cost per click, you earn revenue whenever one of your readers clicks on an ad hosted on your blog.

However, some audiences are particularly wary of ads, whereas others are simply unwilling to click through to another website. In this case, you might choose CPM (cost per mille) ads. This model generates revenue for every 1,000 impressions. This means that you are paid for every 1,000 times someone views an ad on your blog — no clicks required.

For newer blogs, CPM may not be viable. However, as your traffic grows, you should weigh up whether you would earn more from this than from CPC. The simplest way to do this is to compare the number of page views with the number of click-throughs on your hosted ads, and calculate the relative income you would receive from each. Remember, this can change over time, so check your data periodically to ensure that you are still using the best model for you.

Become A Brand Advocate

Depending on your blog’s niche, affiliate marketing, influencer sponsorship or writing for a specific client can be useful ways of monetising your website. This type of marketing involves promoting or recommending a particular product or brand in return for payment, and can take several forms:

• Reviews and giveaways: Some companies may be willing to provide free products for you to try out and review, or to offer as a giveaway prize in a competition. This lets them benefit from your established reach. You can also sometimes negotiate long-term sponsorship deals and exclusive content partnerships, which can be considerably lucrative.
• Underwritten or sponsored content: This can be in the form of written, video, or audio content, in which you talk about a particular brand or product. This type of content should always be clearly identified as sponsored.
• Affiliate schemes (such as Amazon Affiliates): To participate in this program, you mention or recommend individual products, linking directly to those products on Amazon. You then earn a commission based on the user’s total purchase after clicking through from your website. This one is super easy to do, and you can sign up to be a direct affiliate for brands you know and love.

This is a great opportunity to combine your passion for your subject and your personal knowledge and experience with a lucrative revenue stream. You can provide genuine value to your audience by recommending products that you enjoy and use yourself.

This not only helps your readers find quality items relating to their interests, but also gives them an insight into your personal preferences. This will ultimately build familiarity, forming a stronger bond with your audience.

Embrace Ecommerce

Another great way your blog can be used to make money is by selling physical or digital products via your website. Your blog will attract web traffic, and demonstrates your knowledge and authority within your niche. This then gives you a firm foundation for inspiring visitors to purchase something from your website. Most website builders make it super easy to get started too, so it’s doable no matter what your development experience — check out this easy comparison from website.org to find the best fit for you.

Many bloggers sell ebooks, white-papers, or other collections of their written content via their website. Your blog is already in place to show readers the quality of your work, so users know what to expect from their purchase. You might even decide to sell physical copies of your book, or use your blog to promote yourself as a writer for hire.

Perhaps you’re a photographer, or a travel blogger? Why not sell some of your prints online? Incorporating an ecommerce element into your blog can actually help to round out your content. It also provides additional value to your readers as they’re not only reading your insights, but taking action in response.

Alternatively, you might consider dropshipping. This removes all the bother of maintaining an inventory and handling shipping, as all you need to do is market and sell the products via your website.

Image Credit: jonas-svidras via Pixabay

Ultimately, your combination of revenue streams will depend on the type of blog you run, the time you are able to commit, and the sort of audience you are aiming to please. There’s no perfect formula, and you may find that some income sources are more or less effective than you had expected.

The best thing to do is to pick the options that most appeal to you, and see how well they work with your blog and its audience. You can always change your mind later. Over time you will learn more about your website, its users, and marketing in general. This will put you in a far stronger position for expanding your blog, or even branching out into other money-making endeavors.

Victoria Greene is an ecommerce marketing expert and freelance writer who likes to help great businesses get noticed. You can read more of her work on her blog Victoria Ecommerce.