Blogging is becoming more and more popular these days.
There are many reasons for why people blog.
Businesses blog to sell their products. Affiliate marketers blog so they can earn commissions. Entrepreneurs and freelancers blog so they can sell their services. Authors blog so they can sell their books.
As you can see, one of the main reasons people blog is to make money.
Some people, however, blog just because they love it. Others blog as a way of “getting their name out there.” And others use blogging as a means to chronicle their life experiences.
Whatever the reasons people have for blogging, the fact is that blogging can lead you to many opportunities. I’ve already shared with you How You Can Find Earning and Ranking Opportunities from Blogging.
Today, I will share with you the different ways blogging can lead you to more money-making opportunities, based on my experiences.
I currently have 9+ income streams, which I mention in The Essence of Blogging (+ How to Earn Money Online). (I have lost count of the exact number, but they are in the double digits!)
You can apply what I have learned to your own experiences with blogging, and choose to create more money-making opportunities of your own.
How Blogging Led Me to Becoming an Author
When I first began blogging, back in January 2013, I did it with the intention of growing a following so that I could sell a book I wrote while I was in university (which was still unpublished).
At that time, I had no idea what blogging really was. I thought it was basically keeping an online journal.
Needless to say, I was shocked when I started receiving comments on my posts. I had no idea that people were actually reading what I wrote!
The fourth blog post I wrote ended up ranking on the first page of Google.
Many of my other posts landed there, too.
One of them was the one I wrote about my suicide attempt.
When I noticed that Google was sending over 500 people a day to that article, I decided to write a book on overcoming suicidal thoughts, so that I could help those readers even further. I planned on selling my book from that blog post, and earning some passive income while simultaneously helping others. Win-win!
So that is what I did.And that is how
From Nope to Hope came into existence.
How Blogging Led Me to Becoming an Entrepreneur
When I began blogging in 2013, I discovered I really liked it.
Although I was a new blogger, I quickly learned many of the tricks of the trade. I read blogs about blogging so that I could become a better blogger, too.
One of the things I learned about was guest posting, which is writing blog posts for other websites. Initially, my posts helped new bloggers, such as 8 Action Tips for Guppy-Bloggers in an Ocean of Sharks.
After writing a few guest posts, one website owner said he wanted to hire me. (That was Greg Narayan, from Dear Blogger.)
All of sudden… BOOM… I was a freelance writer! (I ended up writing a ton of posts for Dear Blogger. I was then hired to write more posts for other websites.)
I also had been doing some editing for a few authors I knew.
Because I am actually a certified high school English teacher, I knew I could put my writing and editing skills to work… so I opened my word-based business, Wording Well.
And that is how I became an entrepreneur.
How Blogging Led Me to Add More Services to My Business
After earning money from writing and editing, I was asked to help a blind man self-publish a book.
I was also asked to help a few people accomplish a few other things, one-on-one.
So I decided to add two more services to my business:
Author Assistant Services
and
Coaching/Mentoring/Consulting Services.
In case you are interested, you can read about Maxwell Ivey’s journey to publishing a print book. Max is a blind man who has, to date, published 3 books, and is planning on writing and publishing more!
Wording Well now offers 4 services to others!
How Blogging Led Me to Earn Money through Sponsored Posts and Link Placements
When you consistently provide value to your audience, your site builds up a good DA and PA (Domain Authority and Page Authority).
Other bloggers and entrepreneurs will then want to guest post on your site, to earn a backlink. This backlink will boost their own site’s DA and PA.
Because I built up my Wording Well website, I began to get tons (and I mean TONS!) of emails from other bloggers who wanted to be a “guest” on my site.
Initially, I accepted many posts (for free) from them. I thought this would help me with the content creation aspect of my site (more guests posts = less post-writing for me), but I was mistaken. I still had to edit their posts and add links. In many cases, I even had to create images to use in the posts.
Eventually, I got tired of doing this “extra” work for free… and dealing with all of the email requests… so I decided to start charging people to post on my site.
When people pay for you to publish an article that links back to their site or their business, such a post is called a “Sponsored Post.” That is the only kind of post I now accept on Wording Well.
I’m pleased to say that I have cut down on my email interactions, too, because I simply direct all requests to a page on my site that I created to handle such requests! This page is my Write/Advertise page.
Then I hear back from only those who are truly interested.
I also get a ton of requests from other bloggers who want me to add a link to their post from one of mine. To help combat this, I direct all requests to the aforementioned page on my site. Then I hear back from only those who are truly interested.
Although Google frowns on those who sell backlinks (or link placements), I have not suffered any repercussions as a result of this practice.
I have earned extra income as a result. I once made $300 in ten minutes by adding three links to three of my posts then updating those posts!
How Blogging Led Me to Earn Passive Income through AdSense
I mentioned earlier that many of my posts ranked on the first page of Google.
Google sent me a lot of organic traffic as a result.
At that time, I didn’t have anything other than my services to sell, so I thought I should install Google AdSense on my site so I could take advantage of this traffic and earn some passive income.
I did just that, and wrote a tutorial about it: How to Make Money Blogging by Doing NOTHING but using AdSense.
How Blogging Led Me to Earn Money through Affiliate Programs
Affiliate marketing has never been “my thing,” but I also earn money by promoting the products and services of others.
There are many people and companies who have affiliate programs.
Almost every hosting company has one. (I am an affiliate of three different ones.)
Amazon Associates is a huge one that allows you to promote ANYTHING Amazon sells (and they sell a LOT of things!).
In my case, I am a freelance who often helps other freelancers. But I did not create a course to sell. However, two of my fellow freelancers did, and so I promote their courses on my site. Each course is different, but both are good, and that is why I have no problem promoting them. I don’t promote garbage, only good stuff!
It’s always nice to log into your PayPal account and see you have additional earnings from passive income made through affiliates!
Summary: How Blogging Can Lead You to 6 Additional Money-Making Opportunities
1: Earn passive income from selling e-books and/or print books.
2: Create and sell courses. (When you see a need, fill it! Provide value to your audience and you will reap the results!)
3: Add more services. Sell whatever it is you are good at doing. Turn your talents and skills into money-making opportunities! (For example, if you are good at image creation, sell packages of images. If you are good at writing, sell your writing services. After publishing my first book, I added Author Assistant services to my list. I then helped others publish their books, and still help others do this!)
4: Charge for sponsored posts and link placements, if your site has a good DA and PA.
5: Install AdSense on your site. AdSense earnings can then be made once you apply for and are accepted into the AdSense program.
6: Get involved with affiliate programs so you can increase your passive income. Earnings can be made if you promote good quality products and courses!
Opportunities to make money are everywhere. You just need to know where to look!
Let me know what you think in the comment box