How To Monetize Your Blog

As I said in my previous posts several times that monetizing a blog is not an easy task but you can still do following checkups before applying to monetizing.

It takes a lot of time and hard work to develop a blog and gain a readership. For most bloggers, this dedication needs to be justified by providing a stable income. However first everyone start it as a hobby but later their mind changes for monetizing their content.

I first started using blogging platforms myself in 2012. My first proper blog was about to spread awareness about the cheat websites which were or still are cheating people and doing fake promises to their users about millions earning with their deposit schemes. 

I updated frequently for friends whenever I find any website indulging in same kind of fraud, I conduct surveys and sometimes I user my personal money to find their truth about payment and after when I collect sufficient data then I publish that website name on my blog.

One can check my awareness blog for reference. http://fakepayingwebsites.blogspot.in/

It was not until 2013 that I launched my first commercial blog. I knew that I could make money with the blog, but if I am completely honest with all of you, I never really looked too far into the future and considered how I would actually make the blog profitable. Thankfully, I was able to learn through experience and make the blog profitable over the first year.

Today I would like to share my experience of developing profitable blogs over the last three years and show you the most common ways to monetize a blog.

Direct Advertising Sales (Banner & Text)

If you stopped anyone in the street and asked them how a blog makes money, I would hazard a guess that the majority of people would give the response “Banner Ads”. This would actually be a fairly accurate answer; though it does not tell the whole story as banners are displayed for a variety of reasons.

A blogger may be promoting their own products through banners. Alternatively, they may be promoting the product or service of an advertiser. Many blogs sell text links too, though this has become less common due to Google’s policy on selling links.

Advertising space can be sold directly to advertisers. Blog owners normally charge advertisers a fixed fee or charge per thousand impressions of the ad (cost per impressions are frequently referred to as CPM). For example, an advertisement with a CPM rate of $3 would cost $300 for one hundred thousand impressions.

I am a big fan of selling advertisements directly as it brings in a stable income every month. Be aware that if you sell through an advertising marketplace such as BuySellAds, the service will keep a percentage of your income. BuySellAds, for example, take a commission of 25%. This is sometimes a small price to pay for the sales they generate, though I would still recommend trying to sell your ads yourself before using a marketplace.

Be sure to check out the WordPress plugin OIOpublisher if you are selling ads directly. It will make your life a lot easier.

BuySellAds is a blog advertising marketplace that is used by thousands of bloggers and advertisers.

Advertising Networks

An alternative to selling advertisements directly is to display advertisements from an ad network. Google Adsense is by far the most popular option for bloggers, however there are many alternatives such as Chitika, Kontera, Infolinks, Bidvertiser, and BurstMedia and many more like these.

Advertising networks normally pay on a per-click basis or a CPM basis. Due to this, income generated from advertising networks will vary month to month. For most bloggers, I would recommend using advertising networks to fill any advertising inventory you cannot sell directly to advertisers; however the key is obviously to test all avenues.

Google Adsense is used on many blogs.

Affiliation

A large number of online shops and services offer an affiliate program to website owners that pays commissions to those that generate sales for them. The affiliate program usually pays a set fee or a percentage of the overall sales price. Percentages occasionally vary between products. For example, Amazon Associates pays up to 8.5% for Kindle books and 5% for music and movies.

Do not underestimate the potential of integrating affiliate links into your content. For one of my old blogs, affiliate income represented around 75% of my total income due to the number of reviews and tutorials I had written.

Be sure to place a small disclaimer on your blog advising readers that you may use affiliate links from time to time. You will find that the vast majority of readers are happy about this as they know it supports your blog.

Pretty Link is a great way of masking affiliate links and tracking how many times a link has been clicked.

Products

Over time, bloggers gain a high level of trust and loyalty from their readers. This makes blogs the perfect platform for launching products. A blog with targeted traffic can make a huge amount of money by selling products directly to readers.

Popular products include books, membership websites, courses, software, t-shirts, and accessories. As long as the product you market is closely related to your blog’s topic, it will sell. To get an idea of what you could sell to your readers, take a look at similar blogs within your niche and see what they are selling.

I promote my discussion forum Rise Forums heavily through my personal blog in order to drive traffic to the website.

Services

Blogs are also a great platform for marketing services. I have generated thousands of dollars through my blog for additional freelancing and consultation work. There are a lot of people within internet marketing who are also making great money through speaking gigs and one-on-one coaching.

Your blog is a place for you to market yourself and promote the experience you have. There is a lot of people out there who are willing to pay you for your knowledge and time. I therefore recommend offering services to readers to supplement your income and raise your profile as an authority.

Job Board / Classifieds / Marketplace

Once you have an established level of traffic, you will find more and more doors opening for you. One way to take advantage of your traffic is to launch a dedicated job board, classifieds or marketplace.

They are easy to set up and allow people to advertise, buy and sell items. Once the marketplace has become successful, you can charge users for posting ads.

ProBlogger generates thousands of dollars of additional income every month through its job board.

Sponsored Reviews & Paid Posts

Advertisers are always looking for ways to promote the products and services they sell. A popular way for them to increase sales is to pay for a review on a suitable blog.

A sponsored review refers to a review that you have written about a product or service for a fee. A paid post refers to an article that an advertiser has written and wants you to publish it on your blog for a fee. 

In my experience, it is always better to do sponsored reviews to ensure the quality of content remains high. Paid posts tend to be nothing more than poorly written advertisements. Though on the plus side, paid posts are an easier way to make money as you simply copy the article onto your website and click publish.

As your blog gains more traffic, you will approached by advertisers about sponsored reviews and paid posts more frequently. I encourage you to test them out with your audience; however be sure to place a disclaimer with every paid post that the post is an advertisement (or readers will wrongly assume you wrote the article).

LinkWorth lets you charge advertisers for reviewing their product, website or service.

Premium Content

Ebooks and membership websites are not the only way to profit from good content. You can also charge readers to access your best articles. 

I have seen a wide range of blogs selling premium content in this way. For example, within the affiliate marketing world, Finch Sells is known for charging for his best content. It is very common within the fitness world too.

Finch is a highly respected affiliate marketer; which is why many people are willing to pay to read his articles.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is the ultimate marketing tool for bloggers. It allows you to instantly deliver your message directly to the inbox of readers. This makes it a more powerful marketing tool than Facebook or Twitter.

I encourage you all to start building your email list now. Do not wait until your blog is established. You should be collecting emails from day one. This will allow you to market all the products, services and monetization methods we have discussed in his post so far.

Email marketing is what separates hobby bloggers from professional bloggers. If you can build a list of a few thousand email subscribers, you are half way to owning a profitable blog.

MailChimp is a great solution for new bloggers as they allow up to 2,000 subscribers free of charge.

Sell Your Blog

Lastly, I would like to talk about the possibility of selling your blog. If your circumstances change and you need more time or more money (or both), you could make good money by selling your blog.

There are many factors that are considered when a potential buyer prices your blog. I have over $200,000 in sales on Flippa and around $150,000 of those sales came from blogs. In my experience, the biggest influence on the final selling price is income.

If your blog is making money, you will have buyers fighting against each other in order to win the auction for your blog. Conversely, if your blog does not make much money, there is a good chance that you will be the one spending all your time asking people to bid. It is therefore always better to sell your blog once it has become profitable.

Flippa recently doubled their fees, however their marketplace is still popular for selling blogs.

Final Thoughts

I hope you have enjoyed this article on monetizing your blog. I tried to touch upon the main ways that bloggers monetize their blogs, however there are many other methods. When it comes to making money from your blog, you are only limited by your imagination.

7 Blunders while Writing a Blog

As I promised in my previous blog post you can read and learn to remove mistakes while writing for your blogs and it gives me a great pleasure that I am able to write such a blog to help you all. 

So be alert while reading.

#1. Being Egoistic

You’ll be building your personal brand through your blog. You want people to see you as authority and expert on your topic. Talking about yourself shows your expertise.

However, talking too much about yourself will draw you back from achieving financial independence with your blog.

Always keep in mind that you’re not blogging for yourself, you’re only writing for the people.

People visit your blog for a purpose that benefits them only. This can be an answer to their questions or a solution to their problem.

Use the word “I” less and use the word “You” more.

Visitors want to be the center of focus. They want to know that your blog exists because of them, and for the purpose of satisfying their needs.

#2. Failing to do an Extensive Research

In the Internet Marketing world, you’ll often hear the need to always create “high quality contents.”

What does that mean?

Because the Internet is full of junks and over rehashed information, the only way to succeed is to stand out.

What’s the best way to stand out online?

You’ll have to create more value for web readers.

What is that information other articles in your niche currently lacks?

You definitely won’t know the answer to that question until you’ve fully research the topic you want to write about.

There’s no way you’ll deliver “high quality content” without committing hours, sometime, days to research the topic.

Writing “high quality contents” online don’t have to be miss and hit.

Before you start writing about anything, you should first research to see if there’s a need for it. If a question is being asked on forums, it means many people also have that same question. It indicates there’s a need for that information.

After recognizing a need for an article, you should ensure you’re not repeating what other people have said. You’ll need to deliver a unique and more helpful piece of content. Research is the only key to this.

If you can take more time to do research than other competing bloggers, you’ll regularly be delivering higher quality contents to your readers.

Following this simple advice is very important. It will help you stand out in any niche and you’ll attract loyal readers who will stick with you for a long time.

#3. Failing to Keep Promises You Made with Your Headline

This is a brutal writing mistake and you must avoid it at all cost if you want to become a millionaire through writing online.

When you fail to deliver the promise you made to your readers in the title, they’ll become extremely unhappy and may decide never to visit your blog again. I think this is very bad when building reputation.

Take this article’s title for example “Writing Mistakes You Must Avoid to Get Rich Blogging.”

Every paragraph I write is made to fulfill the promise I made to you with that title.

Before you begin writing the body of your content, you should make sure you’ve written the headline you’re satisfied with.

Promises tend to be made before getting fulfilled. Trying to fulfill a promise you haven’t made is a very tough.

Writing after you’ve written the headline keeps you going in the right direction.

Now don’t be afraid to write an audacious promise because you don’t want to lose the trust of your readers.

Readers need to know that they will be gaining something valuable in exchange for their time.

You want people to share your contents with their friends. You want them to recommend your blog to their peers. The only way to get that is to always surprise them with your headlines, then back that up with your content.

#4. Creating Boring Contents That Put Readers to Sleep

If you’re going to become a millionaire through blogging, you need people to start spending more time on your blog. You won’t make a single cent if people visit and then leave immediately.

How can you ensure you’re not making the mistake of creating contents that put readers to sleep?

First, you have to talk to the reader.

How do you do that?

Use the word “you”. By doing this, your readers will feel like you’re really talking to them.

You don’t have to write like you’re writing a college essay. You have to write using a conversational tone that makes people feel engaged.

Are you paying attention to how much I’ve been using the word “you” in this article?

Now you know the importance of why I’m using the word “you” more than any other word when writing my articles.

But it doesn’t end there.

You should also keep paragraphs short and use subheadings and bullets if you want people to spend more time on your blog.

Readers can easily get bored when reading loads of wall text. Breaking your points down with subheadings prevents the readers’ eyes from easily getting tired.

Can you see how I keep paragraphs short with lots of subheads in this article?

That’s exactly how you should be writing on your blog.

#5. Not Explaining Complex Ideas

You’re an expert. You know everything concerning a topic.

For you to pass the knowledge down to people who visit your blog for the purpose of learning, you’ll have to explain it in a simple manner even a 10-year old can understand. Not doing this mean your readers would gain nothing from what your write.

The best writers are people who can explain complex ideas in such a way a novice will understand.

Using industry jargons and big words means people will leave your blog with more unanswered questions.

You should be making the life of your readers easier. If they always have to read your blog with a dictionary beside them, you shouldn’t expect them to buy anything you recommend.

When you explain complex ideas using the word your readers already know, they’ll gain something valuable from your blog and they will be happy to tell their friends about you.

#6. Writing without a Roadmap

This is the biggest blogging sin and the fastest way to upset your readers.

Last week, you wrote about politics. This week, you write about food. Next week, you’re writing about electronics. Don’t expect your blog to take you anywhere.

You’ll be holding yourself back until you draw a clear roadmap that shows where your blog is heading.

You want to become a millionaire through blogging, right?

You’ll have to choose a topic and concentrate all your energy on that single topic.

Writing about cars today and writing about motorcycles tomorrow won’t help you build a community that shares a common interest.

When I started my blog, I wanted to write contents that will help people quit their jobs and be their boss.

You know what I did?

I was writing about every online business. Thank goodness, I realized this isn’t going to help me build an audience that shares a common interest. I had to think deeper about the type of audience I want to attract to my blog.

Finally, I settled down on attracting the kind of people who want to be their own boss, but through blogging.

Assuming you wanted to start a blog about investing. There are different kinds of investment. We have stocks, currency trading, real estate, mutual funds and bonds.

Talking about all these topics won’t move your blog forward. Instead, you should focus on one topic and make sure your blog is known for that one topic. This will help you attract an audience that cares about that topic.

#7. Not Revising and Editing Your Writing

After writing your first draft, you’ll feel cheered and can’t wait to publish your new post. Don’t do that, the work is just half-done. You’ll need to polish your writing by revising and editing ruthlessly.

One, you’ll have to read as a reader. Is your purpose of writing clear and to the point? Does it answer the questions the reader has?

Two, you’ll have to read as a writer. Will the introduction grab the reader attention? Does the paragraph flow well and connect with each other?

Three, you’ll have to read as an editor. Are they any typos, overused words and grammatical errors? Are they any unnecessary points that shouldn’t be in the writing?

If you want to become a better writer, you must learn to edit, and edit well.

I like doing the editing myself. It lets me take my experience to the next blog post and beyond. The more I edit, the more I realize my writing mistakes and try to improve in my next articles.

To become a rich blogger, your writing has to be free from errors.

Although there’s nothing like having a perfect work, regularly editing your own work will help you improve your writing skill.

Conclusion

I strongly advise you to bookmark this page, so you can always come back to it to see if you’re making any mistake listed here.

If you can write articles without making any of the above writing mistakes, you’ll be on your way to attaining financial freedom and I can guarantee you that the world will soon be talking about you and your blog.

Starting a Business in India

Need to Know before Starting a Business in India

One Person Company

The concept of One Person Company (OPC) in India was introduced through the Companies Act, 2013 to support entrepreneurs who on their own are capable of starting a venture by allowing them to create a single person economic entity. One of the biggest advantages of a OPC is that there can be only one member in a OPC, while a minimum of two members are required for incorporating and maintaining a Private Limited Company or a Limited Liability Partnership. Similar to a Company, a OPC is a separate legal entity from its members, offers limited liability protection to its shareholders, has continuity of business and is easy to incorporate.

Though a One Person Entity allows a lone Entrepreneur to run a business with Limited Liability protection, a OPC does have a few limitations. For instance, every OPC must nominate a nominee Director in the MOA or AOA who will become the owner of the OPC in case the promoter Director is disabled. Also, a OPC must be converted into a Private Limited Company if it crosses an annual turnover of Rs.2 crores and must file audited financial statements with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs at the end of each Financial Year. Therefore, it is important for the Entrepreneur to carefully consider the features of a OPC prior to incorporation.

One Person Company

Private Limited Companies are those types of companies where minimum number of members is two and maximum number is fifty. A private limited company has the limited liability of members but at the same time it has many characteristics as those of a partnership firm. A private limited company has all the advantages of partnership namely flexibility, greater capital combination of different and diversified abilities, etc., and at the same time it has advantages of limited liability, greater stability and legal entity. In this sense, a private limited company stands between partnership and widely owned public company. Identifying marks of a private limited company are name, number of members, shares, formation, management, directors and meetings, etc., The maximum number of directors shall have to be mentioned in the Articles of Association. In the grand of privileges and exemptions, the Companies Act has drawn a distinction between an independent private company and other private company which is a subsidiary to the other public company.

Frequently Ask Questions(FAQs)

FAQ:- How many people are required to incorporate a Private Limited Company?

ANSWER:-To incorporate a private limited company, a minimum of two people are required. A private limited company must have a minimum of two Directors and can have upto a maximum of fifteen Directors. A minimum of two shareholders and a maximum of upto 200 shareholders are allowed in a private limited company.

FAQ:- What are the requirements to be a Director?

ANSWER:- The Director needs to be over 18 years of age and must be a natural person. There are no limitations in terms of citizenship or residency. Therefore, even foreign nationals can be Directors in a Indian Private Limited Company.

FAQ:-What is the capital required to start a private limited company?

ANSWER:-You can start a Private Limited Company with any amount of capital. However, fee must be paid to the Government for issuing a minimum of shares worth Rs.1 lakh [Authorized Capital Fee] during the registration of the Company. There is no requirement to show proof of capital invested during the registration process.

FAQ:-Is an office required for starting aPrivate Limited Company?

ANSWER:-An address in India where the registered office of the Company will be situated is required. The premises can be a commercial / industrial / residential where communication from the MCA will be received.

FAQ:-Do I have to be present in person to incorporate a Private Limited Company?

ANSWER:-No, you will not have to be present at our office or appear at any office for the registration of a Private Limited Company. All the documents can be scanned and sent through email to our office. Some documents will also have to be couriered to our office.

FAQ:-What are the documents required for registration?

ANSWER:-Identity proof and address proof is mandatory for all the proposed Directors of the Company. PAN Card is mandatory for Indian Nationals. In addition, the landlord of the registered office premises must provide a No Objection Certificate for having the registered office in his/her premises and must submit his/her identity proof and address proof.

FAQ:-How long will it take to incorporate a Company?

ANSWER:-The time taken for registration will depend on submission of relevant documents by the client and speed of Government Approvals. To ensure speedy registration, please choose a unique name for your Company and ensure you have all the required documents prior to starting the registration process.

FAQ:-What do I need to quickly incorporate my Company?

ANSWER:-To incorporate a Company quickly, make sure the proposed name of the Private Limited Company is very unique. Names that are similar to an existing private limited company / limited liability partnership / trademark can be rejected and additional time will be required for resubmission of names.