Blog Monetization: Turn Your Hobby Into Cash

If you love to go hiking in your spare time, wouldn't it be nice if you could be paid by the mile? If you instead like to craft, you could take what you make and sell it at craft shows. The fact is that you can be paid for your love of blogging, you just need to know how. The tips below will guide you through how you can monetize your blog and turn it into a cash cow.

It is hugely important that you feel passion about the topic of your blog. If you don't, the time is now to close your blog and start fresh. Think about what you really know about or what you really want to learn about. While providing expert content is key, many people would love to follow along as you deeply research something you are passionate about. As long as you have a love for what you are writing on, it will shine through in your posts. When people see that, they will come back as reading your content will be fun and informative.

While "mom blogs" are all the rage, it is the blogs which specialize in a certain niche, be it cloth diapering or giveaways, which are the most successful. Choose a specific focus for your blog so that it will be easier for you to decide on what content to post, and people who visit will know what to expect. For example, if you want to write about environmentally friendly topics, pick something specific, such as "green parenting" or "green pet care". If you are interested in more than one topic, you can even open more than one blog. While it takes more work, you'll also be able to double your monetization opportunities.

To monetize your blog, you will have to host it on your own web hosting account. WordPress.com doesn't allow ads on its blogs, although Blogger does permit AdSense ads. That said, to promote your site, you really need your own domain name. It lends to your credibility and also allows you to use effective search engine optimization techniques to boost your readership. It's best to have your own web hosting account as you will get better customer service than Blogger or other free platforms provide.

Now you need to explore your options when it comes to making money. One way to get paid to post is literally to get paid to post. A company will give you product or cash in exchange for a review and/or giveaway of what they sell or do. You can also use banner ads from sites like AdSense to boost your revenue. Lastly, affiliate marketing, such as with Amazon or NewEgg, allows you to make money when people buy items through your site.

Moo! That is the sound of your cash cow begging you to monetize it. While it sits there right now, it isn't making you a penny. Take the time to tweak your site and soon enough you'll be raking in the dough. There is no reason not to make money on your blog, so go out and get it done!