Turning A Blog Into A Career: Monetizing Your Hobby
People love the idea of creating a blog which provides their innermost thoughts to the entire world, but when you are also able to turn it into a full-time job, it gets even better. Working from home in your pajamas is like no other career out there! The tips below will help you take your blog and turn it into a financial success.
The most important thing you can do is to create a blog worth reading. That means you have to pump out interesting content day after day. You need to take the time to read comments on your site and on social media and reply, creating interaction with your readers. You'll have to work on adding photos and videos which make your blog posts more inviting. Integrating search engine optimization (SEO) techniques will be a must. In other words, you'll have to work your butt off to make your blog the best out there! If you're ready to do that, then continue reading.
You have to build up your readership before you can quit your day job. That means you need to work on offering what people want. On top of great content, you need to hold contests, provide how-to information, and anything else you think people will come back to read day after day. Convince people to sign up for your RSS feed or emails from Feedburner. Get them to Follow or Like you on social media so that they will know when you post something new. Treat them just like you would customers, as that is essentially what they are.
While marketing your blog is important, you will have to find a way to market the products and services of others in order to pay the bills. One way many bloggers do this is through reviews and giveaways. To begin, it is likely that companies will offer you free products in exchange for a review and a giveaway. For example, they might send you a jar of coconut oil and your job is to use it in a fun and innovative way. You'll have to take pictures and a video, if possible, and then post a review about how much you love the product. Next, you add a giveaway to your post (you can use tools such as Rafflecopter to make it easier). Your job doesn't stop here - you will have to market that giveaway by posting it on "link" sites (lists of contests), directories, social media, other blogs and forums. You want to get as many entrants as possible to show you did your best. Once over, the company will ship a jar of coconut oil to the winner. As your blog becomes more popular, you can also accept cash along with the free product in return for your review.
Of course, banner ads like AdSense are another way you can monetize your site. You could also have companies sponsor certain posts, even if they're not a review. Check out how-tos online about monetizing your blog to find out about the most current ways you can turn a profit.
While not everyone will find success in blogging, those with a talent for writing and marketing have a great chance to reach their goals. If you are dedicated, ready to work hard and want a career which allows you to stay home and live life as you wish, this is for you. Use these tips to ensure that your path leads to everything you dream of and more.
