A very often question among people that are searching to make money online is if they can make money, legitimately with blogging. In fact, with blogging, you unlock a wide range of online opportunities that can all add to your income. It is a legitimate business but unfortunately, there are many spam sites or other unethical entrepreneurs that deceive people.

Keep in mind though that the majority of the methods I am recommending won’t pay off immediately but some will. In any case, the rewards are awesome and the potential… simply endless.

How can you Make Money with Blogging

Blogging for others – guest blogging, clients

There are thousands of blogs out there, and some of them pay people to publish articles and posts on their properties. The prices vary and always there are guidelines to follow.

In any category, in any niche, there are sites that pay bloggers for their work. Once you get started and make connections this model can pay off quite quickly.

Examples

I have already discussed “A List Apart” and “iWriter” in a previous article.

Additionally, you can check out ..“The Penny Hoarder”, a site that pays freelance writers and bloggers. There are guidelines to follow and they will offer a backlink to your site in your bio that is shown up in the posts you publish there. Regularly they pay $75 for each post but there is an interesting bonus system in place as well.

International Living is looking for writers. Their daily postcards bring stories from expats around the world to the readers. They pay $75 for a postcard, what they look for is to share your story. You have to submit your ideas first by contacting them.

You may also expand your base by finding clients and companies that might want to pay you for your blogging services. But how do you find these clients?

You can advertise your services online but that way can be really expensive and will not always return the best of results if not done right. You can even mass email companies and websites but these methods are becoming obsolete and look very spammy.

That is why I always suggest that you build your online presence by…

Setting up a blog on your own

You do that in order to attract traffic and other potential clients. Your personal blog/website acts as an identity, an ongoing updated blog gallery with your samples (articles). You are a blogger, your blog/site is your portfolio. Companies and clients can find you and this way you open the road to other online opportunities.

Have in mind though that your blog won’t get huge amounts of traffic immediately. You are competing with other blogs and sites so you have to be consistent and add blogging content often to increase your domain authority and status.

Once you have traffic you can monetize your blog in various ways.

Affiliate programs

My very favourite method, a no-brainer. There are companies that sell products online and they pay commissions to people that send visitors to their offers. There is no risk on your part and you don’t have to provide customer service or worry about deliveries and inventory.

You can add your affiliate links throughout your blog posts and earn money each time someone buys through your links. For maximum results by using your affiliate links properly, you can continue here.

I have published many articles on Affiliate programs.

• How to build an Affiliate marketing business on your own
• Key benefits of Affiliate marketing
• Types & examples of affiliate websites
• How to choose a niche for affiliate marketing
• How to start an affiliate website – Plugins & Primary Content
• How to learn Affiliate marketing fast and get a business running
• Top Places to Get Affiliate Marketing Help

Email marketing

Once you have established remarkable daily amounts of online traffic you can get people to sign up for your emails and newsletters. You can use tools such as landing pages to offer lead magnets and other valuable offers in exchange for the visitors’ emails.

Email is a huge source of income for all the authoritative sites and blogs. Through your emails, you can always advertise your new products (your own or new affiliate offers) along with valuable content and material.

Video blogging

Blogging is not always about publishing written content. If you are tech-savvy or you want to expand your blog on the web you should consider using video.YouTube and Vimeo are both excellent platforms to start at and deliver your messages.

Videos do not have to be complex to be effective, however, if you want to create special videos you can always seek professional video makers and producers.

Using blogging as a magnet

…to advertise your skills and expertise in order to sell your services. Create an impressive portfolio of blog posts, attract traffic and then advertise your services. You can be as much creative as you want and you can sell any service you want.

Blogging, e-books and other digital products

You can pack information in the format of an e-book on specific topics. How-to’s and tutorials are very popular but you can turn any idea into a digital product (research, studies, FAQ, etc.).

Then you can sell the products on your blog/site or co-operate with affiliate networks to expand your reach and share profits with other affiliates.

As you keep on blogging new ideas will pop up in your mind.

Sell advertising space on your blog

when you have enough traffic you can monetize it by allowing advertisements from other sites. Relational advertising or AdSense ads are both efficient ways to bring additional income.

Related:

• Sponsored content: this is a page for advertising and partnerships 

Blogging classrooms, webinars, consultation

Now that you are getting experience with blogging you can separate some sections on your blog/site. Those could be paid membership areas where you provide exclusive services and share valuable secrets.

Classrooms, webinars or even offline seminars and consulting services can bring your online business to the next level.

Be sure to check the competition and keep your prices affordable if possible. You might further organise 1-1 sessions at higher rates.

Ways to Expand Your Audience and Authority

Is not all about monetisation, we want to have an overall solid online presence. That is why I strongly recommend that you start…

Blogging on social media, forums, and networks

Microblogging sites, like Twitter or even Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn and other networks and forums or portals (on any niche) are all areas where you can advertise your blog in a creative and entertaining way.

Do not bombard your social accounts with content that you own and that only, but curate content from other users and bloggers as well. Not only to make connections but to present yourself as an authority, not a salesman.

You can additionally take advantage of the sub-communities inside each social platform. In these communities, people with common interests share media and interact. Build your presence as soon as possible, chat and communicate.

Live video blogging

Google Hangouts, Blab, Periscope, Meerkat, and Facebook are only a handful of solutions here. Are you a great speaker?… Can you use words to fascinate an audience?… Step in front and get your hands dirty. People respect live video streams and it is a chance to stand out and become a real authority.

Final Take

Blogging can be turned into an endless source of ideas that can be monetized. Be creative, be unique and offer value all along. You won’t regret it. Welcome to a fascinating world, the world of online entrepreneurship…

I hope you enjoyed another article, here on Web Market Support. I am waiting for your comments and thoughts. Are you using blogging as a way to make money online and wanna share your experience?… Are you looking to start a blog on your own?.. I will be more than happy to help you out…Till next time.