Google AdsenseOnce you sign up for Adsense, you will be allotted ads to place on your blog. After this, it's a waiting game to see if your account is approved. If it is, you can continue to receive ad placements and earn a steady, if not large, income from it. Poorna Banerjee, a food blogger based in Kolkata, says, "It's a good idea to start with Google and then move ahead, since it is a confidence booster for beginners."
Adsense pays on the basis of clicks and views the ads receive. The two categories on offer are cost per click (CPR) and cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM), and the ads are allotted based on which category can earn more revenues for a particular b logger. The CPC rate, for instance, can range from Rs 2 to Rs 50, depending on your niche, content, use of keywords and the traffic you receive. Adsense lets you choose where you want to place the ads on your blog, and pays you when you accrue a certain amount from clicks or views. It is a safe bet because you don't have to screen the ads for quality or compatibility with your content. Earnings can range from a few hundred to several lakhs of rupees for different bloggers.
Affiliate marketingUsing your blog to sell or promote another seller's product can be one of the most profitable avenues, if you can successfully covert readers into buyers. One of the main advantages of this channel is that you will not have to deal with production, shipping and customer care. However, it also requires you to have an audience that trusts your judgment. It works best for niche audiences, especially if you have a good degree of authority in your domain, as well as great salesmanship. You will earn a percentage of profits made by the seller from the traffic redirected by your blog.
You can feature product reviews with relevant links, but too much plugging can annoy readers. It is also important to find a good offer that is credible and rewarding, and the best way to ensure this is to approach a network rather than individual brands or sellers.
Product salesYou can market your own products by featuring photos and descriptions on your blog. You can either allow your audience to purchase the items directly through your blog, or redirect them to an ecommerce portal that stocks them. Harsh Agarwal, creator of award-winning blog ShoutMeLoud says, "If you are a food blogger, you could compile an eBook from your content and sell it on your blog." The pricing will vary according to the niche, product and portal. "An eBook can retail for say $9 on your blog and for $4-5 on Amazon," says Agarwal. If your blog is popular enough, selling branded merchandise might also bec ome a good source of revenue.
You can also turn your blog into a membership site, where readers can subscribe to receive personalised services. For instance, if you speciailise in handling finances, you can allow your audience to sign up to receive specific financial advice tailored to their needs.
SponsorshipIf your blog already attracts a significant amount of traffic, you could choose to enlist blog sponsors. Sponsorship includes selling ad space on your blog to merchants, which offers a more stable source of income. You can charge for hosting banner ads, buttons or links on either a one-time or a monthly basis. "Ads can pay Rs 2,000-15,000 a month for a 2"x2" space, depending on your niche and readership," says Banerjee.
Sponsored content which blend seamlessly into your blog's prevailing tone and theme can also add to your earnings. Blogger and author Arnab Ray, better know as GreatBong, whose satire blog Random Thoughts of a Demented Mind has won him acclaim, says, "It is difficult to make any real money from page impressions unless you are getting it in the millions. The best bet for bloggers who want to monetise is to reach out to companies or wait to be approached." Promotional posts for events or reviews can fetch you anywhere between Rs 3,000 and Rs 20,000, depending on the sponsor and your popularity. You can also be paid in merchandise or services, if you're open to the idea.
How to find your nicheIf you are looking to start blogging, here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your niche.
1. Write about what you loveBeing passionate about your subject matter is crucial to creating good content. Choose a topic you love to write about it, to set yourself apart and to hold the interest of your audience.
2. Bring expertise to the tableBeing fond of a subject, however, is not enough. You need to evaluate whether you have enough specialisation to offer valuable content to your readers.
3. Find a gap in the marketLike any business venture, blog monetisation can only be successful if you offer something that is not easily available elsewhere. Find a gap in the content market and plug it.
4. Be the best at what you doYou must ensure that your blog is one of the top results offered by search engines when people start looking into your niche. Use SEO techniques to help your content show up in search results.
5. Use the right keywordsFor Adsense, use the Google Keyword Planner to find out which keywords rank higher, and try to choose a niche that corresponds with them. This will ultimately yield better revenues.
Source: How to turn your blog into a money-making venture
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