I’ve been experimenting with a number of different revenue-generation methods on this blog, and I’m currently using embedded text link ads. I’ll share with you some of the most popular ways that other bloggers have converted their blogs into sources of payment: in some cases up to $1000/day.

Excellent Content

Nothing beats having excellent content that you or your co-authors generate. Your content must be valuable, timely, relevant, and interesting. Write it in your own voice to keep your unique perspective. If your content area is related to your field of expertise, your products, or your service, use your blog as a way to highlight your work skills with a link to your company website. This, to me, is one of the best ways to monetize your blog. It sells your services and shows your visitor readers how you work and how your company “ticks.”

Google Adsense

When you sign up for an Adsense account, you agree to have relevant, targeted ads served to your blog or website. The ads typically go to a link that’s related to your page content, so a blog post on dentists will have ad links to dental offices.

The Adsense ads may be served in a variety of formats (images, links only, tall list, short list, square, rectangle, etc.) These are a great way to serve targeted ads and you may track your earnings in real time.

Paid Reviews or Postings

Services such as SponsoredReviews.com and PayPerPost offer ways for your blog to show advertising from specific advertisers. Both of these require a review of your blog for appropriateness (and to check that you’re don’t maintain a fake blog) and active choosing and bidding on your part.

You may expect between $5 - $500 per post, heavily dependent on your Page Rank in Google or your Alexa ranking (which in turn depend on your incoming links and your website traffic).

Affiliate Marketing

If your site heavily focuses on one target area, consider being an affiliate for a retailer who wants your readers. For example, a green lifestyle blog may become an affiliate for Gaiam products, or a luxury women’s blog may consider being an affiliate for Blue Nile diamonds. Whatever the case, there are services like LinkShare that help aggregate merchants into categories, which you then search to match the right ones to your target market.

Amazon Affiliate Sales

You may offer sales on click-throughs when your visitors go to Amazon and shop. Become an affiliate by signing up for their Affiliate Marketing. Use their widgets to create a link to Amazon with your own code, and then use that link on your site: you get a small portion of any sales that generate from that click-through.

Link to A Successful Woman’s Amazon Store

SimplyHired.com Job Board Widget

The Job-a-matic online is a nifty little tool that allows you to offer job listings on your site. This works well for blogs targeting niche markets; for example, if you run a graphic design website and want to offer your own or other employer’s jobs online, use the Job-a-matic to Post a job or Find a job.

Text Link Ads

Based on your website traffic, Text Link Ads may be useful for promoting text links in a section of your site or embedded within your blog postings. Consider signing up for an account and testing to see if your blog or website qualifies: text-link-ads.com

Private Sponsors

You may consider offering your own sponsorship opportunities to companies you support. Set your price for these opportunities based on space available, traffic, incoming links, and the kind of market you’re reaching with your blog. Sponsorships might be on every blog post or just on the sidebar. Think about how your advertisers would want to work with you, and offer separate packages to suit all budgets.

If you have other proven ideas on monetizing your blog, I’m happy to hear them. Put your ideas in the comments section.

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