A couple of days ago, I was having a chat with my very good friend, beauty entrepreneur and founder of the eponymous cosmetic brand, Fina Linga. As we were catching up, I was telling her about my decision to commit myself more seriously to my blog . She then asked me “Is there money in blogging though?”. After a little pause , I replied “Yes, I believe there is money in blogging. Of course, it won’t happen overnight, and you won’t necessarily make money directly from the blog.”
Before, when I was researching the topic, everything I found was about monetizing the blog, getting direct advertisers, google ad sense, affiliated links etc. I believe these methods work for blogs with a huge readership and can take time to bring in real money.
But as I read more about blogging and bloggers’ success stories, I find out that YES you can make money…… (indirectly though).
So here are 5 ways bloggers can make money:
- By creating a strong personal brand
Nowadays, a recognizable personal brand is very important. Whether you are a young graduate, a seasoned professional working in a multinational firm or a budding entrepreneur, having a strong personal brand will make you stand out from the crowd. In the long term, a blogger with a strong personal brand will attract business opportunities.
- By building a tribe
A strong personal brand will attract a loyal group of fans/followers, a “tribe” as a lot of marketers like to call them. Let’s say that you’re a beauty blogger who has managed to create a tribe after a few years of blogging. Cosmetics brands will then be interested in taping into your audience and collaborate with you. These collaborations can take many forms: sponsored content, brand endorsement, brand ambassador opportunities, master-classes, etc. A lot of successful bloggers worldwide (they are called influencers or micro-influencers) are now featured in prominent ad campaigns.
- By creating offline events
A tribe is not a bunch of inactive followers on your social network platforms that barely like your posts. A tribe consists of an active audience, with a high level of engagement. A group of people who will be happy to pay to attend your events and interact with your brand. Doing offline events will also help strengthen your relationship with your audience because today people crave well curated experiences. Few ideas of events can be: a beauty master-class for beauty bloggers, sponsored by a cosmetic brand; or a “budget 101 class” by a financial blogger. Money can be made by selling tickets, products and sponsorships.
- By selling digital and physical products
A blogger with a niche can tap into a variety of products to cater to her audience: e-books, t-shirts, mugs, stationeries, cosmetics products and so much more. But of course, like any other business venture, research is key. You are more likely to make money from a product that is in demand by your audience.
- By marketing your existing business
These methods apply not only to full/part-time bloggers but also to entrepreneurs, business owners, small and medium enterprises and even larger companies . A blog can be used to promote your existing business and drive sales. For instance, as a cosmetic brand founder you can have a blog where you talk about how your source your ingredients, offer tutorials, skin care advice, and cover many other topics related to your industry. It can help you create a more authentic voice and connect with your customers. Business storytelling is a very important component of marketing today. Every entrepreneur should invest time and resources in creating a good brand story.
Et voilaaaaa, here are 5 methods that are helping bloggers and influencers make money today. Have you started making money with your blog yet? If yes, I’d love to hear from you, so comment below, share tips and let’s start making money!
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