How to Make Money from Blogging with Scott Zack

So you’ve decided that you want to be a full-time blogger – that’s great! Blogging is a great way of making money and can be a very lucrative career if done correctly. However, many blogs crash before they even get off the ground, and many that do become consistent never see a cent.

Why? There are a variety of reasons. Maybe they didn’t monetize their blog properly, or perhaps their content doesn’t lend itself well to attracting sponsors. Maybe they missed the mark with their target audience – the list goes on. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make money.

With the help of Scott Zack, a blogging enthusiast, an expert, we’re going to take a look at some of the ways you can make money from blogging.

Promotion

“Blogs are attention magnets.” Scott Zack of Michigan says. “They draw in readers based on the premise that they are going to offer valuable information that consumers can use.” Therefore one of the best ways of monetizing your blog is to promote a business or product within your content while you have your audience’s attention.

It’s for this exact reason that many businesses have their own blogs. If you have an offline method then this is a great way of promoting it, but you can also sell your blogging real estate, and by extension your audience, to other businesses looking to promote their website, product or service.

Advertising Income

According to Scott Zack, this is a common starting point for many blogs. Much in the same way that traditional media such as magazines and even TV sell advertising space, blogs are an ideal place to let businesses advertise themselves.

Generally, you’re going to need a large amount of traffic for this to work, but once you start getting readers you’ll be able to charge more and more for banner ads on your blog. It’s important that you don’t saturate your blog, however.

Too many ads will give your blog kitsch feel and likely deter readers, while one or two well-placed and subtle ads will add value without taking away from the feel of your site.

Patreon

Patreon is a way of crowdfunding that not only bloggers use, but creators of all forms of content. Scott Zack reckons it’s a great way of generating income and ensuring that you put out good content simultaneously.

Patreon allows fans of your blog to donate money, either on a once-off or monthly basis, essentially supporting you as you produce content. It’s a tiered system, allowing for different amounts to be donated which is determined by the owner of the account.

It’s a great way of letting your readers pay what they think your content is worth, or however much they can afford to pay.