A harsh and attention grabbing headline perhaps, but how true is it? And when I say “make any money”, how much does the word “any” equate to? $10? $100? $1,000? more?
One of the hardest facts to accept about blogging is that it is very, very difficult to make money from your blog. I have written about this subject before and I cry myself to sleep most nights* worrying about how I am going to monetize this beast. I worry if all the hours I have put into it will ever pay off.
I guess that’s what it’s like for many of us.
You want some proof you will never make any money from your blog?
A little while ago Andrew Rondeau published a post on his blog entitled Why Some Bloggers Don’t Make Money Online. In the post he links to 11 articles on the subject.
Also read-dead by daylight wont start
Because making money from a blog is so important for many people (myself included) I spent some time reading the posts he linked to. And you know what, there is some sound advice in every one of them.
If you want a good starting point, or you don’t have time to read them all, I suggest you read Alex Christache’s 20 Reasons Why Your Make Money Online Blog Will Fail. It’s a beautifully crafted and well thought out list.
A few examples:
You have no proof you’ve already made money using the methods you promote
You’re not providing advice, but rather guide readers through a series of affiliate links
Everything you say has already been said
How many blogging tips or make money online blogs could you apply those three too? Especially the third point.
A view from the other side of the fence
It was interesting to read the thoughts of a potential advertiser in a post entitled 5 Reasons Freelance Writing Websites & Blogs Don’t Make Money on Ads. The post was originally published in February 2008, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant today. The same principles still apply now as they did then.
What the potential advertiser sought was a good placement for his ads (not tucked away in the sidebar beneath an ever-growing categories list), some stats to show how much traffic the blog has, an easy way to place an order for an advertising slot, a way for the blogger to announce the ad and an easy-to-read explanation of the advertising rates and how they work.
What he found when he explored advertising opportunities was poorly placed adverts, advertising jargon about CPM and Ad Units and a distinct lack of information. This left him frustrated and with money burning a hole in his pocket.
It’s actually a very good point to bring up because I’m pretty certain that most independent bloggers have never set up any kind of “Advertising Details” page, perhaps because the process, or at least the perception, of running ads is too complicated?
This line is a great takeaway from the post, and it applies to almost anything you do that involves customers:
If you confuse the customer, you lose the sale.
Take that nugget with you and keep it tucked under your pillow.
Truth or lies?
So, do bloggers make money from their blogs? Yes, of course they do, but the amount varies greatly. Many novice bloggers think the money earned from blogging comes from selling advertising space, by visitors clicking on AdSense ads or through selling affiliate products. And whilst this is often the case, it generally makes up only part of the income stream.
That said, if a blog gets 10,000+ visitors a day (everyday), uses advertising well, gets a lot of search engine traffic and is in a very specific niche, I would expect it to generate a nice income from the various revenue streams available; advertising, AdSense, Amazon, affiliate sales and ebooks etc.
Many businesses use a blog to convey their ability and attract new clients. If you are blogging for these reasons you should avoid AdSense (as it’s highly likely your competitors’ ads will find their way onto your pages) and maybe all other forms of advertising too. Your business blog says a lot about your business; clean and professional is better than busy and money-grabbing.
Final thoughts on making money from blogging
It’s not impossible, but it is hard to make money directly from a blog. We’ve all fallen for the “get rich quick” schemes you see all over the internet that promise to reveal the secret to making half a million dollars in your lunchtime for the meagre sum of $47. Think about it, if you had a method that was still working that made you a ton of money, would you really sell it for $47?
If you want to make serious money from your blog you have to treat it as a business. Develop a plan, work hard and be committed.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
*Actually, I don’t. This line exists for dramatic effect.
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About the Creator
juhi kanojia
Hi there myself juhi i am a blogger and digital marketing executive at muffleit.Content writting,seo,affiliate mrketing,adsense and adword are my key skills..if you like my articles then pls appreciate with a heart...thanku
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