What is a blog, and how does it work?
A blog is a means of communicating information and sharing ideas through an online journal or website.
It focuses on written content where bloggers can either share on one topic or a range of different topics.
The blogs are displayed on online websites where the blog posts are published consistently in chronological order. The latest blog posts appear first.
The use of blogs increases the visibility of the website it is on. However, blogs have to be consistent. It increases the chance of appearing on online searches and attracting a targeted audience.
What is the difference between a blog and a website?
Many people still think a blog and a website are the same. Although it is difficult to differentiate between a blog and a website, they are not the same.
A website may have a section for a blog. However, a blog cannot contain a full website.
A website is a means of one-way communication to the audience. It is a collection of published pages that offers information on a certain company or topic. It includes photo galleries, e-commerce, discussion forums, static pages, etc.
A blog is a two-way communication. Bloggers write about a certain topic with their perspective, and it allows viewers to interact with the blog through feedback and comments.
What is a blog used for?
The uses of blogs are limitless.
Primarily, they are used to share personal ideas and experiences online. However, nowadays it is not just limited to a personal diary.
It is used to publish information, share ideas and life experiences, or as a project collaboration tool, a guide, or a way to communicate about important topics on the web.
Corporates today heavily depend upon blogs to market their product. New businesses depend on their online presence through blogs to attract and retain customers.
People search for blog posts to read about experiences directly from the people. You don’t need to be an expert at a topic to start your blog because people would rather see a blog from someone who has done something than someone who just researches it.
Hence, the major use of blogs is to connect an audience with the information they need.
How much money can you make from a blog?
Bloggers do earn money, but it is not an easy and quick medium. Therefore, people hesitate to start it. It takes multiple streams of income to earn good money from a blog alone.
Earning money from a blog is not easy. Most people who start blogging to earn money do not last long.
To start monetizing your blog, you need to build a strong influence and a Google SERPs ranking. It takes a lot of time and quality content to do this, but money-making opportunities will only come if you have built some good credibility in the industry.
Once the blog is established and you have significant influence over your audience, you can earn loads of money. The top bloggers in the world earn a lot.
It all depends on your online presence, quality of content, how influencing you are to your readers, how many views that the blog gets, etc.
How to make money with your blog
Let’s see how you can make money from your blog.
Monetize with Ads
One of the many ways bloggers can make money through their blogs is by placing ads on them.
There are two main types of ads:
- CPC ads: Cost per click (CPC) is the most common ad used by bloggers. It is also known as pay per click ads where the website or the blog owner is paid every time a viewer clicks the ad. These ads are banners that are placed in the content or sidebars.
- CPM ads: Cost per Mille (CPM) or cost per thousand ads are the ads that pay a fixed amount based on how many people viewed your ad.
The blog or website owner contacts popular networks for placing the ads. Then you put banners on your site, the network chooses ads relevant to your content, and your viewers click on the ads.
Private ads
If your blog attracts enough traffic, advertisers may directly contact you to place ads on your blog, or you can contact the advertisers. The difference from the monetizing option is that there is no middle man.
Selling private ads can come in various forms, like banners, links, sponsorship content, buttons, etc. Another way to earn money from the blog is by charging monthly for the banner ads.
You can review a product or a service for the sponsorship, or a sponsor can pay for the post or the series to have their name mentioned in the post.
Affiliate marketing
Another great tool to make money through a blog is by affiliate marketing. It is a marketing tool where you get a commission of what the seller sells through the links included in your content.
The seller gives you a unique link so that they know when a product is sold through the use of that link. As a website or blog owner, you are acting as a middle man.
Almost all e-commerce websites have affiliate marketing of some sort.
Digital products
Selling a digital product is one of the best ways to increase income and traffic on your blog. Digital products include eBooks; podcasts; online courses or workshops; and stock photos, videos, and themes.
However, these products should be somehow related to the content of the blog post and should target your existing and potential audiences.
The best way to use this option is to first listen to your existing viewers and create a product that meets their needs.
A marketing tool for your business
Most blogs start as a way to attract buyers and viewers for an already existing business. The blog itself is not a business here. Instead, the blog is used as a tool to sell products and drive visitors to your business.
You could sell books, handmade products, environmentally-friendly products, etc., on your business blog.
If you already have a business, a blog helps convert your existing customers into loyal ones.
Work with an agency
There are agencies dedicated exclusively to introduce bloggers to big brands. Although such agency fees are high, working with an agent can be worthwhile in getting sponsorships or partnerships with high-paying brands.
Memberships
Another way to make money on your blog is by providing memberships for exclusive content on your blog that is more valuable than the information that they can find elsewhere on the web.
For example, if your blog is about careers, your blog could charge a premium for giving monthly advice from experts on career counseling after they apply for the membership.
However, for this to work, you either need to be exceptionally good at what you do or a source of expert knowledge.
Be visible to employers
Imagine you started a blog just as a hobby, but your blog grew as you were consistent with the content, which resulted in you being a credible source on a certain topic.
Many opportunities might come your way as a result of your blog.
For example, people approach you for co-authoring a book as your eBook is selling quickly on the site.
What is a blog post, and how is it different from a blog?
A blog post is published content on a blog that answers questions on a certain topic. There are no limits to the number of blog posts you can have.
All of the blog posts combined make a blog. Blogs can be a collection of blog posts on one topic, or it can be on a range of different topics.
How to create your blog
There are many websites available nowadays that make it easy to create a blog for free. Creating a blog is not the hardest part; deciding what your blog content will be and being consistent at it is.
Follow these simple steps to create a blog of your own:
1. Pick a catchy blog name.
The best blog names are descriptive of what the blogs will be about.
2. Choose the blog template.
Customize as per your preference and match with your style and content. Choose a template that makes it look attractive to viewers.
3. Register your blog and connect your blog with your domain.
Registering your blog online may sound hard and technical, but there are easy ways to do this nowadays. This helps people online find your blog easily.
4. Start writing posts.
Create original content and use your unique voice to create your posts.
5. Publish your post and get going.
Launch your blog with your first post. Content is the key. Nothing is more disappointing than creating a blog and not posting anything.
6. Share and promote your posts.
Engage with people online and increase traffic in your blog. Use strategies like alerting your friends and family to the blog, putting links on other blogs, sending emails to let people know about it, promoting through search engines, etc.
7. Make money blogging.
Use the options available to monetize your blog as mentioned