When should you start monetizing your blog? That’s one of the first questions that most people have when starting their blog. Some people think that the best thing to do is to wait until they have an audience, so that they don’t scare away possible readers. Others think that you should start monetizing right away. I’m one of those people. I think that it’s never too early to start monetizing your blog.
Why Monetize from the Beginning
One reason to monetize from the beginning is because it makes you look like a business owner. When people come across your blog and see ads and other products that are being sold, they see that it’s a business. They aren’t surprised or upset, and they expect it from then on. If you wait a while and then monetize your blog, some people may feel surprised or misled once you add it. While you probably won’t lose readers because of it, many people will notice it and some will be unhappy about it.
Don’t worry if you haven’t introduced monetization into your blog, even if you’ve been blogging for a while. If you haven’t yet, do it now. Think about all of the people who have never visited your site yet, but will in the future. They will never know that the site used to be different. And most of those who do remember won’t mind, and will forget after a while.
One of the reasons it’s a good idea to monetize your blog early on is that it makes you look more professional. You’ll look more like a business owner, and less like a hobby blogger. Other types of businesses try to make money from when they first open their doors. Why shouldn’t you as a blogger?
If your goal is to earn an income from your blog, it makes sense to approach it that way from the start. When you’re designing how you want your site to look, you’ll include how you’re going to monetize it. That way it will look more like the monetization belongs there. If you add it in later, you may have to make a few other changes to the look of your site. This way it will look more natural, and not like it was added in later.
Another reason to monetize early is that if you’re just starting out, you’ll see what works and what doesn’t. You’ll make changes as you go and as your site grows. Every blog is different, and you’ll have to see what works and what doesn’t to be successful with monetizing your blog.
What You Shouldn’t Do
While you should start monetizing early, one thing to avoid is to monetize too much. If someone comes to your site and all they see is ad after ad after ad, they might be turned off and leave, no matter how good your content. While you can and should monetize, make sure you’re still offering your audience what they’re looking for. If you’re being helpful to them, they won’t mind an occasional ad or affiliate product. If ads and promotions are all they see, they won’t want to stick around.
Also, when monetizing, try to come up with things that will interest your audience. If your goal is to get them to click on certain things and possibly buy them, you’re going to want to include things that your audience will like. Also, they won’t necessarily see them as ads then, they’ll see it more as something that is helpful to them. If the monetization is in a completely different niche, your audience is more likely to notice it and realize that’s what it is. If you do it right, many people won’t even notice that you’re monetizing your blog at all.
How to Start Monetizing Your Blog
If you’ve done some research, you’ll see that there are a lot of different ways to monetize your blog. There are many types of ads, affiliate products, you can create and sell your own products, and more. If you’re just starting out though, there are a few ways to monetize that may be easier to start with.
The first one is by signing up with an advertising network such as Google AdSense. You’ll earn a small commission whenever someone clicks on one of the Google ads on your website. What’s really great about something like Google AdSense is that they don’t care how much traffic you’re currently getting. So even if you’re new and aren’t getting many people to your blog, you can still put their ads on your site. Then, as you get more traffic, you’ll notice that your earnings will go up.
Another way to earn money with your blog when you’re just starting out is affiliate marketing. If you don’t know the term, you’ll definitely know what it is. You know how when you really like something, you tell all of your friends, and sometimes some of them buy the same thing? That’s affiliate marketing. Except here, by using a specific link to do it, you’ll earn a portion of what the person spends! There is another bonus to promoting affiliate products as well. If you’re promoting products that you like, you’ll not only be making money, but you’ll be making your audience happy as well. A great example of this is Amazon. They have an affiliate program that you can sign up for (see the bottom of their website.) You can then promote products that they sell. When people buy them, you’ll get a small percentage of what they spend – even if they buy other things. When you’re first starting out, you’ll want to stick with products within your niche. After you’ve been blogging for a while though, you can share other products that you like as well.
Once some time has gone by and you’ve grown your blog and audience, you might want to start creating your own products. You can create courses, eBooks, and so much more to help the people in your niche. That’s another way to monetize your blog. I’d wait on that until you’ve been blogging for a while though.
As you can see, monetizing your blog doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. You can do this even as a brand new blogger. Just keep in mind that your goal is to help your audience, and you’ll be fine! So if you haven’t started yet, now is the best time to start monetizing your blog!
Enjoy,
