One of the most frequently discussed topics at the recent BlogWorld conference was how bloggers can monetize their blog. A blog is a labor of love for many, but as they pick up steam, bloggers realize that as long as they’re putting in the work, they might as well earn some money too. Many bloggers have found that ad programs such as Google AdSense are good for earning pennies, but ultimately don’t deliver the kind of profits they’re looking for.
The real opportunity in monetizing your blog, discussed at length by several industry experts at BlogWorld, is through affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is where you place links on your blog for products that relate to your topic. For example, if you write about personal health and wellness, you would choose products such as diet and exercise books to promote on your blog – as your readers would naturally be interested in products that will make them healthier.
When you place a link, you become an “affiliate†of the person selling the product. If someone clicks the link on your blog and then buys the product, you get a commission on that sale. Commissions can be as high as 75 percent of the sale, depending on the product you’re promoting. In general, digital products like ebooks have higher commission rates because they have no manufacturing or inventory costs.
Because affiliate marketing is an Internet-based business, there are literally thousands of people talking about this subject online every day. Take your time to read reviews and comments, and pick which affiliate marketing opportunity is best suited to your needs. Like any other important business decision, doing your homework will pay off in the long run. It will give your blog the best chance to bring in significant cash, as many other bloggers have already discovered.
Bob Dunlap is director of marketing for ClickBank.
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