The document provides guidance on monetizing blogs, including content planning, audience growth, and monetization strategies like advertising and affiliate marketing. It emphasizes the importance of selecting a niche topic, establishing an audience, and evaluating success through metrics such as revenue and traffic. Resources for further learning and examples of successful blogs are also included.

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Monetizing Your Blog
Amanda McCormick
entrepreneurs.about.com

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A little bit of background on me.
• Working in digital media exclusively since 2007
• I’m the guide to Entrepreneurship on About.com
• Have a client-based business where I work with startups, small businesses and
nonprofits
• My specialities: copywriting for the web, social media, web production,
WordPress, email marketing, content marketing.
• I blog at Jellybeanboom.com
• I teach: mediabistro.com

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Some common questions about blogging
• What should I blog about?
• Which platforms are the best -- Tumblr, WordPress, or Blogger?
• How do I get people to my blog?
• How do I actually make money with this?
entrepreneurs.about.com

4. A few good examples...

5. marieforleo.com

6. barkpost.com

7. brainpickings.org

8. pinchofyum.com

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What We’ll Cover Today
• Content Planning
• Finding & Growing Your Audience
• Getting Set Up
• Monetizing
• Evaluating Your Success

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What Should I Blog About
• Something that you’re an expert in or know a lot about
• Something that you can sustain over several years
• Something where there is an audience you can grow over time

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How Do I Know If There’s An Audience?
• http://www.google.com/trends/
• Search social networks like Pinterest and Twitter
• Look at the competition

12. Finding Your Content Focus
• What is the competition doing?
• What topics do you think would be interesting to your audience?
• What sort of content is timely
• How often can I blog?
entrepreneurs.about.com

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Content Strategy
Jeff F:
To become strong one needs to exercise an
hour a day. Is this true of blogging?

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Content Strategy
Cynthia T:
How to get started? What will it cost? Are
there any tips on how to get started for
free?

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Getting Set Up

16. Understand these distinctions!
•A “software as a service” platform,
a bit like a social network
•You are bound by their TOS
•Can be a great place to get
started with blogging and even
sometimes site design
•Limited control of the backend --
underlying software is not available
to you.
•Where developers, designers and
advanced users go to use
WordPress as the software base of
whatever they want to design and
develop.
•Allows complete customization.
•Requires you to “self-host” or
bring your own hosting plan
WordPress.org

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WordPress
Get a hosting account
Buy a domain
Install WordPress
Start blogging!

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Monetizing
• Advertising/Sponsored Posts
• Consulting
• Products/Informational Products
• Affiliate marketing

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Advertising

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brainpickings.org
Affiliate
Amazon

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Other Affiliate
Programs
Linkshare
Commission Junction
Web hosts
Software that you use

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marieforleo.com
Information
Products
Classes, books, seminars

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barkpost.com
Products

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pinchofyum.com
Combination

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Growing Your Audience
Mary K:
What methods other than Twitter and
Facebook can I use to get people to my
blog?

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Growing Your Audience
• SEO
• Guest blogging
• Email marketing

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Evaluating Your
Success
Revenue
Traffic
Email Subscribers
Social media shares

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Why Isn’t My Blog Making Money?
• Is your blog too general or covering too many subjects?
• Have you looked at every possible way to productize your
expertise?
• Have you explored niche advertising networks and affiliate
opportunities?
• Are you spending the right amount of time on your blog?

29. entrepreneurs.about.com
Get more help monetizing your blog
• Tons of FREE resources at entrepreneurs.about.com
• Take my class on Tumblr marketing at mediabistro.com
• Visit my blog at jellybeanboom.com