The Truth About Making Money With Your Blog

Last week I had a coaching call with Sally, a new client with a 2-year-old fashion blog.
I asked how she was making money with her blog and she replied “ads”. So, just like Dr. Phil, I asked “And how’s that working for you?”

She went on to say that in November, she had 83,132 visitors and made $194 from Google. You didn’t read that wrong – about 83 THOUSAND visitors (NOT page views – actual people) were stopping by her blog monthly and from that, she was making about $200… A MONTH!

The Last Thing You Should Do

Here’s the deal:
…putting advertising on your site to make money is the last thing you should do.
Ads make your site look uninviting and pay you practically nothing until you have close to half a million views a month…and how long is that going to take? They slow down your site and keep your visitors from signing up to your email list.
So:
…what’s the bottom line?

Bloggers that create their own eBooks, teach their own courses or offer one-on-one coaching are making way more than they would make with ads.
Want to know the best part?
If that product, course or coaching solves one of their readers’ main problems, then they make a lot more.

How To Have A Successful Blog

This is the formula I teach my clients…

1. Great content plus
2. Free traffic plus
3. A strong offer equals a profitable blog.

You’ve already been creating great content and you are building up your traffic every month.
Now you might be wondering:
Just how do you create a strong offer?
By listening to your audience – on blog comments, social media and your own reader survey questions – and building what they already want and need.
Here are some examples of strong offers. (And notice how they solve a problem for their customers and clients).

Freelance Services

Corinne offers small businesses that are too busy to write her  freelance writing services for blog posts, articles, eBooks, and press releases.

Coaching

Tor sells one-on-one coaching so his entrepreneurial clients can set goals, save time and increase their results.

Consulting

Kyla is a business coach and digital strategist who offers business strategy consulting to passionate, dedicated entrepreneurs.

Services

Jane makes her clients’ best-selling authors without them having to even write the book.
Brandon prevents WordPress headaches by providing WP support and maintenance for his blogger clients.

Membership Program

Daniela sells a blogging membership program called Have Your Cupcake so that beginning bloggers can learn their craft.

Courses

Dre offers solopreneurs visual branding via a DIY course plus she has a one-on-one branding mentorship, freelance design services, and an eBook.
Each of these bloggers has a profitable, successful blog with strong offers…
…offers that make them money month in and month out.

The Truth About Making Money

Ads are not going to be the answer to making money with your blog.
Instead, focus your efforts on selling your own products, courses, and services.