Post Reply 
Making Money How hard is it to monetize a blog?
Author Message
speakeasy Offline
Innovative Casanova
*******
Gold Member

Posts: 9,099
Joined: Aug 2008
Reputation: 102
Post: #1
How hard is it to monetize a blog?
I know a lot of people are now promoting blogging as a way of living a location-free lifestyle. I recently went to a little mini-seminar(free, just some guy who who gathered people together at someone's house) where he talked about the ways to do it. I learned some valuable basics. I think where people will get hung up on is just getting started and figuring out what their niche will be. There's a gazillion blogs out there on every topic you can imagine, I can't imagine most these bloggers are making much if anything at all.

Do we have any idea how many bloggers fail to make significant revenue versus those who have achieved a level of blogging success that allows them to quit their jobs and live wherever they want?
12-03-2012 04:02 AM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
Sanblz33 Offline
Recovering Beta
*

Posts: 202
Joined: Jul 2012
Reputation: 0
Post: #2
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
I'm in for this as well. I have a couple of ideas (health/fitness related) but I want some advice on how to do this.
12-03-2012 04:15 AM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
Pacesetter20 Offline
Wingman
***
Gold Member

Posts: 750
Joined: Mar 2012
Reputation: 15
Post: #3
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
I think there is a difference from "monetizing a blog" versus actually "making money from a blog." The former, which involves simply just putting in ads, affilate links, products, etc, is much easier than the latter, which requires a strong following/traffic.
12-03-2012 04:19 AM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
Kitsune Offline
Alpha Male
****

Posts: 1,094
Joined: Mar 2012
Reputation: 10
Post: #4
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
(12-03-2012 04:02 AM)speakeasy Wrote:  I know a lot of people are now promoting blogging as a way of living a location-free lifestyle. I recently went to a little mini-seminar(free, just some guy who who gathered people together at someone's house) where he talked about the ways to do it. I learned some valuable basics. I think where people will get hung up on is just getting started and figuring out what their niche will be. There's a gazillion blogs out there on every topic you can imagine, I can't imagine most these bloggers are making much if anything at all.

Do we have any idea how many bloggers fail to make significant revenue versus those who have achieved a level of blogging success that allows them to quit their jobs and live wherever they want?

If you're talking about just running a blog, then practically nobody makes enough money to live off it. It just isn't a viable option.

If you're talking about using your blog as a major part of your marketing strategy in order to sell books or seminars or products, then you can make a lot more.

I'd suggest the latter. blogging is a reasonable platform but you aren't going to be making a lot from it on it's own. What you do to actually make money is dependant on the niche: If you're like most bloggers, you'll write books, if you're in the 'luxury automobile repair' niche you could sell your services or parts or something.
12-03-2012 05:22 AM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
king Offline
Game Denialist

Posts: 54
Joined: Sep 2012
Reputation: 0
Post: #5
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
Hi guys, is there any number of unique visitors/visits in which you can start thinking about offering products or services?

Currently i am running a blog/forum which i started on March of this year, this was in a niche topic in which there was nobody writing and at the moment i am still the only blog which i am aware, the number of visitors has growed incrementally with no SEO help nor other "tricks", and in the last month i received 23000 unique visitors (about 50000 visits), but i am doubtful if is this a decent number of visitors or does it depends on the niche/topic?
12-03-2012 10:20 AM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
Blackmagic Offline
Recovering Beta
*

Posts: 199
Joined: Dec 2012
Reputation: 1
Post: #6
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
Pacesetter hit the nail on the head.

Blogs basically have the same business model as a newspaper. Blogs, like newspapers, need many many pairs of eyes on their content in order to be commercially viable. Once you have enough eyes (unique visitors) visiting your site, then you can start putting up advertisements on your blog via Google Adsense, affiliate offers, or direct buys from merchants that cater to your audience. The problem is it is hard as hell to consistently get even 10k visitors per month to your site and unless you're bringing in at least 500k visitors per month, you're probably not going to bring in more than $1,000 per month via ads or direct media buying. The key to this game is having multiple sites. You can't live on one site bringing in $500 per month but you can probably live on 5 or 6 or more.

Someone also mentioned that a lot of areas are saturated, which is true. For instance, if you're writing about general game/pickup, I don't know if you would ever get to the If you can't get your site to page 1 on Google for your keywords, it's not going to be worth it. Most people that try this create one blog, update it for a couple of months and once they see that the money their site generated is less than $20/month they give up.

The real money in blogging is being viewed as an expert in the subject matter and producing/selling your digital product (ebook, video, training course) via your blog. Obviously Roosh uses this method and it has worked out for him. Kind of surprised Roissy never gone this route.

For king, go to http://www.BuySellAds.com, an online advertising network, and checkout how much traffic people are getting to their sites and how much they're selling ad space for.
12-03-2012 02:37 PM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
[-] The following 1 user Likes Blackmagic's post:
king
Roosh Offline
Innovative Casanova
*******

Posts: 19,417
Joined: Aug 2008
Reputation: 414
Post: #7
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
Order of least money to most:

1. Selling ads. Unless you're getting millions of page views a month, you won't make much from this.

2. Affiliate sales. Selling other people's products via Amazon/Clickbank.

3a. Selling your own products. Hardest to create, but if you have a good blog then people will buy from you. Passive income.
3b. Selling consultations/workshops. Easier to create than a book, but you only make money when you're present.

Any others?

Roosh
http://www.rooshv.com
12-03-2012 03:58 PM
Visit this user's website Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
[-] The following 2 users Like Roosh's post:
Master Of My Own Kingdom, deathtofatties
WestIndianArchie Offline
Innovative Casanova
*******
Gold Member

Posts: 7,818
Joined: Oct 2010
Reputation: 343
Post: #8
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
(12-03-2012 04:02 AM)speakeasy Wrote:  I know a lot of people are now promoting blogging as a way of living a location-free lifestyle. I recently went to a little mini-seminar(free, just some guy who who gathered people together at someone's house) where he talked about the ways to do it. I learned some valuable basics. I think where people will get hung up on is just getting started and figuring out what their niche will be. There's a gazillion blogs out there on every topic you can imagine, I can't imagine most these bloggers are making much if anything at all.

Do we have any idea how many bloggers fail to make significant revenue versus those who have achieved a level of blogging success that allows them to quit their jobs and live wherever they want?

Say you had a Mixed Martial Arts Niche Blog. Silvasucks.com

- Google would show ads on your site for the next PPV fight, and you'd get a nickel for every click.

- Tap Out may want to pay for the banner ad on your site. They'd pay you a monthly fee.

- You did reviews and cover books, videos and equipment - you'd add an amazon link to your site, and when your buys click your amazon link, and buy ANYTHING, you get a percentage of what they buy. - 4-10%

- you build up a mailing list for your niche site and continue to send them good information, but throw in some offers as well. Now other people in your niche want to sell things on your list.

- You do a review for an information product sold on Clickbank/Commission junction - "Chump to Champ - better mma training techniques" $47, you'd see 50-75% from the clickbank author. So you clear between 30-40 bucks. Do that once a day, and basically build more sites around the same niche, and you could be living pretty phat in a few months.

- You write an e-book on the best places to train for MMA in South East Asia. You can use a standalone service or amazon kindle. The e-book leads to small consulting groups and private coaching, which then turns itself into another e-book.

- Your MMA community pays a monthly fee to have a message board and you bring in original content (extended interviews with top MMA fighters and industry types for example)

Making the money though...part of it is having good content, a lot of it is having good traffic, and some of it is great persuasion on your part in making people buy things/click ads.

It's not an easy way to make money, but it's available to everyone with an internet connection (and speaking english and having a us bank account really helps)

WIA
12-03-2012 07:44 PM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
[-] The following 5 users Like WestIndianArchie's post:
Roosh, speakeasy, juice, Veloce, Master Of My Own Kingdom
TheCaptainPower Offline
Banned

Posts: 668
Joined: Nov 2012
Post: #9
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
@Roosh

Amazon associates can make you a killing. I have 4-5 friends who all agreed to use each others blog sites for all amazon purchases, and I am making a steady $30-50 a month just off that.

2 of the guys go to college, so every 6 months they order $500 of books off my amazon associates account.

The other two, one is a muscian who buys guitar strings and crap, and the other guy is just a techie.

If you can find a friend who own's a business and needs to purchase thousand's of products from amazon you can make a killing.

I am even sell all of Roosh's books from amazon and make us both rich at the same time...

Captain P
12-03-2012 08:07 PM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
Teddykgb Offline
Alpha Male
****
Gold Member

Posts: 1,043
Joined: Sep 2012
Reputation: 15
Post: #10
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
(12-03-2012 07:44 PM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:  
(12-03-2012 04:02 AM)speakeasy Wrote:  I know a lot of people are now promoting blogging as a way of living a location-free lifestyle. I recently went to a little mini-seminar(free, just some guy who who gathered people together at someone's house) where he talked about the ways to do it. I learned some valuable basics. I think where people will get hung up on is just getting started and figuring out what their niche will be. There's a gazillion blogs out there on every topic you can imagine, I can't imagine most these bloggers are making much if anything at all.

Do we have any idea how many bloggers fail to make significant revenue versus those who have achieved a level of blogging success that allows them to quit their jobs and live wherever they want?

Say you had a Mixed Martial Arts Niche Blog. Silvasucks.com

- Google would show ads on your site for the next PPV fight, and you'd get a nickel for every click.

- Tap Out may want to pay for the banner ad on your site. They'd pay you a monthly fee.

- You did reviews and cover books, videos and equipment - you'd add an amazon link to your site, and when your buys click your amazon link, and buy ANYTHING, you get a percentage of what they buy. - 4-10%

- you build up a mailing list for your niche site and continue to send them good information, but throw in some offers as well. Now other people in your niche want to sell things on your list.

- You do a review for an information product sold on Clickbank/Commission junction - "Chump to Champ - better mma training techniques" $47, you'd see 50-75% from the clickbank author. So you clear between 30-40 bucks. Do that once a day, and basically build more sites around the same niche, and you could be living pretty phat in a few months.

- You write an e-book on the best places to train for MMA in South East Asia. You can use a standalone service or amazon kindle. The e-book leads to small consulting groups and private coaching, which then turns itself into another e-book.

- Your MMA community pays a monthly fee to have a message board and you bring in original content (extended interviews with top MMA fighters and industry types for example)

Making the money though...part of it is having good content, a lot of it is having good traffic, and some of it is great persuasion on your part in making people buy things/click ads.

It's not an easy way to make money, but it's available to everyone with an internet connection (and speaking english and having a us bank account really helps)

WIA
silvasucks eh?

Is that you Chael?
(This post was last modified: 12-03-2012 09:27 PM by Teddykgb.)
12-03-2012 09:27 PM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
juice Offline
Beta Orbiter
*

Posts: 104
Joined: Dec 2012
Reputation: 1
Post: #11
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
(12-03-2012 07:44 PM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:  
(12-03-2012 04:02 AM)speakeasy Wrote:  I know a lot of people are now promoting blogging as a way of living a location-free lifestyle. I recently went to a little mini-seminar(free, just some guy who who gathered people together at someone's house) where he talked about the ways to do it. I learned some valuable basics. I think where people will get hung up on is just getting started and figuring out what their niche will be. There's a gazillion blogs out there on every topic you can imagine, I can't imagine most these bloggers are making much if anything at all.

Do we have any idea how many bloggers fail to make significant revenue versus those who have achieved a level of blogging success that allows them to quit their jobs and live wherever they want?

Say you had a Mixed Martial Arts Niche Blog. Silvasucks.com

- Google would show ads on your site for the next PPV fight, and you'd get a nickel for every click.

- Tap Out may want to pay for the banner ad on your site. They'd pay you a monthly fee.

- You did reviews and cover books, videos and equipment - you'd add an amazon link to your site, and when your buys click your amazon link, and buy ANYTHING, you get a percentage of what they buy. - 4-10%

- you build up a mailing list for your niche site and continue to send them good information, but throw in some offers as well. Now other people in your niche want to sell things on your list.

- You do a review for an information product sold on Clickbank/Commission junction - "Chump to Champ - better mma training techniques" $47, you'd see 50-75% from the clickbank author. So you clear between 30-40 bucks. Do that once a day, and basically build more sites around the same niche, and you could be living pretty phat in a few months.

- You write an e-book on the best places to train for MMA in South East Asia. You can use a standalone service or amazon kindle. The e-book leads to small consulting groups and private coaching, which then turns itself into another e-book.

- Your MMA community pays a monthly fee to have a message board and you bring in original content (extended interviews with top MMA fighters and industry types for example)

Making the money though...part of it is having good content, a lot of it is having good traffic, and some of it is great persuasion on your part in making people buy things/click ads.

It's not an easy way to make money, but it's available to everyone with an internet connection (and speaking english and having a us bank account really helps)

WIA

Thanks for the great info

Blog: Options Trading
12-04-2012 03:54 PM
Visit this user's website Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
Andy_B Offline
Wingman
***
Gold Member

Posts: 607
Joined: Jan 2012
Reputation: 2
Post: #12
RE: How hard is it to monetize a blog?
I use my blog to get clients. I don't even update it anymore but people still find it in Google.

As for running ads on a blog and shit like that...

Ehhhhh, I dunno.

Yes, you "can" do it, plenty of people do, but the effort to results ratio seems like shit to me. You've got to put in your standard 6 months to a year of traffic building before you even make a penny. If you really LOVE your topic, you can do it, but if there's even a vague hint of ambiguity or indifference in the back of your mind you'll likely quit before you even get the traffic, let alone the money.

Blogging for ad revenue is probably a better idea for people who are attracted to the idea of fame, and who have a topic they love, than those who are just looking to make money. I can see the appeal of having this site that people flock to that pays you for talking about your interests, but it's not worth the year or so of unpaid labor up-front to me. As a general rule, ad revenue is the worst way to make money online.
12-04-2012 10:02 PM
Find all posts by this user Like Post Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread: Author Replies: Views: Last Post
  How hard is it to get into the stock market? TheDuncan 33 12,796 01-10-2019 04:18 PM
Last Post: TheInternationalPersian
  Why is sales so hard? Vladimir Poontang 35 6,713 08-16-2018 09:17 AM
Last Post: qwertyuiop
  [Business]  I'm Starting a Blog Giovonny 55 26,361 06-25-2017 11:23 PM
Last Post: MongolianAbroad

Forum Jump:


User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

Contact Us | RooshV.com | Return to Top | Return to Content | Mobile Version | RSS Syndication