I've often said, “If you can build a readership, you can monetize it. Period.”
All you need is an audience. There are endless ways to monetize your blog, and if you plan to make money blogging long-term then you need a good variety of revenue sources!
Today we'll look at 6 creative ways to come up with neat ideas and interesting products to help you increase revenue...
Want To Make Money Blogging? Put Your Thinking Cap On!
This is SUCH a fun exercise, and it can be so enlightening. It's also fast & easy.
You’re going to enjoy it!
For this quick brainstorming exercise, put the thought of “making money” to the side for now. Don’t think about profit potential, market depth, keywords, whether or not there's even an affiliate program, commission rates, your financial goals - none of that. Simply start with wide open, unbiased brainstorming. (It's all that thinking that holds you back, and gets in your way of getting things done!)
Get your favorite brainstorming stuff handy, whether that’s pen & paper or Evernote (my pick!) - or take your laptop/tablet to your favorite “thinking spot” where you can let the creative ideas flow freely.
With all the usual distractions turned off, and a blank screen or page in front of you, think about the products and services you use yourself that are related to your target market. No matter where or how you buy them, consider anything you use/consume yourself...
Here are some idea starters:
1. Make a list of all the products you’ve purchased yourself, related to your niche. It may be a recurring item you consume and replace, or a one-time purchase.
Make a list of your favorite merchants & brands, too. ALL of them.
2. Do you read any magazines or books on your topic? Make a list of those.
3. Have you purchased or subscribed to any services relevant to your niche?
4. Consider any other products, services, brands, books, magazines, etc that you would recommend to your target market - and why.
5. Now that you have several good lists going, pay close attention to anything you use or consume yourself over the next few weeks, and add those things to your lists.
Also add things that interest you, things you’d like to try or buy, things you run across online, etc. Consider what you read, what gets your attention, products you’re using, etc, and keep adding to the list.
This will give you a great list of “commercial topics” to work with for content ideas that are very easy to monetize!
Some may be ideal for quick social updates too. See an Example
6. Type your main keyword phrase(s) into Google and Amazon...
For more on this tip, including examples, click here.
(Be sure to read that ^ !!)
Negative Reviews Make Great Content Too...
While doing the Monetization Exercises above, be sure to make a list of all the things you DON’T recommend. Negative reviews let your market know that you’re objective, and that you’ll tell them the truth - or give your honest opinion.
It’s smart to point out any “negatives” in your positive product reviews as well. Maybe the product is great but the website or sales page is confusing. Explain that, and tell them how to easily place their order! If they're expecting that when they click through, they're more likely to go ahead and buy - increasing your conversion rate.
Maybe the product is awesome, but there’s a recurring charge or subscription that isn’t obvious. Tell them about it and let them know how to avoid those charges. Can they can order the product on Amazon or eBay (through your affiliate link!) instead of ordering from the infomercial or merchant site, and just get the item directly without enrolling in a subscription? That's a great way to serve your market, by telling them about smart(er) buying options!
Did You Come Up With Tons of Great Ideas?
Don't just READ this post, DO the exercise! (You're so busted, lol)
Seriously, take a few minutes to start your lists and go ahead and write down any ideas you get off the top of your head. Keep these lists handy and continue adding to them over the next week or so.
You'll be amazed at all the creative ideas you come up with to monetize your blog!
Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Leave a comment below...
Best,
p.s. These tips are just a small sampling of what you'll find in my Niche Success Blueprint. Each weekly training module is chock FULL of live examples & detailed strategies for getting more traffic and making more money.
Module 21: Creative Strategies To Increase Sales & Revenue
Discover fast ways to increase your product sales & affiliate commissions! In Training Module #21 you'll get "pro strategies" for creating engaging product reviews that increase your conversions dramatically.
You'll also find fun, creative ways to promote your product reviews and get your market engaged in product discussions - which leads to even more sales! Includes detailed Live Examples...
Attend the free "Launch Your Year" live webinar on December 30th to kick off 2015! Register today & download your Free 2015 90 Day Journal to plan out the first quarter. See you there!
2014 marked my 10th year of blogging, which was an exciting milestone! But it was also a crazy year full of highs and lows and major distractions. I don't mind at all to say that I look forward to seeing this year come to an END.
I'm in the middle of a big "Year End Mess" (which I like to call organized chaos, lol). I have big plans and ambitious goals for the year ahead, but somehow this past year ended up really cluttering up my office and my computers & devices...
This week I took some quiet time to myself to reflect, brainstorm, cut through the thick overwhelm, and decide what I really want to focus on in 2015.
I'm not going to tell you I had some serious breakthrough and everything magically fell into place. LOL, I wish that were the case. I do feel the fog starting to lift and some clarity setting in though. It's a process. There's planning, organizing, decluttering - and simply going through the motions, one task at a time.
The 2015 Success Challenge
It's hard to set ambitious goals and make big plans from a place of mess, stress & chaos.
It's easier to just let overwhelm consume you and do nothing at all. But that's not really my style. So I'm digging in, taking action, and challenging myself to a serious year of success!
I've decided to "share all" every step of the way so you can join in too - and we can kick this year off BIG, together!
In a series of posts here at ClickNewz over the next few weeks we'll work through the important tasks & topics, including:
How to prioritize (and keep up with those priorities!)
Checklist of updates you need to make to your site(s)
Content Planning for the New Year
... and much more!
It'll be a lot more fun than it sounds, I promise.
In addition to helpful tips, how-to's and videos... you can expect live chats & challenges too. We can work together to get on the fast-track to reaching our 2015 goals. This will be much better than going it alone. We'll have a great time and get TONS accomplished!
Stay tuned, and make sure you're subscribed here at ClickNewz so you get notifications. Just send a blank email to clicknewzdaily@aweber.com to get the latest posts by email, or you can subscribe in the orange box below this post to get a weekly update on Monday mornings. That's the best way to hear about challenges, Twitter chats, new videos and free webinars that I have lined up for you.
I would love to hear what you're working on right now, how you're closing out the year, and the ONE thing you most want to accomplish in your business in 2015.
What would you most like to work on or improve?
Leave a comment & let's chat!
Best,
p.s. Don't forget to get your free 2015 90 Day Planner and register for Launch Your Year (both free). Watch the emails from Paul too, specifically look for the "One Question". It's a seriously thought-provoking exercise you'll love!
The year is quickly coming to a close (with just a few days left!) so NOW is the time to consider any last minute tax deductions you want to document for the 2014 year.
You may want to pay your affiliates, virtual assistants, coaches/mentors and any other upcoming business expenses before the end of day on 12/31.
Consider any upcoming business expenses you may have. Do you plan to attend an event in the first half of the new year?
For example, I'm going to Marketing Mayhem Live in March 2015. I already purchased my event ticket and booked my hotel. But I just realized I haven't yet booked my flight, and definitely want to get that expense in before year-end!
Tip: You can prepay for hotel bookings, and often get a discount for doing so!
Do you have any monthly subscriptions you can switch to an annual subscription instead for a savings? Saving money on products/services you use is always smart, and now is a great time to make that change so you can expense the investment.
On that note, if you're an Elite Member of the ClickNewz Private Brainstorming Group and you're paying more than $21.67/month for your membership, you can currently switch to the discounted annual rate of only $260/year (instead of the usual $360).
If you're not yet a member, now is a great time to join us!
What other investments do you plan to make in your business in 2015?
If you haven't yet signed up for WordTracker, this link will get you a 25% discount for the lifetime of your account. You definitely need a good Keyword Research tool for your online business. WordTracker is the industry leader, and is what I use myself.
What about iBlogMagazine?
If you were you thinking of getting a digital or physical subscription, use the discount code "iBlogfriends" to get 40% off your subscription if you subscribe before year-end.
Those are just a few ideas. I know you're probably busy winding down from the holidays, hitting the post-holiday sales, or just coasting through these last few days with intentions of "getting back to work" in the New Year. But this is definitely something you want to consider before time runs out and the 2014 year ends.
Keep in mind too that 1099's are due by the end of January 2015 for any outsourcing or contract labor expenses for the 2014 year. Is your accounting in order, or will it be in time to get those calculated and sent out?
If you're planning to organize or update your home office, now is a great time to purchase or order any organizers or office furniture / gadgets you may need. You can check Office Products & Supplies on Amazon for their current deals.
I would love to hear from you!
Do you have all of your "deduction ducks" in a row?
What kind of last-minute expenses are you scoring before the end of the year?
Best,
p.s. If you need a Strategy Session to kick of 2015 and get on the fast-track to success this year, you can secure it now and then schedule it later in January or anytime in the first quarter at your convenience.
"Happy New Year." I thought about those words as the balloons and confetti fell all around me in what seemed like slow motion. Time stood still inside me as I watched it move all around me.
People embraced, and kissed, and cheered as I stood there... watching, feeling empty, completely detached from the scene I was standing right in the middle of. A part, but apart.
A few moments later Taylor, the vibrant young lady beside me, threw her arms around me and said "Happy New Year!" and jerked me out of my silent time warp. She was alone at the concert too, so I'd invited her to sit in my extra/empty front row seat. I smiled and wished her a happy new year too as we hugged, two strangers enjoying a night alone - together. The moment ended, the music resumed and the concert carried on...
Life goes on, always, whether you're ready or not.
And so do we, right along with it.
I participated in the event as fully as I could. I smiled, laughed and enjoyed lots of great conversations. I danced, got lost in the music, sang along even. I was at an Avett Brothers concert, and they have an amazing following - some of the coolest (mostly friendly) people on the planet.
It was New Year's Eve. Everyone was in good spirits and making the most of the night. Until it ended that is. As I walked out of the venue, again feeling like I was strolling along in slow motion, I saw couples fighting and people crying... and I just kept walking, processing all the dynamics of the human condition along the way.
I was alone, but I wasn't.
My festive little hat invited lots of comments, and was a nice conversation starter. I took a shuttle to and from the venue, so "we" all went and left together. It was a good outing and a really nice time for a single woman in her 40's. (that's me.)
I got back to my room and couldn't sleep, despite being exhausted from a full night following the long 8-hour all-night drive to get there. I sat up and watched a movie on my laptop via Netflix. Anything to drown out the thoughts. Or worse, the void. Sleep didn't come easy, and I had a hard time finding the motivation to head back home.
I wasn't sure why I dreaded going home so deeply. I just knew that I did. I processed those thoughts as I went through the motions of packing my things, getting into my car, and blindly following the voice of the navigation through turns and merges.
Twice I had to pull off the highway. The first time because I began crying uncontrollably. The second because I just could not go on. I was somewhere on Black Mountain in North Carolina. I got a room there, where no one knew me, where no one would judge me, where there was nothing of my own to have to face... and I curled up in a ball and slept for a few hours.
It was after that last break that the thoughts started to unfold, and I began to realize why I was struggling so hard to take myself home. I dreaded going back to everything that isn't done, that isn't ready for one year to end and another to start, that I'm so behind on - all the things that feel so overwhelming.
I started making a mental list of changes I wanted to make. Everything from health to routine to work habits - all of it. As the miles wore on I thought, "I can do this."
I did finally get home. I slept as long as I could, woke up and made a coffee, then walked around in circles a bit... feeling very lost, taking stock. Where to start? What to do? "I've failed on so many levels, at so many things" I thought to myself.
The list I'd made in my head the night before now felt overwhelming and impossible. I decided to let it go, with one long exhale, and embrace where I am right now. I forgave myself. I accepted that this is where I am.
The new year is meant to be a fresh start, but it didn't feel that way at all. I brought so much clutter and chaos into this new year. I meant to take care of all that in December. I think I tried. I did make a serious effort at least.
Ahh well. "It's all behind me now," I thought. It's time to start again. Pick right up where you left off... and figure out a better way of doing things. A better way of handling things. A better way of living even. I told myself:
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ― Mother Teresa
It took me a couple of days to break out of the mental fog as I continued processing my thoughts. I didn't feel like being sociable. I didn't feel like talking to anyone at all.
I stayed away from social media, turned my phone off, and forced myself through the necessary motions: cleaning, dealing with old paperwork, working through the tasks. That's one thing that always does the trick for me, that breaks me out of a funk: a sense of accomplishment.
"Who cares if I'm late. Who cares if I'm behind. Who cares how long it takes me. This is going to be the year I get my shit together. Starting today."
Nobody really cares, except me.
No pressure.
"HAPPY New Year"
Those words floated through my head for days. I thought on the word "happy" a lot, and what it means to me. In usual form I made a list. At the top were the words "This is what happy looks like." There were four things that made the cut, that went on the list, and oddly (you might think) "a mate" or a relationship was not one of them.
I did ring in the new year alone, that's true. Not entirely alone, but not with a close friend or anyone special. And yes I felt lonesome. Not because I was alone, but because I was disconnected from myself. There's a big difference in being alone, and being lonely.
So what did make the list? My body and my health. My home. Dog training. And last but not least: taking my business to the next level. Those were the four things that stood out to me when I envisioned myself at my happiest, and smiling.
I decided to start a Gratitude Journal, first inspired by my friend Crystal and confirmed by a post on ETR I received via email a few days ago. I particularly liked "the science behind it" discussed in that post.
It's a start.
"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." - Epicurus
I like the quote above. It really puts things in perspective. My life now, and my lifestyle, is something I worked hard to achieve. Still, we have to keep dreaming, keep moving, keep setting new goals and continue improving. Always improving.
On that note, these are the two books I'm reading - along with Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System (again). Both were recommended by close friends, and look like an ideal read for moving my life in the direction I want it to go:
.....
Nobody's life is perfect.
If it were, they'd be dead.
The very definition of perfect is "done".
We are all exactly where we are. We came from one place and we're heading toward another. We're all different, we all have a different path, and we're all on our own unique journey. There's no contest and no comparison. Your life and your goals are unique to you, and mine to me. The only real deadlines are those we set for ourselves.
For awhile there I was stuck in a self-imposed purgatory, "a space between". I worked my way through several transitions layered on top of each other, trying to figure out which way to go with no real vision of where I was going or how to get there.
I had a bit of a meltdown letting certain things in my life go, but I did - eventually. Letting go is hard. Change is hard. I don't do well without a clear vision and a plan.
"The space between" is a place I would certainly drown if I stayed there very long. And so I'm back to planning. I have my "what happiness looks like" list sitting front & center as I do. For the first time in a very long time, I can see myself smiling... again.
It's nice to be home. It's nice to be back in forward motion again, too.
Here's to amazing new year ahead...
Here's to letting go of the "old" and getting excited about the "new". Here's to a wonderful life - and the fact that we have the ability to create one. *cheers*
Best,
p.s. Here's a quick video I took at The Avett Brother's concert on New Year's Eve. I love to watch Seth Avett dance. THAT makes me smile!
I've often said, “If you can build a readership, you can monetize it. Period.” 
Get your favorite brainstorming stuff handy, whether that’s 
Some may be ideal for quick social updates too. 
The 2015 Success Challenge
The year is quickly coming to a close (with just a few days left!) so NOW is the time to consider any last minute tax deductions you want to document for the 2014 year.
but you may want to check out the 
if you're looking for good bookkeeping software for your business. 
on Amazon for their current deals.
"Happy New Year." I thought about those words as the balloons and confetti fell all around me in what seemed like slow motion. Time stood still inside me as I watched it move all around me. 
(again). Both were recommended by close friends, and look like an ideal read for moving my life in the direction I want it to go:
..... 
