Over the past decade or so, the blogging phenomenon has absolutely blown up. It seems as if everyone has a blog, or is producing some kind of social media content at least.
There is a certain subset of bloggers that are able to break through into being considered professional. In fact, many of these professional bloggers did not start off with aspirations of becoming a professional, but rather evolved into one.
Blogger and photographer Daniel Doyle Pleasantville NY has made this transition himself. In this article, we will take a look at some of Daniel’s tips on how to grow your blog into a full-time income.
Niche, Niche, Niche
Just as the popular real estate expression goes, “location, location, location,” the slogan of the blogger is “niche, niche, niche.”
Why is having a niche so important? The reason is simple. If you’re going to take the time out of your day to read an article, you want to make sure that whoever the author is, is an authority on the subject. In the world of blogging and in the information age in general, the generalist is not praised. The qualified expert is.
For instance, if you are deciding what kind of specialty cat food you want to buy, would you rather get your information from a blogger who has a blog all about cats, or someone who has a website about all kinds of animals? Of course you would feel more comfortable getting the information from the specialist.
Find your niche and dig down hard. That is the only way to convince the reader that you know what you’re talking about.
Daniel Doyle’s niche is very obvious. He’s a photographer. If he had focused on “multi media“, then he would not have generated the following that he has. Daniel emphasizes the importance of niches all the time when talking about blogs.
Content Is King
No one is going to want to read your blog, let alone follow you, if you are not offering true value in your articles.
Daniel encourages bloggers to research their topics heavily and try to offer true value to readers, as opposed to filling up the page with fluff words, just to make it look like a great, long article.
If you are indeed offering great value to your readers, you will not need to convince them to follow you. They will do that on their own. In this case, you have earned your followers, instead of begging for them to read your article.
Creating original, valuable content is the only way to turn your blog into an income stream.
Join A Community
Being a part of a group of like-minded individuals is invaluable. Believe it or not, the willingness to participate in such a group is often the deciding factor in a blogger’s success.
When you join a community of any kind, you are actively broadening your horizons and learning from people who have more experience than you. You also have the opportunity to share what you have learned with others.
Whether it’s a Facebook group, or any other kind of community, virtual, or in person, being part of a group is key to the success of any undertaking. If you were part of a bloggers group, you would have direct insight into how other bloggers monetized their sites.
Having such a network would take the guesswork out of it, at least to a degree. The members of the group would share the mistakes they have made, and make sure that you don’t make the same ones.
Sales!
So let’s say that you’ve built up a decent following for your blog and are regularly producing high-quality content. How do you monetize this?
The first step, is to have something for sale on your website. Whether it’s an actual physical product, an online course, your services, or even an affiliate link, you need to have something for sale on the website.
If you have a relatively high traffic blog, and you are not selling something through that blog, you’re missing out on a potentially sizable income.
Don’t Give Up
It’s not easy to monetize a blog, and that’s the truth. It’s also far from impossible. if you have the work ethic and the patience to make yourself an authority on the subject, and you consistently put out valuable content, the odds are heavily in your favor.
It may take longer than you anticipated, but if you stay on the path, you are bound to hit success. As Daniel Doyle Pleasantville NY says, “Just make your mind up that you are going to do it. Leave no other options open.“
Do your best to continually educate yourself, and don’t get lazy! Good luck and happy blogging