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How would you monetize a blog to cover hosting?

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by ITMTB, Oct 9, 2015.

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  1. #1
    Hi All,

    I currently have adsense setup on my blog, more for some extra earnings as I dont expect this to be the main source of income.

    The reason I ask this is ive taken Google up on their "£75 free adwords clicks when you spend £25" offer. I've only set a £1 a day budget for now to see how it goes.

    I have done a bit affiliate advertising on one of my posts, but I just wondered whether you think there is something I could be doing better. The blog is new so traffic is on the lower side im sure compared to some of your blogs [​IMG]

    I haven't started this blog to earn a living from it, but it would be nice to cover the hosting costs etc.

    IT Managers Toolbox

    Thanks in advance for any advice.
     
    ITMTB, Oct 9, 2015 IP
  2. snakeplissken

    snakeplissken Active Member

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    #2
    It is really difficult to monetize blogs nowadays, even if only to cover maintenance costs. As online markets become more efficient, to get the eyeballs that count on your page requires resources someone starting from the bottom often doesn't have. My advice is to avoid affiliates (unless your entire blog is about a specific product/service) and ads altogether and to use blogs as PR tools for your merchant sites instead. So start a blog only if you have an internet business that generates enough cash flow to allow you to invest something in PR. Otherwise, forget about blogs. They are not for you and you don't need one. Use your resources to start a business (sell/write unique articles?) instead.
     
    snakeplissken, Oct 9, 2015 IP
  3. ITMTB

    ITMTB Member

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    #3
    Is it possible to earn a decent income writing and selling articles?

    Also I did think about creating a forum as an addition to my blog. How hard is it to startup a forum?
     
    ITMTB, Oct 10, 2015 IP
  4. snakeplissken

    snakeplissken Active Member

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    #4
    @ITMTB yes you can make decent money writing articles, especially if you're a native which allows you to charge an additional premium. Forums are even harder than blogs to kickstart. So forget them too.

    @RideCut I'm not for giving up hope, I'm for being realistic. I don't think OP is Neil Patel or has Neil Patel's connections that probably allow him to get backlinks from high authority sites in the blink of an eye. Just think, how many blogs linked to that nutrition site just because it was created by Neil Patel? The whole story you mention sounds like a well-thought marketing/link bait strategy which appears to have worked pretty well for Neil. But again, OP and the hundreds of thousands out there are not Neil Patel and need money right away. They don't have $10m sleeping in the bank and they can't afford much experimenting.

    I stick to what I said, if you want to make money online start a real business but do not start with a blog. Start a blog only if your core business is doing well enough to allow you to invest something in PR. And don't fall in the trap of doing what you love or what you are good at, focus on what businesses need instead. In my early days I would screen social media posts for specific key phrases that only businesses would use and reach out to them offering highly effective social media management services. I know people who started this way offering SEO services or design services instead. In the beginning, it works only if you reach out to your clients first not vice versa.
     
    snakeplissken, Oct 10, 2015 IP
  5. ITMTB

    ITMTB Member

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    #5
    @snakeplissken I wonder whether its possible for me to incorporate some sort of paid IT support service into website. How would I go about marketing something like that?

    I could use my blog to promote this service. Just thinking of the top of my head at the moment. Perhaps something like a monthly fee for my IT support?
     
    ITMTB, Oct 11, 2015 IP
  6. Dave Pierce

    Dave Pierce Peon

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    #6
    Well, depends on what is your blog about but you can try to build an email list using a popup when they try to leave your site and offer them a free ebook or free gift in exchange for their email address
     
    Dave Pierce, Oct 12, 2015 IP
  7. ITMTB

    ITMTB Member

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    #7
    @Dave Pierce Ive recently introduced a subscription popup when a new user visits my site. Does it work better if this popups when someone leaves?
     
    ITMTB, Oct 12, 2015 IP
  8. Dave Pierce

    Dave Pierce Peon

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    #8
    I suggest you to test the exit pop and see which one is best.

    Also depends on the free offer you present to your audience and how good the copywriting is on that pop up.

    Just test different versions of different elements for a certain amount of time (2 or 3 days or 100/200 visitors)
    and see which version gives you the best results.

    Hope this helps and let me know if you have other questions,
    Dave
     
    Dave Pierce, Oct 12, 2015 IP