DISCLOSURE. The following post contains affiliate links. Should you access a product through my links, I may make a commission to no added cost to you. I only promote products or services I personally use and endorse.
The ULTIMATE connections you need as a new blogger.
You love to write and finally found a legitimate way to express yourself. Of course, your motive is twofold. Not only do you wish to educate, entertain or influence, you also desire to earn an income! We all would like to make a little for our efforts, no? I know what you’re thinking! HOW can I monetize my blog when my goal is to provide tips on travel or how to make vegan ice cream? It all boils down to this. Making the best of your connections and how to use the resources they provide.
In the essence of time, I have compiled for you, the new or struggling blogger, my TOP 5 connections that helped me go from zero to 1068 views in my first month of blogging! I include my affiliate links with most of these resources, as I took the courses or read the material and FULLY SUPPORT these programs! Let me walk you through each step.
1. REAL Training with REAL Feedback!
Let me be clear. I’m not referring to actual business coaching. That is a paid service that could cost several thousand dollars. At this level, I am referring to Facebook groups that are paid AND free. As a new blogger, I would recommend you search for blogging groups as there are many out there. I can honestly say I have greatly benefitted from both types of groups.
I do belong to one paid group that goes a step beyond general questions. Blogging On Point has been an INVALUABLE training opportunity. They provide resources not available in free groups, and best yet? They hold a weekly “Coffee Chat” LIVE training! You send them specific questions and they develop training around those topics! This is as close to actual coaching you will get at a tiny fraction of the cost! At $47. per month, you ALSO get access to their library of training content, templates, and other wonderful blogging resources. You will have access to 2 AMAZING successful bloggers who will guide you and PUSH you to move forward to success! I can’t say enough great things about these ladies and their group!!
If you do nothing else, I HIGHLY recommend joining this group! As an added BONUS – you can access a FREEBIE! A list of 100+ Affiliates to join, courtesy of BOP! But wait, there’s more! Enjoy another FREEBIE! Product Making Explosion! Another courtest from BOP! They want to help you learn how to monetize your blog!
2. The Amazing Truth about Affiliate Marketing
If you’ve done any research at all about monetizing your blog or building an online business, you heard about affiliate marketing. Go to ANY site on the web. ANY site at all. As you scroll through the article you see ads. You see a blue or black highlighted text which when you click, you are redirected to the home page to buy the item. Without knowing, you have been participating in affiliate marketing – as the consumer.
Most bloggers generate a very large chunk of their income through ads and affiliate marketing. I’m not going to discuss ads here, as typically you need to have over 50k views per month to participate in many of the ad programs. New bloggers don’t have that kind of view. Keep reading, because you want to hear what’s next!
In my research, I discovered a very successful blogger named Michelle Schroeder-Gardner. She is the owner of Making Sense of Cents. When you start reading about others’ blogging success’, you quickly learn HOW they become successful. It turns out, affiliate marketing is the number one source of generating income. Michele devised a course called “Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing – How to build a six figure blog without millions of visitors or selling your soul.
In the course, Michelle lays out step by step how affiliate marketing works, the benefits of participating in this type of service. She explains step by step how to find programs to join, how to promote and how to best use this resource to your financial benefit. Don’t take it from me, I am still growing my business! Take it from Michelle, a six-figure online business woman who LIVES the benefits of success affiliate marketing strategies! I highly recommend this course for ANY online business! Specifically, to help you monetize your blog!
3. The Backbone of Blog Outreach
Creativity is a must as you figure out what to do with your post once it’s written. Writing is one thing, but getting others to FIND your work and engage with you is another. Believe it or not, research is a huge part of blogging, if you want to monetize your blog. This is when I found the site “Blogging Made Easier”. The owner of this site developed a hands on tool kit of blog building resources. To see the entire library, you can visit here. If you are searching for something specific, here are some topics for you!
Knowing how SEO works will help your blog or online business become more noticeable among organic online searches. Keywords are the core of SEO! I’ve included a link to “Competitor and Keyword Research” with a FREE tool! Perhaps you feel overwhelmed with so much to focus on and so little time! Blogging Made Easier developed a “Work at home Binder to organize your Home and Business”. Another resources available is “How to earn money using Blog and Social Media”. Finally, she included the “Ultimate Blog Post Checklist” – how to write the perfect post every time! It is easy to feel completely overwhelmed with all the helpful information available, but you’d be surprised how much little nuggets within it all stick, and once applied, make such an amazing difference!
4. HUGE opportunity
Appsumo. Heard of it? It’s the number 1 software deal site where you never pay full price for software again! Why the heck am I recommending this type of product? What does it have anything to do with my online business? Blogging is an ONLINE BUSINESS! Once you hear it that way, it might sound a little more intimidating. So what’s my point? Appsumo offers tool, training, resources that bloggers will eventually need. I have found writing courses, marketing training, webhost pluggins and stock photo discounts. Once a year they offer an incredible deal on stock photos through Depositphotos. It is where I find all the royalty free photos for my blog! The price you pay for products are up to or over 90% off retail costs. Saving money while learning how to make money is invaluable. it is worth your time to check it out.
5. Rockin’ Ruth!
Another exceptionally successful blogger is named Ruth Soukup. As you journey through learning how to develop a successful blog and online business, you may want to think about exploring her website. Ruth is a phenomenal business woman and founder of Elite Blog Academy. I have never met Ruth, but within the blog community, she is highly respected and her courses are highly sought out. She is someone you need to include in your online business training programs. She will certainly teach you how to monetize your blog!
YOU MADE IT!
YAY! Great job! You now know the essentials of starting an explosive business! They say it’s all about who you know! Well, now you know the WHO! Now get learning, applying and build your amazing foundation from which to grow! Keep in touch as I continue to share freebies and secrets of the trade! Happy writing!
Looking for extra funds to spend on travel fun? Check out my post on Making Money with a Side Hustle – the Top 15. OR learn how to write a blog! Read Blogging 101 – tips for starting a blog! to get you started.
