In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how to monetize your online content.

Whether you have a blog, a website, or buzzing social accounts – how can you take your content and turn it into an income stream?

• It starts by creating quality content that people are actively searching for
• Cultivating an online audience is a lot of work. They say your first 1k followers will be the hardest to get
• Once you have an active audience that looks to you for content, how do you begin to make money?

Voicemail:

“Hey! My name is Kyle, I have a blog FrenchieJourney.com, about French Bulldogs. We have about 113 blog posts up and our blog is making about $500-600/month on affiliate links, but I would love any thoughts from you guys on different ways we can further monetize the site and just take it to a whole other level!”

Let’s Take It To The Next Level

Kyle has already seen great success on his blog, so we’ll outline a few things Kyle is already doing well in case you aren’t at his level yet, and then build on that list with a few things you could do to take things up a notch!

• Create Content People Are Looking For:  This means researching keywords and search terms that are related to what you do or want to talk about. Then, strategically write about the things people are looking for.  It’s all about strategy and planning.
• Affiliate Links – These are custom links that you can use to generate a kickback from a purchase through a retailer like Amazon. You simply place your custom link to a particular product in your blog and when someone clicks on it and purchases the item you get a kickback for the sale.
• Selling Ads – Once you have a certain amount of traffic heading to your website, you can qualify to feature ads on your website. Then you can make a small kickback on the ads that people click and purchase from.  This could be done with programs like Google AdSense, etc.
• Email Marketing and Lead Magnets – There is no better place to reach your audience than inside of their email inbox.  You can gather email addresses by creating a value-packed download on your website and then email them about any other projects or opportunities you have.
• Merchandise/Digital Products – You can branch out and design products that would interest your audience such as, calendars, mugs, t-shirts, etc. With Print-On-Demand options, this can be a no-cost way to generate some income.
• Social Media & Collaborations – Utilize the networks within each social platform and join groups and “packs” to expand your reach and grow a larger audience.  
• YouTube Channel – Repurpose blog content in video format. Find your top-performing blogs and make them into videos.
• Guest Spots on Podcasts – Like social media, connect with the movers and shakers in the niche space and look to discuss your most popular topics to generate interest and opportunities.

Next 3 Steps

There are lots of ways to monetize your online content with a little bit of strategy and a good amount of effort!  If you have a blog or website with lots of valuable content and are looking to make some more money with it, here are a few key steps to take:

1. Review your numbers: See what your traffic looks like, the engagement you’re getting, and make sure you are strategically creating content based on what people are looking for
2. Link it Up: Start building your affiliate opportunities and adding affiliate links and possibly ads to your website to generate income
3. Reach Out:  Connect with others in your field and start collaborating to cross-promote and build a community
4. Digitize & Repurpose:  Create digital products and repurpose your content for other platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook Groups, Email Marketing, etc.

Recommended Resources

• Leave a voicemail for us: www.learnit-doit.com/podcast
• Frenchie Journey

The post How To Monetize A Blog appeared first on Learn It - Do It.

Then we found out that we were expecting a baby girl and that slowed my progress a bit and it definitely changed the content of what I’d be reading.  Despite all the excitement, I was still able to read more books than I have any previous year, including a few pre-baby titles. And with every book, comes a whole lot of lessons to put into practice…

My Top 4 Must-Reads from 2019

1. A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle
2. How to be an Imperfectionist – Stephen Guise
3. Declutter Your Mind – S.J. Scott
4. Everybody Writes – Ann Handley

My number one must read from 2019 was A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, in fact, we are only a few days into January and I just finished re-reading the book.  This is the kind of book that you can keep coming back to and get something out of every time. I think that’s something I really enjoy about personal development books; the lessons you learn while reading them are really dependent upon the moment you are in and what is going on for you personally at the time.

How to Be an Imperfectionist was one of the last books I read last year and it really hit home.  If you suffer from perfectionism and find yourself not finishing things – or worse, not starting things –  because you are waiting for perfection, then this is a MUST READ. This book details the root of perfectionism, how it manifests itself in your life, and step-by-step habits to put into practice so you can “become an imperfectionist.”

For the self-marketers out there, I think Everybody Writes is a must-read.  And in reading the book, you’ll realize that these days, we are ALL writers whether we consider ourselves writers or not.  This book is full of tips, concepts, and insights that will make you a better writer. As someone who is constantly creating content and marketing materials for my audience to consume, this book was incredibly insightful and immediately applicable.

Declutter Your Mind was another book with immediately applicable concepts.  If you are looking for a book to read to kick off the new year with a bang, this book is an easy read and loaded with advice and activities you can start to implement right away that will improve your productivity and peace of mind.  I read this at the start of 2019 and you’ll find that we talk about a ton of these concepts in our blogs and podcasts because they are super helpful for the self-employed business owner.

In Summation…

These books definitely taught me a lot of lessons to implement in the new year and I look forward to diving into my 2020 reading goals.  This year, I’m sticking with the 30 book challenge because I really want to hit it and know that I can make it happen if I put my mind to it.  I may have a few re-reads on my list, like “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” a classic that I try to read every couple of years to refresh myself on the age-old concepts that book shares on relationships and success in life. 

For those of you who’ve been meaning to read more, challenge yourself to read a certain number of books this year and let’s hold each other accountable.  The key to getting your reading done is to make time for it regularly and to have a list of books that you want to read so that you always are a few books ahead of yourself on what is coming next.  There were a few times this year when I finished a book and a few weeks would go by before I realized I didn’t have another book on deck to read. So I recommend planning a few books ahead and always looking for new books to add to the list.  Reading is a great way to take a break throughout the day, clear your thoughts, learn and grow. Let’s make it happen in 2020!

And I’m also always looking for recommendations and would love to hear what personal development and business books you might recommend. Share in the comments your favorites and I will be sure to check them out! And as always, I’ll be sure to share my book reviews throughout the year as I find titles that really speak to me which I think you might enjoy.

Happy reading, DOers!!

The post A Year Of Reading In Review – 2019 appeared first on Learn It - Do It.