[FAQ]

I’ve been running my blog for about two years and have a lovely little community and steady traffic. I put some display ads on it about six months ago, but to be honest, the income is pretty pants, and I feel like it makes the site look cluttered and a bit cheap.

I’m looking for other, perhaps more meaningful, ways to earn from the work I’m putting in. I’m not looking to get rich overnight, but I’d like to find a strategy that feels more aligned with providing value to my readers, rather than just distracting them with ads.

I’ve heard of things like affiliate marketing and selling digital products, but I’m not sure where to start or what’s most effective.

What have you all found success with beyond just running ads? Any thoughts?

[Jeff Bullas]

That’s the right mindset to have; diversifying your income streams is the key to a sustainable online business.

Short Answer: The most effective ways to monetize a blog besides ads are through affiliate marketing, selling your own digital products, and offering exclusive content via a membership or subscription model.

Each of these methods shifts the focus from monetizing page views to monetizing the trust you’ve built with your audience.

To move beyond ad revenue, you can focus on a few proven strategies that leverage your content directly. First, you can integrate affiliate marketing into your text content by recommending products you genuinely use and believe in; when a reader makes a purchase through your unique link, you earn a commission. Second, you can create and sell your own digital products, which turns your expertise into a valuable asset, such as a well-designed e-book combining text and images or a comprehensive video course. Finally, for a recurring revenue stream, you can establish a membership program where you offer exclusive content, like in-depth articles or video tutorials, to paying subscribers. The key to success with these methods is to only promote or create high-value products and content, as recommending poor-quality items is the fastest way to destroy the reader trust you worked so hard to build.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Author]

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