Why Blogs are Difficult to Monetize:
People are used to getting something for free
Blog readers have gotten used to the fact
that blogs produce content for free. As a result, this becomes expected and
many bloggers that try to develop some revenue streams face the difficult task
of convincing readers that there is something worth paying for. An example of
this is premium content, membership sites, or even e-book sales. We’ve gotten
so much for free that it can be difficult to create something that’s going to
lead people to open up their wallets.
Ad blindness
Most blog readers visit a decent number of
blogs and websites on a daily basis. As a result, they see the same ads over
and over again, and they start to ignore the ads. Ad blindness makes
advertisements less effective than they could be otherwise, and that means
bloggers can’t make as much with the advertisements.
Affiliate sales can be frowned upon
Depending on the niche and the audience of a
blog, placing affiliate links in posts can really offend some readers. When I
first started blogging I put a couple of affiliate links in a post and I got a
few readers who questioned the practice, including one who flat out was against
it. Affiliate sales are a big source of income for many top bloggers, but if
your audience isn’t ok with affiliate links (assuming they can even identify an
affiliate link) it could be a big struggle to generate sales this way.
Traffic and effort has to be constant
I couldn’t even tell you how many bloggers
I’ve seen over the past year that looked like they were on their way to running
a very successful blog, but they gave up somewhere along the way. Not that many
people are able to stay interested and motivated when it comes to building a
blog, because it takes constant work. Take a month off with no posts and your
traffic and income will fall, and you’ll have to build yourself back up again.
Especially if you’re hoping to earn a full-time income, the consistency becomes
an even bigger issue. As a part-timer you can probably deal with up and down
income, but that might not be possible without another source of income to fall
back on.
Compensation is usually not direct
I think most of us are programmed to expect
to be paid according to the work that we put in. With blogging, you could spend
hours researching and writing a post, but if it doesn’t do well you may not have
anything to show for it financially. This is actually a positive, because once
you’ve built a successful blog you can earn much more money for your efforts,
but it becomes a discouragement to those who are just starting out.
Many traffic sources are difficult to
monetize
When it comes to making money with your blog,
not all traffic sources are equal. For example, social media is a leading
source of traffic for many blogs, but these visitors are notoriously difficult
to monetize. They’re not going to click on ads, they usually leave after seeing
only one page, and they aren’t as likely to subscribe as other types of
visitors. As a result, you may be able to produce impressive traffic stats and
not even be able to really make anything significant from it.
Uneven playing field
Small bloggers trying to “compete” with blogs
that have a full staff of writers are at a significant disadvantage.
Additionally, established blogs have a much easier time than those that are
just getting started. While I don’t think that this is really a negative to
blogging for money, it does make it difficult for the little guy, and many
don’t have the patience to make it to the other side of the fence.
What Can You Do About It?
1. Be realistic
One of the leading causes for bloggers giving
up is the existence of unrealistic expectations. It’s a one in a million shot
that you’ll be making a full-time income from a blog in a matter of months, yet
that’s what some people have in mind. There’s nothing wrong with ambitious
goals, but they should also be accompanied by some realistic understanding or
there’s a very high chance of disappointment that won’t be overcome.
A part-time income from blogging can be
pretty nice, but when you’re expecting much more it can be disappointing.
Whatever your goals and intentions are, take some time to realize what’s
involved and what others are able to accomplish. Appreciate and celebrate your
small victories along the way and take a long-term approach to building an
income.
2. Diversify income sources
Rather than just relying on ads to make
money, why not find other ways to do so, such as selling an e-book, doing
reviews, etc. While one source of income is unlikely to support you full-time,
three or four may be able to do the trick. Take a look at top bloggers like
Darren Rowse and John Chow. They make money in a number of different ways that
all add up to a six-figure income.
3. Get creative
The income sources from your blog don’t have
to be the typical ones mentioned above. Get creative and find some new ways to
make money. Niche-specific job boards are getting very popular, and for blogs
with a decent-sized and focused audience, this can be an excellent source of
income. I mentioned Blogging Experiment earlier. When Max Davis bought the site
from Ben Cook he turned around and offered a membership course on buying and
selling websites, and he almost recovered his investment in just a few short
months.
http://allsortsofannoyingstuff.blogspot.co.uk/
ReplyDeletedoubt if i could make money with my blog..but do want to get more hits on it