Whether you are a blogger looking to share your creative ideas or a successful business looking to utilize a blog to increase revenue, this article will provide you with both basic and more innovative ways to use your blog to make money!

1. AdSense

Perhaps the easiest addition to make to your blog is to add simple AdSense advertisements.  All you have to do is download the AdSense plugin, choose where you want the simple text ads to appear on your site, and copy and paste a snippet of code that will be provided.  Ads are commonly placed in the sidebar of a site and you can also incorporate them within the text of your articles.  Just be aware the Google does have guidelines that dictate the number of ads you can have per page, which is meant to discourage publishers from creating spammy sites and junking up the internet.

To begin with, you will only be bringing in pennies a day, but once Google gets a feel for your site and your readers, they will use their algorithms to really target yours ads and increase your revenue.  If you have a large audience and/or multiple sites, AdSense can be an effortless way bring in money on a daily basis.

2. Affiliate Programs

Sign up for an affiliate program and you will earn a commission every time one of your readers purchases a product that is advertised on your site.  You can actually choose which companies and products to advertise, making it easy to target your efforts and earn money.  Commission Junction is one popular affiliate program that will allow you to connect with a variety of business who are looking to advertise.

3. Create an Amazon Store

You can even include an Amazon store on your site that provides links to relevant products.  With this affiliate program, you have the potential to point consumers directly to a product and earn money on each sale.  For instance, you could write about the benefits of minimalist shoes for avid runners and include a links to Amazon that go directly to a certain shoe.  This can be an especially great revenue generating tool if your blog focuses on emerging technology.

4. Write Sponsored Posts

Certain sites like Izea will help you connect with clients who want you to write and post sponsored blogs.  You can search through potential clients who are trying to reach certain audiences, find a good match, and make money by writing a post about their products or business.   As long as you make a designation at the end of the post clarifying that you were paid to write the article, you will not get in trouble with Google.

5. Product Reviews

While you may not be paid in actual dollars, you can receive great free products.  You will also receive really terrible products, but you can write the truth and let consumers know exactly which products are worth their money.

6. Featured Posts

There are a lot of companies out there who are willing to pay to have their business prominently featured on your site.  They don’t want to disappear into your archive as you post more and more articles.  You can offer them a post and charge an additional fee to have it displayed in a highly visible section of your site.  Typically, these kinds of transactions will come with a yearly subscription.  You don’t want to give them the headlining spot for life!

For Businesses

If you are a business looking to build a blog to increase sales and publicize your products and services, then your approach to blogging will essentially be the exact opposite of a typical blogger.  Different goals mean different approaches.  Here are a few ways you can use your blog to grow your business and improve revenue.

7. Optimize Ad Space

Be sure to optimize sidebar ad space by highlighting your own products.  While a blogger may bring in revenue by posting advertisements for other products, as a business with you want to utilize any ad space to promote your own products and services.  Use the blog content to draw readers to your site to get up-to-date information and news about your field or industry and use widgets and in text advertisements to publicize your business.

8. Promote Yourself as an Expert

The simple fact that people visit your blog may not result in millions of dollars in revenue, but it you use your blog to promote yourself, you can use it as a gateway to new opportunities.  Establish yourself as an expert in your field.  Stay on top of trends, breaking news, and innovations so that you can become a respected resource.  Once you have established a strong online reputation and presence, you can start peddling your expertise.

9. Promote Yourself as a Public Speaker

If people respect your authority as a writer in the field, they will be eager to book you for speaking engagements where you can share your knowledge and experience with their employees, executives, a variety of other audiences.

10. Create Webinars

Another way to bring in revenue through your business blog is by using it to promote webinars.  Again, if you are able to establish yourself as a respected authority in your field, people looking to achieve your level of success will pay to learn your insider tricks of the trade.  Creating a webinar and charging people to register is a great way to utilize your blog, promote your business and services, and earn money.

11. Build an Email List

If you don’t currently have a place for subscribers to register to receive regular updates, you are really shooting yourself in the foot when it comes to building a loyal audience.  Not only will a subscription list notify readers when you have added a new post, it will also provide you with a contact list that can be targeted with promotional sales, newsletters, and other notifications.  This crates another simple way to reach potential customers and improves sales.

12. Write an E-Book

Use your blog as a teaser for your instructional e-book.  Blogs are not the only way to self-publish.  A lot of authors and experts are circumventing the traditional publishing route by creating and posting their one content in the form of e-books.  Not only can you use your blog to promote your e-book, you can use posts to give snippets and excerpts from your book that will make then want to learn more and pay the nominal fee it takes to download your work.

The great thing about working from home is really, it allows you to set your own spending limits. As long as you can live within your means, and don’t make any of the common money mistakes, your business will grow, allowing your lifestyle to grow with it.