As a blogger, you deserve to be compensated for all the work you have put in building and marketing your blog. Unfortunately, monetization never comes easy with any online endeavor. Blogging, in particular, requires you to generate a steady stream of traffic to make it sustainable.
Apart from the lack of traffic, below are the most common reasons why you are not reaping the full benefits of your blog:
1. Your Niche is Not Profitable Enough
Take note that, in blogging, every single decision you make will have an impact on your site’s profitability in the future. In fact, the profitability of your blog can be determined the moment you decided your niche. Once you make the wrong decision, then your efforts in making your blog profitable are all for naught.
Although it is a good idea to pick a niche, you are passionate or knowledgeable about, you also need to consider the ongoing “demand” for the information you can provide. A good strategy is to use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or Spyfu to look for profitable niches and products. The only key in terms that can be used to describe your fields of interest to check what people are looking for.
2. Not Writing Content that Drives Traffic
There are several solutions to the problem of not enough traffic. However, it all boils down to your ability to produce highly valuable content. It does not matter if your goal is to attract backlinks, social media shares, or citations from authoritative blogs. Without relevant content, no one will be willing to be associated with the brand you are trying to build.
To create value, focus on providing well-researched, relevant, and actionable information. Some of the content types you can use are how-to articles, lists, and case studies. Remember that people seek information online because they want to solve an existing problem. Your job as a blogger is to offer them a solution and win their trust — not talk about yourself every time.
3. Not Converting Visitors into Subscribers
No matter how convincing your blog posts are, you cannot change the fact that the majority of your audience will not convert on their first visit. According to statistics, over 90% of web traffic are cold prospects. They need more information or require a more compelling offer before they finally make a purchase.
In the meantime, you need to give them a reason to check back again in the future. Perhaps, when they are finally ready to buy something. A good strategy is to convert them instead into subscribers and nurture them with regular updates.
The secrets to successfully growing your subscriber list are simple: 1) make it easy for your audience to sign up, and 2) offer something valuable in exchange for their contact information. Once you have a subscriber list, you can choose to directly send new blog posts, product discounts, and other special offers that will encourage them to take action.
4. Not Creating Products and Services for Sale
You may think of ads as the primary source of revenue for your blog. However, you also need to consider other methods of monetization. A popular practice is affiliate marketing, which works by promoting the product of another vendor and earning a commission whenever a customer closes a purchase. However, why sell someone else’s product, when you can go ahead and sell yours?
Take note that selling your products is more than doable. It is only a matter of choosing an approach that works for you and your target market. You can offer customers a paid membership, a downloadable eBook, a subscription-based online course, consultancy, and so on.
Alternatively, you can provide professional services based on the niche you initially picked for your blog. If you consistently provide useful information through your content, then your potential clients should have no reason to doubt your capabilities.
5. Not Running Email Campaigns to Clients
Once you know how to turn visitors into loyal subscribers, it is time to develop an email campaign strategy that will maximize your earnings. The first thing you need is an email marketing platform like Aweber, Mailchimp, or GetResponse to create and manage newsletter broadcasts. These platforms have a user-friendly visual editor you can use to construct professional-looking newsletters within minutes.
Just remember that your email marketing campaign will not succeed overnight. You still need strategies that will help you optimize for more click-throughs and conversions. This process involves activities such as designing landing pages, improving social engagement, and split testing multiple newsletter versions. However, once you succeed, your mailing list will prove to be one of the most powerful distribution channels for your blog.
Conclusion
You can say that writing brings you joy and fulfillment, but when it comes to blogging, nothing can be more rewarding than seeing all your hard work pay off — literally. Focus on the issues at hand that can be keeping your blog from making money and it is only a matter of time before you make a living as a blogger.