Simple tricks to monetize your blog posts
This was probably one of the first questions I googled when I “started my business.”
Bloggers and Instagram influencers were on the come-up and it looked like they were somehow getting paid to post about their smoothie bowls and I WANTED IN ON THAT ACTION.
But I found out pretty quickly that no matter how great the content was on my blog, it wasn’t the BLOG itself that was gonna pay my bills. RATHER, it was how I leveraged that blog that would really turn it into a money making machine
Here’s how that works:
🤎 create blog posts that are a precursor to the problem that your main offer solves
Ok, let me back things up here.. if you don’t have anything of your OWN that you’re selling yet, you gotta start there! My preferred method of making bank from my blog doesn’t involve affiliate links or sponsored content but a real deal PRODUCT (that i make 100% of the profit on). I’ve created a course to help you get started selling your own thing here.
Now let’s say you HAVE an offer like a digital course, coaching package, or services. It’s time to use your blog as an ENTRY to that offer.
Your blog post will solve one micro problem for anyone entering your community AND help to separate your ideal clients (those who will resonate with the subject) with those who aren’t a great fit.
Here’s an example 👇
Let’s say my offer is a squarespace website design service.
It would be a great idea for me to write blog posts like:
- The best website platforms for beginners
- How to choose between squarespace and wordpress
- Which theme is best to choose with squarespace
These blog posts would not only invite my dream client into my world but it helps them DECIDE to use squarespace (which is good for me, a squarespace designer) AND gets them to start to see me as an expert on the topic!
The next thing you want to do with your blog posts is to solve the FIRST problems your client might have BEFORE they get your help by buying your offer.
If we’re still using the Squarespace service example, this means NOT writing blogs on complex html coding and the theory behind web design.
But instead writing blogs that solve the FIRST problems people have when they start using squarespace
Some great examples might be:
👉 The first 3 things to do when you start with squarespace
👉 How to change your cover image on your squarespace website
👉 Which squarespace theme to choose when you first sign up
This helps your ideal client get a QUICK WIN from your content and start to TRUST YOU and your methods.
I try to nourish my community and give my audience quick wins every single day because it’s part of the daily non negotiables I use for both me and my clients. If you aren’t sure what these are, download the workbook and put this strategy on double duty!
🤎 add the next step in your content upgrade
Here’s where things get interesting, in the blog posts you’ve written, you want to create an OPTIONAL next step for the reader.
If they like what they read and want to take things to the next level you’ll have created a checklist, workbook or some kind of guide that will help them GO EVEN DEEPER. (ahem the big four is an example 👆🏻)
You might have seen this referred to as a CONTENT UPGRADE.
The reason bloggers love this is because the RIGHT people will take you up on your free content upgrade, and then you OFFICIALLY have them in your community once they join your email list.
This stops the cycle of someone reading a blog then clicking off your website and forgetting you ever existed! They’re now in your email community and it makes it MUCH easier to continue your relationship together.
🤎 follow up welcome sequence continues to change their beliefs around that problem
Once they’ve followed the call to action and downloaded your content upgrade, they automatically enter your community and receive a follow up email sequence that you’ve pre-written and will automatically be sent out by convertkit (or whichever email provider you use).
⚠️⚠️DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. This is where the money making starts to happen.
Use your follow up sequence to do a couple of really important things:
👉 form a bond with your subscribers, so you want to write A little more about you and how you’ve overcome similar problems to the ones they’re facing now.
👉 That you create really awesome free content that is valuable to them (share links to your most popular posts or write emails that give tips to solve their biggest problem.)
👉 Also, use this time to invite people into other parts of your community (like a fb page, your pinterest, etc) that A: provides VALUE and B. nourishes the heck out of them.
👉 This is also where you strategically shift your potential client’s beliefs around the problem they have, you take them from confused and unsure of how to take action to truly understanding your philosophy on the solution and seeing you as the GO TO person to solve the problem.
🤎 in the sequence, make an offer or get them on the phone
We’re getting to the good stuff now! As you write your welcome sequence, you can def start talking about your offer around email 4 or 5. Begin with ONE offer and really paint a picture of how your offer can solve their biggest problem. Then, invite them to take ACTION by booking a call 📞 with you, checking out your sales or services page, or hitting reply and messaging you directly.
Make this last email GOOD because you’ll only need to write it once then it will a-u-t-o-m-a-t-i-c-a-l-l-y be sent out to every new subscriber from now ON!
This is the KEY to having discovery calls booked in your calendar while you sleep, walk the dog, or hit up yoga class. Put in the work ONCE and reap the rewards continuously. #THATSPRODUCTIVITY
And there you have it. THIS is the actual answer that should pop up when you google “how to make money with your blog” and the post I WISH I’d read way back then.
While adding a content upgrade, welcome sequence, and call to action can SEEM like a lot, just remember, these are all evergreen parts of your business that you create once and they’re done (productivity remember). If you already have some of these components, take a good look at how they’re working together now that you have a better understanding of how your blog content actually makes you money.
