How To Make Money From Your Christian Blog On Day One
How to monetize your blog from day one
So lately I’ve been realizing some things that I think you’ll find interesting.
When it comes to blogging, as in life, you have to be yourself.
This probably sounds like the biggest “duh” statement in the world but sometimes when you’ve been doing so much blogging learnin’ you lose sight of who you are and who you’ve been called to be because you’re trying to follow blogging “rules” and all of the tips and tricks you’ve learned.
For instance, I use to write blog posts so freely and easily and then I got bogged down in so-called blogging rules like they need to be a certain length, certain format, be SEOed, etc.
I think all of that is important but sometimes you lose yourself in all of the knowledge that you gain that you start spinning your wheels.
Can you relate?
Let me release you from (some of that) stress of feeling like you have to follow every blogging rule that you read.
You’ll lose your edge if you do because one of the biggest edges you have in blogging is you and your unique personality and gifts.
So referring back to point number one, I myself I had fallen into the trap of trying to be something I’m not when it comes to writing blog posts.
Take lists posts for example. I like the idea of having 57 ways to do something.
It sounds great but for me, there are several problems with this: they take a long time to write which in turn makes me not want to write as often.
List posts oftentimes don’t go into a lot of detail.
I want to be able to share tips with y’all that you can go and do today if you like and if there are 29 points you’ll probably just do like I do and read the 29 points and then go on to another article.
Sometimes you just want to know one way of doing something like how to money from blogging.
What’s the easiest way to make money blogging from day one?
The easiest way is to use ads on your blog. Hands down the easiest. Now I didn’t say it is easy because it is not easy.
It assumes that you have traffic coming to your blog which is not always easy to get, especially from day one.
But it is possible and once you sign up, it is the most hands-off approach.
And notice I didn’t say how much money you will make. Probably not a lot in the beginning but it can be a motivating factor when you want to throw in the blogging towel so to speak.
In this lesson I’m going to tackle these topics and then you can go ahead and start implementing this method in your blog if you feel it’s right for you:
– What are ads
– Different ad networks (Christian etc)
– Requirements
– How to apply
– Getting started
What are ads?
The white space on your website is prime real estate and companies are willing to pay money to occupy that space.
Companies can sign up directly with you if you have a big enough audience.
If you have a “work with me” page then companies can contact you directly and say “hey, your audience is my audience.
Can I place an ad on your site for $200 a month” or whatever amount you agree on.
However, since we are talking about making money from your first month it’s unlikely that a business will contact you to sell ads on your blog unless you have an established following before you launched your blog.
So how can you get started with ads as a new blogger?
By using ad networks!
Ad Networks
What are ad networks you say?
An online advertising network or ad network is a company that connects advertisers to websites that want to host advertisements.
The key function of an ad network is an aggregation of ad supply from publishers and matching it with advertiser’s demand.
I’m sure you’ve seen blogs where you’ve seen ads either in the content or at the top of the page or on the sidebar. You may have seen these but not been sure how you can have ads on your blogs or why anyone would want ads on their blog.
How ads work
The cool thing about ad networks is that there is more than one model.
In fact, there are 4 main ad network models that you can apply for.
There’s CPM (cost per mille) when you get paid based on the number of eyeballs (or impressions if you want to be technical) that ad gets.
Then there’s also CPA aka cost per acquisition meaning you only get money if someone not only clicks on the ad but also makes a purchase. Yikes…not a great model for beginners but if you like a challenge, go for it!
Next on the list is the fixed-rate model. Remember when I talked early about working with a business directly to offer your blog up for advertising space? This is where a fixed-rate model would come in.
You would work together to come up with a price per month that you both agree on.
If your traffic drops a certain month, that business still has to per you the same amount per your agreement.
And last but not least is the beloved cost per click model that we all know (and may or may not love). This is when you get paid based on the number of clicks an advertisement gets.
Which ad network should I choose?
Honestly, I probably should have said which model should I apply for because they all have different requirements and standards. Some ad networks set the bar a little low like Adsense. Then some you have to have a certain amount of traffic per month like with Mediavine. Here is a list of ad networks for bloggers that you can look through to find the right one for you.
But Wait There’s More…
Did you know that there are also Christian Ad Networks you can apply for? Sweet, right? Now I can’t vouch for any of these because I have never used them.
One of the complaints I have seen from Christian bloggers is sometimes there is ummm….how do you say…objectionable content on some of the ads.
I’m hoping that if you are hosting Christian ads on your blog this won’t be an issue (one never knows though).
Here are 3 that I’ve found:
Beacon Ads
Christian Ad Network
Cross Ads (no longer a thing 🙁 )
If I find some more I will be sure to update this list.
How To Get Started With Ads
In order to get started with ads this is what you want to do.
Once you’ve found an ad network that works for you, you want to look for a sign up that says something like “For Publishers”.
Here’s an example: show a screenshot of what it says.
After you click that you will create a publisher’s account.
They typically will ask you questions about your blog like the name of it, when you launched, and what your traffic stats are.
They may ask you how many followers you have on various social media platforms to gauge how much reach or influence you have.
You will also have to let them know some bank account information so that you can get paid.
Don’t worry…this is normal information that they ask for so don’t be alarmed.
Once you’ve filled out the application, you just have to sit tight and wait for them to let you know if you’ve been approved.
If you don’t get accepted, don’t worry. Just try again later once you’ve become more established and grown your platforms a bit more.
How Much Will I Be Paid?
This depends on:
– The ad network model you choose
– The amount of traffic your blog has
And some other factors that we won’t get into in today’s lesson.
Now keep in mind that I said you can start earning money on day one but it’s doubtful that you will earn a lot.
I see using blog advertisements as a way to motivate you to show you that making money is possible even though you’re not going to make much bank when you first start out.
And there are some cons to ads.
A lot of ads are ugly. They can look cheesy and spammy.
They can be tastefully done of course but sometimes ads are so obnoxious that you can’t hardly read a blog post.
Don’t let this be you.
One or two ads on the sidebar.
One above the fold. One at the bottom of a post.
And maybe one in the middle of a post. Any more than that it starts to look cray cray in my opinion. If you can do less than that, even better.
I realize I’m being hypocritical since just in this very post I was saying to throw out the blogging rules.
You may, of course, have as many ads as you want. They just hurt my personal sensibilities if that means anything to you. 🙂
Are You Down With Ads?
Using ads on your site is a personal decision. Some bloggers hate the way ads make their sites look while some bloggers make the majority of their income with ads.
If you believe that seeing money roll in early on in your blogging career will help motivate you to keep going then don’t hesitate to sign up for the ad network that’s right for you.
And if you want more info about blog Monetization and about step by step tips on starting and growing a blog then please check out my free Christian blogging business roadmap!
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Check out these other Christian Blogging Academy posts on How To Start A Blog
3 Subtle Signs God Is Calling You To Be A Blogger (That You Shouldn’t Ignore)
How To Stop Procrastinating & Start Your Christian Blogging Journey (Even If It Scares You) Part 1
How To Stop Procrastinating & Start Your Christian Blogging Journey (Even If It Scares You) Part 2
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How To Purchase Your Web Hosting Service In 3 Simple Steps
The 4 Types Of Blog Content That Will Help Your Christian Blog Grow Dramatically
How To Make The Most Profitable Blog Niches Work As A Christian Blogger
How To Make Money From Your Christian Blog On Day One
