Today is Day 16 of the Be A Better Blogger series. We’re using the outline offered by Collis Ta’eed in an article titled 31 Days To Becoming A Better Blogger, and our topic for the day is:

Day 16. Add a new income stream to your blog. Blog advertising programs can be unreliable. You might be on to a sweet thing with one form of advertising at the moment, but what if the service changes, or goes bust — taking your income with it? If you’re monetizing your blog it’s a good idea to have at least two strong income streams in place, so that if something goes wrong with one, you’ve still got backup…

Excellent advice, as I have experienced this firsthand myself. Text-Link-Ads and PayPerPost being good examples. Sometimes an income opportunity is great short-term, and then you’ll find some that last. Its always a good idea to diversify and test various ways to make money with your blog.

And dont get discouraged, because some of those short-term streams can have a great little ‘pop’ and pad your pockets for awhile. Just know that going in, and work on finding the perfect combination for stable income levels.

With that said, let’s take a look at 4 of the more popular streams of income you might use to monetize your blog…

• Affiliate Marketing Look for products and services that your readers want and need, and recommend them with your affiliate link. You’ll earn a commission on each sale. This is best done through reviews and personal recommendations. Download and read Jeremy Palmer’s free affiliate guide.
• Selling Your Own Products/Services The easiest and most profitable thing you can do is write a report and sell it at a very reasonable price. In addition to promoting it on your blog, you can also make a killing on the side using my personal Fast Cash Strategy.
• Advertising/Sponsors I recommend ScratchBack if you are blogging with WordPress. This is a google-friendly option, and it’s also completely automated.
• Contextual Ads Google Adsense is the more popular option, but you might also consider Auction Ads (now ShoppingAds.com).

A combination of those options is best, in my opinion. If you are already promoting affiliate products, consider creating a product of your own that your readers will want to buy. If you are promoting your own service, add an affiliate recommendation that compliments your offer.

If you have ideas to add, or questions about monetizing your own blog, leave a comment below and let us know

Best,