Turning Your Blog into a Business

For some people, blogging is just a way to openly express themselves and what their favorite hobbies and interests may be. There are thousands of different kinds of blogs ranging on all forms of subjects. However, as blogging has become more popular, more people have found that they can take something they considered to be a “hobby” and turn it into a lucrative business. 

Everyone has heard of the Huffington Post, but what about the background story on how it was created? Arriana Huffington started the website in May of 2005 first as a liberal news and blog site that featured a variety of columnists. Shortly after its launch it became one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently cited media brands on the Internet. How did she do it you ask? She followed these 5 important tips that I’m going to explain:

1. Originality: Originality is vital when starting a blog and making it successful because you are setting it apart from everything else. Every post does not have to be completely out of the box but creating unique content is important.
2. Discipline: In order to keep people coming back to your blog you must keep the content fresh. Try your best to blog everyday and designate a specific time for writing and posting.
3. Use Analytics Software: If you want your blog to make money you have to view it like a business, and one thing businesses do is keep track of their figures. Google Analytics is easy to use and can be linked to your blog to monitor traffic and let you know where people are visiting from. You should check your traffic several times a week to see if your figures are growing. Use your analytics as a guide for your content. 
4. Monetize: Your blog instantly becomes more monetizable if you send out a newsletter to everyone that subscribes to your blog. It’s your job to make people want to subscribe to your newsletter, but going the extra mile is what’s going to set you apart from the “hobby” blogger. 
5. Link websites to your blog: Many times in business you earn a great deal of money from referrals, and blogging works the same way. Always be sure to contact websites you link to and ask for a return or referral link. Link referrals also help you get higher up on the Google page rankings. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations Staff Member Jenna Stern.