Summary: Content is one of the cornerstones of blogging. This guest post by Corry Cummings presents 4 tips for building an income stream by blogging and creating content
No matter how much you think your blogging lifestyle is a hobby, most serious bloggers will, at some point, be faced with the decision of whether or not to monetize it. It may be a while before it is something that you can turn into a career.
However, seeing a nice check coming your way every month for enjoying your passion can be a great incentive. For all blogs, the income stream has to start with the content. So, here are 4 tips to turn your blog into an income stream with content.
1. Quality over Quantity
Sure, it can be great to see 500 blog posts on your web site after only a few months worth of work. However, never sacrifice quality in order to push the quantity. It is much more effective to spend the time creating 5 very well crafted posts per week than it is to rush through 50 just to get your blog started.
Your readers come to your blog because they trust your information more than any other source. Don't let them down. It could take you many late nights of juggling blogging with your normal job before you get your first member.
However, if your content quality does not dip, you can secure site traffic much faster than you could as a volume writer. You may need to consider hiring a company that offers article writing services if you need to put up a significant amount of volume. This will insure that the quality will stay in tact.
2. What Came First - The Affiliate or the Content
Don't fall into the temptation to create content simply to secure an affiliate relationship. Few visitors will come to a hockey equipment blog and end up making a deposit at an online casino.
Choose topics that make sense to your blog and look for affiliates later. Although it might be tempting to set up your blog to make money right away, remember that many of your early posts will be buried by future posts anyway.
Use your first few months of content to establish a strong readership through content quality. Worry about the income stream when you have enough members to justify it.
3. Link Building
As your blog begins to grow and you gain more readers, you will likely begin using content once again to get some back links to your blog or web site. By exchanging well written pieces of content with other bloggers or web sites, you can turn your blog into an income stream with content by trading links with your fellow bloggers.
In fact, you may need to write as many as 50 guest blog posts before you begin seeing increased traffic to your web site. Still, such content is one of the fastest and easiest ways to secure links and increased traffic. The person featuring the post gets some free content and you get some links from a large reader base back to your blog or site.
4. Stick to the Subject
It can be tempting to hop on your blog and write about something that has been on your mind. However, treat your blog as your business. Once you have chosen a subject, write only about that subject.
If you want a place to unload your personal rants or feelings, there are multiple venues for that. If you have another idea for a topic, start another blog.
By making sure that you always write on the subject in your blog, you can ensure that your readers will trust your source for their informational needs.
This is a guest post by Corry Cummings, who runs Content Customs. Content Customs is a site specializing in content creation for businesses and individuals websites.
If you are interested in writing a guest post to Zemalf.com, go ahead and contact me. Check the guest post guidelines for more information.
