With the rise of the Internet it seems like everyone you meet is a writer or blogger. No longer do you need a published book to verify that you indeed write for a living. But there is a vast difference between someone writing for passion and for profession. So how can you turn your passion into an income maker?
1. Become an authority on your subject
Knowledge is power and the more you know about what you're writing, the more it shows in your content. If you can provide the answers and knowledge on a topic, people will continue to come back to you blog, as you are answering their questions. As you become an authority in your industry people will start following your blogs to keep up to date with industry news. Thus, giving you more bargaining power when negotiating payment for sponsored work.
2. Target an audience through keyword search
Know your market. An audience is already available for you if you're willing to do some keyword research. Answer the questions asked on search engines and you will easily find a captivated audience. This means all search engines including Youtube, Instagram and Twitter. They are all large search engines and by finding out what people are looking for you can supply to a demand rather then creating one yourself.
3. Make it interesting
There is a lot of competition out there especially online. To stand out from the crowd, try something different. Videos or info graphics is a great way to capture people's attention and get them reading the entire article. Videos and graphics are also more commonly shared then just plain text.
4. Link your blog to all social platforms
There's no better way to get more people viewing your blog then through social media. When someone shares something on their Facebook or Twitter page there are more chances of people viewing it as they see it as a recommendation from an acquaintance. However buying likes and shares have no benefit, as they are not from real profiles. This is just a popularity contest and it will not help with building a real following.
5. Write for authoritative sites
Get your foot in the door by writing for credible sites. The more you write the more you'll build up your blogging profile. Seek out the best sites within your industry and offer to write for them. It's like the modern day internship!
6. Be easy to find
You've done all the hard work with your blogs but people can't contact you. What's the point in that? Make sure you have your own website with your contact details. Provide multiple options of contact for users, as some won't like filling out contact forms. To make yourself more accessible make sure you provide your email and social contact information as well.
