When I began my blogging journey back in 2009, I never envisioned it as an additional income stream as a writer. My goal was actually to build my author’s platform, at the recommendation of a New York literary agent I was seeking to secure. But, to my surprise, in the evolving years, I found that not only did blogging elevate my author’s platform, it boosted my bottom line. Handsomely. And, it can for you too!

But, before we address the strategies for success, here are some relevant blogging stats to consider:

According to Orbit Media:

• 77% of Internet users read blogs.
• There are 31.7 million bloggers in the U. S. alone.

With the time and effort invested, why not let your sweat equity pay off financially?

HERE ARE 6 WAYS TO GO FROM PLEASURE TO PROFIT AS A BLOGGER:

1. BUILD A (QUALITY) BRAND
With over 31 million bloggers in the U.S., the competition is fierce. If you’d like to stand out, and stay relevant, you need to brand your business and your blog. And, do it in a quality way. This begins with having a professional looking, user-friendly site that has a clear and cohesive mission and focus.

2. BE CONSISTENT
Blog frequency is sometimes a slippery slope. If you post too often, you’ll burn out more quickly. Blog too little and you could potentially lose the interest of your readership. “Out of sight, out of mind.” The secret sauce is determining what you can reasonably handle on a weekly or monthly basis, and sticking with it. Whatever you decide, stay the course. And, post it prominently to let visitors know what to expect. There are few things worse than a blog that is updated every now and then – at the author’s whim.

3. MAINTAIN A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE
You don’t have to pay hundreds or thousands of bucks to create and publish a blog that is professional in appearance. But, whether you opt to design it yourself, or contract these services out, make sure that your site has conservative, complementary colors, headings for various pages, an “about me” page, and a standard font size and style. If you are new to blogging, research how the most popular sites in your niche are set up. Go from there.

4. ADD VALUE TO THE BLOGOSPHERE
It’s important to have take-away value for your readers and advertisers. This can be done through providing tutorials, listicles, tools, studies’ findings, and relevant resources. Always think of how to give your readers value for their time spent with you. Then, deliver.

5. LET READERS KNOW ABOUT YOUR SERVICES
Don’t assume that people know what you do. If you want to monetize your site, make sure to display your various services and products. This can be achieved by including a simple “HIRE ME” tab on your blog with details.

6. MAKE IT EASY TO CLOSE THE DEAL
Most people who read your blog are already “fans” of your work. This gives you a built in advantage. Now, in order to make their efforts easier, you should consider offering convenient online payments through PayPal. You can even design and include bright “buy now” buttons on your site for fewer hassles and less invoicing.

If your future goal in 2023 is to increase your client base and your bottom line, don’t discount the current value of your blog readers.

JENNIFER BROWN BANKS (a frequent contributor to WritersWeekly, as well as a vendor on WritersWeekly Marketplace) is an award-winning content creator, ghostwriter, editor, and publicist. Learn more at her site: PENANDPROSPER.BLOGSPOT.COM.