Learn how to monetize content from industry experts.
According to a recent study by Forbes, there are about 50 million content creators across different social media platforms.
As a result of which, there is a lot more content being created and published across channels every day. And it’s not just the brands – individual creators from different walks of life have stepped into the industry, sharing experiences, learnings and reviews at scale.
But while everyone in the industry thinks of SEO to give their content more mileage, no one pays attention to its monetization.
With the rise of streaming services and the availability of ads, it has become easier for creators to make money from their content, but it still takes a lot of effort.
And that’s what we discussed in the Semrush Global Marketing Day 2023 moderated by Tom Kiehn, IRC, and Harsh Agrawal, who spoke on how to turn blogs into an affiliate channel to earn more, and a panel discussion with our Founder, Vanhishikha Bhargava and Ahmed Khalifa on the same.
Can you monetize content?
Yes, you can monetize blogging.
Many successful bloggers (like, Create and Go, Cup of Jo, and others) make a living through blogging.
In fact, there are many blogs in the B2B space as well that have been running different forms of affiliate marketing, partnerships and other tactics to monetize the content they create and share – from JeffBullas, CXL to others, there are plenty of examples to look at.
There are a few different ways to do this, such as through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, consulting, and advertising.
But to do so, one needs to identify the right niche, stay consistent, build an audience, and have a thorough strategy.
Let’s take a look at them one by one.
How to monetize content?
Step 1 – Identify your target audience and niche
Knowing who you’re targeting and why they’re coming to you is essential to understanding which monetization strategies will work best.
Researching monetization strategies helps you understand how to make the most money effectively.
Select a niche that interests both you and your audience.
You need to find the right balance between what your audience wants and what you need to make a profit, so you can both benefit.
Analyzing the data from Google Trends and Semrush can provide valuable insights into what topics and keywords are trending, giving you an idea of your audience’s interest. You can use this information to create relevant, engaging content and understand the best monetization options.
For example, if you saw that “vegan recipes” were trending on Google Trends, you may want to create content related to vegan cooking and monetize it by including affiliate links to vegan products or setting up ads from vegan companies.
Step 2 – Create a content plan
Make a content plan that is mindful of current trends and relevant topics to your target audience. This will ensure that your content is engaging and adds value to them.
Different types of content include:
- Blog posts
- Case studies
- Thought-leadership content
- Youtube videos
- Ebooks
- Online course
- Short videos
- Social media posts
For example, by monitoring popular topics such as the latest news, current events, and celebrity gossip, you can create content that appeals to your target audience and is likely to generate attention.
Understanding what type of content is popular can help you create content that is more likely to be shared and spread, which can help to drive more traffic and potential customers to your website.
And you can use a social listening tool like Radarr to do this!
Step 3 – Identify the right platform
Identify the right platform your target audience frequents and develop content that resonates with them. This could include creating videos, podcasts, or written posts focusing on their needs and interests.
Different types of platforms include the different social media platforms you commonly use – Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and others, your own website or professional profiles on LinkedIn too!
For example, if your target audience comprises Gen Z, you may want to consider creating content on popular video streaming platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.
Additionally, you can monitor the type of content that is being shared by your competitors to get insights into what content is popular within your industry.
Step 4 – Create content
Creating content that appeals to their interests and speaks to them in a language they understand is essential to engage them and provide value.
One way to provide them value is always to stay helpful and share your honest opinion. It’s a secret sauce to build trust and loyalty, ensuring they keep returning for your content.
Step 5 – Sign up for affiliate programs
Affiliate programs allow you to earn revenue from products or services you recommend to your followers.
Signing up for an affiliate program can earn a commission when someone purchases through your link. This is an excellent way to monetize your blog and generate additional income.
For example, the Amazon affiliate program allows you to earn a commission when someone purchases items through your link. This can be a great way to make extra money, especially if you have many followers.
Step 6 – Leverage the ads network
Use ad networks like Google Adsense, SETUPAD, Facebook Ads, and other platforms to create campaigns and ads tailored to your target audience. When someone clicks on your ads and completes a purchase, you will earn a commission from that company.
Also, make sure to use ezoic to optimize the ads based on the user’s location, interest, and device, improving ad revenue by 30%.
Step 7 – Optimize for clicks and conversions
Optimize for clicks and conversions by making sure your ads are relevant to the target audience, and just signing up for an affiliate program is not enough.
Track your campaigns to determine which ads are performing best and use that data to refine your ads for better performance.
For example:
- You can implement popups
- Include promos and discount sections
- Use automation to follow up to ensure the subscriber does sign up for a product
Step 8 – Measure and optimize
The last step is an important part of the process and should not be neglected. By measuring the results of an ad campaign, you can identify opportunities to improve conversion rates and focus your efforts on the platforms and channels that are yielding the best results.
For example, you can use analytics to track the performance of different ad placements and optimize your budget by allocating more towards the placements with the highest click-through rate.
Can B2B companies tap into affiliate marketing through content?
Yes, B2B companies can leverage affiliate marketing through content by including affiliate links in blog posts, whitepapers, e-books, and other materials. You can also track the performance of these placements, just like any other ad placement, and adjust your budget accordingly.
- Offer additional services and consultation – If you have an email marketing tool, sign up as an affiliate with an email marketing expert – promote their service on your site to help people set up email automation – creating a win-win for both you and the expert.
- Sell your products – Ebooks are a great product to start into affiliate marketing. Use Amazon KDP, Gumroad, Easy digital download, and woocommerce to help you create and monetize ebooks.
- Create a video course from an ebook – Sharing the video course on social media increases the reach and potential sales. Teachable, Thinkific, and LearnDash are great platforms to convert your ebook into a video course.
- Create a mastermind event – For example, we are a content marketing agency, and we can have a mastermind event that is all about helping teams create their quarter-one content calendar
- Listicles – By creating content such as ‘10 best tools’, B2B brands can showcase their knowledge and expertise in the industry to potential customers. Listicles can be monetized by charging for access or subscription fees from featured brands, thus creating a new revenue stream for the marketing team. This allows them to experiment with different approaches to reach the target audience and drive more sales.
Make 2023 the year to monetize content
Affiliate marketing is a great way for businesses to get more customers and for individuals to monetize their content. And the good thing is that no matter what the industry, it is something you can do!
But to make it work, you need to identify your business objectives, goals, target audience, niche and create a strategy in a comprehensive manner.
Not sure where to begin?
