Obviously, I am a blogger. But more than a blogger, I am also a business.

I love to write, to share my ideas and stories and support my industry partners. And I love that I can do it as a job. From home. With enough time to still have a life.

This article is re-posted from my consulting site Three Chicken Consulting, where I help bloggers build a business, and help brands reach bloggers. I was hesitant to share it here, on my “personal platform”, but was encouraged to do so from a few supporters. Hopefully it will help a few of you find a way to create a business you love.

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Everyone wants to know how to make money from home, doing “moderate” hours of pleasant work (especially when it involves baking cookies/doing crafts/parenting our kids).

And bloggers, some of them anyway, have found a great way to do it.

But in every article I have read about a blogger’s income, the same numbers keep coming up. Most bloggers who come out with their income numbers make between $1500 & $2000 a month mostly from digital ads, affiliate links and sponsored posts.

They are getting over 30K in views a month, and it has taken them YEARS to get to this point.

And that just sucks.

I mean, in what world would a person volunteer their time (20-30hrs of it a week) for YEARS and then make less than $25,000 a year?

So, how does one make a blog monetized? Without doing the hard sell? There is a science to it, and as we all know, there is no QUICK CASH method of business that will create a stable and lasting opportunity. Check out my 10 tips to creating a monetized blog and a stable business.

1. Understand who is paying
You become a monetized blogger and you are now working in the advertising industry! Congratulations!! Big step!
Now, look at the people who have the money to spend on advertising and be sure they fit into your plan. Support these companies and work within their demographic as you begin to define your brand as an influencer.

2.   Create your content plan
A blog with a teeny, tiny, uber specific niche just won’t be able to work with a broad enough scope of brands or businesses to fill the pot each month. Be sure you create general categories that will be able to be worked into monetized streams when you are ready, while STILL maintaining multiple places for your personal content which is the heart and soul of your blog!

3. Grow
Build your numbers. Companies hire influencers. Influencers have influence. Figure out where you fit, and start leading. Have values, and support messages. Get readers, get followers and become mighty. Ensure your growth is spread across multiple social platforms – be strong everywhere!

4. Tell people you sell stuff!
Most bloggers I talk to who want to monetize don’t have anywhere on their site that announces “FOR SALE”.  Be sure to have a place that lists your products (advertising, sponsored posts etc) so that people know you have something available.

5. Get Experience.
Write. Sell. Share. Write. Sell. Share.
If you can’t sell, then write for product to start.
Find a way to get advertorial content on your site as yet another way to show people you have something to sell. The more advertorial stuff you write and sell, the better you will become at it.

6. Be nice & work hard
Do a good job and be a kind person. It is always easier to sell to a returning client than a new one. Be helpful, grow your network and support companies as they are building. Build relationships!
Trust me, this is a big deal!

7. Be different
As much as I don’t want you to be too niche, I always don’t want you to be too generic. There is something special about you, so find it! Make that a big part of your brand. Write a story, be special and bring that into your advertorial work. Make it (cringe at the overuse) AUTHENTIC!

For reals!

8. Pitch.
Pitch, again and again and again.
Over and over again. Pitch, improve, pitch, deliver. Be better, be more original and find out what the client needs and then make it happen.

9. Increase your assets.
As a blogger you can write (hopefully), design, edit, market, and more. Find out what is your specialty in the day-to-day management of a blog, and add this on as a service. This may mean doing social media management for businesses, running integrated campaigns (blogger outreach) doing web or logo design, freelance writing or any number of the million other things available to you. Now, not only are you on the inside of the blogger world, but they are also your new clientele. Now, you can deliver a whole range of new and awesome solutions to your network!

10. Be professional
Invoice correctly, pay your taxes, deliver work on time. Be a good business and more will come. Step into this knowing you are now a sole proprietor (or corporation) and act like one. You are not a mom with a hobby that pays for her shoes. Respect the money that is coming to you, and treat it well!

So, what kind of timeline are we talking about?

I launched my blog in October 2012. I landed my first “paid” gig in December 2012. I made my first $1000 in February 2013.

On an average month I earn $3500-$4000, working approximately 16-18 hours a week. I make this revenue on sponsored posts, coaching, integrated marketing campaigns, twitter parties, and business consulting, and it didn’t take me 5 years of volunteering to do it. I went in with a plan, I focused on my assets and created multiple opportunities for revenue. Now granted, my annual income isn’t what I would pull in working full time, but here’s the clincher: I am not working FULL TIME. I am balancing life, and a home business that allows me creativity and enjoyment.

I love my job and am looking forward to having it continue to grow.

And if you leave here knowing one thing, please let it be this; never, ever rely on one source of revenue as an entrepreneur. As they say about investing, you need to diversify

By creating multiple streams of revenue for yourself, you will be less likely to freak out (and freeze because you can’t pay the hydro bill) on a slow month. The industry has high ad months and low ad months, so if you are using this as an income, you had better find a way to even that out to support your needs.

Monetizing a blog doesn’t have to be difficult (or dirty!) You can do it while maintaining your “voice” and continuing to deliver content that your readers want! There is a special, sellable angle to every site, the only thing left for you to do is find it!

Need help?  Book a coaching session or join one of my upcoming programs or workshops!  Check me out at Three Chicken Consulting, or if you are a blogger, request an invite to my Facebook group where we share tips and opportunities!