{"id":8024,"date":"2020-09-10T18:56:24","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T18:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/?p=8024"},"modified":"2020-10-30T23:49:30","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T23:49:30","slug":"how-to-monetize-a-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/?p=8024","title":{"rendered":"How to Monetize Your Blog and Make $10K Per Month (Without Ads or Affiliate Marketing)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are a lot of popular ways\u00a0to monetize\u00a0a blog. You can try:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Affiliate links.<\/li>\n<li>Ad networks.<\/li>\n<li>Dropshipping.<\/li>\n<li><em>And more.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The only problem is these are either risky or don\u2019t have great payouts.<\/p>\n<p>Google updates can wipe out affiliate sites. Ads pay you pennies per click. Dropshipping involves finding someone else\u2019s product and hoping it works for your own blog.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But there\u2019s a better way: <\/strong>creating your own product.<\/p>\n<p>If that sounds hard, stick with me for a moment, and I\u2019ll show you that it\u2019s probably not as bad as you\u2019d think.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t need fancy tools, or an expensive website, or a team of product experts.<\/p>\n<p>What you <em>do<\/em>\u00a0need is an audience, and a step-by-step process to find out exactly what your audience wants <em>before<\/em>\u00a0you ever build anything. If you follow this process, you can almost assure yourself the product will sell because you\u2019ve verified your audience wants it before you make it.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s exactly what this post is going to teach you. You\u2019ll learn how to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Turn your site visitors into an engaged audience via email.<\/li>\n<li>Make a list of great product ideas based on the great content\u00a0you already have.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you have a winning product idea.<\/li>\n<li>Sell your product before you actually create it.<\/li>\n<li>Launch your product successfully once it\u2019s built.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let\u2019s start first with some simple math of why the common methods of monetization\u00a0(affiliate networks, ads, etc.) don&#8217;t work.<\/p>\n<p>If the word \u201cmath\u201d has you running for the hills, don\u2019t. It\u2019s simple and it\u2019s important because math doesn\u2019t lie. Even if you ignore it, it\u2019s going to be there haunting you at night when your affiliate blog you spent a year building is only producing $45\/month and you don\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8019\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog.png\" alt=\"You vs. the math of why your blog isn't making money (A cartoon image of a man running away from a ghost)\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog.png 1400w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1024x761.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-768x571.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8019\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog.png\" alt=\"You vs. the math of why your blog isn't making money (A cartoon image of a man running away from a ghost)\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog.png 1400w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1024x761.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-768x571.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\"><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Note<\/i><\/b><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">: We\u2019ve coached hundreds of entrepreneurs through creating their own product\u00a0and monetizing\u00a0their blogs. If you want to take action on the ideas in this post and want help with the details and accountability,\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/skyrocket?utm_source=gc&amp;source=monetizeblog-blogpost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/mastermind?utm_source=gc&amp;source=monetizeblog-blogpost\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">book a complimentary monetization strategy session with a certified coach here<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">.<\/i><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.omwsld7xn6xr\">Why Most Blog Monetization Methods\u00a0Don\u2019t Work<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s quickly go over the problem with three common methods: Google display ads, affiliate marketing, and dropshipping.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.zavb50feur46\">Google Display Ads<\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with Google display ads. You can sign up for Google Adsense, post them on your website, and get paid when your visitors click on them.<\/p>\n<p>But you usually get paid pennies, or at most, a few dollars for every click. And, on average, only about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wordstream.com\/blog\/ws\/2010\/04\/26\/good-click-through-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">0.5% of your site visitors<\/a>\u00a0will actually click on an ad.<\/p>\n<p>So if you have 10,000 visitors per month, that means 50 people will click an ad per month. If you\u2019re making a generous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/blog\/what-is-google-adsense-and-how-to-make-money-with-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$3 per click<\/a>, that\u2019s $150.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8020\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5.png\" alt=\"10,000 visitors - 50 clicks, worth $150\" width=\"1600\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5-300x71.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5-1024x242.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5-768x181.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5-1536x363.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8020\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5.png\" alt=\"10,000 visitors - 50 clicks, worth $150\" width=\"1600\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5-300x71.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5-1024x242.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5-768x181.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-5-1536x363.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Not exactly a full-time\u00a0income.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.p7paksshjnhb\">Affiliate Marketing<\/h3>\n<p>Affiliate marketing\u00a0is almost as bad. Amazon\u00a0is one of the most popular affiliate networks\u00a0out there, and they only offer a 4% affiliate rate for most products.<\/p>\n<p>That means if you send someone to Amazon\u00a0and they buy something, you\u2019ll get 4% of the total purchase price.<\/p>\n<p>And again, only about 1% of people who visit your site will even click a link. So if you have 10,000 visitors to your site, you\u2019d get 100 people to click. Then, you\u2019d get 4% of whatever they purchase.<\/p>\n<p>When you think about the fact that the average Amazon.com order value is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalcommerce360.com\/2012\/07\/26\/amazons-average-order-value-tops-47-june\/#:~:text=The%20average%20order%20value%20for,and%20in%20April%20at%20%2446.15.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right around $47<\/a>, that\u2019s not a pretty picture.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019d make $1.88 per click, or about $188 per month.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8016\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4.png\" alt=\"10,000 visitors - 100 clicks, worth $188\" width=\"1600\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4-300x71.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4-1024x242.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4-768x181.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4-1536x363.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8016\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4.png\" alt=\"10,000 visitors - 100 clicks, worth $188\" width=\"1600\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4-300x71.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4-1024x242.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4-768x181.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-4-1536x363.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Plus, <strong>affiliate marketing<\/strong><strong>\u00a0is risky<\/strong>. You\u2019re always dependent on other companies to tell you how much you can get paid.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes that means you don\u2019t get paid at all.<\/p>\n<p>For example, our founder Bryan had a friend who made six figures a month from his affiliate site recommending credit cards. Then because of COVID, all the credit card companies shut down their affiliate programs, and poof! The income was gone overnight.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8010\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.39.35-PM.png\" alt=\"Credit Card Issues Suspending Affiliate Programs: March 2020\" width=\"808\" height=\"398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.39.35-PM.png 808w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.39.35-PM-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.39.35-PM-768x378.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 808px) 100vw, 808px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8010\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.39.35-PM.png\" alt=\"Credit Card Issues Suspending Affiliate Programs: March 2020\" width=\"808\" height=\"398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.39.35-PM.png 808w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.39.35-PM-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.39.35-PM-768x378.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 808px) 100vw, 808px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>And other affiliate product\u00a0sources aren\u2019t much better.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8018\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM.png\" alt=\"Amazon slashes commission rates of program that gives publishers a cut of sales - April 2020\" width=\"1169\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM.png 1169w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM-300x93.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM-1024x319.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM-768x239.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1169px) 100vw, 1169px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8018\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM.png\" alt=\"Amazon slashes commission rates of program that gives publishers a cut of sales - April 2020\" width=\"1169\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM.png 1169w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM-300x93.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM-1024x319.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.29.20-PM-768x239.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1169px) 100vw, 1169px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8017\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.40.25-PM.png\" alt=\"Walmart suspended its affiliate programs, which will hurt digital publishers and decrease its website traffic\" width=\"867\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.40.25-PM.png 867w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.40.25-PM-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.40.25-PM-768x236.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8017\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.40.25-PM.png\" alt=\"Walmart suspended its affiliate programs, which will hurt digital publishers and decrease its website traffic\" width=\"867\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.40.25-PM.png 867w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.40.25-PM-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.40.25-PM-768x236.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s probably not a good feeling to be this Redditor complaining that they are being denied $10,000+ in affiliate commissions because of a change in policy. This user is trying to get people together to think about a class action lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8011\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.33.56-PM.png\" alt=\"&quot;Your participation in affiliate program suspended&quot;: &quot;Hi, anybody else get this message? Support does not offer any explanation for more than two weeks. I am denied a $10K+ in referral bonuses after market-makers fees were introduced. Pooling users for a class action suit!&quot;\" width=\"734\" height=\"188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.33.56-PM.png 734w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.33.56-PM-300x77.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8011\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.33.56-PM.png\" alt=\"&quot;Your participation in affiliate program suspended&quot;: &quot;Hi, anybody else get this message? Support does not offer any explanation for more than two weeks. I am denied a $10K+ in referral bonuses after market-makers fees were introduced. Pooling users for a class action suit!&quot;\" width=\"734\" height=\"188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.33.56-PM.png 734w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-31-at-10.33.56-PM-300x77.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.ffhp2wp0y3ne\">Dropshipping<\/h3>\n<p>Another popular option right now is dropshipping. To be fair, it can be a bit more profitable than affiliate marketing\u00a0or ads because you control your product markup, but it\u2019s risky.<\/p>\n<p>You have to search through lists of products and try to find the right one for your site.<\/p>\n<p>Then you have to set up a store, connect it to your site, and hope the product sells. If it doesn\u2019t, you\u2019re back to square one.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.jef55tbw14d8\">What You\u2019d Want From a Method to Monetize<strong>\u00a0Your Blog<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>So if all of those methods are too unreliable, what\u2019s your other option?<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s pretend you can wave a magic wand and create the perfect product. I don\u2019t know about you, but this is what mine would look like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Guaranteed to be loved by my audience.<\/li>\n<li>Brings them back for more again and again.<\/li>\n<li>Lets you keep 100% of the profits.<\/li>\n<li>Doesn\u2019t rely on any platform that isn\u2019t owned by you (no Facebook, Amazon, or Google).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"h.wm4z4ti90o9v\">Does this kind of product exist?<\/p>\n<p>Yup.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019m going to show you how to create it. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Creating Your Own Product\u00a0Is the Best Way to Monetize\u00a0Your Blog<\/h2>\n<p>What if you didn\u2019t have to pay Amazon\u00a096% of every purchase your site visitors make? What if instead, 100% of the profits went straight to you?<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what happens when you sell your own product.<\/p>\n<p>And really, the process of selling your own product\u00a0isn\u2019t much more complicated than selling an affiliate offer.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the process of selling pretty much anything online is almost the same no matter what you\u2019re selling. It just takes three steps: Attract, Trust, and Monetize. We call this the \u201cATM method\u201d \u2014 bad acronym, great method.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Attract: <\/strong>You have to find a way to attract people to your site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Build Trust: <\/strong>You have to build up enough trust that people are willing to give you money. With a blog, you do this with content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Monetize<\/strong>: You offer them products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This process applies to every company \u2014 from Starbucks, to Amazon, to someone selling produce outside of a pyramid in 2000 B.C.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8021\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1.png\" alt=\"A photo of an Egyptian pyramid with a produce basket in front\" width=\"900\" height=\"669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1.png 900w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1-768x571.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8021\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1.png\" alt=\"A photo of an Egyptian pyramid with a produce basket in front\" width=\"900\" height=\"669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1.png 900w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/how-to-monetize-a-blog-1-768x571.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes the process happens in five minutes. Sometimes it takes five years. It just depends on the product you\u2019re selling.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s think about your blog: <\/strong>You\u2019ve already done the hard work\u00a0of attracting people, so the first step is done.<\/p>\n<p>Now you have to build trust. With affiliate marketing, Amazon\u00a0has the trust. People buy from them every day, so if you recommend a product on their site, it\u2019s a no-brainer to buy from them.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to make money blogging\u00a0by selling your own product, you have to build your own trust.<\/p>\n<p>Building trust takes a bit of time and consistency, but it\u2019s not difficult. And once you do it, your monetization\u00a0opportunities open up big time:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019ll get to keep your profits because you sell directly to your own audience.<\/li>\n<li>When people trust you, they\u2019ll tell you what they want to buy, so you know what products to sell.<\/li>\n<li>Your income will be much more reliable because it depends on thousands of people, not one big corporation that could shut you down at any second.<\/li>\n<li>When people trust you, they make bigger purchases and will buy from you again and again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And by the way, you can sell almost any kind of product. It could be <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-build-a-coaching-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">coaching<\/a>, freelance writing, a digital product\u00a0like a course or eBook, a physical product, a membership site, or a mastermind group.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, one of our Growth University students, Elena Favilli, used the exact process we\u2019re about to show you to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-build-an-email-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rake in more than $675,000<\/a>\u00a0pre-selling a storybook for young girls.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t think you have the chops to create your own product?<\/p>\n<p>Try asking yourself this question:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Could you spend five hours on a Zoom call answering questions about the topic of your choice? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If the answer is yes, you can probably create your own product.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, that Zoom call could probably <strong>be <\/strong>the product. You\u2019d just have to transcribe it, chop it up into smaller sections, and repurpose it as a course, eBook, or outline of a freelance or coaching package.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019m getting ahead of myself. Let\u2019s take a quick look at the overview of the process we\u2019ll use to find <em>your specific <\/em>\u201cPerfect Product\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.3tzxgoa251o9\">Here\u2019s a Quick Overview of the 5-Part, Perfect Product System You Can Use to Monetize\u00a0Your Blog<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Step 1: Build an Audience via Email.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We\u2019ll show you <em>why <\/em>email is the best platform for building a valuable audience and how to optimize your blog to build your email list\u00a0over time.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Step 2: Build Trust with Regular Content. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You\u2019ll learn what kind of content to send to your list to build trust without spending hours writing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Step 3: Find Your Big Product Idea.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your blog and content analytics (such as WordPress blog\u00a0plugins) have all the information you need to create a list of great product ideas. We\u2019ll show you our system for where to look and how to come up with your own unique product to sell.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Step 4: Validate and Pre-Sell Your Product.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We\u2019ll give you our step-by-step system to find a select group of engaged email subscribers\u00a0who will give you feedback on your product. We\u2019ll even show you how to collect pre-orders before your product is built.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Step 5: Create and Launch Your Product.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The final step is creating your product and launching it to your entire audience. We\u2019ll walk you through the exact email sequence you need to make this a success.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve already attracted a steady stream of blog traffic\u00a0to your site. This system will help you turn it into a profitable audience. Let\u2019s jump into Step 1.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.282pfx198eay\">Step 1: Build an Audience via Email<\/h2>\n<p>Email is the ultimate platform for building an audience.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p><strong>You own the interaction.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t matter if Google\u2019s search engine\u00a0algorithm changes or Facebook Ad costs skyrocket. If you have an email list, you can still talk to your subscribers (and make money online).<\/p>\n<p>Plus, email helps you sell to more customers than any other method.<\/p>\n<p>With affiliate marketing\u00a0or Google ads, someone leaves your site to make a purchase and you never see them again. If you have an eCommerce\u00a0store, 1% of your site visitors will buy, and the rest disappear.<\/p>\n<p>But if you set up your website right, you can convert a full 10% of your visitors to email subscribers\u00a0day in and day out. Then you can keep in contact with them until they\u2019re ready to buy, and you can even sell them more products after the initial sale so your customer value goes way up.<\/p>\n<p>There are just three steps to building a profitable email list:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Turn your homepage into an \u201cupside down\u201d sales funnel that\u2019s optimized for opt-ins.<\/li>\n<li>Add content upgrades for your five most popular blogs.<\/li>\n<li>Create an exit-intent popup for all your blogs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Together, that\u2019s enough to get your site converting visitors to leads at about 10%.<\/p>\n<p>So if your site gets 10k unique visits per month, you\u2019re talking about 1,000 new subscribers.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.uworg61jkz1p\"><strong>Use an \u201cUpside Down\u201d Homepage<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Your homepage should use an \u201cUpside-Down\u201d design to attract the max number of sign ups.<\/p>\n<p>We did this for Growth Tools and increased homepage signups by 86%.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how you can do it too.<\/p>\n<p>Start by using a very direct CTA at the top of the page, and ask visitors to sign up for your email list. Then add social proof, tell your visitors a bit about your story, and ask for their email again. You can include a basic navigation at the top of the page, but the main navigation should be in your footer so it doesn\u2019t distract visitors from signing up to your email list.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why the page is called \u201cupside down.\u201d You put the menu in the footer and ask for action right away \u2014 the exact opposite of what you\u2019ll see on most sites.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-build-an-email-list\/#strategy-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Get all the details and step-by-step process for creating an Upside-Down homepage here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.y5kt2x5wg69r\"><strong>Add Content Upgrades to Your Top 5 Blogs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Next, add an opportunity for visitors to sign up for your email list\u00a0by adding content upgrades to your top five to 10 most-visited blogs.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s a blog content\u00a0upgrade?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s basically a lead magnet\u00a0that\u2019s built specifically for a single blog on your site. Usually it helps your visitors take action on an idea that\u2019s explained in a blog post.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you were blogging\u00a0about how to buy a used car, you could include a pre-purchase inspection checklist on the page as the content upgrade. Then when your reader starts to actually look at cars, they\u2019ll know exactly what to check for.<\/p>\n<p>Content upgrades don\u2019t have to be a checklist though. That\u2019s just one of the four top-performing options. Here are all four:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Checklist:<\/strong>\u00a0Walk your reader through the specific steps they need to reach their goal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Resource Guide:<\/strong>\u00a0Show your reader what tools or resources they should use along the way.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How-To Guide:<\/strong>\u00a0Expand on your blog topic in more detail, or simplify it down to a handful of steps.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Case Study:<\/strong>\u00a0Show an example of someone who successfully implemented what you talk about in your blog.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The easiest way to create a content upgrade is to use our free tool, Attract. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/attract.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sign up quickly and easily<\/a>\u00a0and create a new lead magnet in minutes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8012\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-1.png\" alt=\"Attract: What kind of lead magnet do you want to create?\" width=\"1024\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-1-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-1-768x349.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8012\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-1.png\" alt=\"Attract: What kind of lead magnet do you want to create?\" width=\"1024\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-1-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-1-768x349.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Want all the deets on creating a content upgrade, complete with step-by-step examples? <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/website-optimization\/#step-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See the full guide here<\/a>\u00a0<em>(check out step two)<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.a6v8mx2npsxh\"><strong>Include an Exit-Intent Pop-Up on All Blogs <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The final step to boost your site opt-in rate to 10% is adding an exit-intent pop-up to all blogs.<\/p>\n<p>You can use pretty much any exit-intent software you\u2019d like (don\u2019t overthink this!), but make sure to include a really solid offer.<\/p>\n<p>If you lead with a great offer on your homepage, just reuse it here. Or use the exit-intent pop-up as another opportunity to promote your content upgrades.<\/p>\n<p>See how to create an exit-intent pop-up in a bit more detail <a href=\"https:\/\/growthtools.com\/action-guides\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.t5duh1rl132c\">Step 2: Build Trust with Regular Content<\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve turned your site into a lead-generating machine, you can start to build trust as a successful blogger\u00a0with your audience.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, when your audience trusts you, they\u2019ll buy directly from you, which leads to more profitable, reliable income.<\/p>\n<p>And building trust doesn\u2019t have to be complicated. You don\u2019t have to engage influencers, produce a podcast, or run a bunch of webinars. All you have to do is send a newsletter every other week pointing to valuable content\u00a0around the web. You don\u2019t even have to create the quality content\u00a0yourself.<\/p>\n<p>Just do some research, find a few helpful resources, and send them out to your list with a few sentences explaining why they\u2019re valuable.<\/p>\n<p>The reason this works so well is that offering recommendations is a powerful psychological trust-builder.<\/p>\n<p>Think about the last time a friend recommended a restaurant. If you tried and enjoyed it, would you trust your friend\u2019s next recommendation? Sure you would! And the more times your friend follows through with great ideas, the more you\u2019ll learn to trust their opinion.<\/p>\n<p>The funny part is that recommendations even carry over onto unrelated topics. If your restaurant friend tells you to try a specific Airbnb on your vacation, would you give it a shot? Most people would.<\/p>\n<p>Why? Not because they think that friend knows everything, but because they trust their friend\u2019s taste.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the same way with your list. If you point your audience to helpful resources consistently, they\u2019ll trust that you know what you\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.ismif2z0nshl\">Step 3: Find Your Perfect Product Idea<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Quick review:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, you have to build a list so you can talk to your site visitors directly. To do that, you use an Upside-Down homepage, content upgrades, and an exit-intent pop up.<\/p>\n<p>Second, you start building trust with your readers with bi-weekly emails. This will let you sell directly to your subscribers instead of sending them to a middleman who takes some of your revenue stream.<\/p>\n<p>Now, it\u2019s time to come up with what we call the Perfect Product Idea.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.5ylerg3g2883\">Find Your Most Popular Blogging<strong>\u00a0Content Category<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The best way to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-find-a-profitable-niche\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">find product ideas<\/a>\u00a0is to see what type of content is already popular with your audience.<\/p>\n<p>To do that, start by looking at your existing blogs, email marketing, and content upgrades.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll go through an overview of the process below, but check out <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/presell-validation-case-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this blog<\/a>\u00a0for more detailed, step-by-step directions.<\/p>\n<p>First, jump into Google Analytics to find the top ten most popular pages on your site (if you\u2019ve never done this before, click on <strong>Behavior \u2192 Site Content \u2192 Landing Pages<\/strong>, and set the time frame to the last six months). Jot down which have the most pageviews\u00a0(or sessions).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8022\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-6.png\" alt=\"See your top performing pages within Google Analytics\" width=\"785\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-6.png 785w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-6-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-6-768x360.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8022\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-6.png\" alt=\"See your top performing pages within Google Analytics\" width=\"785\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-6.png 785w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-6-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-6-768x360.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Second, make a list of your most engaged-with, successful blog\u00a0posts. There are four ways you can do this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Method #1:<\/strong>\u00a0See which posts have the most social media\u00a0shares.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Method #2:<\/strong>\u00a0See which of your emails regarding your posts have the most clicks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Method #3:<\/strong>\u00a0See which of your blog posts have the most comments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Method #4:<\/strong>\u00a0See which of your content upgrades are the most popular.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Then, put all of the content you\u2019ve collected into a spreadsheet and group them together by category. Here\u2019s what it will look like when you\u2019re done:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8013\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-2.png\" alt=\"Spreadsheet of what your numbers will look like\" width=\"605\" height=\"164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-2.png 605w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-2-300x81.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8013\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-2.png\" alt=\"Spreadsheet of what your numbers will look like\" width=\"605\" height=\"164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-2.png 605w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-2-300x81.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you can see, we had two clear winners when we went through this exercise: sales and list building.<\/p>\n<p>Sales looked like the overall winner at a glance, but most of its traffic came from one post. We chose list building because the Growth Tools audience engaged with that content more consistently.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve picked a topic, use it to brainstorm ideas for five types of products:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An eBook, app, or software product.<\/li>\n<li>An online course.<\/li>\n<li>A coaching services\u00a0program.<\/li>\n<li>A done-for-you service.<\/li>\n<li>A mastermind group or online event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>For example:<\/strong>\u00a0Let\u2019s say you\u2019re an expert on getting fit using the One Meal A Day (OMAD) method. You could create:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A 30-day, bootcamp-style course. Participants lose five pounds or get their money back.<\/li>\n<li>An eBook with 50 recipes and a starter guide on how to be successful with OMAD.<\/li>\n<li>A 90-day coaching program that meets once a week in a group setting. Everyone who participates gets a custom meal plan.<\/li>\n<li>A done-for-you personalized meal planning and shopping list service.<\/li>\n<li>A weekly group mastermind where participants plan their meals together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you brainstorm ideas, put them in a new tab of your Google Sheet.<\/p>\n<p>When you have a list of possible products, pick one based on three criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What are you most excited about?<\/li>\n<li>How much will the product help people?<\/li>\n<li>Which one will make the most money?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Rate each product on a scale from one to 10. Then look at your options and simply make a choice. Don\u2019t agonize over this. You\u2019re going to have to run each idea by your audience anyway, so you can adjust as you go. Give yourself a limit of 72 hours to mull it over, then move on to the next step.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.2j59m5slvdto\">Step 4: Validate and Pre-Sell Your Product<\/h2>\n<p>The key word in this step is \u201cvalidate.\u201d Most people just pick a product idea and build it out completely, only to see a huge flop on launch day.<\/p>\n<p>Validating your idea helps you avoid that problem and will practically guarantee your product is at least moderately successful. Plus, if your idea isn\u2019t what your audience wants, you can find \u00a0that out and pivot before investing a lot of time\u00a0or resources.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8009\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0.png\" alt=\"Most people pick a product, build it, and hope and pray; You pick a product, conduct extensive validation, build it with confidence\" width=\"1022\" height=\"1086\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0.png 1022w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-282x300.png 282w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-964x1024.png 964w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-768x816.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8009\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0.png\" alt=\"Most people pick a product, build it, and hope and pray; You pick a product, conduct extensive validation, build it with confidence\" width=\"1022\" height=\"1086\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0.png 1022w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-282x300.png 282w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-964x1024.png 964w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-768x816.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>In fact, you don\u2019t even need a product to validate the idea behind it. You just need a Google Doc explaining the idea.<\/p>\n<p>This is the exact method Bryan used to validate a course that would do <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/product-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$220,750 in sales<\/a>\u00a0on the first launch. And it can work for you, too.<\/p>\n<p>Just open up a Google Doc and explain the product hypothesis. State the problem, what you will present as the solution, and why it will help.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s the Google Doc that started it all: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1hm8DaP2pJvK4K6TUtC4x2b31Z7WBwV55tnnm0UI9gqA\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryan\u2019s $220,750 product doc<\/a><\/strong><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>After you\u2019ve created your product doc, here\u2019s how you get feedback:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Create a focus group of your 50 most engaged subscribers.<\/li>\n<li>Send them a copy of the doc you just wrote with a survey asking for feedback.<\/li>\n<li>If they answer and say they\u2019re interested in the product, immediately send them a link and ask them to buy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n<p>Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/product-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this blog post<\/a>\u00a0to see the detailed instructions for each step, or keep reading for a quick overview:<\/p>\n<p>Find the top 50 most engaged subscribers on your list that consistently open your content and read your blogs. Look specifically for people who engage with the content that\u2019s most relevant to your product.<\/p>\n<p>In Bryan\u2019s case, that meant looking for people who were engaged with email content regularly and had downloaded a list-building lead magnet on the site.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019ve identified your list of 50 subscribers, send them each the Google Doc you created and ask for feedback in a survey. In the survey, you should ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What they liked about the product description.<\/li>\n<li>What they didn\u2019t like.<\/li>\n<li>What stuck out the most.<\/li>\n<li>If they want to buy [whatever your product is].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When customers respond with feedback, they\u2019re basically telling you exactly what to build into your product.<\/p>\n<p>So read every response and update your product description to answer questions, address comments, and highlight specific features or benefits as you go.<\/p>\n<p>But most importantly, <strong>pay attention to the last question. Will your readers actually buy the product?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy for someone to tell you you have a good idea. A lot of people might even do that just to make you feel nice. But things get real quickly when you ask for money.<\/p>\n<p>People won\u2019t give you a chunk of their hard-earned income just to be nice (unless it\u2019s your Grandma and it\u2019s your birthday), so if they fork over the cash, that\u2019s a great indication you\u2019ve found a winner.<\/p>\n<p>But how many people should buy the product for you to consider it \u201cvalidated\u201d before you send it to your list?<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s walk through the numbers.<\/p>\n<p>If you ask 50 people to fill out the survey, typically about 30 of them will actually respond. Then, if your idea is worth building, about 10 to 20 percent of the survey participants will pre-order.<\/p>\n<p>If you hit those benchmarks, run through the process again, two more times \u2014 once with 75 people, and once again with 100. If you don\u2019t hit 10%, pivot and try a new product or adjust your pricing or messaging.<\/p>\n<p>In total, you should run your Perfect Product Idea by 225 subscribers and get at least 22 pre-orders. For example, when Bryan validated the \u201cGet 10,000 Subscribers\u201d course, he sold 39 pre-orders, which shakes out to a conversion rate of about 17%.<\/p>\n<p>But remember that 17% is not a typical result. Just look for the magical 10%, and you\u2019re ready to build your product.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.hn4gnze23ng9\">Step 5: Create and Launch Your Product<\/h2>\n<p>Building a product can be an anxiety-provoking experience. As you get closer to launch day, it\u2019s normal have questions running through your head, like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Will my product sell?<\/li>\n<li>How much will I sell?<\/li>\n<li>Will I make a profit?<\/li>\n<li>What if no one buys it?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And you should be asking those questions. You should just do so <em>before<\/em>\u00a0you start building anything so you don\u2019t waste time or resources.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, if you&#8217;ve followed the process up to this point, you should know who your target audience\u00a0is, what kind of product you\u2019re going to build, and exactly what features you need to include.<\/p>\n<p>Now you just have to do the work of putting it all together.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to build <strong>a course<\/strong>,\u00a0check out <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/creating-and-selling-online-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this post<\/a>. But remember that you can use this launch process to sell almost anything: a book, a service, an event \u2014 you name it.<\/p>\n<p>No matter what you pick, at this point, you should have everything you need to create the first version of your Perfect Product.<\/p>\n<p>And once you\u2019ve built it, it\u2019s time to launch that product to your entire list.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to do that is to use a battle-tested email sequence. Here\u2019s one of ours:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8023\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-7.png\" alt=\"A sample email sequence with 7 emails \" width=\"700\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-7.png 700w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-7-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8023\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-7.png\" alt=\"A sample email sequence with 7 emails \" width=\"700\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-7.png 700w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-7-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>You start off with three educational emails to set the stage for your product.<\/p>\n<p>Talk about the #1 pain point your product addresses. Show that you understand the problem. Weave in a case study of someone else who successfully overcame it. You can even sprinkle in a few tactics that the audience can use right away.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Then go for the money shot. <a href=\"#h.wm4z4ti90o9v\">ATM<\/a>, baby.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/ADgfsbHcS62Jy\" width=\"480\" height=\"295\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Tell your reader all about your product and how it can help them.<\/p>\n<p>Make it very clear that it\u2019s going to go on sale the next day at a specific time, and that it won\u2019t be available forever.<\/p>\n<p>Then send a quick email directing readers to your sales page, another email to re-emphasize the most important benefits and features, and a last-call to let everyone know the deadline for the launch is closing.<\/p>\n<p>Then, after you launch the course to your list the first time, continue tweaking it and making it better.<\/p>\n<p><strong>We\u2019d recommend doing a launch like this four times a year.<\/strong>\u00a0That leaves just enough time between launches for you to improve your product, get more people on your list, and launch it again, without tiring out loyal readers.<\/p>\n<p>Want the full details on how to write each email? Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/make-money-blogging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this post<\/a>\u00a0on the first product we ever launched through the Videofruit blog.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.hap2ea7h7h5i\">The Math Behind $10K per Month Blogging<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8014\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28.png\" alt=\"$496 course x 4 launches @ 60 sales each = $120K\/year\" width=\"1600\" height=\"982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28-1024x628.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28-768x471.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28-1536x943.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8014\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28.png\" alt=\"$496 course x 4 launches @ 60 sales each = $120K\/year\" width=\"1600\" height=\"982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28-1024x628.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28-768x471.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/28-1536x943.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>At this point, we\u2019ve gone over everything you need to know to successfully build an email list\u00a0and launch a product as a blogger:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How to turn your blogging\u00a0into a lead-generating machine that converts at 10% or more.<\/li>\n<li>How to come up with at least five good ideas for products you can build today.<\/li>\n<li>How to validate your favorite product idea and get your first 22 sales.<\/li>\n<li>And how to launch your product successfully to your entire list.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now let\u2019s circle back to monetizing\u00a0your blog. You may already have some passive income\u00a0from blogging\u00a0and content marketing, but let\u2019s say you want to turn this into a full-time\u00a0income \u2014 say, right around $10k per month.<\/p>\n<p>To keep things simple, we\u2019ll assume you\u2019re going to sell a relatively low-ticket course\u2060. Let\u2019s just use a $497 course as an example.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re launching four times a year, and want to make $10k per month (about $120k per year), each launch has to generate $30,000. That means you have to make 60 sales per launch.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve done this process right, you can expect about 1% to 1.5% of your full list to make a purchase on each launch.<\/p>\n<p>For 60 sales, that means you need a list of between 4,000 and 5,000 readers.<\/p>\n<p>Now you just have to figure out how long it\u2019ll take you to build that list based on your current site traffic.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, if you set up your site for lead-gen, you should convert traffic at about 10%. So if you drive traffic\u00a0at a rate of 10,000 unique visits per month, you can grow your list by 1,000 subscribers per month.<\/p>\n<p>That means <strong>it\u2019ll take you about five months to build an audience worth $10k per month if you\u2019re starting a <\/strong><strong>new blog<\/strong><strong>. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To make the math a bit easier, we created <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1hbWi3TU2PMbGEhMg4tVwpTmbMvm0Y_KWYHMXOMC58mI\/edit#gid=482263770\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this tool in a Google Sheet<\/a>.\u00a0Just <strong>make your own copy of the sheet<\/strong>, plug your numbers into the column on the left-hand side, and the sheet will tell you everything you need to know:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How many products you need to sell.<\/li>\n<li>How big your list needs to be.<\/li>\n<li>How long it will take you to get there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/u\/1\/d\/1hbWi3TU2PMbGEhMg4tVwpTmbMvm0Y_KWYHMXOMC58mI\/edit#gid=482263770\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8015\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3.png\" alt=\"If you want to monetize your blog, use our spreadsheet to plan traffic growth and sales needed.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3-300x48.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3-1024x165.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3-768x124.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3-1536x248.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8015\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3.png\" alt=\"If you want to monetize your blog, use our spreadsheet to plan traffic growth and sales needed.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3-300x48.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3-1024x165.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3-768x124.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-3-1536x248.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.uq8cz35jgvc0\">Want Us to Help You Find the Perfect Product to Sell on Your Blog?<\/h2>\n<p><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">We\u2019ve coached hundreds of entrepreneurs through creating their own product and monetizing their blogs. If you want to take action on the ideas in this post and want help with the details and accountability,\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/skyrocket?utm_source=gc&amp;source=monetizeblog-blogpost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/mastermind?utm_source=gc&amp;source=monetizeblog-blogpost\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">book a complimentary strategy session with a certified coach here<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll look under the hood of your blog and online business, identify your best growth opportunities for you as a blogger, and help you kick-start a blogging action plan for taking advantage of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are a lot of popular ways\u00a0to monetize\u00a0a blog. You can try: Affiliate links. Ad networks. Dropshipping. And more. The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":702,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing-coaching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/702"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8024\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}