80% of bloggers never make more than $100. That’s not an encouraging statistic, is it? But how many of those bloggers created quality content or took advantage of monetization opportunities?

Very few, if any.

By virtue of seeking out this article, you’ve already proven your desire to build a successful blog. That puts you ahead of the pack. You’re ready to learn how to make money from ads, and you want to do it the right way.

Even a budding website can benefit from lucrative advertising opportunities. From large sites to new, here are seven ways to make money on your blog with advertising.

1. How to Make Money from Ads

Advertisements are all about volume. Before you pursue something like an advertisement network, you need to have a worthwhile website. Many advertisers require a good amount of traffic before they’re willing to work with you.

What does this mean for you? Don’t focus on advertisements until you’ve created an alluring foundation to place them.

With great SEO and consistent content, you can gather a following of several thousand monthly visitors. You can leverage this kind of traffic for reasonable advertising opportunities.

Keep a sharp eye on your analytics. Even if you were to pursue traditional advertising with a small blog, you likely won’t make enough for it to be a worthwhile endeavor. Build your website first and don’t reach out until it’s ready.

2. Pay-Per-Click Ads

Pay-per-click ads are perhaps the most common. They offer some of the best rates around. But there’s a problem.

Your advertiser will only compensate you when a visitor clicks on the ad. Some people consider this to be a fair payment model. After all, why should you get paid for advertising space when it didn’t lead to a customer conversion?

However, it puts more pressure on you, the publisher, to emphasize the advertisements. You want them somewhere noticeable to maintain a decent click-through rate.

It’s also important that the ads are relevant to your website and clients so people are more likely to click them in the first place. Many services, such as Google Ads, keep it easy and use an algorithm to display relevant ad materials.

But PPC isn’t just for major advertisers. You can use PPC services to improve your search ranking and bring more traffic to your site.

3. Cost-Per-Impression (CPM) Ads

Don’t want to worry about a click-through rate? You’ll receive payment with cost-per-impression ads even if visitors don’t interact with them. However, they don’t pay nearly as well as the PPC alternative.

A CPM advertiser pays in installments for every 1,000 impressions. This type of advertising is mostly reserved for very popular websites. Without a heavy amount of traffic, you won’t generate enough impressions to make it worth your ad space.

4. Affiliate Marketing

Depending on the content of your website, great affiliate marketing opportunities are available. This is a type of advertising where you promote a service or product through a hyperlink. If a visitor clicks your link and makes a purchase, you’ll receive a small percentage of the sale.

A developer blog will have limited options in the affiliate marketing space. But if you review books or toys, this is a great opportunity to effectively get paid for ads. They’re low-profile, so it doesn’t even feel like advertising.

Do you mention products often on your website? Become an Amazon affiliate and include a link to the product on their storefront. It’s that simple.

5. Sell Ad Space

Don’t want to deal with an advertisement network? You don’t have to. You can sell your own ad space with flat fee ads.

This gives you more control over the content that appears on your site, as well as the revenue you’ll earn. Of course, it takes more work on your end to find an advertiser who wants to buy space.

This tactic works best for large websites or those with a niche audience and decent traffic. Maybe you have a blog that focuses purely on luxury pens. Team up with a pen manufacturer and you’ll both benefit.

6. Get Paid to Blog

Some advertisers take a more comprehensive approach to advertising. Instead of buying indirect ad space, they pay bloggers to review their products. This will lead to a one-time payment, unlike other payment models.

This is more work than simply enabling advertisements on your site. However, if you were going to review the product anyway, it’s another opportunity to make money with ads.

Just note that advertisers may decline to compensate you for harshly negative reviews. That’s one reason sponsored reviews can impact the integrity of you and your site. Pursue this path only if you’re ready to navigate its legal and ethical complications.

7. Advertise Your Own Service

We’ve talked about touting the products of others. But what about your own?

For example, include a portfolio on your photography blog. Use some space in the sidebar to describe yourself, your experience, and your services. This may take up room for ads, but it’ll pay for itself when it lands you a new client.

Many professionals run popular blogs as proof of industry expertise. In a sense, the entire website is one big advertisement for you and your freelance business.

But on some websites, including a link on the navigation bar isn’t enough. Give yourself some ad space to sell yourself.

Monetize Your Website

In 2017, digital marketing expenses increased by 44%. More advertisers than ever before are finding value in digital campaigns. As a website owner, you’re poised to take advantage of this industry trend.

You know how to make money from ads. But is your website bringing in enough traffic to make them worthwhile? Build a bigger website with these seven tips to improve your search engine placement.

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