A blog is a marketing tool that can help you sell products. If you’re a freelancer, a blog is a way to showcase your skills to potential clients. If you sell a physical or informational product, a blog is a way to familiarize people with your business so they feel comfortable forking over cash. Do you run ads on your blog or make income from affiliates? A blog is a way to build trust and influence so readers click on those ads and do business with your affiliates.
Deciding what to write on your blog is key. You want to peak the interest of your readers while still focusing on your goal — making money. Each blog post should have a purpose that relates back to your income strategy. Here are blog post ideas that can convert into income:
How-To Guides
How-to guides are one of the most popular blog topics around for a reason. People want to know how to do things, and they search “how to…” online. Create how-to guides related to your products, services, or niche. Consider doing keyword research beforehand to pinpoint exactly how potential customers are typing in their how-to questions. Google Keyword Planner is a tool that can help you do this. Learn how to use it here.
Testimonials
Testimonials are a great way to show prospects that people like working with you. You can structure the testimonial like a Q&A and ask the interviewee about their experience. Customers want to know that they’re making the right decision when hiring you. If others have done it and they’re seeing results, they may be more willing to make the investment themselves.
Tutorials
If you have products or services that require some instructions, a photo or video tutorial showing how to use the product can entice customers. Just last week, I saw a video tutorial of how-to use a calligraphy workbook on social media and was sold instantly. If your product is highly visual, show yourself or someone using the product to push sales.
Mega Resource List Posts
I run a personal finance blog. For the last several years, the most popular post on my blog has been a huge list of activities to do instead of spending money. The purpose of the blog post is to inform, but I also have affiliate links throughout the list and ads on the page as my income strategy. People love lists. They’re concise and easy to read. Think of a long list of resources you can post with 50 to 100 items. Longer lists take longer to write, but they’re also more impressive to readers.
A Day in the Life Posts
Doing a post walking readers through a day in your life can help you sell a product or service, especially if you run a business that’s related to a certain lifestyle. Maybe you sell home organizing products, cookbooks, or coaching services. People don’t just buy a product or service, they’re often buying the lifestyle they believe they’ll attain after using it. Show your customers what you’re able to do as a result of your expertise.
Final Word
Be careful of falling into the “blogging just to blog” trap. Yes — blogging can be a hobby and activity for enjoyment. But when you’re trying to make money, there has to be some sort of strategy behind your blog post. It should be leading to a call to action whether it’s to buy something, join your email list, or something else. Tell your readers what to do next.
