Blogging (the right way) is hard work. Really. It’s an endless learning curve as you try to navigate through things like SEO, photography, content management systems and the like. Throw in a few Google algorithm changes or GDPR requirements (I will never forget May 25th, 2018), and you’ll feel like the internet gods pulled the rug from under your feet.
But then your blog starts to gain traction, and you realize that your following of two monthly visitors has grown into the hundreds. One day, you get into the thousands and realize, you have an audience! That’s usually the point where bloggers start thinking about monetizing their blog.
Growing your blog to make money doesn’t happen overnight
It takes a lot of time and patience to build an audience. And it eventually takes more money than merely paying for hosting to build that following. For instance, if you want to sell a product, use better tools for things like email marketing services or social media scheduling, it comes at a cost. All is good if you are making a decent income, but what if you’re starting out with blogging? Recurring fees start to add up quickly and eat into your profit. For example, one of the biggest surprises for me in blog monetization was the fees that come with accepting payments. How you collect your payment often comes with a hefty price that eats into your margin.
Making money as a blogger requires a lot of trial and error
When it comes to implementing money-making ideas, time and money are my two most significant constraints. Like most content creators who start, blogging is not my full-time gig. Trying to find time to blog outside of work hours doesn’t leave me much time to dedicate to my site. Priority is a must, and I have to pick my focus each time I work on my blog. As for the money piece, well throw in some monthly subscriptions that I may not fully use right away and my ideas are left on the backburner because I don’t want to pay for unnecessary expenses. I’m sure many of you content creators can relate.
Fortunately, QUID recognized this problem and is working on a solution to help content creators. This Canadian startup has created a micropayments platform to help us make extra income. Whether you just started blogging or you are a seasoned veteran, QUID is a great platform to help you make extra cash.
QUID, a service that can add another stream of income for your blog
This platform allows you to charge or collect donations on your articles for as low as 1¢ for your content. There are no subscription fees that readers have to sign up for as they can pay as they’re consuming the articles. You can choose to add a sliding scale or a button on your blog posts. I like the sliding scale because it allows my readers to donate more than the requested amount if they found my content helpful. To see what it looks like in action, scroll down to the bottom of this post or see it live on my recent post on the things you can do in Osaka.
What could I potentially make by using QUID?
Let’s say you have 10,000 visitors per month and you ask for a tip or charge $0.10 on one of your blog posts. Of those visitors, let’s say 3% of them choose to support you. That works out to be $30 for one blog post before fees. Implement that strategy on five of your best blog posts could potentially make $150 before QUID fees using those same assumptions.
What could my earnings look like after QUID fees?
I’ve created a table with a few scenarios so you can get an idea of what your earnings can be after the QUID fees. Note that these scenarios assume you have less than 10,000 transactions per month and you are under the $0 starter plan.
Monthly visitors | 5,000 | 10,000 | 15,000 |
Price/requested donation per post | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.10 |
% of visitors that donate | 3% | 3% | 3% |
# of visitors that donate | 150 | 300 | 450 |
Potential monthly revenue per post | $15.00 | $30.00 | $45.00 |
QUID Fee (7% of earnings) | ($1.05) | ($2.10) | ($3.15) |
Total earnings after QUID fees | $13.95 | $27.90 | $41.85 |
Not a shabby way of adding an extra monthly income revenue with little effort.
Note that these examples exclude the fact that you can request donations at different amounts. For example, if you have content that is super helpful to readers, you can ask for $0.50. On the other hand, you can set your not-so-popular content for say, $0.05. Being able to differentiate your prices on each blog post will help you to maximize your revenue.
There’s no need for your readers to sign up for a subscription service
Another feature I like about QUID is that your readers can make a one-time contribution. That gives flexibility for your visitors to support your blog whenever they want to instead of being locked in a monthly fee.
Three ways to make money on your blog using QUID
Aside from the obvious method of putting a button or slider on a post, there are many other ways to use QUID for money-making purposes.
#1: Test the market with your product or idea
Do you have a great idea, but you’re not sure if customers will pay for your product or service? Using QUID is a great way to test the market for your concept!
Let me walk you through my thinking.
We all know that creating a product, like an e-book or course takes a lot of time and work. But what if you can create bits and pieces of the final product and release them in stages via a blog post? That’s a great way to test the market to see if users are interested in what you want to sell. If you can make $100, you know that there is potential for your product; it’s just a matter of refining the product.
Examples of what you can create on your blog include:
- e-book
- mini-courses
- checklists
- travel guides
#2: Use QUID on pages where you don’t have affiliate links
Sometimes you write a great article, but there are no affiliate links to the product or service mentioned in your post (like this one where I walk you through every detail on taking the train from Surat Thani to Bangkok). That’s a bummer because your content is great, but there’s no way for you to get compensated for your hard work. By using QUID, your readers can support your content by donating.
#3: Replace your ads with QUID micropayments system
If you despise having ads on your site, but you are looking for ways to cover some of your blogging expenses, QUID is an excellent alternative to ads.
Conclusion
Making money through blogging never happens overnight. It is a marathon and grows bit-by-bit with each passing day. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start making some extra income with your blog by using QUID. Try QUID today, and you’ll see many possibilities on ways to monetize your blog.
This sponsored post is in proud partnership with QUID.