The last poll here on ProBlogger examined a growing trend among bloggers trying to monetize their sites – to sell their own products from their blogs rather than just relying upon advertising and affiliate revenue.
Whether it be by selling an E-Book, training program or some other kind of learning program or whether it is selling one self as a consultant or promoting a product from a business that the blogger owns – more and more bloggers do seem to be exploring this as a way to make money.
The poll results were as follows:
I’ve not run this poll previously so have nothing to compare it to – however my gut feeling on this one is that if conducted even just a year ago the percentages would have been further apart. I suspect in the year ahead we’ll see them grow even closer.
Out of interest I thought I’d compile a list of the types of products and services that people said that they sell in the comments of the poll post. You can see that there’s a lot of variation (it’s actually a really inspiring list to me that illustrates a little of what can be done with a blog!
- Design work
- Web/Plugin Development
- Membership Site
- Coaching/Mentoring
- E-Books
- Reports
- Legal Services
- Book (hard cover)
- Software
- Speaking/Training Services
- Music Lessons
- Copy Writing Services
- SEO services
- Tutoring
- Screencast/Video Content
- Scrapbook Supplies
- Sewing Patterns
- Photographic Prints
- Excel Templates
- Music/CD
- Craft
- Flowers/Florist
- Bag Patterns
- Marketing Services
- Skincare products
- Handmade Soap
- Makeup Artist Services
- Craft Kits
- Calendars
- Vintage Clothing
- Gourmet Food Items
- Toys
- Website Templates
- Paintings/Art
- Diet Products
- Real Estate Brokerage
- Fitness Program
- Scuba Diving Education Business
- Personalised Spoof Newspaper Front Pages
- T-Shirts
- Jewellery
There are sure to be many many other examples of what can be sold off the back of a blog – feel free to add more of your experience in this in comments below.
I’ve been prepping a new blog with my partner to sell a web development service, but it’s still very early days.
I guess I better start selling something on my blog or I will be in the minority soon. Very interesting poll.
In my case, I STARTED blogging to promote my handmade jewelry. Im now working on monetizing the blog in other ways, but its main focus will always be my art.
I use affiliate and have links to my own sites. I’m still in the “person to person” business for most things so I’m not selling anything of my own that you can download. I have several businesses and blog on topics for each of them separately, but they all have links to my other businesses. The links are not always the first thing you see.
“…what can be sold off the back of a blog.”
Intersting choice of words. And thinking about it, that is what I do. Maybe moving my merchandise to the front of the blog would improve sales. I need to chew on that.
I opened a business account having moved from Lloyds as I got suckered by the advertising. It took ages to open, they lost the signatories paperwork, took a month to change the business name and when money started coming in via BACS they would not let me withdraw it until it had sat in the account, cleared for 4 days????? I have never managed to speak to my business manager once.
In my case, I sell a product on my website – the mumi&bubi ‘Solids Starter Kit’ and have started a new blog which I intend to build into a valuable resource for parents starting their babies on solid food with great baby and toddler recipes and tips on starting solids.
Although I don’t sell a product directly from my blog, it does turn into sales on my website. I know of other blogs where this approach also works quite well, for example Emily Martin at Inside a Black Apple.
I don’t think many people write a blog to get something off their chest anymore. It’s not a labor of love, it’s all about the money. No offense. Do whatcha do.
I agree to this fact. I think there is not wrong when you are selling anything as long its not a scam.
Most certainly true, i like reading blogs and have encountered various of them. AND many do actually sell a service of their own.
I personally think the advantage of selling your own products is well worth the making of them though.
Well, i guess, even when you write your hobby-blog, there are so many option to monetize it in the web, you must be dumb not to earn some money with it. if you want to be some kind of special-blogger, you will not monetize your blog, cause you can do without that :-)
Yes, you are right. Now a days, many people advertise products from their own blogs, because their products get exposes to their regular readers.
So they get more conversion rates.
It took ages to open, they lost the signatories paperwork, took a month to change the business name and when money started coming in via BACS they would not let me withdraw it until it had sat in the account, cleared for 4 days?
i found myself that selling my owner product is the best way to small blog, like my site:
– my blog provide the training software (online service) for driving license testing and with around 1000 visitors
my site can attract only something like 100 people every day.
I have 4 blogs that I use to try and make money. Sadly, Ive not made a bean yet. Ive only been trying for a month though
As a consultant and interim manager, I actually sell myself via my blog. My blog, for me, is actually building a brand.
Although I may sell the odd e-book or affiliate link, the site is about differentiating myself from others.
However, I am looking to supplement my income with a workbook in April and develop more passive income streams.
Great long list of services, it is always good to see more bloggers with high quality and competitive products on the web.
very motivating!
@Nathan – agree
”People are rushing to sell products when they either don’t understand the process well enough to teach it or are just re-hashing other people’s ideas.
There’s a dire lack of originality in blogging circles right now.”
— Because their motive is material money based. So they can buy the same things that they don’t need, and were the reasons that they are in debt.
The ME-TOO Affiliates/bloggers just stealing information from other blogs and selling it.
Also – Blog AGGREGATORS – just rehash other blogs garbage.
I am a multi-millionaire, so it frees me to expand my passions on my sites.
Do all the bloggers sell some sort of products(mostly ebook) after that become pro? That’s what I usually see.
For now, I’m still on 56% side.. but have some idea to working on..
Random thought, but I’m a tremendous fan of vintage clothing, mainly b/c it is ridiculously retro! Anyway, keep up the excellent work. I loved the post!
Interesting stats. I use my blog to drive traffic to my main webpage, where i sell some services. Not sure how well this works but i wanted to give it a try.
I just got my store set up on my site this past week. I have no idea how this is going to go I just am following your directions. Either way it will be fun as I am passionate about this product because its my friends invention.
I think blog posts don’t have to be super-long. A post could be as simple as a photo with an inspirational quote or a YouTube video embedded with a quick caption underneath. It could be a short paragraph with a link to something you’ve written or an article someone else wrote that you found particularly interesting.
Finally someone that actually knows what they are talking about – thank you!
Wow man, I never knew this, thankyou.