Today I’d like to suggest an exercise to think about the future of your blog. It’s a brainstorming task to get you thinking about the types of products and services you might one day add to your blog.
I remember doing this for ProBlogger 4 or so years ago and coming up with a long list of potential things I could add to the blog including a job board, membership area, eBooks, ‘real’ book, events and more.
At the time I wasn’t ready to add any of these new products, services or featured – but having that list in the back of my mind enabled me to keep moving my blog forward towards achieving some of them.
The other benefit of identifying these potential income streams that you could one day develop is that others may already be developing them. This might feel a little like you’ve missed the boat but it could also be an opportunity as those with these products might be potential advertisers and/or might have affiliate programs that you could promote.
Once you’ve come up with your list of ideas feel free to share some of them in comments below – it’ll be great to see what everyone is thinking.
PS: stuck for ideas? I don’t blame you – it can be hard to think of how to add a product or service to your blog. Check out the list of products and services that other bloggers have added to their blogs in the results of a poll I ran here on ProBlogger exploring this very topic.
Great post! I sat down and did the same just about 5 months ago and I’m so psyched to say that today I launched my FIRST product. What a feeling! I churned out a backup action guidebook called Backup Informer from my IT Support blog for entrepreneurs. I used the very guide at the bottom of this article to help too “How to Launch the ***” … awesome guide! If you’re not backing up, glad to chat with anyone who has questions.
Great inspiration Darren!
I already use my blog to help promote my craft – and I plan to launch an e-book and a zine this year – with hopefully a ‘real’ book, tutorials/membership site, and more down the track.
I suffer from the entrepreneurial disease of having ‘too many’ ideas, and get frustrated when I can’t do it all RIGHT NOW!
Writing it all down to work on in the future is a helpful way to take a step back and plan a bit…. though usually I just jump in headfirst and announce my plans to the world, and then work it out!
In my case it’d be anything that can be reachable by a non-techie, low budget, spanish speaking audience: ebooks, professional services, consulting. Everything will need something else “for free” to do the trick.
I tried with a low cost eBook and it went well… I tried with not so cheap, hi-quality specialized webinars, videos and podcasts and did not go that well… Easy, cheap and useful seems to be my product.
Cheers,
G
Darren,
As you suggested, even just having an idea of what you can sell on your blog will put you ahead in making a business of blogging. Writing posts alone doesn’t make money. Knowing on the front end how you can earn a profit helps you make more strategic decisions about your blog.
Hey Darren,
I’m currently writing an ebook and putting together a service to offer individuals. I have sold several affiliate ebooks and services and thought it is time for me to create one. This is a nice big step for me. :)
Chat with you later…
Josh
I would eventually like to publish zine and comic anthologies. Critic becoming the publisher :)
I am already selling an ebook of one of my blogs but I love the ideas that your proposal has sparked off in my head. Going to let it simmer for a while.
Di (Loving your 31DBBB challenge by the way)
My current blog is really a personal blog or “journal” and I am having a hard time coming up with creative ways to drive traffic as well as what to promote/sell on it. Maybe personal blogs are not meant to be really profitable??!
I am in the idea/planning stage of a new blog that I think is going to be a winner with a lot of possible products that would go along with the topic. I’m looking to launch by October 1st. Thanks for all the tips, Darren!
I decided to take the leap and offer consulting on my blog. I have been giving small business advice to clients from all over the world via email for a few years, but didn’t give a lot of thought about monetizing it since there is so much consulting out there.
However, with support from my readership, I took the plunge.
-Joshua Black
The Underdog Millionaire
Thanks for this suggestion. I’ve found I brainstorm better when I take a walk so I always take a voice recorder with me. Easy to do with most smart phones these days.
P.S. The first voice recorder app was probably the result of a brainstorming session!
I’ve actually been thinking of several ideas to monetize my blog the day I published my first post. I actually want to do all those things you mention in the video: create at least 1 training course, ebook, and set up a consulting service. I’ve been steadily building up the following of my blog for the past few months, and have been seriously thinking about the content of my course offering and ebook, so I hope to launch at least one of those things within the next few months.
i really like how you talked about planting the seed with brainstorming and how it doesn’t happen overnight. it’s great.
also, on a side note, what video camera did you use? the quality of the picture is beautiful.
I make tutorials on my blog, so I am going to start making paid tutorials once I get the traffic and readers needed to see something.
Great post, keep up the amazing work!
Cheers,
Ryan Smith
course:]
This is a really great idea. This allows me to set monetization goals and then focus on delivering valuable content to get us there. At Clickanthropy we plan to find great deals on quality products to recommend to our users.
This is a distant dream, but I’d love to put together a book of stories.
What was your thought process for creating a separate website for the physical book? Do you feel that it increased your sales? I’m curious as to why you did that as opposed to just linking in a couple pages from the problogger.net domain instead of probloggerbook.com.
Shane – I think the main thinking from my perspective was that in effect it was a partnership between myself, Chris (co-author) and Wiley (publisher). It just seemed to make sense to separate it out a little as it wasn’t something I had complete control over and as a result I thought it’d be best on its own domain.
You can sale just about anything with your blog as long as you establish a relationship with your readers
Really cool idea to envision what you want to achieve, I hope to:
launch a forum
build some e courses
write some e books
Attempting to put it into practice by following along with your 31DBBB
Kittie
Great topic – and was fun to read through the previous comments and see what people are up to. :)
I personally sell my services (web and graphic design) through my blog currently, and would love to do some ebooks, a virtual program of some kind, and various other info products. :)
Not only could you sell blogging and social media consulting, but you could sell t-shirts or coffee mugs that advertise your blogging and social media consultancy. If this doesn’t work, I know from experience it is illegal to try and sell human organs, even if they are your own.
It’s interesting how technology is all around us and some of us fail to use it to our advantage.. Great post, and I do hope some people get inspiration to maybe follow in others footsteps.
That’s a good size list. I didn’t think about a lot of those so that makes me think I could monetize my site in more ways than I do now.
Thanks,
Mike
Great idea, I choose to use brainstorming and mind-mapping a lot when I have a word or an idea. It is a great way to get loads of different other words and ideas surrounding the topic.
Most of my drawings though are only understandable to me as they can get quite complicated and messy.
Stuart
Very good idea indeed. Moving towards such a phase will not only develop a growing traffic which will convert more readily, but at the same time, they would appreciate what you provide in the end.
It’s like providing a real resource which can be valued always and even later cherish again when we form a product out of it.
I have been developing my new blog in this regard. I have been considering it to be a resource portal and could later make it into a service. That’s my idea. If anyone could suggest a better perspective into what i could do, please. All help will be appreciated.
The blog i have been talking about is http://www.tonz.net
Hi, I ‘m rather new to your community and had never seen a video of you talking. You brought back thousands of memories…
Anyway, I’ve been brainstorming for ways to monetize for weeks now. My best idea is to promote a unique educational game my professor has already marketed. It isn’t doing as well as expected, although it is extremely helpful for pre-school educators in my part of the world.
My second best idea is to promote local businesses to a specific community that will probably be coming back to my blog (starting September). I’m just sort of “shy” in how to ask local business to “donate” to the blog.
Thank you for all your help!
Darren,
Great post with lots of good ideas. It was nice to hear you talk about your ideas that began as “notes” and are now developing into real products/services.
I’ve just started down the road of monetizing and work between two of my blogs – one for the educational/professional audience and the other for a running/fitness/wellness audience. Appreciate the supplemental list you linked as well!
Robin
Thanks for this great exercise. I really need it.
Rita blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide
One of my dreams is writing a book (not just an ebook). So that is on my list. One that I have also in mind is to build a custom software for managing productivity. I know there are already lots of it available online but building my own software is one of my passions that I am yet to focus on. I have had short gigs on IT/Dev Consulting (SQL Server) so I already know how it feels to be consulting. Doing a “blogging & branding” consulting should be fun and I want to add that to my toolbelt ;-)
Hi Darren, my blog is very new so I’m not at the point of selling anything I need to develop good content first but i will keep this advice for later.
There are quite a few things, but I think that for my blog, the ebook would be prime. Very cool idea.
Hi Darren:
Timely post for me as I have been trying to jump-start my brain about this kind of activity. The theme of my business writing blog is : Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours.
I love to take complex things and make them simple by the written or spoken word. I have been thinking about how I can promote that. I love public speaking and “how-to” type writing.
So, I am brainstorming how to sell those ideas. I am thinking about discovering what kinds of things drive people crazy in its complexity. Then I will either simplify it in training or writing or partner with a techie type to do that.
Still fleshing it out & welcome any ideas. Thanks for bringing a focus to my challenge!
Well done, Darren. You’ve inspired me to think long-term.
I really just wanted to say that I moved my garden blog over to word press, yes i’m still working on it since i’m not use to word press just yet. On this subject Darren, for some of us don’t you have to have traffic before you should put like amazon on a blog? Or does it matter?
Thanks,
Tony
I appreciate your constant reminder that building a killer blog takes considerable time and dedication. Like any startup business, they take 3-5 years. Sure there is the quick hit, but for longevity, they all take time.
Thank you and have a great day!
We sell heaps from our blogs, so its works
Thanks Darren! I enjoy blogging, but it takes up at least 3 hours a day working on my jazz blog. I’d like to sell something in the next few months in addition to all of my free content. I’ll be saving this post!
Well, it’s more important to get some ideas for how to make more people notice your blogs. : )
Hi Darren,
I have always imagine myself to have those product you mentioned. I also dreamed to have a profitable website and be as successful as you’re. However, as time goes by, my motivation goes up and down. There were times when I felt enthusiastic and motivated, but most of the days, I would feel lost and helpless.
Being a blogger teaches me to be strong, and you’ve always inspired me to do things I haven’t imagine.Talking about products or service that I would think of…how about a portal where people can search for everything. Seems stereotype but I want to make it different. The portal that I want to create is an all in one, not focusing on a single niche. the best part i, it have a personal touch.. I mean, I am the one who will personally cater the sales, speaks and communicate with my clients and visitors…
Seems impossible too…but who knows? I’m just sharing here,.. ;)
Good advice. That what’s all the most successful businesses do plan ahead – and usually several years ahead too! I’m only just setting up mine and I have a couple of ideas shaping in the depths of my unconscious. At the moment I’m more focused on increasing traffic than monetizing it.
Great motivation! We have been thinking about this very thing. Our list includes an e-book or hard book or both, an i-phone app, and maybe offering romantic gift ideas. We already have our own Amazon A-store where great resources on marriage that we recommend are on display.
Great post and good ideas. I’ve been thinking the same thing, how to monetize the blog I’ve just started. I might offer some sort of service to people, I’ve seen it on other sites. I need to brainstorm more and come up with something great.
You’ve certainly inspired me to think in a broader perspective.
I thought that quitting your blog as a way to promote a paid subscription service, as pretty ingenious. Don’t know if it works out but surely is an option.
Great video post – very timely and motivating. I’m working on an e-book and a Bootcamp type course and I’m also looking for ways to make the course “live” and in person somehow too.
Brainstorming always gets other ideas or a new perspective for me so I’m off to the white board!
This is great, thank you for the post!
I am new to the blogging world and my blog is not up quite yet, but will be in the next month or so. I am putting together a local wedding blog designed to create community among the brides and vendors in my area.
There are a TON of services that can be sold off of a wedding blog, but one idea I am really excited about is offering a “wedding school” to new brides. My plan is to put together a 6-8 week crashcourse in wedding planning to help the girls get started in a fun, interactive setting for a much lower cost than that of a personal wedding planner.
I have not decided if this should be an e-course or a live course, both would be fun but I’ve never been a part of a class like this online, so I’m not sure if it would be as effective. Either way, I’m excited.
And I’ll be sure to keep you all updated as my blog comes to life!
This is great way to plan our blog future. I will do it.
Good video Darren, thanks for the suggestions. Going through exercises like this is a perfect way to get the creative ideas flowing. It reminds me of the exercises teachers made us do back in grade school… pencil and paper and we had to write for 5 minutes without stopping; not worrying about punctuation or grammar. It’s amazing the stuff that will poor out of your head when you don’t think about punctuation and grammar.
I started @erraticblog simply as a side project, but I’m going to go thru your exercise to think about what I could do with it in the future.
I appreciate this timely article, Since I’m one who strongly believes in keeping and maintaing our health the organic health products would be what I would sell on my website.
I think you have to believe in the products you sell or it just won’t work for you.
Wow, great post. I have already started my first e-book but after taking a look at your previous post and the list of ideas there, plus some of the great ones your readers came up with in their comments, I have even more things planned for the future – from memberships to my site/forum, books, speaking engagements and even (the big dream) of throwing events myself one day.
Thanks for the kick start!
-Moki
One way to get ideas for products is to look at your stats and see what posts are getting the most interest.
In my case, I noticed that one article called “How to Write a Professional Bio” was getting a tremendous amount of traffic. I thought to myself “if that many people are looking for information on how to write a bio, I wonder what percentage of them would be interested in purchasing a product that makes bio writing easier”?
I developed some templates for how to write a bio and that site http://www.BioTemplates.com now brings in a nice income.
The lesson I learned is that your blog’s stats hold a wealth of information about what people are looking for.