Passive income is something that you hear more and more about every day. Having both money and time to spare is a desirable goal for anyone. Some look for extra cash flow, while others aim for reliable funds to replace their 9-5 lifestyles. However, most people lack the knowledge of how to achieve this goal. One of the many ways you can do so is by monetizing your online blog.

The earning potential for bloggers is indeed much higher when you have a high-performing blog, but this does not mean that a site with less blog traffic is incapable of producing income. Even small blogs can generate some form of return — covering the cost of hosting and your domain, at the minimum.  

Many new bloggers think that the only way to create profit from their blog is through methods on their website that include code injection, such as: 

• Sidebars
• Pop-Ups 
• Headers 
• Code Blocks 
• Embedded JavaScript

Nonetheless, there are many other ways as well – including the creation of your own tutorials! With proper SEO techniques throughout your content, you can attract a multitude of people to your blog. In turn, you will receive higher compensation levels through various paid opportunities on your website.

There are many blogging platforms to host your blog, such as WordPress, Wix, or even social media sites. However, this comprehensive guide explicitly outlines how to monetize your Squarespace blog. 

Ready to monetize your Squarespace site? Let’s dive in.

Affiliate Marketing 

Utilizing affiliate marketing on your blog is a great starting point for most individuals who are new to monetization. While the process itself is relatively easy initially, it can be challenging to get sales. Additionally, it does come with some legal requirements regarding specific wording and the integration of certain disclaimers on your website to appease the FTC.

By incorporating affiliate marketing into your platform, you agree to link to products and services within your blog content that supports other companies. When readers click those links and make a purchase, you get a kickback— profits the company pays you.

For example, a referral occurs when your Squarespace website links to one of your favorite products and one of your readers follow the link to check it out/purchase it. If the customer decides to purchase that item, you’ll receive compensation for your assistance in the sale.

There’s an abundance of affiliate marketing programs to start with. One of the biggest examples is Amazon which has an entire website devoted to its affiliate program. With their specific program, there is a requirement to have a certain amount of sales within a particular period to remain in the program.

Many other companies offer similar programs with positive results as well. Of these companies, there are two that are top-rated affiliate programs that bloggers routinely take advantage of when seeking options for passive income through their websites. 

These programs are ClickBank and Awin. Both are among the fastest-growing affiliate programs available today and are conducive to many niches of the niches that bloggers embody.

Some of the other top choices for bloggers include: 

• Bluehost
• Referral Candy
• WP Engine
• Liquid Web
• Site123
• Ali Dropship
• PureVPN
• BigCommerce
• Shopify
• Sellfy
• Weebly
• ClickMeter
• Superb Themes
• 3dcart

It is important to note that all affiliate programs come with different terms of services. While some will retain visitor cookies for one day, others will have the information for weeks or even months. Additionally, some programs (like Amazon) will pay higher percentages for specific products or services sold on their website.

Lastly, it is essential to review the payment schedule for each program you consider being a part of with your blog. Some programs only pay out quarterly, and some pay on different, company-specific plans. This information is necessary to know as you are researching other options.

Online Ads

Online ads are another common method for monetizing a blog because it was one of the first avenues for websites and individuals to obtain passive income. They’re still very popular today and have grown to offer several different programs available for you to utilize this path.

When you decide to incorporate online ads into your blog, you have a variety of options for how they are placed within your content. Many companies will enable ad placement at the top of your content in the form of a header with plugins or integrations. However, you will often be given the choice of other locations relative to your content.

When considering programs to use for your online advertisement income, you will want to take into account the following information:

• Cost Per Click (CPC) – dictates the price associated with different keywords
• Cost Per Thousand (CPM) – how much an advertiser pays per 1,000 impressions
• Cost Per Lead (CPL) – the kickback for each successful referral
• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) – the cost of a consumer completing a series of actions

As the blog owner, you will be compensated based on activities such as pageviews and how frequently ads are clicked on. Specific keywords will have a higher rate for compensation than others, so the general industry recommendation is to look into conversion tracking to see which have the highest return rate.

Starting with AdSense

One of the most popular options is Google AdSense. It’s customizable, allowing for considerable amounts of income when used with appropriate SEO techniques. Additionally, Google Ads comes with Google Analytics, which helps track your data. They offer a hands-off approach to earning, so your ad space is sent for bidding and sold without your attention — very passive!

While commonly the default platform for new publishers looking to monetize, there are plenty of alternatives to Google AdSense that are more lucrative and easier to use. Some are non-exclusive and allow integration, letting publishers earn through both their Google AdSense accounts and the platform. In general, if you’re hoping to earn big, AdSense is too limiting to get you there.

Sponsored Posts

As a relatively new way to earn income for your blog, sponsored posts allow you to incorporate a product or service into your writing as a form of advertisement. In return, and upon publication, you will receive a previously agreed to payment amount.

Like using affiliate programs, incorporating sponsored posts into your content requires specific legal documentation within your writing to comply with FTC guidelines. It is best to use sponsored posts as an avenue for monetary compensation when it is a product that you have personally used and can vouch for to others.

It is also important to note that some companies will provide templates for you to follow when writing content about their products. If you are considering going this route, it is essential to review all template requirements and terms of service as well as payment amounts before agreeing to post the information.

Online Courses

Another up-and-coming option that is gaining popularity is incorporating online courses and webinars onto your site for purchase. One of the significant differences between online courses and the other avenues listed above is that the courses are developed by the blog owner. So, all work that goes into the online courses is planned and completed by you. Therefore if you find yourself with limited availability, then this may not be the best path for you to take for passive income. 

Not only is the development of the webinar time-intensive, when you go the online learning route for consumers you will have to rely heavily upon email marketing. Email marketing requires strategic research and the continual development of relatable marketing materials. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that you may need to spend some time every couple of years updating the content within the course and webinar. Doing so keeps the content fresh and more enticing to new customers. Although this can seem labor-intensive, there are various online course platforms designed to help streamline the process.

Sell Your Own Products

An additional way to make income through your blog is to sell products that you create. While these can include the online courses and webinars mentioned above, you can also branch out to incorporate digital items like ebooks or graphics. Many blog owners also sell physical merchandise, some of which include: 

• Clothing 
• Journals
• Books 
• Greeting Cards 
• Niche-specific art
• Water Bottles
• Music
• Personalized Greetings
• Hats
• Office Items
• Home Decor

There is a considerable difference between the creation process behind digital products and physical products. Blog owners can create digital products once, and they don’t require any additional needs as the customer will often download them immediately on the internet after purchase. Alternatively, physical products usually need to be created, at times customized, and shipped.

Owning and operating an online store can come with its own risks. While e-commerce is rapidly expanding through shops like Shopify, you always run the chance that whatever product or items you choose to sell may not be popular among your target audience. However, you are also running the risk that it will be hugely popular, and you will sell out. 

Coaching and Consulting

If you have an advanced skill set in any particular area, coaching and consulting are great options to consider. Coaching is ideal for individuals who hold certifications or education and areas that others often request assistance in at some point in their life. A popular choice right now is life coaching, which helps people navigate challenging periods that are currently taking place. 

Offering consulting through your blog allows you to take your experience in different areas and help other individuals and companies with your expertise. Therefore, if you have advanced levels of skill in an area such as information technology, you can utilize your content to market yourself, your offerings and make your services available. 

Providing this information will allow companies and individuals to reach out to you for assistance, and you will be paid your desired rate for your efforts. 

These two avenues are not as passive as other methods. They take a fair amount of effort and don’t create income when you’re not actively working. This route also requires you to have a high skill level in the area that you are marketing. 

Coaching and consulting are best for small businesses, business owners, and those who have the time to provide step-by-step instruction to their clients. 

Conclusion

It’s crucial to appropriately optimize your Squarespace blog to bring the most traffic to your website as you can. The more page views, engagement, and quality you have, the higher the compensation for any monetization method.

Start by reviewing your Squarespace account to ensure that everything aligns with the integration of ads, affiliate marketing, and e-commerce. Then you can decide which active and passive income routes are best for you, your niche, and your schedule.

As one of the oldest tried-and-true methods, online ads are the most popular and highly compensated route. At Newor Media, we work with publishers to maximize ad earnings while balancing other aspects of their websites. Additionally, we can work alongside AdSense to boost profits by a whopping 50-200%.