How to monetize your blog content

If you have a blog, odds are you’ve already posted a boatload of content. Over the years it has morphed into a mini home base for covering business, personal and lifestyle topics. You’ve been sharing with people for a long time. That content, it turns out, has value. In some cases, it might be time to put those posts in the “shopping cart” and start working off of them. Here are some things to consider before you toss them out.

You can apply them to print products

If you’ve used images from your blog on posters, books or T-shirts, go ahead and apply the same design to your pages. You will of course need the permission of the author, but at a minimum, you’ll be due for compensation.

You can tag the images with your URL

Embedding them into websites or apps makes sense if you want to monetize those online channels. Again, the author should be compensated and you’ll likely want to credit their work in the tag.

You can license them to other people

Again, you’ll likely want to seek permission from the author of these pieces. This may include creating a series of licenses for them to license to others, or just offering the images for free on the site or at a different cost. It all depends on how valuable they can be.

You can take them to other platforms

Yes, there are many services that allow you to license any blogging content you’ve posted to them. This includes taking content and repackaging and selling it online. For example, Imgur.com or Wowd, which lets you upload screen captures from your phone, allows you to share the content without having to pay a fee. Or you can simply place the ad or banner on the site without having to pay them.

How do you decide how to generate income from your blog content? Consider using an ad auction platform like AdHaus. I’ve saved everyone from the “little guy” to the giants on my personal site using this system. I find it works well because it provides a very easy way to make some money through a very simple advertising portal. I also use Paypartner, which has a similar process, but there is a fee for your property and you need to pay a fee to the ad network, or platform, that you’re using. So it all depends on how much you can afford.

About David Rasnick

David Rasnick is CEO of LegalZoom. David has 25 years of experience in the business of legal and business services, working for various firms including CFA Institute, Ernst & Young and Current Law. He holds a dual MBA from Penn State, and a JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He is an avid golfer, a native Philadelphian and a lifelong Philadelphian cheesesteak fan.