Top 3 ways I monetize my tech blog! 💸
Many people romanticize the idea of becoming a freelance blogger, being your own boss and reaching location independence. It is definitely possible, but it is not simple nor easy.
In this post I present you the 3 ways I use to monetize my tech and software blog with no initial traffic requirements, this doesn’t mean you won’t need traffic to make money, traffic is always good, but you will be able to set up this streams of income since the very beginning and they will scale as your blog grows gains traction.
DISCLAIMER: None of the links shared in this posts are referred, feel free to choose the products you like assured there is no monetary bias from my part.
Table of contents:
Displaying ads
This is the most obvious option, but may be the most difficult to monetize. The reason is you need a great amount of traffic to make a decent amount of money.
There are many ad networks to work with, you can choose your own, I went with the most common one: Google AdSense.
Advertising is highly traffic dependent, but AdSense doesn’t have a minimum threshold, they just review your site to make sure the content is good and legitimate.
To register just sign up and follow the steps on Adsense official page. You will need to add a script to your web, they also have a Wordpress plugin that does it automatically.
A typical AdSense CPM can be around the $2-3, not a huge amount as I said but better than nothing. Keep in mind that the goal is to create multiple streams of income and let them add up, don’t be discouraged.
If you already have a good amount of traffic and your niche is tech and software, there is a network I love called CarbonAds. Their motto should be ads done right, only one ad per page, with no animation or flashy elements and really nice products, I’m a huge fan!
Referral and affiliate programs
This one is my personal favourite, you can provide value suggesting really good products and make money at the same time, it’s a win-win situation!
Personally, I only feel comfortable recommending things I’m using or have used in the past. This is also the best way to preserve credibility with your readers.
I would suggest making a review of these products as well, this way people can see more in-depth the reasoning behind your recommendations.
My top choices are:
-
Amazon: The e-commerce giant offers one of the most used affiliate programmes in the world. If people click on your link a cookie is stored in their browser, if they buy something in 24 hours you get 2-5% of the amount paid. ( Amazon Affiliates US)
-
Udemy: E-learning is the new way of education. The wide catalogue of Udemy makes it a perfect choice. You get a 5-15% of the amount paid. ( Udemy Affiliates)
-
Brave browser: Brave is making the online ads experience great. You can choose how many you watch per hour and they pay you 70% of that ad revenue in BATs you can donate afterwards. You can get $5-7 if the person uses it for a month. ( Brave Creators)
-
N26 bank: 100% online banking is the future of a mostly outdated industry, their business model allows them to offer better conditions and features. You can refer a friend and each get 15€. ( N26 affiliates)
-
DeGiro broker: This awarded broker is the most famous in Europe. It has low fees and a great platform. Your referrals get 20€ in commissions, if they spend them, you get 20€ for yourself. ( DeGiro invite program)
Tips and patronage
This is a direct way of support and requires a high trust from your audience.
It is the most direct way of income because it is cash (or crypto 😜) and doesn’t require a minimum amount to widthdrawl unlike many of the affiliate programs.
My personal choices are:
-
Monero: Bitcoin fees are really expensive for small donations to be worth while, Monero fills this gap because transactions are almost free. For a wallet I recommend MyMonero, secure, modern and open source, doesn’t get better than that.
-
Basic attention tokens (BAT): Brave browser has a token system, they reward you for watching ads as you normally would while browsing the web. Then you can donate those tokens to your favourite creators.
Some platforms that offer patronage I really like are Patreon and GitHub Sponsor. I don’t use any of them myself but I know people who do and these can add up to the point they become a small salary.
Another tip service I have heard good things about is Buy Me A Coffee. It is a fun and fast way of donating, and you pay in coffees, not in dollars, so it doesn’t count right?
To wrap it up…
Well, that’s it. I’m sure there are many other really good services and programs out there, this is just my take on it.
Keep in mind all of these sources will compound with sufficient time and effort. The most important thing is adherence, remember not to quit and let that snowball effect build up! I wish you the best of lucks!
If you have any suggestion or feedback feel free to hit me up on Twitter. See you soon!
