We are getting into some more advanced ways to monetize your blog. You can make a very good income from your blog doing affiliate sales–if you take the time to learn the process. I don’t want to take anything away from that method of monetization. But, the holy grail to making money blogging is creating your own products and/or services.

Why would you settle for 10-70% of the sale, when with a bit more work, you can keep it all? With your own product, you create it one time and can make money from it forever. Unfortunately, affiliate products come and go. Your product can be reworked and updated for as long as you wish.

Okay…now back to my question…do you know something I don’t?

Of course, you do! Everyone is an expert on something. You’re a unique individual… your experiences give you a different spin on what might seem common knowledge. Every person knows at least one thing well enough to create a unique product. You probably have several products in you…you just don’t realize it.

Your product could come from your knowledge of a hobby or of your job. Those are the suggestions you always hear. But, let’s dig a little deeper, what about using your knowledge of something in your past? The most unlikely bits of experience can become a product or a service if you take the time to explore the possibilities. You just have to look at things from that perspective.

Would you like a totally off the wall example ? Many years ago, I was a newspaper editor. Before even offset printing– let alone the digital age, we used typepresses. As an editor, I learned to read the lead type upside down and backwards to proof the page faster. If I can catch typos upside down and backwards…how hard do you think it is for me to catch a typo on the computer screen? To me, a typo stands out like it’s outlined in neon lights.

Within my circle of online business friends, I’ve become the *go to* person if they want their documents proofread and edited. All this came about because years ago I learned a skill that is totally outdated and worthless today– but that skill made me a great proofreader. Spellcheckers don’t think or comprehend. Nevermind that many people won’t take the time to use them in the first place. The word can be spelled right and still be the wrong word for the context. It is a viable moneymaking service skill for as long as people continue to write documents.

This process is similar to finding a niche when you first start out blogging. Take some time with yourself…take a trip down memory lane and dig deep. Make a list of what you come up with. Then, ask yourself what could I do with this to create a product or service that solves a problem? If you let it stew for a few days, you’ll be amazed at what you come up with. I was….

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