I get many emails from new bloggers asking what’s the best way to make money online and my answer hasn’t changed – build traffic with quality content and then monetize that content in the most profitable way possible. Unfortunately, most bloggers go with the easiest way instead of the most profitable way. They end up setting up their blog with Google ads and nothing else.
Google AdSense, while easy to apply for and set up, is one of the most least profitable ways to monetize a blog. The rates are very low, and you have almost no control over what type of ads shows up. The average Google ad nets $1 to $2 per 1000 views (CPM). Considering that many blog don’t even get 1,000 page views a month, you’ll be lucky if it makes enough for a cup of coffee. Luckily, there are ad networks that pay a lot more than Google, and the most profitable way for a low traffic blogs to make money online is with Social Spark.
Best Way for Smaller Blogs To Monetize Content
Social Spark allows bloggers to monetize their blogs with sponsored content. Most of the time, this content is done with a paid blog post, but there are also sponsored videos and social media campaigns as well. Social Spark is ideal for low traffic blogs because the effective CPM is extremely high, making it perfect for smaller blogs.
The above screen shot shows some of the leads in my Social Spark account. The amount is done in points. One point equals one cent. You can see the offers pay 500 to 6,000 points, or $5 to $60 per blog post.
The great thing about Social Spark is it’s not very traffic dependent. Everyone gets paid the same amount unless you negotiate a high price. While $60 to write a blog post is too low for John Chow dot Com, it can be a year’s Google income for a small blog. And it can be done with just one blog post. I’ve seen many low traffic blogs (1,000 to 5,000 page views per month) making $100 to $1,000 per month off the Social Spark network.
How To Make Money with Social Spark
- Sign Up
Create a profile in SocialSpark. - Add Properties
Link your blog to SocialSpark. You will then be asked to authorize Google Analytics and Direct Publishing on one of their supported platforms. - Express Interest In Opportunities
SocialSpark provides you with Offers and Leads from Advertisers, collectively known as Opportunities. Each Opportunity details what the Advertiser would like you to blog about and how many SocialSpark Points you can earn. You can accept the terms of these Opportunities as defined by the Advertiser or negotiate terms. - Write Your Post
Once you have found an Opportunity you like you, write a blog post within SocialSpark. Your post is submitted back to the advertiser for approval. - Get Paid
Once your post is approved it is published to your blog via Direct Publishing. After 30 days, you are paid your points. You can convert your points directly in to cash and receive payment via PayPal.
Social Spark is owned by IZEA. I visited their office and met with their founder and CEO back in 2008. They truly understand the smaller bloggers and have crafted a great system to help them make money off their blogs. Below is the video from that visit.