I’ve been producing original website content for more than 20 years, long before anyone had even heard of blogging. Right from the beginning, content was used to generate revenue. Whether you’re trying to move your own products or selling affiliate products, leveraging your blog for leads and sales is a relatively easy win.
What Makes a Blog Post Profitable?
Most of the articles I’ve written were intended to make money in one way or another. It’s the core purpose of most websites. Over the years, we’ve learned that online consumers respond best to high-quality content that is lightly infused with targeted text promotions. Their response might be to buy a product, enter your sales funnel, or to view your brand in a more favourable (and profitable) light.
In other words, valuable content drives sales and generates leads. But what type of content is most profitable?
At the core of profitable blogging is this:
Give / Help / Provide Value = Revenue
As a result, the more helpful and targeted your blog posts are, the more profit potential they have.
- Put some thought into what your specific audience wants or needs. Conduct some surveys if you can. Keyword research will give you an idea of what your target market is looking for as well. Every effort you make to further refine and customize your content strategy will pay off.
- Go easy on the sales pitches. Part of us recoils whenever someone tries to sell something to us. Our guard goes up and resentment creeps in. Adding a truly helpful link to the product in a relevant blog post is far less intrusive, and can even be appreciated by the reader.
- You can promote multiple products in the same post, as long as you don’t overdo it. Too many links will appear spammy to both your readers and search engines. However, mentioning a few truly useful and relevant products in a blog post can boost the returns. Spread them out and surround them with lots of useful information.
- Evergreen content keeps paying and paying. It includes blog posts that will remain relevant indefinitely, with or without the occasional update.
- Popularity can be profitable, which is why so much monetization advice revolves around website traffic. It’s no accident that the most profitable types of blog posts will also rank high in search engine results.
All the while, you’ll be building trust and demonstrating your expertise, which will always be reflected in your bottom line.
The Most Profitable Types of Blog Posts
While I can’t guarantee you’ll generate more revenue with any kind of blog post, the following types have proven themselves time and time again.
1. Checklists
Checklists can be applied to virtually any niche. They’re so profitable because they appeal to a wide range of consumers who are looking for a quick guide to something. A checklist can feature your product as part of a solution or a way to make life easier, both of which are powerful motivators to make a purchase.
2. Tips & Tricks
Complimentary content like recipes for a food product, furniture upcycling ideas for paint, or care tips for niche collectibles. Offer solutions to related problems that this product solves.
3. How-To Guides
There’s a reason top blogs have a lot of how-to guides and tutorials. From the product itself to all of things you can use it for, these guides can set you up for maximum revenue, sales of accessories or consumables, or ‘upselling’ to encourage customers to buy more. Make sure they’re illustrated well and/or include a video. This tactic will also reduce returns by frustrated customers.
4. Research, Case Studies and Data-Driven Analysis
Theory gets a little old online and there’s a great need for proven facts. Feature your own research, case studies/experiences, or data you’ve analyzed. Alternately, you can write about what others have studied. It all helps to present you as an authority on the topic and it’s backlink gold.
5. Product Comparisons
Compare your product to competitors or use your affiliates’ products. People who are searching for product comparisons are ready to buy, and that’s what makes this kind of post so profitable. They can be labour intensive, but most of it is work you can assign to your average assistant if you like. Have them gather up the features you’ll be comparing and set it up in a mobile-friendly chart.
6. Tools & Resources
You can feature tools and resources that compliment your niche, whether it’s your own product, an advertiser, or one of your affiliates. Sponsored posts can be a good fit for this category and they add another revenue stream. The post can be a list of recommendations with brief descriptions, or a casual reference to a single product in a related post. The first website I ever published (back in the 90’s) and every one since, has included tools and resources.
7. Listicles
Perhaps it’s the Best And Worst Vacation Spots For Pets, the 7 Most Profitable Blog Types, or 11 Books to Inspire Today’s Kids to Save Tomorrow’s Earth, anything you put into listicle format has profit possibilities. Listicles are profitable because they’re highly versatile and people love to share them.
Start Earning More
Think about which style will work best for the topic and the target market you’re trying to reach. There are no rules that say you can’t combine the above options into one epic post. As long as it’s built solidly around providing value, it has a good chance of making money.
Remember to familiarize yourself with disclosure laws and ensure you are transparent in your promotions:
US Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
For information on starting a blogging business, please read How to Make Money Blogging in Canada: The Ultimate Guide.
What types of blog posts have been the most profitable for you? Please share your suggestions or questions below, or chat about it in our Facebook Group.
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Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business/marketing education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
Melody has worked with many businesses in a multitude of capacities. She can often be found on CanadianDigitalMedia.com, CanadiansInternet.com, CanadianFamily.net, and AllNaturalPetCare.com, as well as other quality digital publications. Her content has earned reference links from highly-respected websites, magazines and university textbooks.
Thanks for your list of the most profitable types of blog posts. Listicle is a new term for me and your list seems to be a listicle on it’s own.
I appreciate the added note on being familiar with disclosure laws. I’ve been reading up on what you can and cannot say according to the US FTC as my blogs and associated web pages have a North American reach. But I find it equally important to be aware of what the Canadian Competition Bureau has to say.
Should I try them all or use just one or two for the whole blog? I’m having a hard time focusing my topics and this could be a way to keep it in check…sort of lol. I’ve kind of stalled because I can’t get the blog topics I want to write about to line up in a row. Maybe I need to start more than one blog?
You write beautifully. Your clarity of expression and cohesion of thoughts strengthen the credibility of your message.Thank you.