Content Monetization: How it Works and Mistakes to Avoid

Due to the rise in social media it has become increasingly easier to publish your thoughts and views online. People who share their thoughts and knowledge on the internet and are known as content publishers.

Content publishers often explain and explore different ideas on social media by creating videos to stream, blogging on websites, and email newsletters. So what exactly is content monetization?

Content Monetization

Content monetization is the process of earning money online by sharing your unique thoughts and ideas with others on various platforms. There are many ways to earn money by posting content online for others to see. Here’s a few:

1. Establishing a partnership with a company by uploading content that advertises their company and products on different platforms.
2. Make videos of entertaining ideas like dinner recipes, paintings, fashion shows, political views, cute animals, etc.
3. Explore your ideas with blog writing
4. Affiliate marketing- completing various tasks like downloading an app, writing a review, or copywriting.

How does content monetization work?

Content publishers require unique ideas and the content should be easy to digest and understandable. When you are a content creator you need to know what people are interested in and how to ensure they are satisfied with your content.

There are several different platforms within content monetization. You have the classic website monetization which typically contains blogs and images. There are social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter that are great for monetizing video content.

Content creators essentially compete with one another to provide the most unique content on the platform to keep their audience engaged.

One of the most common monetization models is sponsored posts. This is when the content publisher is compensated with a flat fee for posting on behalf of the brand. This model is closely related to the content creators that are referred to as “influencers”. Check out some Effective Ways to Earn Money From Content Marketing

The issue that comes along with limiting yourself to sponsored posts is there’s no way to tell how effective your ad is.

Unlike sponsored posts, performance models are based on a compensation framework including specific details about commission. This is when a content publisher is paid an agreed upon percentage of sales or compensation for actions. These actions would be taken by the audience from the influencers ad. Actions such as, email sign up, subscriptions, orders, app downloads etc.

Benefits of performance based models for publishers

Being open to commissions will help create more opportunities for new partnerships. This in turn poses less of a risk to the advertiser so it is a more desirable option. When you are working on a performance based model you have potential for long term earnings. Working with a brand for a long period of time will outearn almost any one time fee.

When you are working with commissionable earnings it means there will be tracking links involved in the post. This allows the advertiser and the publisher to monitor the performance of the post while gaining a deeper understanding of what works and what does not.

Content monetization comes in many forms but for the purpose of education, the most common are through flat fees and commissions.

Mistakes to avoid

By now you understand that there are several different platforms where content monetization can earn you money. However, you can post just any content and start making money. Providing content that isn’t interesting or original will most likely lead to failure.

Here is a list of mistakes new creators often make and how to avoid them:

• Your content needs to be informational, valuable, and consistent. Content should always serve a purpose. If you are making content it should answer a specific question, explain a product, serve a purpose, etc.
• If your site is not earning much, you may notice that your presentation is causing a lack of viewers. Work on your content and content delivery to boost your monetization.
• Never flood your page with too many ads just to increase the loading time of your page. Too many ads often irritate the audience and could leave an overall bad impression on your website.

New age content monetization

If you can remember a time before social media, you most likely remember flipping through a magazine with traditional advertisements for products.

There are two ways this advertisement exists. First is traditional display format which would be something like a full-page spread of Kitchen pans for Bath & Body Works. The second is native advertising. This is where you have to read between the lines to discover the ad. It’s contextual and organic in its nature.

Today digital influences take on the challenge of monetizing their content rought native advertising while deciding what products and brands they want to share with their audience. Digital content publishers and advertisers can now determine exactly how effective their media is. For example, you can determine where the customer came from, on which day and at what time.

If you are posting online, you can earn money

You can better monetize your content by understanding your audience and their demographics Keep in mind you don’t have to pay too much attention to vanity data such as follower count, likes or impressions. Instead you should try to understand how you can offer value to the brand you’d like to promote.

If you don’t have many metrics to work with, you can start by focusing on the qualitative benefits of your audience reach. This means studying their characteristics, type of content they enjoy, how often they visit the sites of brands you share with them.

However you choose to define yourself, whether it’s as an influencer or a content creator etc. if you are publishing content you have an opportunity to earn money. Strong partnerships are founded on delivering a strong experience to your users.

This means you must consider the value you create for the brand you choose to promote. It’s up to you to choose how you can meet the goals of the brand you’re promoting and the expectations of your audience.

Don’t forget that the opportunity for content monetization has never been greater than it is right now!