Ever wish you could sit down with a super-accomplished person and ask, “What does it take to break into your industry? What’s it like to be you?”
With Pick My Brain, that’s exactly what we do.
Enjoy this week’s installment featuring a professional blogger whose unique spin on style and self-confidence has been featured in publications like The New York Times, Teen Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan, and who has been called “the oracle of all things mystically glam.” Allow me to introduce… Gala Darling!
Question:
You’ve built a formidable online empire with close to 1 million blog visitors each month. Being a “professional blogger” is a delicious dream for many people, but there’s a lot of mystery about how it’s actually done. As a pro-blogger, what are the top 3 ways that you actually make money?
[Gala]: I love that you asked this question, because there’s a lot of “mystery” about how professional bloggers actually make money… and I love having a chance to lift back the veil and explain how it’s done!
(This is one of the reasons why I co-founded a program called The Blogcademy, where — along with my friends Kat and Shauna — I teach bloggers how to start blogging at a “pro” level, and generating an income!)
If we’re talking about “the top 3 ways” that you can make money as a blogger, I would have to say:
Advertising.
In other words: selling advertising spots on your blog.
Product sales.
In other words: selling digital or handheld products through a “shop” on your blog.
Events & services.
In other words: using your blog as a platform to promote other things that you do, whether it’s copywriting, graphic design, personal styling, pet training, life coaching, leading writing workshops… whatever you do!
It took me several years to find the combination of “income streams” that was going to work for me and my business.
It’s definitely been an interesting road, with lots of experimentation along the way!
I started my blog in 2006, back when there weren’t a lot of blogs around.
After a few months in game, I started to sell ads, and subsisted on those for a while…
But soon, the economy crashed and businesses had to tighten their belts. No one wanted to spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars a month advertising on a blog, which left me in a sticky situation!
So, I tried something new. I started to write a book about style, self-confidence, travel and manifesting the magical life of your dreams… and I released the book in a digital format on my blog: one chapter per month.
Investing hundreds of hours of my time into a book project was a big risk for me… but it was also one of the most successful projects I’ve ever done. It taught me that when you take big risks, you can get big pay-offs.
Today, I still make the majority of my income through selling digital products — primarily online courses that help women to grow their self-esteem, increase their confidence, and destroy their perfectionistic tendencies.
I also make a good portion of my living from live events, whether it’s The Blogcademy, a two-day course where we teach women the ins & outs of professional blogging, or my radical self love events.
The rest of my income comes from little bits and pieces: advertising, sponsored posts, sales of my jewelry line, and special collaborations that come up from time to time.
So, to sum it up:
There are definitely a few “classic” ways to make money as a blogger:
1. Advertising.
2. Product sales.
3. Events & services.
But everyone’s blog is unique and different.
You never know what’s going to work for you unless you try something… so start anywhere and just get going!
Find great work. Do great work. Unlock every door in your way.
Images: Made U Look and Corey Sleap.