Ever started a blog, written a few dozen entries on a topic you care about, seen the comments trickle in, and then…gotten bored and quit?
The three encouraging comments that seemed wonderful when you started the blog don’t seem quite so wonderful now that you’ve been consistently blogging for a year with not much result. Has all that precious time been wasted?
Not if you can find gold nuggets in your archives.
Whether you’re a blogger who has quit or a blogger who continues (even begrudgingly), your blog archives can be a very good source of material for both active and passive income that can build over time.
Here are some ideas for digging revenue-generating material out of your blog archives.
1. Ebooks
Let’s get this one out of the way first, because it’s the go-to method of revenue generation for writers and bloggers. And it’s not a bad one.
Creating ebooks is a fantastic way to convert your existing work into cash.
The only problem with this approach — especially if your blog hasn’t quite found a big audience yet — is that the cash can be sparse initially, and selling ebooks isn’t quite as profitable as most writers hope. But ebooks can be a fantastic source of passive income.
2. Apps
You’d be surprised how many opportunities exist to write for apps, or to partner with app creators who need content for their creations.
I know many writers who produced content for several apps a few years ago. This model has changed somewhat and you’re more likely to get work if you email app developers directly and offer your services. ,
Think of all the apps you use — a fitness tracker, say, or Google’s marketing skills app, Primer. Someone had to write all those tips about sleeping well and measuring your metrics, right? That someone could be you.
3. Articles and guest posts
I love writing about the art and craft of writing, and especially the business of freelancing. Freelancing is a lifestyle that gives me flexibility, location independence, and financial freedom. Along with contributing to several writing-focused publications, I also run a website for writers, The International Freelancer.
You know what I do when I’m running out of ideas? I look through my blog posts for articles and guest posts to pitch.
But I don’t just copy any old blog post and send it to editors. I look through each post and take out one key point, then pitch a story around that point only. I’m repurposing existing content, yet still providing new value.
4. Personal essays
Come on, ’fess up. You know you’ve ranted and raved on your blog. You may have published that awesome rant and let it gather dust, or you may have deleted it later out of embarrassment.
Either way, dig it up and see if you can rewrite your rant in the form of an opinion piece or an essay.
5. Online courses
Two years ago, I created a personal challenge on my blog to send 30 queries to major national and international publications within 30 days.
As I pitched and heard from O, the Oprah magazine, Wired, MIT Tech Review, and The New York Times magazine, and landed a blogging gig with Psychology Today, my readers eagerly followed my progress.
My success with my queries spurred them to try their own challenges, but questions kept popping into my inbox: How did you organize your ideas? How did you find editors’ names? When is the ideal time to follow up?
A few months later, I floated the idea of an e-course called 30 Days, 30 Queries that would show writers how to pitch and get assignments from national magazines by sending 30 queries in 30 days.
Within days, I had four-dozen signups. In just over a year, my course has generated $30,000 in revenue and I’ve since launched more courses and created a six-figure online business.
If your blog is educational, e-courses are almost a natural progression. Your readers will happily pay for access to your expertise.
6. Webinars and video trainings
If you have an online business, webinars and video trainings (either free or paid) are the new frontier to explore. The sooner you get involved, the better!
If you’d like to see one in action, here’s one of mine.
If you struggle to choose an idea, pick a bunch of posts about the same subject and use them to get started.
7. Advertising or promotional material
If you’re a business-minded freelance writer, you know how much work and content can go into promotions, either for individual products or your business itself.
Content is the engine on which online marketing runs. As a writer — with a blog full of content — it’s a fantastic idea to take old posts and tweak them to create new promotional material.
Is there anything I’ve missed? How do you repurpose your old blog posts for cash? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments!
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This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.