If you’ve been blogging for a while and you’re ready to make some bigger commitments, here are a few tips for monetizing a blog over the long term: Build a paid membership program Create online courses Start a podcast Make a webinar Host a virtual summit Offer coaching or consulting services Sell merchandise Build paid membership plans Your blog posts offer more than just an opinion. They’re a combination of your experience, expertise and unique perspective. People want to read them because they offer special value, whether it’s professional advice, life-hacking tips, personal empowerment or any type of training. While most of your posts should be free and readily available, consider creating a pricing plan in which you set aside exclusive content for paying members. To persuade your readers that this premium content is worth paying for, keep some parts available for free viewing. You can use these free samples as a way to captivate audiences and get them hooked on your blog. In order to keep your publication balanced, indicate in your content calendar which posts you’d like to reserve as premium and which ones will be available to all readers. Another approach is to allow readers to purchase subscription plans so they buy access to your content. This is a popular strategy used on publications across the web. On Wix, you can easily set up a subscription plan that allows you to monetize your blog. When posts get added to the subscription plan, they’re marked as exclusive content for paying readers. Create online courses Consider repurposing your most popular written content in the form of online courses. This technique for selling videos online will not only help you drive engagement, but it’s also a powerful blog monetization strategy. While you should continue to offer short-form video content for free, you can ask for payment for premium videos that are more in-depth. Using Wix Video, you can sell, rent and enable your video content for download under your own terms. This enables you to determine the pricing and even restrict the duration of the video’s availability. To make the most of your online courses, think about the types of content that your target audience would pay for. For instance, you might create a complex tutorial video that goes beyond anything your audience can find for free online. These might include educational videos such as coding tutorials or a series of fitness training videos. Start a podcast If you want to get especially creative with your blog, another monetization option is to start a podcast. Rather than creating audio content from scratch, you can simply repurpose the existing content on your blog. Podcasts have skyrocketed in popularity within the past couple years, and taking advantage of this trend can increase your blog’s exposure and drive more traffic. On top of that, you can make money from podcasting by selling sponsorship slots to businesses. Essentially, these will be like short radio ads that you incorporate midway through each podcast. Make a webinar You can further use your knowledge to create a webinar and charge people to attend. Not only is a webinar a powerful tool for sharing your insights and teaching participants new skills, but it also helps you build deeper relationships with your audience and increase engagement on your blog. Webinars can take a variety of forms, whether it’s a slide presentation, tutorial, workshop or audience Q&A. Regardless of which format you choose, be sure to focus on a subject you’re especially knowledgeable about. Piggyback on your blog content, but offer additional insights that can’t already be found for free on your blog. You should also offer actionable takeaways so that your audience leaves the session feeling that they’ve learned something tangible. Host a virtual summit Another type of virtual event which you can charge admission for is a virtual summit. Typically, a virtual summit or conference is a video interview of 20 or more experts about a given topic. Often, they’re free for a period of 24-72 hours, after which subscribers may choose to purchase an “all-access pass” to continue viewing. On top of helping you earn an income, virtual summits are a powerful marketing strategy for generating new interest in your blog. By helping you expand your reach and increase website traffic, they can generate income short-term while contributing to your long-term blog monetization efforts. Offer coaching or consulting services Once you build authority and trust with your readership, you’re in a position to supplement written content with one-on-one coaching sessions. Regardless of your field of expertise, there’s always more than one way to convert your knowledge into useful training for others. For example, if you use your blog to share your passion for gardening, you could offer one-on-one video sessions offering tips and advice for how someone can improve their personal home garden. Or, if you’re a digital nomad and travel blogger, you can offer customized travel itineraries to clients based on their interests and budgets. Likewise, if you’re an entrepreneur or career blogger, you can offer career or life coaching sessions to your audience. Sell merchandise Many bloggers make money by selling products inspired by their content. While some of these bloggers are already well-known influencers, internet fame is not a prerequisite for selling merchandise. Monetize your blog by selling merchandise related to your industry or niche. You can sell specific items relevant to your industry or merchandise stamped with your custom logo. To do this on Wix, you can choose to either add a pay button to your website or open an online store.