One easy way to get started as a publisher is to create a blog or website focused on a topic; it should be something unique that will attract visitors, and something that will hold your interest. The goal is to attract people who are interested in this topic by writing articles or blog posts. This content you create should get the attention of people and get them to keep coming back for more. And when they visit your site, they just might click on an ad on your site. And if they purchase something, you’ll get paid a commission for that sale.
The formula is simple: you need to create a site that attracts people who are likely to buy something from the advertisers you promote.
Follow Your Passion
The best way to figure out which direction to pursue is to follow your passion and do your research. Remember, being a publisher takes time and persistence, and working in an area you already love and passionate about will help keep you motivated to do the work needed to be successful.
So, what is your passion? Do you love golf? Knitting? Are you fired up about being a new mom or collecting antique coins? If you have an interest or a hobby that you love that might be the way to go. Content-based sites, where you provide users with interesting information, require unique and compelling content, and the more interested you are in the topic, the easier it will be to create content and keep the website fresh. Good content and being a subject expert is a big part of what will keep visitors coming back. And when visitors come back, they’re more likely to purchase items from ads on your site (which is what it’s all about!).
You’ll also need to consider what subject areas offer the broadest range of monetization possibilities. If you want to be a publisher, you are doing it to make money, right? Having an affiliate site about a rare kind of beetle may interest you but it’s also likely that the range of advertisers and merchant could be limited. Sure, you can join Amazon’s associate program and include offers for books on bugs and bug collecting. You may also find an advertiser that sells bug related paraphernalia but you are going to have to get really creative to have other advertisers that are contextually in line with the topic of the site. But will you really attract enough visitors who will click on ads on your site, so you can earn enough money for it to be worth it?
For example, if you are passionate about hiking, the opportunities for merchant offers are much wider. You can include clothing for hiking, books on hiking and trails, travel to places for hiking, gear, maps, natural food items, etc. The list is long!
Here are some sites started by PMA members who followed their passion:
- Cheapesttextbooks.com
- FlamingoWorld.com
- FoodAskew.net
- GirlScoutGuide.com
- iGive.com
- MyPenguinTravels.com
Here is another article to get you started: