Monetizing Your Blog So You Can Move to Cancun

Did I mention titles matter? Yes, a great title can catch the scrolling eye causing them to pause and take a peek at your post. Yes, this is a post about monetizing your blog so you can move to Cancun. At the outset, I will tell you that I didn’t get into blogging to grow rich, but rather as a means of creative expression and as a means of encouraging others. I have yet to earn any money from blogging. I don’t live in Cancun. Odds are, you aren’t either.

In a recent guest post, my blogging friend David offered forth the question, “How quickly can I monetize my blog and move to Cancun?”

In his post, David wrote, “Frankly, one of my favorite things about Rainer’s site is he does it for the Lord and not for a living.”

Boy, if that doesn’t capture the essence of ministry. Sure, there are preachers who are LOADED. They jet around the globe from big conference to big conference. It can be hard to see where their celebrity ends and their ministry begins. Not that there’s anything wrong with money. There’s not. You earn what you earn, you make what you make.

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10 (English Standard Version)

I also had an in-person, face to face conversation with another young blogger about monetizing blogs. He mentioned that what got him to blogging initially, in part, was the opportunity to develop another revenue stream to help support his family. This young man works two jobs. I see nothing wrong with earning money from your blog if you can do it. Trust me, I would love for my blogging to open another source of income for Terri and me. It’s just not my driving factor for blogging.

Early on in my blogging journey, Terri mentioned that she hated blogs that were littered with ads. She’s not one who is crazy for commercials. But, then neither am I. They disrupt what you’re doing, diverting your attention from whatever you’re focused on. And I doubt anyone likes the junk mail that comes in their post office box. It’s just extra trash you have to do something with, in effect stealing your time. Therefore, you won’t see me running any ads on my blog—-at least to the extent that I can control it.

That being said, I would love it if my blogging led to other ways to earn income. Here are 3 ways I would love to monetize my blog (and move to Cancun):

1. Blogging Teacher/Mentor: I would love it if I could leverage my blogging knowledge and experience into teaching opportunities or chances to mentor others along their blogging journey.

2. Writing a book: I have yearned to be a writer—-a published author—almost all of my life. It would be beyond awesome to write a book as a result of this blog and see it hit the New York Times Bestseller List…or any list.

3. Preaching, Teaching, and Speaking Opportunities: I love the Lord. I love preaching, teaching, and speaking about how the Lord has impacted my life. This is less about earning money than it is about sharing the riches of a joy-filled life.

Well, there you have it. If I were to monetize my blog, these are ways I would likely do it. I shared with Terri how it does my heart good to learn that I’ve been able to influence and impact other bloggers through my blog, especially with my occasional blogging tips. I love it even more when someone shares with me that I influenced their walk with God in a positive way. In my eyes, that’s all way better than money.

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV)

Happy blogging and Happy #Blogtober!

The Devotional Guy™