3 Basic Steps to Monetizing Your Online Presence

ABC of online monetization...

Monetization has got to be one of the biggest buzzwords in this age and time.

Everywhere you turn online, someone is talking about how to monetize your talent, YouTube?channel, Blog, Medium, Instagram or Facebook profile, etc.

The online space is full of various opportunities to make money, and there are people making money online — you also can.

The bottom line is that almost anything can be monetized as long as you have a template to follow.

Every platform has its unique monetization approach and requirements. This newsletter is not about any particular platform; it is a piece of general advice on online monetization and how to go about it.

By the way, you can check out and register for the LinkedIn live audio event we have coming up next weekend; we will talk about LinkedIn Monetization.

So let us get into my three-step formula for online monetization.

1. Invest in Building a Solid Personal Brand

At the heart of making money online is your ability to invest in building a solid online presence.

What do I mean by this?

The fact that you are reading this article means you are already online, and whether you like it or not, you already have a brand.

The big question is whether or not you are intentional about your online activities in such a way that it increases your KLT index.

KLT stand for 'know, like and trust.'

People buy from those they know, like, and trust. Furthermore, the primary way to build your KLT is to invest time and effort in building your brand.

One of the brand-building activities that increase your KLT index is content creation.

Whichever platform you choose as your primary touchpoint, you need to start creating content around your niche to position yourself as an authority within that space.

As you publish content and engage with other creators, more people will get to know you and consider you the go-to person in that area of specialization.

Have it at the back of your mind; that building a personal brand doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and consistency, but a solid personal brand is the bedrock for online monetization.

This leads me to the next point.

2. Be a Valuable Person

Bombarding your audience with ads before value won’t cut it?— Gary Vaynerchuk

How valid is this statement by Gary Vee? Very true.

To monetize your online presence, you must prioritize service before money.

You must be ready to serve and give some form of value to expect or demand that people pay you because money is a means of value exchange.

If you want people to hand their money to you legitimately, then you must have served them or offered them some form of value?— Ajayi Olalekan.

Money answers to value.

So what value are you bringing to the internet space to monetize?

Is it your skill you want to use to serve people?

Is there something you know that you want to teach or train people on?

Is it a course you want to create?

Do you want to consult for people in a particular area of specialization?

There has to be some value or service tied around your ambition to monetize. And once you identify that value, show up online daily, sharing content around that value, serving and helping people to get results in a little way.

Ultimately, this will help you build your KLT index to the point where you can promote an offer for your audience to pay to experience your awesomeness at a deeper level.

3. Create a Structure/System for Monetization

Although I made this the last of the steps, this should be the first thing you do before everything else.

If you are intentional about monetizing your online presence someday, it is good for you to define a structure or process for monetization from the onset.

Whenever you think about monetization, you are already talking about business, and if there is one word I know that defines business, it is structure.

I like to break down starting a business to my students this way; business is like the three sides of a triangle:

1. Identify a problem that a lot of people have.
2. Come up with a solution that addresses and solves the problem.
3. Create a means of payment and a template for service delivery or product distribution.

Since you are interested in monetizing someday, you should be clear about what problem you want to solve for people through your online presence, come up with a solution to the problem, and test it with a few people to be sure it works.

With those out of the way, your next goal is to build your brand by showing up and serving people and then marketing your solution, which can be a product or service.

Beyond the above listed, creating a structure could also include giving your business a name and registering your business name.

To monetize, you must think of your online activities from a business perspective. This differentiates you from those using their online platforms to catch up with friends or get entertained.

Wrapping Up

Monetizing your online presence will require some level of intentionality. You have to be intentional and calculative about every one of your moves.

You are here for business.

You will have to create content with a purpose and strategy in mind.

Your engagement with others has to be intentional.

With time and effort rightly invested into building your brand and serving the ideal customers you have chosen, things will take form and begin to make sense.

Are you interested in learning how to build a solid brand and how to monetize on LinkedIn?

Then you want to be a part of this upcoming LinkedIn live audio event coming up next week. I'll be your host and my guest is no other than the beautiful and elegant Uzoma Onyebueke

Click here to view and register for the event - How to Build a Solid Personal Brand and LinkedIn Monetization

Talk again soon.