OK, this might not really be a “dirty” secret, but the point is to tackle head on a common misconception about making money with a blog.

That misconception is that you can throw up a blog, do some writing for it, toss up some ads and see a payday. This misconception is why I so often talk with people who are perplexed how I manage to make a living by blogging.

The truth of the matter is this: Banner advertising is ONE way to make money with a blog, but certainly not the best option. It takes real time to build up enough traffic to make banner advertising make you any more than a few pennies. This fact usually leads to failure because the blogger gets frustrated and stops blogging.

The proper way to look at a blog is as a marketing component of a broader business strategy. You can use the blog to attract eyeballs, then you make money by offering additional value for a premium. For example, any of the following income methods are going to do much better than banner ads:

• Affiliate Marketing
• Premium membership program
• Premium information products
• Services & Consulting

The thing to keep in mind is that online business is still real business. There aren’t really any shortcuts. There is only knowledge and tactics.

Big money bloggers make good money through banner ads, but the guys who make the most cash will tell you that banner advertising isn’t necessarily the most lucrative approach.