You probably blog with the intention of helping an important group of people – your readers – but how about helping a deserving cause too?
Many bloggers find ways to do something for charity, whether that involves raising awareness or raising money.
Here are four different methods you could try:
#1: Raise Awareness About Something Important
One crucial step toward change is getting people to realise how important something is. Even if your blog's audience isn't huge yet, you can still make an impact.
How about blogging about a cause close to your heart – such as homelessness, hunger, or children's rights.
You might want to sign up to take part in Blog Action Day, which runs every October: each year, bloggers all around the world write posts about the chosen topic.
#2: Use Your Blog to Promote a Fundraising Event
Perhaps you're organising or taking part in a school fair, sponsored walk, or other charity event. Why not let your readers know about it?
Of course, a lot of your readers may not be able to come to the event itself – but you could:
- Write about an aspect of it that relates to your blogging topic (e.g. you could share your experiences with fundraising for charity and apply that to fundraising for business).
- Post photos and a report of the event, letting readers know how they can donate to the cause in question.
#3: Give Your Affiliate Commission to Charity
You may not have a product of your own to sell, but are you an affiliate for any products? If so, why not run a special promotion where you give your affiliate commission to charity?
Depending on how well you know the product owner, you may be able to get them to offer an extra deal – perhaps a discount for your audience – making this a great deal for your readers too.
#4: Run a Charity Sale
Finally, if you have your own product, you could run a sale and donate all or some of the profits to charity. This could work really well as a one-off or annual event.
Every year since 2010, I've sold my “Blogger's Guide” ebooks at half-price during the week of my birthday, and I love that it allows me to make a more generous donation to charity than I'd otherwise be able to afford.
And Here's Why:
Of course I'd like to be the next "ProBlogger" and make a six-figure income from my blogging. But money isn't the most important thing in my life (and I'm pretty sure it's not the most important thing in your life either).
I've been lucky in life. I live in the UK, I have a loving family who've helped me out both practically and financially, and I've had a great education. And yet I know that 2.6 billion people in the world don't even have clean water to drink.
What really matters to me is to make a difference: to know that, because I was here, someone else's life was better. That's why I write, but it's also why I want to directly support charities working with people in need.
Perhaps you feel the same. Yes, you might have important goals for yourself – like earning a living from your blog, or running your own business – but you also want to make a difference in the world.
Your Turn
Pick one idea out of the four in this post, and figure out a way to use it in early 2014. Let us know in the comments what you'll be doing.
P.S. If you fancy picking up some blogging training cheaply, check out the Blogger’s Guides sale – it runs until Saturday 14th December.
Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!
