Bloggers, money and moving out of the box

Lately I've been thinking alot about monetizing blogs.There are obvious solutions to try and generate revenue from a blog such as Traffic Synergy and Google Ads.But I honestly think that there is more valuable to be had than simple clickthrough earnings.There are a few things that are important to considerAre you even trying to generate revenue from your blog?Some people just love writing whether it is coherent or not, they just like to write and have no intention of earning any money from there blogs. If this is you then you don't really have to worry about implementation of various methods to earn money. Throw on some Google ads in strategic position and hope for the best.Do you have a well established brand?If you do then this is your biggest value proposition. Using SA Rocks as an example. It is a valuable brand that can aid a products public image merely by association. In this case it's important to find sponsorships and build relationships with the advertisers on your site. They will gain value from brand association. Think outside of the box here, what you offer isn't merely clicks or immediate feedback, it's having their brand present on your site. This is value that deserves recognition and pay.Your business only operates onlineYou probably need to monetize your blog quickly. But if you aren't desperate and have other projects in the online sphere your blog might prove to be a valuable place to talk about your projects and rally support for them. This can indirectly translate in to profit or revenue. This can actually be interpreted as revenue generated from your blog.Your business is online and in the "real world"This is possibly where your blog-brand can extend your profits the most in my mind. It's here where I think bloggers need to start extending themselves and pushing their brands in to real results. A great example of someone who puts himself out there and has seen the results is Mail & Guardian Blogger Michael Trapido. Traps is a fantastic mind with lots to say and a firm and educated opinion on a variety of topics. He blogs on Thought Leader and Sports Leader and has turned online blogging in to an offline growth of his core business. Fantastic news and the way that online personalities and specialists need to start migrating.Another great example is the Girl With A One Track Mind blog. This used to be an anonymous blog that generated huge visits and pageviews. Then the author was outed by a journalist and Zoe Margolis was born. This has possibly been one of the best things that happened to her blog (see this interview by Paul Carr). She could become the face of her brand and take her thoughts in to the real world. This allowed her to generate more and different kinds of revenue from her blog.You blog to build a reputationThis can be one of the most valuable blogging currencies. If you are careful and smart about your blog you can gain a very strong following and a very good reputation in a relatively short period of time. This can be converted in to many different revenue streams.How do you or have you earned money from blogging? Let me know.