…I admit, the title is misleading. I am a geek and I sometimes do click on ads, so I can quickly come to the conclusion that some geeks do click on ads. However, an equally valid conclusion is that geeks are much less likely to unsuspectingly click on an ad than an internet newbie. Many people who are catering to the technology efficient crowd make a huge mistake by placing Adsense as their main source of income.

So, let’s say that your site caters to geeks. How can you earn money?
Image Based CPM Ads
Just in case you don’t know, a CPM ad is an ad that pays per impression. Even if your audience is the type that never clicks on ads, they are likely to at least notice the ads on your site. Here’s the best part, though. Whether or not the user clicks on the ad, you get money. It’s less work for you; instead of having to get users to your site and get them to click on your ads, all you have to do is get them to your site.

Affiliate Programs
Find some juicy affiliate program that geeks would love. Write about a cool new gadget, and then link to a page where they can buy that gadget and where you can get a portion of the sale. This may not sound like a good way to make money, but you’d be surprised how much you could earn, even if you were just able to sell one measly item a week.

Affiliate News Syndication
If your site is a blog, you can post geeky news items on your blog. If you use a site such as TheNewsRoom,  you can get paid up to $3.00 for every thousand times someone watches a video that you post on your blog. If you have 100 dedicated readers, and you post a video every day, your earnings would probably add up faster than you expect. Not only that, but you get money if people embed that story on their site! A good chunk of blog income can come from applications such as these.

Be Creative
Most geeks love it when they see a new idea. The best ideas to earn money are ones that capture peoples attention and are free. It’s up to you to figure out these creative ideas; just put on your thinking cap for a while and see what you come up with. Even if the idea doesn’t seem that great to you, run it by an honest friend who will tell you what they think of your idea. A huge problem with people nowadays is that they are overcritical of their ideas, and they end up holding themselves back from their true potential.

If your site caters to geeks or those knowledgeable of the internet, you should take a serious look at your moneymaking strategies. If they are working, then fine. It can’t hurt to add more. If they aren’t working, however, then something is most likely wrong with your strategy. Always put yourself in the shoes of your audience.