My cat, Godiva, is a monetization master.

Ok, so she doesn’t actually make money, but only because that isn’t her goal. Her goal is attention and food – and she gets both of those things in abundance. If you have a cat, I bet yours does too. We should all count our lucky stars that cats can’t type, or they’d be the top bloggers in every niche, I’m sure of it.

So what does my cat do that we can implement on our blogs?

• She is consistent.
  

Godiva wants her breakfast every morning as soon as I step out of my bedroom. If I’m not home, she meows outside of my roommate’s door until he wakes up and feeds her (since he usually sleeps later than I do). She gets freaked out by changes in the house, like moving furniture, and she has certain spots where she likes to sleep. And because she’s in a routine, so am I. The first thing I do when I wake up is trudge out to the kitche and put food in her dish.

Are you as consistent as my cat? You don’t have to blog every day. You don’t even have to blog on a schedule. But if you’re super sporadic about your posts, sometimes posting every single day and other times going weeks between posts, it is unsettling to readers. This goes beyond post frequency. Do you use Twitter and Facebook consistently? Do you email your list consistently? If you want your readers to consistently pull out their wallets, you have to be at least somewhat consistent as well.

• She is a friend no matter what.

Even if I stopped petting my cat, she would always be there for me with some kitty love. She doesn’t understand the concept of “paying” for something. Pets have this uncanny sense when we need them, and if I’m having a crappy day, Godiva is my shadow. She wants to make me feel better, whether I gave her a treat that morning or not.

As bloggers, we sometimes get caught up in only caring about our readers if they are going to give us money in some way. Yes, you have to make a living, and you might even be blogging solely for money, but if your readers get the sense that you’re only being nice to them because you want something from them, you’re not really going to build much loyalty. Sure, they might buy something if they find it useful, but they’re less likely to rave about you to their friends, trust you for projects they’re unsure about, or otherwise offer support. Be useful and friendly without expecting anything in return, because that’s how you’ll actually end up seeing the most return. Look at the big picture.

• She gives me options.

Godiva isn’t good at taking no for an answer. When she wants attention, she wants attention. Now. But she’s willing to give me options. If I shoo her away when she tries to sit on my lap, she rubs against my foot. If I move her off of my stomach when she tries to snuggle as I’m going to sleep, she curls up beside my head. If she wants to play but I don’t grab her peacock feathers (her favorite toy, which I have to keep on the high shelf or she’ll tear them apart), she’ll bring me one of her mouse toys.

Do you give your readers options? Not everyone can afford to buy your $500 product. Do you have a “light” option that’s a little less expensive? Or provide a payment plan? If one of your products isn’t relevant to your readers, do you have another product that they might like? You don’t want to overload your readers with options, but give them a few choices so your products are as convenient as possible.

Do you have pets? What can they teach us about monetization?