how to make money blogging
Sure anyone can start a blog, but how do you really make money blogging? There are a variety of ways that bloggers earn money.
I always suggest that my clients start with one method and then work their way up to using more. After launching your blog, the first goal is to generate traffic to your website.
To learn how to grow your blog audience, see our article: How to bring people to your blog. Once you have an audience, the next step is to monetize your blog. It does not take years to begin earning, you can start making money relatively quickly.
In fact, only a few strategic blog posts can get you started on your road to making a lucrative income.
the most common ways to make money blogging
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is the ultimate way to make passive income. With this method, you have the ability to make money repeatedly for years with the same blog posts.
For many bloggers, affiliate marketing is their main source of revenue.
Affiliate Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links which means if you make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I absolutely love!
A lot of businesses have affiliate programs. My number one recommendation is Amazon Associates. To become an affiliate for Amazon, all you need is 5 minutes to sign up. It is totally free!
Once you have created your affiliate account you can begin earning a commission off of every Amazon product you sell. To market a product, simply put your affiliate product link in your blog post. Whenever someone purchases the product from your link, you earn a commission.
Affiliate sales are all generated though strategic linking from your website.To make an affiliate sale, you need to write a blog post that sells your reader on your product so they click on your link! Affiliate marketing is taught in depth in my Ebook, How to Start a Blog: The 7 Vital Steps.
Publishing strategic content is crucial. Some common types of affiliate blog posts are:
- Product Reviews
- Recommendations
- Gift Guides
These ideas are just a few of the many options you have.
Online Courses and E-Books
Online education has become increasingly more popular. In fact, thousands of blogs make a huge part of their income from teaching online. If you are knowledgeable and skilled in a certain area, why not put together a course or small E-Book so others can learn your skill?
With online education, you are making money by giving your readers value and building trust with your audience. Creating a course is easy and can be done in a relatively short amount of time.
There are some great platforms that give you all of the tools to create your own online course. I recommend the platforms Thinkific and Teachable. People will pay to learn your skill because it saves them time learning from trial and error.
Convenience is everything and people want to learn quickly. If you teach your audience a skill they can benefit from or if you help them solve a problem, your readers will invest.
Products
In addition to digital products, you can also sell physical products. Many bloggers incorporate an eCommerce store with their blog. Carrying products relating to what your readers need is a great way to monetize our blog. I recommend using Shopify to create an online store.
Most people search for blogs because they need a problem solved, your product should help solve their problem. For example, part of my blog is geared towards women interested in starting a blog. To benefit my audience, I sell an Ebook: How to Create a Blog: The 7 Vital Steps.
If you don’t have any tangible products on hand don’t worry! It’s a smart idea to sign up with a direct sales company that you are passionate about. I am very passionate about health and absolutely love Beachbody.
I have seen their products change the lives of thousands of women. My sincere interest in helping women get healthy has led me to incorporate my Beachbody business into my blog.
Direct sales can be difficult on your own, however, merging it with your blog sets you up for success from the start. If you choose to go with a direct sales company, make sure it is a company that relates to your niche.
Ask yourself these questions
- What kind of products would help my audience?
- What products would my audience relate to?
- What type of products would I love to share with my readers?
Learn more about promoting health with your readers here.
Ads
Pay per click ads are another method that some bloggers use to make money. Although, this method isn’t for everybody. Ads can come off as tacky so if you do choose to use them on your blog, they should be strategically placed.
In addition, any ad you place on your blog should be related to what you are writing about. Nobody likes random ads popping up when reading content, this will deter your readers.
I personally don’t recommend pay per click ads because most of the time it is annoying to the reader. Another reason I don’t recommend ads is because it is one of the lower-earning methods.
Please keep in mind that even though I don’t prefer this marketing strategy, it may benefit you. If you are interested in pay per click ads, I urge you to do your research. Everyone is different and what hasn’t worked from someone else, may work for you.
Services
Perhaps you have a service that relates to your niche that can help your readers. This is an excellent way to monetize your blog!
Some common services are
- Freelance Writing
- Life Coaching
- Website Design
- Health and Wellness Coaching
- Virtual Assistance
- Marketing
- Social Media Management
You can essentially turn anything you are skilled in, into a service. It is helpful to write down a list of what you are knowledgeable about that would help your readers. You would be surprised at how much you can help others with just a little bit of knowledge and a skill you have experience with.
Sponsored Content
Once you have established a growing audience and substantial traffic to your site, other companies will pay you to advertise their company on your blog. Sponsoring others content presents an opportunity for you to make very high earnings.
When someone is interested in advertising on your blog, they will pay you a fee to keep their ad on your blog for a set amount of time. Advertising fees can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
This method is realistic when you have a large audience and a fast-growing social media presence. This will take time however, your overall goal in blogging is to bring people to your site. To learn how to grow your blog audience, see our article: How to bring people to your blog
As months pass your audience will grow and you will find that others will reach out to you asking for sponsorship opportunities. I recommend that my clients take advantage of at least two of the methods I have listed above.
Affiliate marketing is the easiest starting point to monetize your blog. If you are in the process of creating your blog and have not established a business plan, I recommend signing up for Amazon Associates. With affiliate marketing, you have the opportunity to monetize every single blog post you write.
Ready to become a pro blogger!? Get ahold of our eBook and bring your ideas to life.