Learning how to make money blogging might be your first step to:
- Financial freedom
- Working from home
- Quitting your day job
- Escaping the 9-5
If you do it right, blogging is a fantastic way to make money to supplement your income or rely on it entirely.
There are plenty of systems out there that allow you to monetize your blog too.
The best part: You don’t have to choose just one system. You can choose multiple ones and make even more revenue streams.
Here’s how you to make money blogging:
- Ads
- Affiliate marketing
- eBooks
- Apps
- Memberships
- Online courses
- Physical products
- Coaching
- Freelancing
How to make money blogging in 2024
First, check out this video where I explain how I monetized my blog to earn millions.
Below are even more details on systems you can use to monetize your blog.
Word of warning: None of these options are “easy.” They each require their own bit of work and research. But if you’re willing to put in the time and energy, you’ll be able to find the right systems and make them work for you.
Advertisements and sponsorships
This is the method making money blogging you’re likely most familiar with. They come in the way of banner ads you see on a website’s header or sidebar.
These advertisements come in a few different forms:
- Pay-per-action. Advertisers pay the website owner each time a user completes an action that they previously agreed upon (e.g. signing up for a newsletter)
- Pay-per-click. Advertisers pay the website owner each time a user clicks on the advertisement (this is most common).
- Pay-per-impression. Advertisers pay the website owner each time a reader simply looks at the advertisement.
A great way to get started with advertisements to monetize your blog is by using Google AdSense. This is Google’s way of connecting advertisers with websites in order to place ads on their pages.
Another similar way to make money through your blog is through sponsorships.
These are branded pieces of content that are typically sponsored by a third-party company.
For example, imagine you have a photography blog. Nikon, the camera company, might sponsor a blog post where you review their latest DSLR camera.
This is another solid way to make money blogging—though the barrier to entry is much higher since you need thousands of readers a month, and you need to spend time reaching out to sponsors.
Still, if you have the time and resources, it’s worth trying.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing works by sharing a link for a product. Everytime a person purchases that product, you receive a cut of the earnings.
For example, a blog about cell phones might have an affiliate partnership with Samsung. They might have affiliate links on their blogs for different phones and accessories. If one of their readers purchases a phone from Samsung via the link, the blogger gets money.
The catch is you not only need a lot of readers frequenting your blog, but they need to be the type of readers willing to purchase the products you’re marketing. That’s a tough combination to get together.
Plus, your readers might get put off by the fact that you’re offering an affiliate link—even if you make it clear to them that it’s an affiliate link.
If you’re still interested though, a good way to get started is with Amazon Associates. They have one of the largest affiliate marketing programs out there.
Ebooks
Selling a digital product such as ebooks is a great way to make money from your blog.
It can help generate passive income while spreading word about your blog and brand.
And it doesn’t have to be some crazy huge multi-volume book that would give Ulysses a run for its money either. Ebooks can be as brief as 25 – 50 pages.
What matters is that you’re giving your reader a ton of value with the ebook.
And if you’ve been running your blog for a while, you likely have all the material you need to create it. Just take that content and repurpose it for your ebook.
Apps
Apps and software are another digital product you can sell on your blog.
For example, you might have a blog about hunting. Your readers might love an app from you showcasing all the best public and private lands in their area available to hunt.
Unlike an ebook, though, the barrier to entry is a little higher.
After all, you either need to be able to build the app yourself or be able to find someone that does.
However, if you make something people love, your hard effort could wind up being very successful.
Memberships and subscriptions
This is a great method if you have a devoted community of readers. They’re likely following you because you’re an expert on your niche and you offer them incredibly valuable advice.
If that’s the case, they might be willing to pay a fee each month to get high-quality, premium content.
That’s the core of membership and subscription blogs. You offer your readers access to great content at a fixed monthly cost. They subscribe, and you keep them coming back with your amazing content.
If your community is strong and your content is great, you can create an incredibly popular membership site like Jon Morrow’s Smart Blogger. On his site, he offers his readers a community of like-minded copywriters the tools and connections needed to grow and thrive in the industry.
…but you don’t have to take the same path as everyone else. How would it look if you designed a Rich Life on your own terms? Take our quiz and find out:
Online courses
Do you know enough about a topic that you can teach it? Congrats! You can make a profitable online course!
These are classes taught by you that your readers can take online.
And no, you don’t need to worry about live streaming yourself in front of a chalkboard each week to thousands of viewers. Instead, you can make an online course with tools as simple as PowerPoint slides and a voice recording. In fact, that’s the majority of how I Will Teach’s courses are taught.
The sky’s the limit with online courses too. Once you create a course, you can just work on selling it to as many hungry customers as possible.
For more, here’s a great video where I explain how I create and sell online courses.
Physical products
This is when you have a physical product that you sell via an ecommerce site.
For example, imagine you have a woodworking blog. You might use your blog to sell your own line of saws, chisels, and shop vacuums to readers.
It should be noted that physical products are bigger resource sinks. After all, you need to take time to create the product (designing, prototyping, test, etc) then you need to have a system to get that product to your readers.
As such, it’s harder to scale physical product sales.
However, if you’re passionate about your product and you see a clear market for it, you can use your blog to start pushing your products to your reader.
For more: How to launch a physical product
Coaching
This is a very common way to make money with a blog—and for good reason.
Coaching is an easy way to start making income. Not only that, but you can use your blog to attract clients for you.
With this method, you can directly teach a client how to do something. And they’ll likely be willing to pay beau-coup bucks for you to do it.
Imagine you’re a dog owner. You love your pup to bits—but there’s a problem: He likes to take frequent bathroom breaks on your expensive oriental rug. It’s becoming such a problem that you’re ready to line the entire house with plastic.
Now imagine if there was someone out there who promised you they could show you how you can teach your dog to go to the bathroom outside in just a few days. There probably isn’t any amount of money you wouldn’t pay for them to teach out.
That’s the power of coaching services.
Of course, it’s not the best way to make money with your blog. After all, it’s hard to scale since you’re only one person. But, it is a good way to start generating income when you’re starting out.
Freelancing
What if you could use your blog to make potential customers come to and offer you work?
You can use your blog to find freelancing clients depending on your niche. For example, if you’re a photographer who runs a blog on photography, you might be able to find clients who want you to snap photos for their wedding, headshots, or events.
Many freelance writers obtain writing clients through their blogs. After all, it’s a perfect way to showcase their talents.
If you really want to bring in new clients, you should reach out to potential freelance clients and use your blog as an example of your knowledge and examples. This is a great way to market and grow your business—whatever it may be.
FAQ:
Is blogging a good way to make money?
Yes, blogging can be a good way to make money, but it requires time, effort, and a strategic approach. The most successful bloggers diversify their income streams by combining advertising, affiliate marketing, product sales, and other methods. Success in blogging comes from creating valuable content for your audience, effectively marketing your blog, and consistently adapting to changes in your niche and audience preferences.
How do I drive traffic to my blog?
Driving traffic to your blog involves a mix of strategies:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Optimize your content with keywords to rank higher in search engine results.
- Social Media: Share your posts on platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram to attract visitors.
- Quality Content: Produce valuable, engaging content that encourages shares and return visits.
- Guest Posting: Write for other blogs to gain exposure to new audiences.
- Email Marketing: Build an email list to notify subscribers of new content.
How often do I need to post a blog?
The frequency of blog posts depends on your niche, audience, and personal capacity. For most blogs, posting 1-2 times per week can strike a good balance between keeping your audience engaged and maintaining content quality. However, more important than frequency is the consistency and quality of your posts. Analyze your audience’s response and adjust your posting schedule accordingly.
How long does it take to make money blogging?
The time it takes to make money blogging varies widely depending on the niche, quality of content, monetization strategy, and effort put into promotion and audience engagement. Most bloggers may start seeing a modest income within 6-12 months, but substantial income can take 2-3 years or more of consistent effort and strategic planning. Success in blogging is a marathon, not a sprint, requiring patience, persistence, and continuous learning.
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