How do bloggers make money online? If you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you know that I am in the process of moving away from my WordPress freelancing business. You also know that I started this blog because I want to turn it into a full-time business.
If you do start your blog, you need to understand that blogging is not a get rich quick scheme. In fact, it’s not even one of the fastest ways to make money online.
Yes, I know that you’ve probably read those income reports that promise you can make six figures in six months. However, that is not the norm.
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For many people, it takes years to learn how to build a profitable blog. Now I am not saying that it will take you years to figure things out. If you’re willing to put in the hard work at the beginning and do the right things, you should be able to make money a lot faster than most bloggers.But once you’ve managed to build an online presence the earning potential from your blog becomes unlimited. Of course, you have to be willing to stay the course until you achieve that level.You also need to realize that there is no guarantee that you’ll make money with your blog.
Unlike a typical job, there is virtually no limit on the amount of money you can make with a blog. That’s one of the reasons I love blogging.
How Do Bloggers Make Money?
Okay, so now that you know that blogging is a long-term strategy, you’re probably wanting to know what are some of the blog ideas that make money?
Today, we’re going to look at some of the common ways that bloggers earn an income from home. Just in case you’ve been thinking about a blog but are not sure how to make money with it.
I’ll also share which method I think new bloggers should start monetizing their blog and some ideas to supplement your income till your blog gains traction.
Even if you don’t have a lot of experience or haven’t created your first digital product, you can still make take your shot at blogging for income at home. I have no doubt that you’ll see some success as long as you don’t quit before the results start to show.
#1 Ad Networks
Most likely you have visited a blog and have seen ads inside, above or below their content. Most new bloggers start monetizing their blogs with Google Adsense or Media.net because it’s the easiest “set and forget” type of monetization. To begin all you have to do is sign up with Media.net and they will provide you with some code for your blog.
You then place this code in the footer, inside the content or the sidebar to display third party advertisem*nts.
You get paid whenever someone clicks on one of the ads on your blog. The payment will vary from ad network to ad network.
Some networks will pay a certain amount per click or based on the amount of impressions. Before you join an ad network, you’ll want to see how they pay.
Many bloggers make good money by displaying ads on their blog. The downside to this type of monetization is that you won’t make really good money unless your blog is getting tons of traffic every month.
So it does take time to earn money from ads. If you do want to earn money with ad networks, your main goal should be to learn how to grow your blog’s traffic.
#2 Selling Your Own Services
A blog is a great way to sell your own stuff. Most likely you’re going to be starting a blog in something that you’re passionate about and hopefully, have some knowledge and experience.
Many bloggers have successfully used their blog as a platform to sell their services such as coaching, web design, WordPress, graphics, and writing.
Offering your services on your blogging platform can be a great way to make money quickly. It doesn’t cost a lot to start and you can use free services like Skype to connect with your potential customers. You can profit pretty quickly because you’re profiting off the skills you already have.
The downside is that you only make money when you have a client who’s paying you. There’s no room for unlimited potential.
If you look at some of the most successful blogs, you’ll notice that many of them do not offer any type of services. Yes, some of them offer coaching, but they charge hundreds or even thousands for one session.
#3 Sponsored Posts
I haven’t actually done any sponsored posts on my blog. But many bloggers earn money by writing blog posts to help advertisers promote their products and services. If you do decide to write sponsored posts, you’ll want to make sure that you do your due diligence on pricing.
It won’t be hard to find an article will help you learn how to get started with sponsored posts. I recommend only doing sponsored posts for companies that are relevant to your blog.
You also want to make sure you let your readers know that it was a sponsored post.
Make sure that you are selective in the sponsored posts that you write. You never want to write a sponsored post that promotes a company you do not believe in.
If you want to start writing sponsored posts, here’s a huge list to help you get started.
#4 Affiliate Marketing
I love affiliate marketing and I personally think it’s one of the best ways to start monetizing your blog. As a blogger, you’re going to have to invest in products and services. Unfortunately, there are blogging costs associated with blogging.
The great thing is that now that you’re using these products and services for your blog, you can join their affiliate program and recommend these products to your readers. (you want to make sure they are great products before recommending them)
When someone clicks on your unique link and buys the product or service, you’ll earn a commission. There are literally tons of different affiliate programs you can join.
Here are some of the ones that I participate in:
ShareASale: I love this network because you’re likely to find products you can promote regardless of your niche.
Amazon Associates: Many bloggers do not like this affiliate program because the commissions are not as high as others. However, everyone knows Amazon and it’s so easy to earn a commission with them.
Genesis: Since I use this for my blog and my clients, I absolutely have no problem helping people decide which theme to choose. If you’re new to the Genesis theme, check out my Genesis tutorials for beginners.
SiteGround: I’ve been with SiteGround for over a year and I absolutely love them. I waited 8 months before I wrote my tutorial that helps people start their blog using SiteGround.
Social Warfare: This plugin helps me get more shares and likes without me having to do a bunch of work.
LongTail Pro: Every blogger wants traffic to their blog. Long Tail Pro has been an invaluable tool that helps me find keywords with low competition that I actually have a chance to rank for. You can read my review here.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to start earning money with your blog. If you’re using a product or service that you love, let others know about it. The best part is that you don’t have to create or worry about customer support. If you’re completely new to affiliate marketing, be sure to check out best affiliate programs to join and how to cloak affiliate links.
#5 Digital Products
Many bloggers create and sell their own digital products. This can be a great way to add a passive income stream to your blog. It takes time to create a digital product, but once it’s created you have the potential to earn money passively.
Some of the types of products that bloggers create are:
Ecourses – Package your knowledge into a course and teach others what you know.
Ebooks – self-publishing is huge and can be extremely profitable. You can sell your Ebooks on directly on your blog using Easy Digital Downloads or WooCommerce. You can also sell your Ebooks on the Amazon Kindle store like I do here.
Apps, themes or plugins – Create your own products and sell them directly on your blog. If you’re using WordPress you can use a plugin like WooCommerce to set things up quickly.
Membership sites: You can charge a monthly or yearly fee to create a community on your blog and provide some type of valuable content people are willing to pay you. If you’re using WordPress there are tons of different plugins like Digital Access Pass that will help you create a membership site.
Photos: Images are huge with social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram. If you have the ability to take great pictures, you can sell those pictures online. Many people are willing to pay for images instead of using free stock photos. That’s why Deposit Photos and Creative Market are so popular among bloggers.
Creating digital products is another favorite income stream of mine to add to my blog. My first digital product was my Pinterest Daily Pinning Templates. I’ve also written a few Ebooks that I sell on Amazon and it’s nice to see sales coming in every month. (even though that’s not my biggest income stream)
#6 Blogger Jobs
Many bloggers are accepting bloggers jobs in hopes of increasing their blogger salary. As you know, blogging is a long term strategy, you can’t expect to start a blog today and start making thousands in the first six months.
Yes some people have done it, but that isn’t the norm. It’s important to set some realistic expectations, otherwise you’ll get disappointed that you’re not making a blog income in the first year.
Like most people who start a blog, you’re hoping that you can earn an income from home. If you’re completely new to blogging and if you don’t know anything about SEO, social media, content marketing or blog promotion, you might want to consider getting a blogging job to supplement your income.
While I’ve personally never done this, here are some great sites that you can check out to get started.
- Problogger.net
- AuthorityBlogger.com
- WritersWeekly.com
These are just a few of the sites, all you have to do is search Google and you can find several more to start with. Make sure that you choose the best sites that pay for articles.
How Can I Start A Blog and Profit?
First, you’ll need to start a blog. You’re going to be tempted to start your blog for free, but if you’re serious about building a profitable blog, you’re going to need to check out the blogging costs for every new blogger.
Next, sit down and write 10-20 blog posts that actually help your audience. It’s okay if you add affiliate links in the blog post, just remember to add as much value as you can to the content.
Basic Blogging Tips to Help You Get Started:
- I Bought A Domain Now What
- The First Blog Post Is the Scariest Why You Need to Do It
- How to Write Your First Blog Post – Text Editor Explained
How Long Does It Take to Make Money?
It never surprises me when I log into a Facebook group and I see a post, “I’ve been blogging for 2 months and I haven’t made a penny.” Remember blogging is a long-term strategy.
You can’t expect to turn a profit right out of the gate. I’m not saying that it isn’t possible, but if you’re serious about building a successful blog, you need to be in this for the long term.
Be willing to give yourself 3-4 years before to see consistent income and traffic. I’m not saying that it will take you this long (I hope it doesn’t) but you need to be prepared just in case it does.
You will get discouraged, especially at the beginning when you’re not getting the results you want. Here’s a great podcast for you to listen to whenever you feel like quitting.
I wish I could tell you that it will only take you a year to make money with your blog. But the truth is that as bloggers we all have our own journeys.
You’re going to have to learn how to grow your blog traffic, write helpful content, network with other bloggers and etc. When you become a blogger there’s a lot to learn besides writing amazing content.
It takes time to learn how to do these things. So be gentle with yourself and give yourself the necessary time to learn these things and implement them.
As long as you’re consistent and don’t quit, I have no doubt that you will eventually reach your blogging goals.
What You Should Focus On As A New Blogger
If you’re a brand new blogger you don’t want to focus on the money. I know that you want to make money from your blog, but if you’re brand new you’re not going to make money right out of the gate.
Sorry, but it’s true. As a new blogger, your main goal should be to focus on growing your blog. This means that you need to focus on traffic. Without traffic, no one is ever going to see your blog and it’ll never make a profit.
Plus it’s easy to get demotivated if you’re just writing content and no one is reading your blog posts.
Related Articles to Help You Grow Your Blog:
- What to Expect Your First Your Blogging
- How to Use Pinterest for Business
- How to Grow A Blog and What I’m Focusing On My Second Year
Should Bloggers Get Paid?
I know that there are some people who think that bloggers shouldn’t put ads on their blogs or try to make money from their blogs. In fact, some people think that bloggers should work for free.
When you start your blog, you’re going to realize that it’s not as easy as just installing WordPress and writing content. If you’re serious about building a blog that has good traffic and grows a community, you can spend up to 20 – 30 hours per week.
There’s always something to do, emails to write, blog posts to write and. promote, old posts and graphics to update, graphics to create and “behind the scenes tasks” you can’t see. All these things take time.
Not to mention, it costs money to run a blog. I have to pay for hosting, domain, stock photos, social media services tools and other tools that help me run my blog.
So yes, I personally think that bloggers should make an income from their hard work. No one wants to do all this work for free. You can’t expect a blogger to put in all this time and effort and not monetize their blog. Blogging is real work for professional bloggers and no one should be expected to share their expertise for free.
Final Take Away
Blogging can be a way to earn a part-time or full-time income from home. While it won’t happen overnight, and I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to generate a blog revenue stream.
But you’ll never know what’s possible if you don’t start. Imagine how much progress you’ll make at the end of the year if you get started today.
If you’re completely new to WordPress and blogging, then head over here to learn the basics of blogging. I’ve put all the important articles in one place so you can find everything in one place instead of having to spend hours trying to find the information for free.
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Which of these monetization methods do you prefer to use for your blog? Let me know, I’d love to hear how you’re monetizing your blog.
