How To Make Money Blogging: 7 Ways to Monetize Blogs

Loving money and loving writing aren't opposites. A good blog can combine both - you just need the right monetization strategy. But how exactly can you make money with a blog, and which method works best?

We'll show you different ways to make money with blogs and blog posts, and what you need to get started.

There are many ways to monetize blogs. Each method requires different effort and offers varying earning potential.

You can combine different strategies to create multiple income streams. This helps you avoid depending on specific channels that might quickly change or lose relevance in the fast-paced online world.

Here are eight proven ways to make money blogging:

While people who use ad blockers don't see them, ads are still everywhere. For bloggers, they remain one of the most profitable income sources in 2024: According to GrowthBadger statistics, Google AdSense is actually the most popular monetization method.

If you want to make money with ads, you have two main options:

Affiliate marketing is a more subtle way to monetize. You place links on your blog to specific websites or products from partner sites, and you get a commission when someone makes a purchase or takes a specific action through these links.

First, you need to find the right affiliate partners. Like with ads, you have two options that require different levels of effort:

Commission rates in affiliate marketing vary a lot depending on your niche. The most profitable areas include finance, fitness & health, and technology.

There's a middle ground between obvious ads and "invisible" affiliate marketing: sponsored content. This involves partnerships between bloggers and companies or brands. Companies pay bloggers to create specific content for their website - like product reviews, how-to guides, case studies, or giveaways.

The sponsored content is published like regular blog posts and blends seamlessly with your existing content, but you must label it as sponsored posts.

First, you need to find the right sponsors for your blog. Look for sponsors who:

You can find sponsors through advertising and affiliate networks. However, it's usually better to find and contact sponsors directly - after all, with sponsored content, it's crucial that the advertised brand fits your blog and its target audience.

When you reach out to sponsors directly, you have more control over partnerships, better negotiating power, and can build personal relationships that lead to long-term collaborations.

This process can take time since you need to identify brands, find contact information, write outreach messages, and negotiate partnerships on your own.

With ads and affiliate marketing, you help others sell their products. Why not become a seller yourself? You can potentially make good money by selling your own products through your blog - though it usually requires more effort and investment.

The most important thing is choosing your product(s). You have two options:

Some people are still willing to pay for quality content. You can monetize your expertise through premium courses and paid memberships by turning some of your readers into paying customers. However, you'll need content that's worth paying for - which isn't easy in today's world where so much is free.

First, you need to decide which content to put behind a paywall and what pricing model to use. The most popular options include:

You can set up premium content directly through Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress using special plugins that enable paywalls or membership areas.

You can also use platforms like Substack or Patreon that make content monetization super easy: You can quickly set which content is available to all subscribers and what's exclusive to paying members. You can also create different pricing tiers.

Once you've established yourself as an expert in a specific niche or field through your blog, you can make money by offering coaching sessions or consulting services.

You can sell these services to individuals or organizations, creating a second income stream alongside your blog.

Coaching can take different forms:

No matter which path you choose: to succeed as a coach and consultant, you need to learn how to market yourself as a brand. This means having a strong online presence and using social media wisely.

Being an expert isn't enough: you need to package and market your expertise well to attract potential clients. Clear service descriptions and transparent pricing are key. You can set up a simple booking form on your blog to handle appointments.

Don't want to keep running your blog anymore? You can try this final way to make money: Just like any other website, you can sell your blog to the highest bidder.

You can either sell your blog on your own by reaching out to potential buyers, or use marketplace platforms like Empire Flippers, Flippa or Traderoo that help with the sale process.

To learn more about how to sell a website and what you need to keep in mind, check out this guide:

Don't have a blog to monetize yet? If you're just starting out, your first step is to pick the right blogging platform. Here are your main options:

An easy way to start blogging is to use standard platforms like Medium or Substack. These let you publish content quickly and easily without any technical know-how.

The downside: You have limited options to customize the design or features, and you don't really own your blog since the content lives on the platform's servers.

Substack is popular with established journalists and writers who already have a large following. As a new blogger, it can be tough to stand out and build your own readership in this environment.

Want more control over how your blog looks and works? Website builders are a beginner-friendly way to create a blog.

Website builders give you all the design and management tools you need to run a blog in one place. You can design your blog and its posts using a drag-and-drop editor and add all common monetization options.

You don't need to worry about hosting or security - it's all included in the package. Most website builders also include a free domain for the first year.

Want even more control over your blog? You can host it yourself. You'll need web space from a hosting provider and a content management system to manage your blog content. WordPress is by far the most popular CMS and works great for blogs.

Self-hosting a blog takes more work and technical know-how, but beginners can do it without coding or design skills. You'll have many more options for customizing your blog's design and features, but you'll also need to handle more things yourself.

You can make money blogging in many ways: from advertising revenue and affiliate marketing to selling digital products and services, membership models, and sponsored content. Using different ways to make money can help you create multiple income streams and reduce risk.

The key is finding the right way to make money that works best for your blog. Affiliate marketing isn't great for blogs without a clear niche, and expensive online courses won't work for beginners who aren't seen as experts in their field.

Having the right expectations is just as important: blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme. You can only build a loyal readership and make good money through consistent work and smart planning. If you're ready to take this long-term approach, you can join the small group of bloggers who find blogging both personally and financially rewarding.