Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
There’s all kinds of lists on the Internet regarding how you can make money blogging. Unfortunately, many of them touch on how to launch eCommerce or host webinars. Although these are good ideas, they don’t really fall under the category of “blogging.” So, what can you do as a writer?
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of ways to generate income from a website. But I wanted to share just those that relate directly to blogging.
After all, not everyone wants to sell products or host live demonstrations from their website. Some just want to write.
How Much Can You Make?
A lot of factors come into play when trying to figure out how much money you can make as a blogger. They include things like:
- The industry of which you write.
- How popular you make the blog.
- The quality of the traffic you bring in.
- The quality of the posts you create.
- How much time you spend marketing your website.
- What effort you put in for things like SEO.
- The competition for your niche.
No one can guarantee that you’ll make more than $100k per year writing a blog. While this goal is not impossible, it’s highly unlikely you’ll see any significant amount of money for a very long time.
With that being said, let’s jump into the four primary ways you’ll make money blogging as nothing more than a writer.
How to Make Money Blogging
Blogging online for money is a dream for many. If I could replace my full-time income with the three websites I maintain, I would quit today. Unfortunately, I am still a long way from quitting my day job as a writer.
However, here are the primary methods I use to generate income from nothing more than putting words to WordPress.
1. Ad Revenue
Ad revenue is probably the biggest contributor to making money online for any creator. From blogging to YouTube videos, it’s all about the ad revenue. Applications like AdSense give you a bit of cash by showing ads in the hopes visitors will click on them.
Now this platform has its merits, but you can make so much more if you market the ad space directly without involving a third party. If your site shows authority and a sizeable amount of popularity, privately selling ad space can bring in far more than AdSense.
The problem with this method is that it relies heavily on how popular your site is overall. Whether it’s using AdSense or selling space to a local company, popular sites generate far more income.
If you only get 20 to 30 visitors a day, don’t expect to get rich overnight. The truth is you’ll probably make about $0.05 per day at this rate. Unless someone clicks on an advertisement, it’s a small pittance.
But hey, $0.05 is better than nothing at all. I remember getting excited when I reached a nickel per day. Nowadays, I am jazzed if I hit more than a dollar.
2. Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs have exceptional potential with bringing in lumps of money. This is when you post banners and links for other companies to drive sales. Instead of an ad, you earn income based on how much the customer spends.
Most systems like ShareASale.com connect you with businesses who will give you a percentage of every dollar you help them make. Some may even give you a bit of money just for someone clicking the banner or link.
This is another method that depends on blog popularity. And because it focuses the ads on one company rather than a hodgepodge of advertisers, it’s often more difficult to accumulate clicks and sales.
The trade-off is the payout. If you can manage to convince visitors to buy products from affiliated links, you can generate a great deal of money.
It requires a bit of strategy to use affiliate marketing. You need to find products your visitors want to buy and make sure those banners and links are placed in prime locations within your website.
3. Offer Your Services as a Blogger
If you’re an exceptional writer, you can always advertise your services in your blog. I was thinking about doing this myself. However, I am usually quite busy throughout my day without adding more to my plate.
A blog is a great tool for creating a portfolio whether you want to show off your knowledge of an industry or dive into creative pieces. Setting up a contact form so employers or clients can contact you may result in a few lucrative opportunities.
On the Internet, content is king. And as long as there are websites, there will always be a need for people to write for them. Not everyone has skill when it comes to putting words together, which is why people like myself are hired all the time.
I’ve heard of some companies who will outright pay you for blogging on their website. For example, Vocal Media will pay out for top performing articles you create. But that’s the catch – they need to be top performing articles.
4. Accept Donations
Donations are plentiful on the Internet. From charity organizations to live gamers, donating is quite a popular trend. It’s not much different from someone paying for cable TV or buying a book.
If the people are entertained or informed, a lot of them will donate to your cause. That’s because they appreciate the content and want more. Donations help drive motivation to keep creating.
Don’t assume people will immediately start using the donation link, though. Think of it more as an afterthought than as an actual way to make money blogging. Unless you market the donation link, it’s more than likely not going to get used.
Like the one I have on this website.
If you want to go another route, you can always start an account on Patreon. In fact, there are a lot of writers who use Patreon to develop a fan base of their work while generating a bit of income.
Personally, I prefer Buy Me a Coffee. It has a lot of impressive features and is easy to monetize a blog. The hard part is coming up with reasons to get monthly subscribers.
What can I offer that is worth $5 per month?
It’s Not Impossible to Make Money Blogging
The reality is it’s tough to make money online while blogging. Everything has to work just right from the content you create to the overall performance of your website.
I’m not saying you can’t make a living creating your own content. Just be aware of the difficulties you’ll face when trying to replace a full-time job.
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