4 Ways to Make Money Blogging

Hey friends! Since I've been talking a bit about the side hustle money I'm making doing this blogging thing (over $15k last year alone!) I thought I'd get more specific and share the details of what I'm doing and why I think it's working. Making money by blogging isn't always a fast process, but it can be. More than likely, though, you'll need to be patient. But while you're patiently growing your blog you can do the things that help to maximize monetization. Just follow these tips……

First I'm going to list the different avenues for making money blogging , then I'll share tips for maximizing that income. By the way, you can't make money blogging if you don't have a blog. Read my post on how to start a blog in 4 easy steps here. We like Bluehost for hosting because they have terrific service and super affordable prices.

1. Make Money Through Affiliate Marketing

One ways blogs make money is through affiliate marketing. Basically what this means is that when you advertise a product or service on your blog, and a reader purchases that product or service, you get a commission. On this site we advertise a lot of books because we're firm believers in continuing education as a path to growing wealth. Every time a reader clicks on one of the book links we place in a post, and purchases that book, we get a small commission. The minimum commission for Amazon specifically is four percent, I believe, and goes up the more items you sell in a given month.

The other cool thing about affiliate links with Amazon is that they give you a commission even if the product that is purchased isn't the one advertised. So, for instance, let's say we place a link to The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy, the book that revolutionized the way millions of people viewed the wealthy. Then you click on that link, read the description but decide not to buy the book.

However, as you're reading the description you remember that you forgot to order your favorite hair conditioner. You go from my link to the Amazon search bar, find your conditioner and place and order. I get a commission on the conditioner purchase because you came to Amazon through my link originally.

Another type of affiliate link is one that advertises a service. For instance, let's say that after reading this article you decide you want  to start a blog. If you click on my Bluehost link, you can start a blog for under $50 a year (totally refundable if you decide blogging isn't for you) and we get a commission because you purchased a service from Bluehost.

Affiliate links can come in many forms. They're available for thousands of different items, services and products. If we promoted online money management sites for instance (we don't – the prepper in us has an aversion to sharing financial info with outside sources. Call us paranoid if you'd like 🙂 ) we'd get a commission from anyone who visited those sites and opened an account through those visited links.

How to Maximize Earnings Through Affiliate Links

Making money via affiliate links doesn't work for everyone, but there are several ways to help increase income via affiliate links by avoiding some of the more common mistakes and doing these "right" things instead.

Link to what is valuable to your readers. We don't put in affiliate links unless we think it will benefit our readers in some way.

Link only to products and services you believe in. Your readers need to know they can trust you.

Place your links seamlessly. In other words, make them appear in places they belong in your posts instead of just plopping them in and hoping you'll get some action.

This is one way to make money blogging.

2. Make Money Through Advertising

Another popular way to make money blogging is to make it through advertising on your site. See the advertisement boxes on our right sidebar? If a reader clicks on those we get cash. Most advertising affiliates (we use Adsense) pay per click. You as the blogger get to pick the types of ads that you think will be most appealing to your readers – as well as denying the types of ads you'd rather not promote. There are other companies besides Adsense too that will pay you to let them advertise on your site.

How to Maximize Earnings Through Advertising

Again, there are things you can do to maximize the advertising income you make through blogging.

Put the ads in prominent places that your readers will see

Choose types of ads, services and products that you think will benefit your readers. It's all about promoting things that will potentially benefit the readers

Don't make the ads annoying. Pop up ads that appear in super prominent places or won't go away annoy the crap out of me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. You want readers to see your ads but not be annoyed by them.

3. Make Money Through Sponsored Posts

Publishing sponsored posts is another way you can make money by blogging. A sponsored post is an article that promotes a particular business. This post on life insurance is one example of a sponsored post.

Google has rules regarding sponsored posts, so it's important that you only allow sponsored posts on your site that fit in with Google guidelines, or it could affect Google rank of your blog posts.

How to Maximize Sponsored Post Opportunities

Again, there are ways to increase income from sponsored posts.

Only accept sponsored posts that fit in with your blog's mission and will benefit readers

Network with those in the blogging business that have relationships with large businesses that use sponsored posts as a form of advertising

Grow your readership. The bigger your blog gets, the easier it will be for advertisers who use sponsored posts to find you. More on growing readership later.

4. Make Money by Writing for Other Blogs

The fourth way I make money blogging is by freelance writing for other blogs. If another blogger needs someone to write posts for them on a regular basis, they'll pay to have it done. I've made thousands and thousands of dollars (at a high rate of pay, I might add) writing for other blogs. Here are some tips for getting writing gigs for other blogs.

Write well. People are paying attention even if you don't think they are. I've gotten all of my freelance writing gigs without asking. Instead, they noticed my writing style and came to me.

Network. Visit other blogs. Comment on other blogs. Help other bloggers. Promote their stuff.

Set a high work ethic. If you do get a freelance blogging job, it's important to work well. Meet or beat article deadlines, follow all of the bloggers guidelines for articles, answer comments in a timely manner and share the post via social media. Reputation is important in this business.

Keys to Growing Your Blog Readership

One of the keys to making money by blogging is to be continually working to grow your readership. Here are some tips for doing that.

If you would have asked me four years ago, I'd have never thought that I could be making a solid income working part time from home. The cool thing about blogging is that you set your own hours and decide how much you want to put into it. Since raising and homeschooling my kids is my top priority, I spend my early morning hours blogging (you need to pick the time of day when you're most on your game) and then put the job aside as I tend to the kids, homeschooling and the house.

It's awesome to be able to bring income into our home without giving up my dream of being a stay-at-home mom. Blogging allows you to work when and how you want to because your blog is your own business. No one can tell you what to do or how to do it. You're the boss!!  Oh, and my hourly wage is MUCH higher than what I'd make at the local big box store or bank. Bonus. 🙂

If you have any questions at all about blogging, please feel free to contact me. If you have a gift for writing and a love for helping others, you can make money blogging too!

Have you ever thought about starting a blog? If so, what's stopping you? 

Source: 4 Ways to Make Money Blogging