Whether your blog started off as a hobby, a side hustle, or with the intention of becoming a full-blown business, the earning potential of blogging is undeniable.
Sift through Pinterest or do a quick Google search. You’ll come across tons of stories of bloggers making jaw-dropping amounts of money. Some make so much, in fact, that they’ve been able to quit their jobs and blog full time.
How do they do it?
Simple. They’ve figured out how to monetize their blog.
There are so many opportunities out there to make money from blogging. We know it can be overwhelming at first! That’s why we’ve put together 14 Ways To Monetize Your Blog to help guide you through the process.
If you’ve ever wondered how bloggers actually make money, then this post is a must. Even if turning your blog into a business isn’t your first priority, why miss out on simple ways to earn extra income?
Take your blog from a hobby to a money making business with these 14 Ways To Monetize Your Blog. You can even try a few of them today!
Without further adieu: 14 Ways To Monetize Your Blog
Sponsored Posts
These are kind of like the unicorns of blog monetization. They’re cool, everyone wants them, but they can be hard to come by.
Sponsored posts involve working with brands and companies. They actually pay you to write a post sponsoring their brand or a particular product. These can be great and lucrative, but the trick is getting sponsors to notice your blog.
Get tips on how to do that here.
Via Virtual Assistant Blog Training
Ads
This is one of the most basic ways to monetize your blog. Think of all the ads on the sides of web pages you view on a daily basis.
There are lots of different types of ads that you can display on your blog. They’re beneficial because they can create passive income.
The downside is that they’re generally more profitable once you've established a following. You can start using display ads by joining ad networks or signing up with media companies.
Via Lamberts Lately
Affiliate Programs
This is one of the top ways to monetize your blog.
Many brands and businesses have affiliate programs that you can sign up for. Then, you can promote their products or services to your own email list or through your blog.
You get a cut of the commission earned from each sale coming from your affiliate link. This can be very profitable. The key is to promote products you actually like, and brands that align with your own blog’s niche.
Viglink
Viglink is basically an affiliate aggregator tool. It has an affiliate relationship with a number of companies.
If you link a product on the web and Viglink has a relationship with that company, it automatically monetizes the link for you.
You can install it as a WordPress plugin too. Yay for simplicity!
Physical Products & Merchandise
Virtual products can be profitable sources of income for your blog. And so can physical products. Think necklaces, candles, kitchen goods, t-shirts, etc.
Offer products that align with your blog’s brand and know your audience. Make sure you offer products they’ll actually want to buy based on their interested.
Take Ideal Me for example. We have an Ideal Me Store where our readers can purchase items that we think they’ll love.
Via The Sits Girls
Amazon FBA
Amazon is a great way to sell your physical products without storing inventory or managing shipping.
You might have followers out there who would love to buy your products. But maybe you don’t have the time to handle all the logistics of shipping and storing.
Amazon FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) lets you create an Amazon store and brand your products. Then, you send them to Amazon and they do everything else.
From storage to shipping, to handling customer service, they handle the rest. So there's no excuse not to be selling physical products!
Find out more.
Virtual Products
This is a great idea because what better way to earn money than by promoting your own products?
These include items like E-books, online guides, worksheets, and printables. You’ll create them off of your own knowledge or resources and then sell them.
Many bloggers create E-books on blogging, like how to build an email list, or how to guest blog. These are great because when you promote your own products, you’re also building your brand.
Via Femtrepreneur
Online Coaching
If you have a service, sell it. Maybe you’re great at SEO, or maybe you’re a wiz at Pinterest.
If you have an expertise that you can use to help someone else optimize their blog or business, use it. Definitely offer your coaching services as a way to monetize.
Via by Regina
E-Courses
This is somewhat in the same vein as online coaching. But instead of offering your expertise to help them with an aspect of their biz, you can teach them that same skill.
These are usually held via webinars and people can just sign up for your course to learn from your expertise.
Via Femtrepreneur
WordPress plugins
Though these don’t all literally generate money, they contribute to your blog’s ability to do so.
Monetizing your blog is directly related to the work you put in beforehand. That includes building a following, increasing your site's traffic, and increasing conversions.
An affiliate link or an ad doesn’t earn you money if it doesn’t convert into a sale. There are tons of WordPress plugins that can help do everything from manage SEO to amping up social sharing.
You can even add ads to your site automatically with Google AdSense so you can make money. Let the plugins help optimize the process.
Find out more about the top 10.
Membership Site
This is a member’s only area in which people pay you a subscription fee to get access to exclusive content and resources.
This can include exclusive interviews, extra worksheets, or a podcast.
A membership site is a great way to earn money by offering resources beyond basic freebies for a price.
Via Melyssa Griffin
Freelancing
This option is super versatile and is a great way to earn extra income while you’re still growing your blog. Write guest posts, offer to be a freelance ghostwriter, shop out your social media skills.
Anything that you do for your own blog is a skill you can use to freelance and earn extra money.
Promotional Campaigns
These are similar to sponsored posts but they’re basically social media campaigns. You run them through your social media accounts like Pinterest or Facebook.
If you have a nice following on social media, this could be a great option. Some brands and companies will pay you to promote them for your reach.
Via Addi Ganley
Build Your Email List
This is more of a tactic than a tool, but it’s just as important. People who join your email list want to hear from you.
That means they’re more receptive to offers that you send them. They're more likely to purchase a product you promote, whether it’s your own item or service, or an affiliate’s.
Ready to start earning money by blogging? If you want to take your blog to the next level, join the Launch Your 6 Figure Blog This Weekend live training. Learn the formula we used to turn Ideal Me into a 6 Figure Blog with over 100,000 subscribers!
You can launch a profitable blog. All you need is the right formula. Join the training here.