If you’ve ever thought about starting a blog to make some extra money—or even as a full-time income source—2024 is a great time to dive in. I remember when I first started my blog; my goal was just to share my experiences, but I soon realized that blogging can be a fantastic way to earn passive income. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t love some extra money to build up a retirement fund, spend more time with the kids, or take a vacation without worrying about finances?
Let’s walk through some of the most effective ways to make money blogging, step-by-step. I’ll share some of the strategies I’ve used, plus some affiliate links to tools that helped me along the way.
1. Affiliate Marketing: Earn Commissions from Recommendations
Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways bloggers earn money because it’s both flexible and lucrative. The basic idea is simple: you promote a product or service through an affiliate link, and if someone makes a purchase through your link, you earn a commission. What’s great about affiliate marketing is that you don’t need to create your own products or services. Instead, you can promote things that you already know and love, making it a relatively easy way to start earning.
For example, one of the first affiliate programs I joined was Amazon Associates. I would link to books and products I’d mentioned in my blog posts, and whenever someone bought something through my link, I earned a small percentage of the sale. Over time, these commissions started adding up.
Here’s how to get started:
- Sign up for affiliate programs: Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and Impact are great places to start.
- Choose relevant products: If you’re a food blogger, you might link to kitchen tools or cookbooks. If you’re in the personal finance niche, financial tools or investment apps are good options.
- Add links naturally: Include affiliate links in blog posts where it makes sense and provide context for why you’re recommending each product.
Why It Works for Passive Income: Once you’ve written a blog post and included affiliate links, those links keep earning for you as long as people keep reading that post. This is a perfect strategy for passive income because the upfront work keeps paying off over time.
2. Display Ads: Monetize Your Traffic with Ads
Once your blog starts getting consistent traffic, displaying ads can be an excellent source of passive income. It’s one of the simplest ways to make money blogging because all you need is traffic. Ad networks like Google AdSense and Mediavine place ads on your site, and you earn money every time someone views or clicks on an ad.
In the early days, I used Google AdSense to place ads on my blog, and while the earnings were modest at first, it motivated me to grow my traffic. Once I hit a threshold of 50,000 monthly sessions, I applied to Mediavine, which significantly boosted my ad revenue.
If you’re nearing that traffic requirement, Mediavine is a top choice for higher ad rates.
Why It Works for Passive Income: Ads are an ideal passive income source because, once set up, they don’t require ongoing work. As long as your blog is bringing in traffic, ads will keep generating revenue.
3. Sell Digital Products: Offer Value with E-books, Courses, and Printables
Creating and selling digital products is one of the most profitable ways to make money from blogging. Think of things like e-books, online courses, or even printables. These products don’t require physical inventory, so they’re low-cost to create, and they can be sold repeatedly.
After about a year of blogging, I noticed that a lot of my readers were asking similar questions. So, I decided to create a blogging guide as an e-book, answering the most common questions. I sold it through my blog, and it became a reliable income stream. I’ve since expanded to offering a few simple printables and templates, which my readers love.
Here’s How to Get Started:
- Identify your audience’s needs: Think about what kind of problems your readers have that you could solve.
- Create the product: Use tools like Canva to design e-books or printables, or Teachable to host an online course.
- Promote through your blog: Write blog posts that connect to your digital product, and include calls to action for readers to check it out.
If you’re interested in creating digital products, I recommend trying Teachable for hosting online courses and Canva for designing e-books and printables.
Why It Works for Passive Income: Once you create a digital product, you can keep selling it without additional effort. This lets you earn money from sales long after the product is created.
4. Sponsored Content: Work with Brands to Create Paid Posts
Sponsored content is another fantastic way to make money blogging, especially if you have a good following or high engagement rate. With sponsored content, brands pay you to write posts or create content that highlights their products or services.
In my case, I started getting small sponsored opportunities once my blog gained some traction. It began with simple product reviews or mentions, and as my blog grew, so did the size of the sponsorship deals. Working with brands is a rewarding way to add variety to your blog while also earning.
How to Get Started:
- Reach out to brands: Look for brands that align with your blog’s niche and audience.
- Sign up with influencer networks: Platforms like Influence.co or AspireIQ connect bloggers with brands for sponsored content opportunities.
- Be authentic: Only work with brands you genuinely believe in. Authenticity shines through, and your readers will appreciate it.
Why It Works for Passive Income: Sponsored content is generally one-time income rather than passive, but it can boost your income significantly. And if the partnership is successful, brands may work with you repeatedly, providing a consistent income source.
5. Offer Coaching or Consulting Services
If you’re an expert in your niche, consider offering coaching or consulting services. This is a more hands-on way to make money from blogging, but it can be very lucrative, especially if you’re skilled in a high-demand area like social media, personal finance, or health.
When I started getting inquiries from readers about blogging strategies, I decided to offer one-on-one coaching sessions. Not only did this bring in additional income, but it also allowed me to build deeper relationships with my audience.
How to Start:
- Create a service page on your blog: Outline your services, pricing, and what clients can expect.
- Offer value: Provide tips or advice in your blog posts that showcase your expertise. This will make readers more likely to reach out for personalized help.
- Use scheduling tools: Set up appointments with tools like Calendly to make the process smooth for both you and your clients.
Why It Works for Additional Income: While coaching isn’t passive, it can bring in a substantial income, especially if you’re just starting and building up multiple income streams.
Final Thoughts
Blogging offers numerous ways to earn additional income, and whether you’re looking for passive income to boost your retirement savings or active income to support a career transition, blogging can be both rewarding and profitable. It may take time and patience, but each of these methods has the potential to turn your blog into a real income source.
If you’re just starting, I recommend experimenting with multiple income streams, such as affiliate marketing and ads. As you grow, you can branch into more advanced options like digital products and coaching services.
For anyone interested in turning blogging into a side hustle or even a full-time job, I highly recommend the tools mentioned above, like ShareASale for affiliate marketing, Mediavine for ads, and Teachable for courses. With the right tools and strategies, you can create a steady stream of income that lets you enjoy more freedom and flexibility in life.