How To Start Blogging and Make Money in 11 Steps (2024)
How much money can bloggers earn?
Blog posts are a monetizable form of online content. There are many examples of long-running blogs attracting millions of readers and generating enough income to employ teams of writers and editors.
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Well-established bloggers like Ryan Robinson (who runs a blog about blogging) can make upward of $30,000 per month. Adam Enfroy, who also started blogging about the business of blogging as a side hustle, generated $1.5 million from his blog just two years later.
It’s not just monthly revenue that bloggers can earn. Marketplaces like Flippa list blog-based websites for sale, many of which come with hefty price tags.
Not every blogger can make millions through their website, however. Typically, the potential income of a blog depends on two factors:
1. Choose a profitable niche
When you start a blog, invest as much time as possible in selecting the right niche.
A niche is a self-contained topic within a broader topic category, such as vegan recipes within the wider subject of recipes. When you focus your blog on a niche, readers can build stronger associations between the topic and your site. A reader will know exactly where to head to find a vegan dish for their dinner party, for instance, if you position your blog as the authority on veganism among all the general food blogs on the internet.
2. Build an email list
After landing on your blog idea, the next step is to find loyal readers who’ll consume your content.
One of the best ways to secure regular readers is by building an email list for your blog. When someone opts in to hear from your blog, you’re given permission to reach them in a valuable online space: their inbox.
“Email marketing is by far the most lucrative sales channel for me. I don’t even really try to sell directly from other channels anymore, instead directing people from social media to my email list,” says Brittany Berger, founder of digital media company Work Brighter.
3. Write sponsored product reviews
All businesses want social proof—content that shows customers other people are buying and enjoying a product. One way for them to collect this is by paying bloggers to publish reviews.
By pitching or accepting review requests, you can directly use your blog post writing skills to make money. It’s a strategy that works especially well if you can review products or services from brands that are relevant to your readers.
If you already use a product in daily life, you’ll likely have knowledge and opinions you can use. With sponsorships, you’ll be compensated for sharing those opinions with your audience.
Reach out to your favorite brands and ask if they’d be interested in sponsoring a review on your blog.
4. Sell advertising placements
Many businesses are willing to pay for face time with your readers. You can monetize your blog by selling advertising space around the main content of your posts.
There are two routes to building an income stream with blog advertising:
Negotiate with companies individually. Find companies you think your readers might be interested in and ask if they’d like to advertise on your website. By talking directly to businesses, you may be able to negotiate larger bespoke fees.
Use an advertising network. Platforms like Google AdSense, Mediavine, and Raptive match your web pages with advertisers. Simply embed the provided code on your site to start displaying ads.
5. Sell digital products
Digital products are a scalable way to make money by selling useful items alongside your blog. Unlike service-based businesses, you don’t exchange time for money. And unlike selling physical products, there’s no shipping or ongoing manufacturing costs.
You can create digital products once and sell an infinite number of them via your blog.
“I decided to add printables—and soon other digital products—to diversify my income and put more control in my own hands,” says Dylan Houlihan, founder of the blog-based website Swift Salary. “So far, I let readers decide how much they’d like to pay for my printables, which is why revenue numbers haven’t been crazy. However, I have clocked over 800 downloads, so I’m quite proud of that.”
