Here’s how you to make money blogging:
- Ads
- Affiliate marketing
- eBooks
- Apps
- Memberships
- Online courses
- Physical products
- Coaching
- Freelancing
How to make money blogging in 2024
First, check out this video from our founder Ramit Sethi on how he monetized his blog to earn him millions.
Below are even more details on systems you can use to monetize your blog.
Word of warning: None of these options are “easy.” They each require their own bit of work and research. But if you’re willing to put in the time and energy, you’ll be able to find the right systems and make them work for you.
Advertisements and sponsorships
This is the method making money blogging you’re likely most familiar with. They come in the way of banner ads you see on a website’s header or sidebar.
These advertisements come in a few different forms:
- Pay-per-action. Advertisers pay the website owner each time a user completes an action that they previously agreed upon (e.g. signing up for a newsletter)
- Pay-per-click. Advertisers pay the website owner each time a user clicks on the advertisement (this is most common).
- Pay-per-impression. Advertisers pay the website owner each time a reader simply looks at the advertisement.
A great way to get started with advertisements to monetize your blog is by using Google AdSense. This is Google’s way of connecting advertisers with websites in order to place ads on their pages.
Another similar way to make money through your blog is through sponsorships.
These are branded pieces of content that are typically sponsored by a third-party company.
For example, imagine you have a photography blog. Nikon, the camera company, might sponsor a blog post where you review their latest DSLR camera.
This is another solid way to make money blogging—though the barrier to entry is much higher since you need thousands of readers a month, and you need to spend time reaching out to sponsors.
Still, if you have the time and resources, it’s worth trying.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing works by sharing a link for a product. Everytime a person purchases that product, you receive a cut of the earnings.
For example, a blog about cell phones might have an affiliate partnership with Samsung. They might have affiliate links on their blogs for different phones and accessories. If one of their readers purchases a phone from Samsung via the link, the blogger gets money.
The catch is you not only need a lot of readers frequenting your blog, but they need to be the type of readers willing to purchase the products you’re marketing. That’s a tough combination to get together.
Plus, your readers might get put off by the fact that you’re offering an affiliate link—even if you make it clear to them that it’s an affiliate link.
If you’re still interested though, a good way to get started is with Amazon Associates. They have one of the largest affiliate marketing programs out there.
Ebooks
Selling a digital product such as ebooks is a great way to make money from your blog.
It can help generate passive income while spreading word about your blog and brand.
And it doesn’t have to be some crazy huge multi-volume book that would give Ulysses a run for its money either. Ebooks can be as brief as 25 – 50 pages.
What matters is that you’re giving your reader a ton of value with the ebook.
And if you’ve been running your blog for a while, you likely have all the material you need to create it. Just take that content and repurpose it for your ebook.
Apps
Apps and software are another digital product you can sell on your blog.
For example, you might have a blog about hunting. Your readers might love an app from you showcasing all the best public and private lands in their area available to hunt.
Unlike an ebook, though, the barrier to entry is a little higher.
After all, you either need to be able to build the app yourself or be able to find someone that does.
However, if you make something people love, your hard effort could wind up being very successful.
Memberships and subscriptions
This is a great method if you have a devoted community of readers. They’re likely following you because you’re an expert on your niche and you offer them incredibly valuable advice.
If that’s the case, they might be willing to pay a fee each month to get high-quality, premium content.
That’s the core of membership and subscription blogs. You offer your readers access to great content at a fixed monthly cost. They subscribe, and you keep them coming back with your amazing content.
If your community is strong and your content is great, you can create an incredibly popular membership site like Jon Morrow’s Serious Bloggers Only. On his site, he offers his readers a community of like-minded copywriters the tools and connections needed to grow and thrive in the industry.