Currently, thousands of people blog for a living – now it's your turn. Although this takes time, the process is not impossible and there are several ways and help online to do this. In this tutorial, we will show you how to make money from blogging.


So how to make money blogging? Here are some of the best ways:

  • Add Google AdSense Ads
  • Post sponsored content
  • Work with affiliate marketing
  • Sell ​​blog related products
  • Create a members only area
  • Work as a copywriter for other websites
  • Create an Ads Podcast 

Now we are going to tell you in detail how each of these methods can help you make money from your blog.

 1. Google AdSense

Earlier we mentioned using paid ads to get traffic. Now, it's the other way around. Placing ads on your blog is a great way to make money blogging.

Google AdSense is a PPC (pay-per-click) program that allows you to display ads on your blog. It's one of the most convenient methods, as Google will take care of almost everything: what ads to show, the billing process, etc. In addition, you will be able to customize the types of ads that match your blog.

See how to place an ad on your blog

  1. Sign up for Google AdSense . Fill in your information (your URL, billing address, etc)
  2. Enter the verification code. Place it between the <head> and </head> of every page you want to show ads on. The easiest way to do this is to install the Ad Inserter plugin. Navigate to Setup >> Ad Insertion and click on General Setup symbol, go to Header tab and paste the code there
  3. Wait until your account is approved. The application process can be quick, but it takes up to three days for Google to verify your account.
  4. Start creating your ads. Once your account is verified, you will have access to your Adsense dashboard. Go to My Ads >> New Ad Unit and customize your ads: name, size and ad type.
  5. Copy and paste your ad code into your blog. You can do this manually by navigating to Appearance >> Widgets and adding custom HTML . Place the widget in any section and paste your code there. Alternatively, you can use the Ad Inserter plugin for this. Make sure you place your ads where your audience can see them right away.

Now that the ads are on your blog, hope they get enough clicks. Sooner or later, you will reach the minimum amount ($ 100 ) and receive your payout by the end of the month.

Pros:

  • The process is easy
  • There are no more steps after performing the settings

Cons:

  • Badly optimized and placed ads can reduce your traffic
  • It takes a while for new blogs to start getting paid

2. Sponsored Content

If your blog has a lot of traffic, there will be sponsors who want to do business with you. It's a fantastic way to make money blogging.

Basically, you get paid by your sponsor (eg a company) to publish articles. What do they get out of it? Well, the types of articles are created to help them get more customers – be it in the form of reviews, new product announcements, sales, etc.

So who will be writing the articles? This depends on your agreement with your sponsor. If they want you to create the content, you might be better off charging more.

Let's take a look at these steps and understand how to use sponsored content to make money blogging.

  1. Run an analytics report on your blog . If you expect companies to pay, companies expect results. Show them how your blog is performing: pageviews, bounce rate, etc.
  2. Offer your services to local businesses . For starters, we suggest you build your portfolio before taking on large corporations. Alternatively, you can find potential customers on sponsor sites such as Cooperatize and Tomoson . Don't forget, the sponsor must match your niche.
  3. Negotiate your price. You can use the report to determine your price. Also, base the number on your level of expertise, the effort you put into perfecting your blog design, and whether or not you're responsible for creating the content.
  4. Publish the sponsored post. In some countries, the law requires you to declare that you are writing a sponsored post. Also, be sure to match the tone and style of the article with your own.

That's it! The more you do this, the sooner you can close deals with companies willing to pay a lot more. Despite this, you might want to wait before publishing – doing this repeatedly can also reduce traffic. Sponsored content is one of the most popular ways to make money blogging.

Pros:

  • It's more natural than AdSense ads
  • You grow in credibility over time.

Cons:

  • Consecutive sponsored posts can disperse your visitors
  • Setting the price is a challenge

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to make money blogging. Many people choose this method because:

  • The affiliate marketing industry is big and lucrative, making it easy to find products to promote. It's also a great side project to invest in parallel to your main income, and allowing you to have passive income.
  • It is a low-cost business opportunity that does not require a large start-up capital.
  • Provides the opportunity to promote products from different companies.
  • Many bloggers earn thousands of dollars from affiliate marketing. A good example is Pat Flynn, the creator of the blog Smart Passive Income , a name that can be translated as Intelligent Passive Income . Flynn earned over $100k in a single month through affiliate links.

To start working with this method, the blog owner needs to join an affiliate program. Below are some of the most popular affiliate programs on the market:

Hostinger . Our affiliate program offers a 60% commission rate, and has no limits on the maximum amount each affiliate can earn.

Amazon Associates . One of the oldest affiliate programs on the market with the potential for high conversion rates thanks to the Amazon brand authority.

Partner Magalu . It allows you to easily create a website and promote the products of the famous retail chain. It offers support materials and videos to teach the best way to spread the links.

Hotmart . This program stands out for offering more than 420,000 digital products, letting you choose which one you want to promote. Hotmart also runs seasonal campaigns, offering excellent products to sell at times like Christmas, Easter and Black Friday.

Eduzz . It has a team of specialists who make a prior selection of infoproducts. They are placed in a virtual showcase, where the affiliate can choose from among the products with the greatest sales potential.

Monetize . It has an exclusive panel, through which the affiliate can monitor their main metrics. The dashboard makes it easy for professionals to develop their own strategies for optimizing their campaigns.

After being approved for a program, the blogger will receive an affiliate link to the product's sales page. He can add that link to his content and receive a commission once a visitor makes a purchase.

The commissions will depend on the affiliate program that the owner of the blog chooses, but they vary between 5% and 30% of the sale price of the product . The more expensive the affiliate products are, the higher the commissions you can earn.

If you want to make money with affiliate marketing, consider following these tips:

  • Choose an affiliate program that matches your audience . The most successful affiliates promote products that their readers would be interested in.
  • Pay attention to competitors . Follow the top blogs in your niche and see which affiliate products they recommend and how to promote those items.
  • Cloak Affiliate Links . Use tools like Affiliate Links to make your affiliate links more professional and memorable

4. Digital Products

If you have a talent for entrepreneurship, why not put your own products up for sale? It's a great way to make money blogging!

However, it will not be the most convenient choice. There are a lot of factors to deal with – shipping, restocking, inventory, packaging, and so on. But you won't have any problems if you sell digital products.

It typically requires less staff, you don't run out of stock, and you can ship product in an instant. How not to love?

In addition, there are several types of digital products that you can choose from – from e-books, photography, art, music, software and even online courses.

So how to sell digital products? Check out these steps below.

  1. Decide what to sell . Search the market to see what sells the most – and at what price. At the same time, make sure it's something you're an expert in or in your niche.
  2. Make use of suitable plugins . The famous WooCommerce plugin will meet your needs. Or have an ecommerce using an already optimized WooCommerce host .
  3. Start selling . Display your products in an interesting format, such as an article in list format or a how-to. Don't forget to write excellent copy in the product description.
  4. Do follow-ups . Create an autoresponder after every purchase to ask for your reviews and ratings.

Selling digital products is a quick and hassle free method of making money. However, coming up with an idea of ​​what to sell can be difficult. If you don't know how to build something for this, consider selling someone else's products as a reseller.

There are some merchants willing to give you a discount for selling their stuff, and you can raise the price – on each merchant's condition. However, it still won't be as profitable as selling your own products.

Pros:

  • It is usually more profitable than the other methods
  • It's repetitive

Cons:

  • Hard to find good quality products
  • If you are a reseller, this will not bring you so much money

5. Member Sites

Membership sites are a great way to earn money blogging.

Imagine Netflix – you have to pay monthly if you want to keep watching movies.

And that's what a membership site is all about! Even a few sales can generate a regular income for you.

More importantly, you don't even have to worry about traffic. When your audience pays for your service, they then commit to visiting your site regularly. Cool, huh?

Also, there are variety of fields you can choose for your member blogs like streaming service, software subscription, premium forum and many others.

Creating is easy – you just need a plugin and a few tweaks, and you’re all set!

  1. Install the S2member plugin . It is a free plugin with great functionality and deep customization that allows you to create and configure a website with members area .
  2. Configure the website . On your dashboard, navigate to S2member -> General Options. Open each tab and make adjustments as needed.
  3. Make sure everything is up to standard . Through the plugin's interface, enter email and payment methods, create the necessary pages, set various membership levels, and so on.
  4. Keep updating your site with new content . Otherwise, its members can cancel their membership at any time.

After creating a website with a members area, be sure to invest in marketing. For your users, the idea of ​​having a monthly expense can be a big commitment. You have to convince them that your service will be worth their investment.

Pros:

  • Receive monthly entry for each sale
  • Return visitors ensure traffic flow

Cons:

  • Always having new and updated content can be difficult
  • Marketing can be difficult

6. Freelance Copywriter

Once you've blogged for a while, you might already have enough of a portfolio for people to entrust their writing projects to you. Freelancing is a great way to earn money blogging.

Also, there is a huge demand for freelance writers – every business needs content to maintain its digital presence. So why not publicize them with your best articles?

Here are some steps you can start with:

  1. Gather your best written materials . Seeing is believing. A well-structured portfolio can improve your chance of getting hired.
  2. Set up a “hire me” page on your blog. Announce to the world that you are available to be hired. Include some information like your writing experience, what topics you excel at, and so on.
  3. Look for opportunities . There are many ways to do this – post on job boards, ask a local business directly, go to forums and much more.
  4. Negotiate and start writing. Decide on the price, term and other related conditions. So do your best to produce the best quality content. Happy customers mean money!

It's a great choice, especially when you love to write. However, a good reputation cannot be built overnight. It can take a while for a high-paying company to notice, and it sure takes a lot of dedication to succeed.

Pros:

  • The job is a lot like writing for a blog.
  • Different ways of looking at a content project

Cons:

  • Building a reputation takes work
  • The amount of work and deadlines can be difficult

7. Tutorials

Give your audience a light by sharing what you know with them. Not only is it noble work, you can also expand your network.

There's no better way to engage with your readers than by showing them how to solve their problems – plus, you'll get paid for it!

Check out how to start offering tutoring services on your blog.

  1. Install the Tutor plugin . It is an LMS (Learning Management System) plugin  that allows you to create a tutorial website without any problems.
  2. Configure the website . Decide what subjects you want to teach, the price and forms of material you want to use. Using the Tutor, you can post video lessons, quizzes, progress tracking, and more.
  3. Plan a resume . There are subjects for every subject and grade. Make sure it's properly planned and that it can really help students get better grades in school.
  4. Finish the setup . It is important to prepare all course materials before publishing them. Take your time and make sure everything is up to standard.
  5. Publish your website . Go on relevant forums and advertise your services. Consider collaborating with other tutors to teach classes on your site.

It may take a lot of work to develop teaching materials. But if your course is easy to understand and covers all the bases, students will be lining up to learn from you. Overall, teaching classes is a great way to make money blogging.

Pros:

  • It's a good way to grow your network.
  • Provides a good flow of traffic and engagement

Cons:

  • Defining a resume takes a long time
  • Only those who know can do it.

8. Ads Podcast

If you're a better speaker than a writer, podcast advertising will suit you like a glove.

There are some advantages over the traditional way of writing. First, people will depend on each word they hear – attention to pronunciation and reading speed. Second, they will always have time to listen to the podcasts, whether it's cooking, commuting, etc. It is a better alternative to advertising a product.

Companies pay for every thousand people who listen to their podcast, called CPM (cost-per-millie).

According to AdvertiseCast , the average CPM for podcast ads in 2019 is $18 for a 30-second ad and $25 for a 60-second ad.

Interested in making a podcast ad? Follow the steps below.

  1. Build your podcast portfolio. First , make a lot of great podcasts and use them to impress your potential customers.
  2. Advertise that you offer podcast ads. Share the news to the public, ask your listeners to refer you, etc.
  3. Make an approach yourself. If you're confident with your listener count, reach out to a few companies to see if they'd like to advertise on their podcasts.
  4. Credibility plays a key role in podcast ads – that's why quality is a must!

However, a quality podcast requires you to have excellent sound editing skills and good quality equipment – ​​which don't come cheap. So, if you want to make money blogging via podcasts, you need to decide if it's okay to invest in this method.

Pros:

  • It is a good medium for advertising
  • People can listen to podcasts anywhere – anywhere!

Cons:

  • Requires technical knowledge
  • Good equipment is expensive

9. RSS Ads

RSS ads on how to make money blogging

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication – bloggers use it to syndicate their content to readers via subscription.

If you subscribe to multiple blogs, you can catch up on the latest posts all at once using an RSS reader. It's convenient, right?

Interestingly, RSS also allows you to earn money from blogging through ad placement. It's similar to Google AdSense where you get paid for every click.

Follow these instructions below to earn money through RSS advertising.

  1. Show your RSS buttons on your blog . It can help to gain more subscribers. The more subscribers you have, the more likely you are to receive clicks.
  2. Choose the source of your ads. You may choose to use third-party advertising programs such as Yahoo! Publisher Network or use ads from your affiliate marketing program.
  3. Insert the ad codes into your feed. Typically, you will need to modify core files to place your ads. That's where the RSS Footer plugin comes into play. It has a feature where you can put HTML code in the RSS footer.
  4. Ready! All you have to do is keep posting and your content – ​​along with ads – will be delivered to every person who signed up. It's one of the ways to make money blogging!

But not many people use RSS these days. So getting subscribers can be tricky.

 

Pros:

  • easy to set up
  • Can reach a large audience

Cons:

  • RSS is not so popular anymore
  • Getting subscribers takes time


How to Create a Blog and Make it Grow

Now that you've learned how to make money blogging, it's time to create your own!

Pick A Niche

Having a niche means your blog will focus on a specific topic rather than multiple topics with no clear target. You might be wondering why this step is necessary. People may find your blog through search engines or social media shares, but they will only stay on your blog because of your content.

So don't try to write about everything, that will just scatter traffic.

That way, your audience will know what to expect from you and will keep visiting your site. They might even be inclined to share your posts to their social media – which increases your traffic!

If you're not sure which niche resonates most with you, these tips may help:

Pick a niche you like to talk about – you're less likely to run out of ideas when it comes to something you love to talk about

Know your audience well – choose the ideal tone to approach and communicate with your audience

Make sure there is a big enough market for your niche – choose what most people are looking for so your blog can last for the long term

The right niche will make it easy for you to make money blogging.

Choose a Domain Name

In addition to the niche, a domain name will also define your blog's identity.

The best way to choose a domain name is to make sure the domain is in line with the niche you choose. For example, if you create a fashion blog, you should choose a name that makes it clear that your blog is about fashion, like meudiariodemoda.com.br.

Domain Search Tool

Find out if a domain name is available

Enter the desired domain

If you also want to conquer markets in different countries, it is better to use specific domains for them. This is the case with .us, .jp, .uk and also .com.br, especially for Brazil. This one you can find here at Hostinger , as well as all the other types of extensions we mentioned!

More than that, a domain that contains your main keyword will help your website reach better positions in search engines.

 

Don't forget to invest time and effort when choosing your domain name. If you're out of ideas, use some of the available blog name generators and get some inspiration.

 

create a blog

Once you've settled on a niche and a domain name, it's time to create a blog that will turn into a money making machine.

You need two things for this: website hosting and a blogging platform.

There are a few types of hosting to choose from. If you are just starting a blog, we recommend you to use our cheap and good web hosting (also known as shared hosting) as it is most recommended for beginners.

Plus, you get a free domain if you choose a 12-month plan. Hostinger also has a free hosting plan to get you started without spending a penny.

Tip

When you need more resources for your blog, you can always upgrade your current hosting plan. To save on this process, we suggest using a Hostinger discount coupon on your future purchases.

It's also crucial to have a robust email service that meets your demands as a business owner so you don't miss out on any opportunities. In this case, we recommend dedicated email hosting .

For blogging platform, WordPress is the best way. It is the most popular CMS (Content Management System) which has a steeper learning curve but offers the most functionality. However, you can also blog with Hostinger's professional website builder.

See our in-depth guide on how to create a blog.

Create Great Content

Now that you've created your blog, the next step would be to feed it with good content. To keep your readers engaged, you need to maintain the quality and quantity of your blog posts.

We know this can be scary. That's why we have a list of what you can do to make it work.

Look for inspiration – discover what has already worked for your competitors and see create a more complete and more creative post

Find out which format performs best – for example, try creating an article like “How to Create Something in X Minutes”. Attractive titles and well-structured content are important.

Structure your Content Appropriately – don’t make grammatical mistakes, align your headings and subheadings, don’t write too long paragraphs

Use visuals – quality images and videos gain more reader attention

Always proofread – check what you've written or have someone else do it for you.

If you still need more inspiration, check out our article with ideas for a successful blog .

Interact With Your Readers

At the end of the day, your readers are the ones who will decide if your blog is worth more than another blog.

And that's why your focus should be on making your readers feel welcome.

First, empower them with a call-to-action in your posts. For example, invite your audience to leave a comment. And your chance to interact will be to reply to that comment – ​​or solve the problem they present there.

Another way to do this is by creating opinion pieces. Some of your readers may disagree with your opinion, but this allows for open discussion – and another great chance to engage with your audience.

Reach Traffic

The more traffic you have, the faster you will make money from your blog. Most bloggers use methods to get more traffic. Follow these methods to get more traffic so you can earn money online as soon as possible.

SEO for more Organic Traffic

We've mentioned SEO a few times before, but what exactly is it? Search Engine Optimization or Optimization for Search Engines is a practice used for your website to be displayed in the first positions of search engine results pages.

Google has its own algorithm that evaluates whether a website deserves to be listed in the top rankings. Even though no one knows exactly how it works, there are some factors that can help you rank better.

Site Performance – how fast your site loads, whether your images are properly optimized, etc.

Content Quality – the length of your article, length of paragraphs and sentences, etc.

Keyword Distribution – the keyword density, whether you use the most searched keyword, etc.

Site Structure – Having a well-structured site can help Google's crawlers find the information on your blog, especially if you have a sitemap.

Links – when many other relevant sites link to your blog, search engines see this as a good sign and can improve your site/blog ranking in search results

Paid Ads

If the organic method via SEO doesn't bring you the traffic boost you want, why not pay for it? When using paid ads, you need to run a PPC (pay-per-click) campaign and that can bring thousands of visitors to your blog!

So how does it work? Well, it's similar to the ads you see on TV, but it has a little difference. Instead of paying upfront, you only pay when someone clicks on your ads.

And what's even better, there's no hassle – find an ad service, sign up and start advertising!

Below you will find several ad services to decide which one to use.

Google Ads – In addition to getting your blog to the top with SEO, you can do this with paid ad programs

Facebook Paid Ads – With so many people on Facebook, you can turn this social media into a source of traffic to your website

Bing Ads – why stick with just one search engine? Make your blog visible on Bing , Yahoo!  and AOL

BlogAds – This ad service allows you to target a specific audience and display your ads on your network (other blogs and websites)

Gifts

As they say – the best things in life are free! Prepare some surprises for your audience and everyone will start to invade your blog.

Giveaways are used when you get people to act on your blog – whether it's promoting it, signing up for your emails, etc. – in exchange for a free item.

The best time to do this is on holidays – like Christmas or Easter, for example. Use these events as a theme, choose an interesting prize, define the rules and announce it on your social networks. After that, all you have to do is pick the winner. Pretty easy, right?

Tip: Use free plugins to do this! There are a few that stand out, like Simple Giveaways and Gleam .

However, premium costs are at your own expense. Consider these factors to increase traffic through your giveaways:

Always give away freebies that relate to your niche

Don't confuse your audience. Why would you give away a game as a freebie if your site is about recipes?

Value is king

Make sure the effort is worth it. Very cheap stuff won't gain much interest from your audience.

Don't create too many rules

Depending on your audience, they may lose interest when they see a list of different things they will have to do to compete and will give up before they start

Promote, promote, promote!

Since your blog is new, you might not have a lot of readers yet. So invest in ads. Use popular hashtags, share on forums and discussion boards, ask your friends to share, etc.

Giving away freebies is a surefire way to get traffic fast. In addition, it is another way to interact more with your audience.

But you won't be able to trap them after participating. You need to prepare for that not to happen – follow up, create great content, engage with them more, etc.

Conclusion

Those were some of the many ways you can make money blogging. So, which one do you like the most?

Remember, each has its pros and cons that must be considered.

Google AdSense – not too difficult to set up, but it can take a while to get paid

Sponsored Content – ​​can be published with your own content to sound more natural. Just don't overuse this method to prevent your traffic from decreasing.

Affiliate Marketing – compared to sponsored content, affiliate marketing offers flat fees. But it doesn't guarantee that people will buy your products.

Amazon Affiliate Program – has a wide range of catalogs but commissions are lower than other affiliate programs

Digital Products – you will never have problems with stock, but you need to be creative to create your own digital product

Member Area Sites – where a single sale can make you money for a certain period of time, but you need to provide fresh content over and over again to justify making your customers pay for it

Freelancer Copywriter – easy to build a portfolio, but deadlines must be well organized to avoid problems

Tutorials – gives you the chance to collaborate with other teachers and grow your network. However, preparing the material for each subject is not so simple.

Announcement Podcast – is a reliable method of delivering advertisements, but requires expensive equipment and editing talent

RSS Ads – can reach a large audience. Although, there are not that many people who use RSS these days.

Now that you know how to make money blogging, it's your time to give it a try! Hope our guide has motivated you. Good job out there and have fun!