How to Make Money Blogging: The Ultimate Blueprint for 2023

This guide contains information on a wide range of ways you can learn about how to make money blogging. For other digital marketing services, visit the Digital Estate website, which has many similar guides and a wide range of professional services.

Key Steps on How to Make Money Blogging

• Identify a lucrative niche that aligns with your expertise and interests
• Build an email list to communicate with your audience and promote your products/services
• Write sponsored product reviews for companies in your niche
• Sell advertising placements on your blog
• Join an affiliate marketing program to earn commissions by promoting products/services
• Offer services, such as consulting, coaching, or freelance writing, to your audience
• Sell digital products, such as e-books, courses, or printables, on your blog
• Monetise your blog with physical products, such as merchandise or handmade crafts, on your blog
• Create a membership community for your most dedicated followers
• Monetise your YouTube channel through ads or sponsorships
• Produce a podcast and secure sponsorships or ads to monetise your content.

Part 1: Creating an Online Presence

While there are many ways to make money online from your blog, they all require one thing: a loyal and engaged audience. Before monetising your content, you must build a following by choosing a strategic blogging niche and promoting your new blog to attract more traffic. After all, the more people that visit your site, the more opportunities you have to make money.

Follow these measures to create a blog, expand your blog’s audience and start earning money from it:

• Select a profitable strategy especially that is in line with your passions.
• Produce compelling, high-quality content that appeals to your target market and promotes you as a thought leader in your industry. 
• You can promote your blog through social media, guest writing, and networking with other industry bloggers.
• Improve your blog’s search engine optimisation for better visibility and more visitors.
• Respond to comments, provide valuable resources, and create a community around your business to interact with your readers.

You may create the groundwork for an effective and lucrative blogging business by adhering to these guidelines and investing the time and effort necessary to expand your readership.

Select a Lucrative Niche

It’s crucial to pick a blog niche that corresponds with your hobbies and has a sizeable readership and the possibility for profitability. Consider The Blonde Abroad, a well-known travel website that emphasises female solo travel, adventure, and photography. With over 600,000 monthly page visits and a sizable social media following, founder Kiersten Rich’s blog has become a highly successful brand by focusing on a particular niche within the larger travel business.

Asking yourself the following questions will help you choose a blog niche that is ideal for you.

What subjects do I care deeply about?

What interests my target market, and who are they?

What are the prospects for this niche to make money through affiliate marketing, sponsored content, or the sale of physical or digital goods?

By selecting a niche that aligns with your interests, resonates with your target audience, and has the potential for monetisation, you can create a successful and profitable blog you’re passionate about.

Once you have selected the right niche, it’s time to make a site on a blogging platform such as WordPress, Wix, Medium, etc. Alternatively, we provide custom blog designs for those looking for the additional functionality and design that can be achieved with a premium WordPress blog.

Blog About Your Passions

Writing about a subject you are informed and passionate about will help maintain your blogging interest and effort over time. Writing about a topic you find boring is likely to become tedious quickly. When choosing a niche, consider your knowledge or expertise and any connections you may have in that industry. While becoming a reputable source in a new field is possible, having prior experience or contacts can make it easier to build trust and authority among your readers.

Suppose you are already a skilled professional with experience in education or contacts in a particular industry. In that case, you could create blog entries about those topics utilising your knowledge to give your audience insightful information. However, suppose you’re starting a new blog from scratch in a new industry. In that case, the goal is to make a good following and establish your credibility. 

Here are some ways to get started and produce blog topics:

• Identify common questions or challenges within your niche and provide helpful solutions or tips.
• Share your personal experiences or insights related to your niche, such as lessons learned or successes achieved.
• Curate and share valuable resources, such as industry news, research studies, or how-to guides.
• Offer your unique perspective on current events or trends within your industry.
• Write product or service reviews relevant to your niche, providing your honest opinion to help your audience make informed decisions.

You can establish yourself as a trusted authority in your niche and build a successful blogging business.

The Ideal Target Audience

To attract readers to your blog and keep them engaged, it’s critical to give your target audience information and insights in high demand. After deciding on your area, think about the readers you want to draw, the issues they encounter, and the problems you can solve for them. You may design a blog that solves their problems and provides the value your audience seeks by concentrating on their needs and interests.

To achieve this, you should identify the pain points, challenges, and questions your target audience faces within your niche. Then, research and provide relevant and actionable solutions, tips, and insights to address these needs. Consider using engaging visuals, such as images, infographics, or videos, to enhance the appeal and clarity of your content. And encourage feedback and engagement from your readers to build a community around your brand.

A devoted readership that respects and loves your content can be built by developing a blog that offers your target audience helpful information and ideas. Over time, this may result in more readers’ engagement, traffic, and monetisation prospects for your blog.

Choosing Profitable Topics For Your Blog

More money can be made from some blogs than others. You should think about the sales potential in a given topic to decide if it will be possible for you to earn money blogging in that area. An example of this would be promoting affiliate links for credit cards, investments, or budgeting tools on a personal finance site. It could also be courses on money management. Similarly, a fitness blog might sell physical or digital products like workout plans or supplements and offer coaching or personal training services.

When selecting a niche for your blog, consider how you can monetise your content and build a sustainable income stream. Affiliate marketing, selling digital or physical products, and offering services like coaching or consulting are popular ways to make money from your blog. However, creating high-quality content that provides value to your readers and builds a loyal following is essential. You can establish yourself as a credible authority in your niche and create a profitable and successful blogging business.

Types of Profitable Blogs

If maintained strategically, any number of blog formats can be successful. Check out 10 profitable blog types below.

1. Personal Finance
2. Health and Fitness
3. Food and Cooking
4. Lifestyle
5. Technology
6. DIY and Crafts
7. Personal Development
8. Parenting
9. Education
10. Business and Entrepreneurship

These are just a few examples of profitable blog types. An essential factor when you start blogging is choosing a niche you are passionate about and with a large audience.

It’s critical to consider ways to monetise when you start a blog and set revenue goals for a solid basis, regardless of the theme you decide on. Whether through affiliate marketing, selling digital or physical products, offering to coach or consulting services, or other means, monetisation should be a key consideration when choosing a blog area.

Suppose you still need to figure out what niche or unique area you should be giving attention to. In that case, you can seek inspiration from successful blogs in various fields. 

For example: 

• Look at Business Insider or HubSpot for business and marketing content. 
• The Penny Hoarder is a popular blog for finance tips. 
• Healthline, Verywell, or WebMD could be great resources for health content
• Vogue or Man Repeller could inspire your fashion blog
• Consider looking at A Beautiful Mess or The Spruce Crafts for DIY and crafts. 
• Look to sites like Bon Appétit, Minimalist Baker, or The Kitchen for food and nutrition content. 
• For lifestyle blogs, you might explore examples such as Cupcakes, Cashmere, or The Everygirl.

By studying successful blogs in different niches, you can start getting valuable insights into what makes them successful and how you might replicate that success in your blogging journey.

Increasing the Size and Volume of Your Blog Posts

Once you’ve decided on a blog niche, you should start producing material. But it’s crucial to remember that, just like the writing itself, the planning and research that go into your posts can significantly affect how much money your blog makes.

Uploading fresh posts regularly and often is crucial for maximising the potential of your material without sacrificing quality. This will keep readers interested and returning for more. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you start increasing the volume of your blog posts:

1. Conduct thorough research on your topic to ensure you provide accurate and valuable information to your readers.
2. Plan your content in advance to maintain a consistent publishing schedule and avoid writer’s block.
3. Use a variety of content formats, such as listicles, how-to guides, videos, or infographics, to keep your readers engaged and appeal to different learning styles.
4. Optimise your content for search engines by using keywords and following best practices for on-page optimisation.
5. Engage with your readers through comments and social media, responding to feedback and incorporating their ideas into future content.

By focusing on high-quality content that is relevant and valuable to your readers, you can build a loyal following that will drive traffic and revenue to your blog over time.

Choosing Appropriate Content for Blog Posts

When writing for your blog, choosing topics that meet two main criteria is essential. First, they should meet the requirements held by your intended audience and provide valuable solutions to their problems. Second, they should target the words most searched for (keywords with large volume), indicating strong appeal in that subject.

To find suitable topics for your blog, consider conducting keyword research using tools like Google Trends or Ahrefs. Look for keywords with high search volumes and low competition, and create comprehensive and informative content that addresses these topics.

In addition to selecting the right topics, it’s essential to write catchy and engaging headlines that grab readers’ attention and encourage them to read your content. You can use title generator software or brainstorm creative headlines that accurately convey the value and appeal of your content.

Focus on topics that meet your readers’ needs. At the same time, target popular search terms, and create content that drives traffic and engagement to your blog. This will help you build a loyal following over time.

Blog Post Content Consistently

It’s crucial to consistently publish exciting and new content on your blog if you want to increase visitors. Depending on the scale and goals of your blog, you may change how often you decide to publish articles. 

To keep your readers engaged, it’s important to maintain a consistent publishing schedule of high-quality content. Avoid publishing a large number of articles in one period and then going silent the next period. Instead, design a regular publishing cadence that suits you by creating an editorial schedule. This will assist you in being organised and ensuring a constant stream of excellent content that your viewers will value.

In addition to regular posting, you can also consider repurposing and updating older content to keep it fresh and relevant. This can help you attract new readers and keep your existing audience engaged.

By focusing on a consistent and strategic content strategy, you can build a loyal readership and increase traffic to your blog over time.

Spread the Workaround

As you work to monetise your blog, it’s important to remember that you’re also building valuable entrepreneurial skills. However, as your presence grows, it can become challenging to keep up with the demands of creating high-quality content and managing business affairs.

Consider enlisting additional assistance in the form of outsourcing or guest authors to assist in scaling your content swiftly. You can hire writers to create material for you or encourage other bloggers to submit pieces for publication on your website, offering free content and promoting the guest author.

Whatever option you decide, organising your workload is crucial so that writing and business strategy take priority. This may mean delegating tasks to others or setting aside time each week to work on business planning and development.

By balancing your writing and business tasks effectively, you can continue to grow your blog and build your entrepreneurial skills while also delivering high-quality content to your readers.

Establish a Professional Standing

Suppose you want to make money blogging, especially after producing a significant volume of strategic material. In that case, you must prove yourself as an authoritative source on your subject. 

To do this, focus on providing high-quality and valuable content that addresses your readers’ needs and concerns. This can help you build a strong reputation and become a go-to resource in your niche.

Consider Guest Blogging

Try contacting sites related to your niche and submitting your guest post ideas to grow your online presence and visibility in the blogging community. Guest posts are a fantastic approach to getting recognised as an expert in your subject and gaining more exposure for your brand.

Start by exploring your favourite sites to check whether the site publishes content from outside authors to locate opportunities for guest blogging. Guest contributions are accepted by many online publications, and some even have specific submission pages or instructions. You can also search your specific blog space for relevant bloggers and see whereabouts they’ve been published. Use a list of guest posting publications and sites as a starting point.

Send an email or a social media message with your ideas to the writers or editors after you’ve found prospective guest posting opportunities. 

Include a link to your blog on your resume to demonstrate your experience and industry knowledge. Rejections are a 

common pitching process, so don’t let them demoralise you. Maintaining and improving your reputation-building and outreach abilities.

Even if there is no monetary reward for guest posting, it can still be a worthwhile experience. Your viewership can increase, your expertise and professional reputation can be established, and you can network with other experts in your field through guest blogging. Additionally, guest contributions might offer backlinks you could run on your personal blog, which is a significant SEO indication. You might eventually get your own guest column if you have enough experience and a solid reputation.

Consider Bringing in an Expert

Another powerful strategy for developing credibility, exposure, and an audience is to team up with other authorities in your field. Start by contacting experts in your blogging field, such as the editor of your preferred magazine or a famous guest blogger you follow. You might inquire whether you can interview them for a guest article or to be posted on your site. Industry experts frequently look forward to interviews since they can expand their exposure and build their authority in the field.

You can promote other blogs within your relevant space or industry by employing cross-promotion. Interact with them on Twitter and other social media platforms, and mention their content in your blog posts and social media updates. This is an effective method for growing your network and creating connections in your area of expertise. Suppose you communicate with other bloggers and cross-promote their work. In that case, they will likely notice your blog and content, which may see them returning the favour. This could boost your reputation and increase blog traffic.

Methods for Growth

Increasing traffic to your website is essential if you want your blog to earn you money. You should promote your blog before you publish your first post. Marketing your blog will continue to be just as critical to its ongoing establishment as blogging itself as your readership expands.

Here are some effective tactics to spread reach and increase popularity:

SEO Optimisation

Use search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies to improve your website’s ranking through different search engines. This entails producing content near the top of relevant and related search results. To achieve this, you must write insightful blog entries and strategically use keywords to optimise them.

You may select the best keywords to add by using tools for keyword research like SEMrush. If you’re unfamiliar with SEO, you may learn the fundamentals by enrolling in an online SEO course or using tools. You can also use a blog post checklist to ensure you have covered the necessary SEO fundamentals like keyword research and image optimisation.

Create a Newsletter to Promote Your Blog

Creating a newsletter is an effective way to promote your blog and make money. 

Consider offering lead magnets to get readers to sign up for your email list. This could include free e-books, slide decks, online courses or coupon codes in exchange for their subscription. 

Opt-in forms are another great way to present the value of these lead magnets to encourage readers to subscribe.

After creating your email list, maintain positive engagement with your subscribers by abstaining from spam and excessive emailing. To ensure readers receive your newsletter on time, give that specific date and time some thought. This will guarantee that people remain interested and keep visiting your website to view new information.

Harness the Power of Social Media

Increasing the social media presence of your blog is a terrific method to market it and broaden its audience. It would be best if you considered developing separate social media accounts specific to your blog and sharing your blog content on your own social media accounts. To highlight your blog’s material, establish a Facebook business page, an Instagram account, or a YouTube channel.

Create social media content along with social signals that support your blog pieces in addition to posting links to them. Create posts with images relating to your blog’s content on platforms like Instagram or Pinterest, and include links that take the reader back to your site in the posts themselves. Redirect your blog posts to YouTube or Instagram reels and link back to them in the caption of each video.

Consider Alternative Media Options

You can reach a larger audience and improve the exposure of your blog by producing various forms of creative material. To share your knowledge and position yourself as an authority in your niche, you may start a podcast, make educational how-to videos, or host webinars.

The more diverse your content is, the more probable readers will find your site. Initially, providing this content without cost is crucial to growing your following and increasing traffic flow back to your site. To add another money stream, consider monetising this content as you attract more subscribers. Consider this as you prepare for the long-term financial success of your blog.

Part 2: Making Money From Your Content

To make money from your blog, you can consider using various tools and resources. Some of the ways you can monetise your blog include:

• Online classes and lessons
• Running advertisements inside your blog
• Offering paid subscriptions
• Selling merchandise
• Affiliate marketing
• Writing sponsored content
• Providing consulting services
• Hosting webinars
• Conferences or speeches
• Offering freelance services

Including Ads in Your Blog

One excellent strategy to earn money from your blog is to include Google AdSense advertisements. The service enables you to add ad slots to your website, which Google will then populate with relevant ads for readers of your blog or website. When consumers watch or click on those adverts, you get paid. If you want to optimise your earnings from AdSense, follow these tips:

• Include high-quality, desirable content to attract traffic to your blog, making it a more attractive space for parties interested in the advertisement.
• Research keywords relevant to your content and look for key terms that could interest advertisers.
• Customise your ad design to match your blog’s layout, aesthetics, or colour scheme. 
• Pre-test any ad placements to determine the ad spaces that generate the most clicks and optimise accordingly.
• Consider other blog monetisation tools like Amazon Display Ads.

However, do not make your blog look like it’s only made for ads. There should be a decent white space on your blog for better readability.

Create a Paid Subscription Model

You may make money using subscription plans that grant devoted readers exclusive access to your content. While not all content should be paywalled, attracting subscribers can be done by publishing in-depth articles with unique insights.

Provide a sneak peek of an exclusive piece of content to draw readers in, and then provide an option to sign-up to view the rest of the content. Another strategy is to charge for site memberships, which can come with various benefits, such as extended or unrestricted blog content.

Sell Products Such as Merchandise, Digital Goods and More

One excellent strategy to make money with a blog is to sell items directly. You can create an online shop on your WordPress blog using WooCommerce and sell physical or digital goods relevant to your brand.

Here are just a few examples of digital goods that you could sell through your blog:

• Music tracks
• Artwork
• Video tutorials
• Software
• Stock photos
• Fonts and graphics
• Website themes and plugins

For instance, if you are a music blogger, you could sell your original tracks or cover songs. If you are a graphic design blogger, you might sell your artwork and fonts. Spend time viewing the design blog Creative Market, which allows designers to sell digital products like website themes, graphics, and stock photos. It’s a great demonstration of a profitable blog that has become a money marker by selling digital products directly to its audience.

Consider Becoming an Affiliate

Affiliate marketing is a common way for bloggers to make money, as shown in the earnings reports of many top bloggers. This form of passive revenue entails marketing others’ goods by including affiliate links on your website, blog, or social media pages. You will receive a commission percentage from sales made as a result of reader clicks on these links.

CJ Affiliate, Amazon Associates, and Clickbank are unique affiliate marketing programs worth looking into.

Personal and business blogs can benefit from affiliate programs, and you can test various platforms to see which best suits your requirements.

Create Content for Sponsorship

Another way to make money with your blog is through sponsorship. You may receive payment from businesses for each unique post that promotes their goods through sponsorship options. These changes might present themselves as your site develops, frequently with added benefits like positive things from the firm to review. 

These articles typically review products or demonstrations of a company’s goods or services. To maintain your readers’ confidence, you should only endorse brands you actually support ethically and otherwise.

Proactively look for sponsorship opportunities by contacting the best businesses in your industry and asking about joint venture possibilities. 

Describe how the company would profit from the partnership, mentioning your monthly visitor count and what benefits you provide them by connecting with your audience. 

Additionally, search for alliances that let you develop a number of sponsored posts over time for a consistent income stream.

Successful bloggers make a lot of money using these sponsorship deals.

Consider Consulting on Other Projects

Using your blog to earn money, you can market your own abilities as a coach or consultant. You can offer consulting services for individuals or businesses based on your specialty. A consultancy business can result from writing various blogs, from company to marketing to design. For instance, you may use your experience to work as a food coach or a consultant for digital marketing.

Start by providing specialised options or discounts to one-on-one clientele. Additionally, you could expand into other services like webinars, conferences, speaking engagements, and online learning engagements. People will pay for guidance that is specifically customised to suit individual needs if your site gives insightful content.

How to Make Money Blogging — FAQs

How Much Money Can You Make From Blogging?

According to the finance blog Millennial Money, beginner bloggers can make $500-$2,000 per month in their first year, potentially making over $100,000 annually after building a following over two years. However, how much money you can make will depend on several factors, such as your niche, how much traffic your blog gets, monetization methods, etc.

Remember that you don’t have to be a professional writer to make money blogging, and you can use various strategies to generate revenue. Successful bloggers often utilise many of the same tactics to monetise their content. So, with dedication and effort, you can create a profitable blogging business, even as a beginner.

Blogging is a great way to make money — If you’ve been blogging for several years, you can even make millions yearly.

How Do Beginner Bloggers Make Money?

Display advertising is a popular option if you’re looking for a quick way to make money from your blog. With services like Google AdSense, you don’t need any specialised skills to rent ad space on your site, and you’ll get paid for every 1,000 website visitors that view the ad. While it may not be the most lucrative way to monetise your blog, display advertising can provide a steady stream of passive blogging income as you build up your content and audience.

How Long Does It Take to Make Money Blogging?

Generally speaking, it can take 6-12 months to begin seeing returns from your blog articles. However, this timeline may be shortened depending on the type of content you’re producing. 

No matter how long it takes, it’s important to focus on creating great content and engaging with your audience regularly to increase branding opportunities over time. With hard work and dedication, you can eventually turn blogging into a viable source of income.

Do You Need Experience to Be a Blogger?

One of the great things about blogging is that you don’t need professional experience to start making money. As the owner of your website, you have complete control over its content and design, which allows you to experiment and develop your digital marketing skills through trial and error. 

While finding what works best for your blog may take some time, the freedom to test different strategies and learn from your mistakes can be a valuable and rewarding experience.

What Kind of Blogs Makes Money?

When you think of how to make money blogging, building a strong relationship with your audience is crucial for any high-earning blog (see above). The more people that visit your site and trust your recommendations, the more opportunities you have to monetise your content. While there are many ways to make money blogging, from sponsored content to affiliate marketing, they all rely on having an engaged and loyal following. 

By creating quality content, engaging with your readers, and establishing yourself as an authority in your niche, you can build the kind of trust and rapport that drives blog success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, blogging can be an incredibly lucrative venture for those who are willing to put in the work. With the right strategy, bloggers can monetise their content and turn their passions into profitable businesses.

Looking to start a blog? To start making money with your blog, focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your target audience. This will attract traffic to your site and establish your authority within your niche. Once you have built up your readership, you can use various strategies to make money from your blog.

One option is to use affiliate marketing to promote other people’s products and earn sales commissions. You can also sell digital products like e-books, online courses, and webinars to make money from the blog. Physical products can be sold through an online store or dropshipping, allowing you to sell products without holding inventory. Sponsored content and ads can also bring in revenue, as can offering consulting services to individual clients or companies.

To increase your chances of success, diversify your income streams and not rely too heavily on one method of monetisation. Additionally, regularly track your expenses and earnings to ensure that you are making a profit and to identify areas where you can optimise your strategies.

While making money through blogging may take time, effort, and dedication, it can be a gratifying and fulfilling way to earn a living. You’ll be able to earn money in not more than six to twelve months if you follow the right strategy.

As you develop your blog and grow your audience, you can create a business that aligns with your passions and interests, positively impacting your readers’ lives.

Are you looking to improve the reach of your blog through optimised SEO? Get in touch with Digital Estate to boost your visibility and reach your blogs’ money-making potential.