Wondering how to make money blogging?

I’m here to walk you through the process.

Make Money Blogging for Beginners

Now, there are 2 things you must know about how to make money blogging for beginners that you must pay super close attention to.

Seriously, stop all other thoughts right now.

Come to the present, and listen in closely:

1. Year one, making a million dollars

   The first thing you should absolutely, positively, and 1,000% know is that, no matter what anyone is out there portraying, very few people are killing it financially with their blog. Do not believe the hype of an overnight success, lavish “working from the beach” while making millions. Has it happened before? Yes, for sure. I would guess that that’s not even the reality for 2% of all bloggers, though.

   What you see on social media as working from the beach, raking in serious cash, might just be an extra $200 a month. There is nothing wrong with that. But it’s not income that will pay all the bills nor will it allow for anything above that. I want you to understand this reality because the trickery out there is real.

2. Riches in the niches

   I have heard this phrase time and time again; the riches are in the niches. I don’t care if you take riches to be monetary or just as a way to say “success” lies within a niche. But it’s true. My own blogging story of going from casual blogger to full-time career blogger is living proof.

   Everyone wants to be the person who is so interesting and unique that anything they write and produce makes money. But that’s just not reality (for 98% of people). I have an entire course on this because I’m so confident that the more you define and then refine exactly who you’re talking to, the quicker and more successful you’ll be.

But you can make money blogging

Now, both of those said, I absolutely do make money from blogging. And if I can, you absolutely can.

I keep zero secrets because my goal is to empower women to take their health and lives into their own hands. And being super excited and happy each and every single day to get up and start working is part of this equation.

Remember, I was miserably sick in a 3-piece suit working for Corporate American in Los Angeles, California. You can’t heal like that. I’ll promise it to you.

So with all of that, let’s dive in to the information you are looking for.

How to Make Money Blogging 

Click HERE to save this post for later.

 

I want to start by showing you a massive list of ways to make money blogging. This is to give you inspiration for what could be and how to make it so.

List of 41 Ways to Make Money Blogging

Click HERE to save these 41 ways to make money blogging for later.

Physical Products

1. books
2. edible products
3. non-edible products / merchandise
4. planners

Digital Products

1. online courses
2. e-books
3. apps
4. printables
5. e-newsletters
6. templates
7. plugins
8. themes
9. software
10. music

Affiliate Marketing

1. Canva
2. Amazon Associates
3. liketoknow.it + rewardstyle
4. find your favorite product, search their website to see if they offer an affiliate program (literally thousands in this category), aka private networks
5. CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction)
6. Refersion
7. ShareASale
8. online summits

Services

1. consulting
2. 1-on-1 coaching
3. group programs/training
4. VA (Virtual Assistant)
5. freelance writing
6. photography
7. website design

Additional Online

1. webinars
2. workshops
3. membership sites
4. podcasts
5. Etsy
6. Ebay
7. general info products; any and all

Partnerships

1. sponsored posts
2. ad networks

Miscellaneous

1. MLM opportunities and companies
2. flipping websites (ironically this website is one!)
3. promoting offline business
4. offline partnerships, speaking engagements, etc.

Okay, so now that you have these starting 41 ways to make money blogging, you’re feeling inspired, excited and ready for more.

So next you’re wondering…..

1. Where and how to start?
2. Can you give me more concrete examples?

Let’s dig in.

Where and How to Start Blogging

If you want to get started on your own blog today, you can.

You’ll need to start with these 4 basic steps:

1. Domain – the address of your blog (ex. creativebiztribe.com)
2. Hosting – where it all “lives”
3. Installing WordPress – WordPress is the blogging software that I use to produce all this content
4. Theme – the creative part; the look and feel of your blog

Scared? Don’t be. I put together a massive post on How to Start a Blog HERE.

Here’s something quick and easy from the How to Start a Blog post to do right now, right here.

Check to see if the domain name (i.e. URL) for your desired blog name is available.

You’re welcome.

Okay, moving on.

Concrete Example for How to Make Money Blogging {How I Personally Do It}

In addition to this website, I also own A Gutsy Girl. So I wanted to give a real-life example for how a blog makes money.

Let’s break down specific ways that A Gutsy Girl makes money.

Note: A Gutsy Girl is in the health and wellness space. Therefore, some of the below you might need to adapt for your own niche. However, this will be helpful in getting your own wheels spinning.

I’ll take the broad category from above and then narrow it down to specifics.

1. Books

   I have published book a book through a publisher. It’s The Leaky Gut Meal Plan. Every deal will be different as far as compensation. If you self-publish, the opportunities for income (IMO) are far greater. The barrier to entry might also be harder, though. My next big project is to turn The Gutsy Girl’s Bible into a physical book. And I will self-publish this one.

2. Planners

   So many people are creating their own journals and planners; I am no exception. Mine is very niche-focused, though. It’s my 90-day gut healing journal. You can buy it printed or via e-book. It is self-published, and a huge new stream of revenue for the business. In addition to selling the journal, I also have my own planner affiliate program. This helps bring in more revenue for the product category.

3. Ad network

   I’m part of the MediaVine ad network. There are many different ad networks to consider. I worked really hard to get on this ad network because they are really incredible to work with. In order to apply, you do need at least 50K monthly page sessions. If you’re just getting started, there are others (like Google AdSense). Pay attention to the content section of this post to hit that 50K mark!

4. Online courses

   I offer a few online courses currently. The first is my 7-day niche defined and health coaching refined business course. The second is a course to go along with the Leaky Gut Meal Plan book. And finally, there is a course to add-on to the journal. I love e-books and courses because you can create them once, then reap the benefits. Well, for the most part; I’m constantly updating and adding to mine.

5. E-books

   At this point, I have several e-books. There are a handful that make steady income. The most popular ones to date are: The Gutsy Girl’s Bible, Reasonable SIBO, and A Gutsy Girl’s Master Resource.

6. Printables

   My 90-day gut healing journal is packed with the goods. Because there are some key pages that one might want instead of the full journal, I offer these as downloads. You can do the same if you have created highly valuable PDF’s, templates, designs, etc.

7. 1-on-1 Coaching

   I no longer offer this for health coaching. Instead, I offer health coaching through A Gutsy Girl with Trinity. She makes the bulk of the money through her coaching, but because it’s offered through this platform I’ve built, I take a very small percentage. However, I do still offer 30-minute private coaching for all the topics discussed in this blog post and more. And that’s because I enjoy that sort of coaching. I don’t enjoy the 1-on-1 health coaching any longer, nor is it the best use of my time.

8. Affiliates

   Every single time I link to one of my affiliates, you should know that I am making money if you purchase. You pay nothing and get exactly what you want, oftentimes with a discount code I provide as well. I make very little per sale, but it all adds up. Here are some of my affiliate partnerships: Amazon, Thrive Market, Just Thrive Health, Gut Garden, Daily Harvest, Wellevate (if you’re a health coach, RD, etc. you can be part of it, too), CJ Affiliates, Perfect Supplements, ShareASale, liketoknow.it + rewardstyle, Refersion, and more.

   Yes, there are a ton. And because of it, something I’m able to offer this community, free of charge, is my Master Gutsy Spreadsheet which rounds them all up and shares the unique codes, discounts, and free offers.

9. Group programs

   This one isn’t available on my website any longer, but it’s still a service I am able to offer and that I make money from. And my group program was professionally created and produced via Clean Eating Magazine. It’s called the 30-Day Gut Reset. Even if you can’t get it produced professionally, you can still create one and run it through Facebook groups, your website, email, etc. In fact, this is how I got my start, really…..a 21-day gut-healing group coaching program.

10. Podcast

    Yes, a way to definitely make money from your blog. But by the way, while most make money from sponsored ads on the podcast, that’s definitely not my strategy to begin with. The reason is that I find them so boring while listening to other podcasts 🙂 Anyways, for reference, my podcast can be found HERE.

11. Sponsored posts

    This post, sponsored. This post, sponsored. I don’t do very many sponsored posts because I’m super picky, but when I find brands and products I want to develop long-term relationships with, for the right price, I will.

12. MLM

    It’s not that I like to think of the ones I’m part of as MLM’s. For me, they aren’t really. And that’s because the traditional MLM typically means purchasing a lot of product, then getting a lot of people “under you” in order to make more money. I do neither. And yet, I talk about two MLM’s here on  A Gutsy Girl. They are: Beautycounter and DoTerra.

    I love Beautycounter and the products so much that even if I wasn’t making money, I’d still use it. And yet, Beautycounter is an amazing business. And I do make money when you choose safer skincare and makeup with me. I also make money when you choose to join my team’s mission (you also make money – ding, ding).

13. Offline partnerships and speaking engagements

    I have been speaking more in the past year than ever before. The topic usually is around some sort of inspiration for others in this space, wanting to get in this space, or living with the issues in this space (ie. IBS and/or IBD). In addition, I am contacted frequently for other misc. offline (and online) partnerships.

    If you want the truth, these can be a huge source of revenue if you enjoy them. I do! I love sharing my experiences and building new products, programs, and ideas for the Gutsy community.

14. Misc. partnerships

    Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I have been an advocate of IIN since the day I graduated in 2012. When you decide you’d like to go to the school, too, and refer me, not only will you save a lot of money off tuition, but I also make money.

As you can see, the ways I make money from A Gutsy Girl are plenty.

I keep my revenue streams robust and open.

But listen, all the ways in the world to make money blogging will not matter unless you are writing and producing content and information that people actually want to read.

So the next part of this is to understand how to get people to come to your website and consume the information.

Create Compelling Content

There are two main parts to this equation:

1. First, you must create content that’s awesome, helpful, and unique, but then….
2. You must make sure people are searching for it and/or can easily be directed to it

So let’s break these two down.

Ways for Creating Awesome Content

Here are 11 ways to create awesome content:

These are from Day 6 of my 7-day email course. Day 6 is all content information. And it’s pretty massive!

1. Ask your audience what they want.
2. Get visual.
3. Use a content calendar. I swear by mine. If you have taken my 7-day niche course, then you have access to my custom, templated content calendar for your personal use. Use it!
4. Stunning images. If you can’t produce stunning images, then be sure to purchase them and/or find stock photos. If you are interested in learning the art of photography, I have put together a list of 14 tips HERE.
5. Keep a notebook to jot down ideas as they come
   1. Titles
   2. Key words/phrases/thoughts
   3. —-> I keep a tiny notebook right in my purse so it’s with me at all times.
6. Use “notes” in your Smartphone for when ideas come on-the-go
   1. Alternatively, Evernote https://evernote.com/
7. Get off the computer for inspiration, change your environment
   1. Go for walks outside
   2. Listen to music
   3. Sit at the park
   4. Brainstorm at a cafe or coffee shop
8. Use Mind Mapping to come up with an initial post + several posts to follow
9. Check out THESE 105 ideas to add to your Editorial Calendar – just remember to always customize for your specific niche
10. Listen to podcasts! Start HERE with 19 Content Marketing Podcasts.
11. Create searchable content. Number 11 brings us to the next section.

Creating Searchable Content

Here is the number one way to create searchable content:

Keyword Research

At the very least, you should use a tool like Google’s free Keyword tool. For the in-depth, fast-growth approach, you’ll want to invest in something like SEMRush or AHREFs.

Note about this one: My biggest regret for blogging is that I just got serious about keyword research. Be serious about this from the very beginning. I am obsessed with learning about it. If you’re not, then hire someone. It will pay dividends.

How to Make a Living Blogging

Here is the very simple equation for how to make a living blogging.

First, you need the right content that has the unique blend of being both interesting and helpful plus something people are actually searching for.

Then, you need people to view and engage with that content. This means page views.

And then you need an action to be taken. With an ad network, straight page views are enough to equal money. But for most things, one would need to take some sort of action and make some sort of purchase in order for you to also make money.

So…..

Content => People and Page Views => Action => Money

The equation is simple, but the realities of putting it altogether are anything but simple.

The thing with blogging is to think of monetization from day one. Even when you have zero subscribers and just a handful of visitors, think of growth and how to turn that in money. Blogging is not your everyday job. You will need to put a lot of effort and time so that the money starts flowing in. And once you are on the money train, it starts coming in from that point on. By any standards what you make in the beginning won’t be a lot, but it is the basis upon which you will be able to create a serious income.

Basic Advertising Strategies 101

Almost all beginners look at Google’s Adsense program as the holy grail of advertising. Well, it might be easy to become part of the Adsense network, but that’s pretty much it if you are just starting. The truth is that Google’s Adsense is only good for blogs with high traffic, like really huge. For everyone else it’s is simply a waste of valuable space and inefficient monetization.

Blogs that generate 50000+ sessions per month will find MediaVine to be more effective than Adsense as they pay better rates per visitor.

Blogs with 100K+ visits can apply for Adthrive.  According to their calculus, blogs with 100K+ earn 3x times more money with them than with any other advertising network. Their ads can be found on many popular blogs.

The Art Of Making Money With Direct Ad Sales

Direct ad sales mean you bypass advertising networks like Adsense and Adthrive and go directly to the advertisers. That way you can sell ad placement directly to the advertisers. You can wait for advertisers to contact you or you can pitch your blog to them as a top place for their ads.

Affiliate Marketing

Selling services or your own products is somewhat of a too big of a challenge for most new bloggers. That’s where affiliate marketing comes in place. It means that for every purchase directed from your blog you get to have a certain commission. It’s a simple method that can bring a ton of money on your account. You can sell almost any product on Amazon and get a decent commission for it. The trick is to be good at promoting products, give recommendations that people will accept as such and buy stuff.

See above for more concrete examples.

Sell Your Own Products

There are two types of products you can sell: physical or digital. Either way, blogs are the perfect platform for selling digital products.

You’ve already established some relationship with your customers (offline) and/or readers (online) and now you can offer them something that relates to their interests.

Offline training, eBooks, courses, seminars, everything that they can relate to and can find useful. Or if you are a fashion blogger, you can sell some fashion accessories produced locally. Whatever the product, it is crucial to resonate with your readers.

I use ThriveCart {HERE} for my shopping cart and it’s incredible. You pay just one time for use of the cart forever.

Sell Your Services

Bloggers are often recognized as experts in their niche. You can offer your services as a consultant or an expert to projects that require expertise like yours.

And who else better to recommend than yourself. You can be a web developer, graphic designer, economist, digital marketer, writer, translator, etc.

Your own blog will do your own bidding. That way you won’t need to apply on freelance websites and compete with other freelancers. Not to mention the facts that you will be able to bypass the fees that freelancer’s platforms take from your earnings.

And last but not least, you are not any regular freelancer. You are a proven expert. That way you can set your own price and stick to it.

Subscription Monetization Model

If people really value your content and find it very insightful then they will be willing to pay for it. This is where a subscription monetization model comes in place.

The thing with the internet and online blogs is that there are too many mediocre ones. Blogs that serve content that is not well-researched and in truth doesn’t hold too much value.

On the other hand, if you can get at the bottom of things in your niche, have relevant and always current information, got a strong base of avid followers, then you can offer a paid subscription. It doesn’t have to be for all content, just for the top blog posts.

How To Create A Steady Blogging Income

1. Write posts with monetization in mind.

If you need to write fewer blog posts do so, but make sure that every post is written with monetization in mind. The trick here is to say whatever you want to say with your post and “in between lines” make your call to action that will make your writing worthwhile.

2. Never underestimate the power of emails.

Nothing can replace your email subscribers as they are your most loyal audience. Make sure that you always got some gift, some giveaway just for them. It is a community that will keep on giving back both in page views and sales.

3. Don’t depend on ads too much

As the popular saying goes, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. Instead, diversify, join an affiliate marketing network, start selling your own product, sell your own services, or whatever you think can bring cash.

You Can Create a Meaningful and Financially Sound Blog

And there you have it. That is how I make money blogging.

To be very clear.

I never ask my community for a single penny. And yet, I give them (you?) hundreds (now thousands upon thousands) of hours of content for FREE.

And it’s in doing all of that where I have made a full-time living from blogging.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. How to Make Pins
2. Wake Up You Need to Make Money

Xo,
SKH