Make Money Blogging for Beginners
Are you ready to monetize your website?
In this post I am going to teach you how to make money blogging for beginners. If you are a beginner then you are in the right place. I am always getting asked how I make money with both of my blogs.
This post may contain affiliate links.
I can see how people can be confused because when I first started I had no idea that I could make money from having a blog.
If you do not have a blog yet, then I recommend that you signup for my free e-course on how to start a blog so that you can set a successful foundation. You can have your Wordpress blog with (this is my affiliate link) Bluehost up and running within minutes.
I also have one small disclaimer I wanted to share with all of you.
Having a blog is not a get rich quick plan.
You cannot expect to start a blog today and then make a full-time income tomorrow. Most people go from hobby blogging to professional blogging because of the income potential, but you need to treat it like a business.
When I say that, I mean that you have to dedicate your time and put in the work to see the results.
With that said, there are a TON of different ways that you can monetize your blog.
No two blogs earn an income the same way. Even if you do not have a large audience there are still ways that you can earn money each month.
There are a lot of factors that go into a blogger's income. Think about the amount of time you are going to dedicate, if you are going to offer products for sale, if you want to place ads on your site, etc. There are plenty of options to consider, but I would suggest having a plan in place first.
Do not just jump into every possible way to make money that I have listed below. Have a strategy and focus on growing your readership alongside of utilizing your monetization plan.
Make Money Blogging for Beginners
Like I said above, there are so many ways to make money on your blog. I am focusing this post on how to make money blogging for beginners.
So, this list is not all-inclusive. It is a starting point to give you a better idea of where you can start when you are ready to monetize your blog. Below is a list of several options that you can test to see what works best.
Above all, my favorite way to make money from my blog is through my own products and services.
I have tried every single method below and creating my own stuff is hands-down the best. When I first made the decision to monetize my other blog, Frugal Fanatic, I did it ALL wrong.
I expected to make big bucks with advertisements. Wow, was I wrong. Not only do you need to have a rather large amount of traffic to make a decent amount of money from ads, but it is also sending your readers away from your blog.
Plus, you are promoting other people's products instead of your own.
Again, I would have a plan in place and decide what your goals are for your blog before you jump in and pick which methods of making money you want to explore. If you are looking to start a profitable blog then I highly recommend the last option on this list.
If you have already tried to make money with your blog and failed, you may want to focus on building your audience and increasing your traffic. Although you can still make money with a small audience it is good to continue to build an engaged community.
I offer a free cheatsheet with the strategies I used to increase my traffic. You can download a free copy to double your blog growth in 30 days.
Advertisements
This is one of the easiest ways to monetize your blog in the beginning, but it does not guarantee that you will make a lot of money.
You can place ads from google adsense on your blog, but there are a lot of factors that play into the amount of money you can make from those ads. I say that it is easy because you just copy and paste code, but it is by no means an easy way to earn an income from blogging.
You can also consider selling space on your blog for private ads, and work with companies that you think would be a great fit for your blog. This cuts out the middle man and can increase the amount of money you make from the ads.
I am currently working with an ad network, AdThrive, who manages the ads on my blog Frugal Fanatic.
They do have certain requirements before they will accept you into their program. You can also check out another ad network called The Blogger Network.
Sponsored Posts
Working with brands to write sponsored posts is another way to make money blogging for beginners. It is fun connecting with brands to build long-term relationships.
You can work with brands directly by emailing them or you can join networks that will connect you with brands that fit with your blog.
Before you sign-up with these companies decided on a policy for posting sponsored content.
Figure out how much you will charge and what types of brands you would like to work with. You do not want to work with a brand that has nothing to do with your blog just because they will pay you.
You need to know when to say yes and when to say no because you are building your brand with your blog. Keep in mind that a lot of brands will have specific requirements that you will need to adhere to.
You want to make sure that you are comfortable with their terms before accepting a sponsored post because you may find that you do not have a lot of creative freedom for the article.
Plus, many require a certain amount of monthly pageviews or social media followers before offering sponsored content.
Here are some of the networks I have worked with in the past:
Affiliate Companies
Utilizing affiliate companies to make money on your blog is another simple way to get started. Once you are signed up with an affiliate company all you need to do is add in their link or banner to your site to start promoting the offers and campaigns.
You can also consider becoming an affiliate for services and even books from other people within you niche.
Again, you want to figure out what types of products you are willing to promote on your blog. I never recommend products that I do not like or use. Your audience trusts you and you need to remain loyal to them as well.
Do not place affiliate links into your content just because you can make a few bucks. Plus, your audience will be able to see right through you.
{Related: Affiliate Marketing Basics}
Promotional Campaigns
You can also make money by doing promotional campaigns on your social media platforms. There are a few companies that offer paid social campaigns like BlogHer and Clever Girls Collective. You can also directly email companies to offer this type of service.
Just like the other methods to make money blogging if you are a beginner you need to begin by deciding on what you are comfortable posting on your social media accounts.
You need to stay consistent with your brand. Every point of contact with your brand has an impression on your audience so you do not want to be posting about products and services that do not relate to your blog.
Products & Services
As a blogger, one of the best ways that you can earn an income from your blog is by creating and selling your own products or services. This could be an e-course, coaching, eBooks, handbooks, physical merchandise, and many, many other items.
Not only do you have freedom when it comes to creating your own products to sell, but you are able to help others and provide useful resources while building your brand.
I have created ebooks, print books and even digital downloads. I am currently working on an e-course. I absolutely love the teaching aspect of blogging and I have my MBA so e-courses seem to be the perfect union of teaching and business for me.
Plus, you can have a nice semi-passive income with these types of products.
There is no set amount of money you can make from your blog nor is there a guarantee that you will make a particular amount in a certain time frame. Every blog is different and every blog may charge a different amount.
These are all just some ideas to get you started. You can also consider doing reviews, freelance work and paid videos. You just need to figure out what works best with your blog and audience.
Do you have any other suggestions to make money blogging for beginners?