What are bloggers’ actual sources of income?

“So, what do you do?”

I take a deep breath and think, Long version or short version? When do I next have to be somewhere, and what time is it? While I 100% love what I do, explaining it can be a significant challenge! As a writer, blogger, entrepreneur, and owner of multiple businesses, it’s tough to give a short answer (that doesn’t lead to confusion) to the question “What do you do?”

In addition, despite the fact that “author” and even “business owner” are generally accepted terms, when I attempt to explain any of my online revenue streams, things quickly become significantly more complicated. I’m a business strategy consultant, but “as a business model” I’m a blogger. By writing about entrepreneurship and business strategy on my blog, I earn money online. So, how exactly does a blogger make money? Well, I’m glad you asked. Grab yourself a cup of coffee, sit down, and I’ll tell you all about it.

1. Networks of ads Joining

An ad network is one of the most common ways that bloggers make money. Basically, you just sign up with one — such as Google Adsense or Media.net — and then ads get displayed on your site. Those ads you see in the sidebars of most blogs? Yes, those are generally from ad networks.

This used to be the best way to make money blogging, but it’s starting to go out of style now. You might have noticed that there are no such advertisements on my website. That’s because a) they’re ugly, b) you don’t get paid much when people click on them, and c) people don’t click on them as much as they used to.

The fact of the matter is that people aren’t as hungry for “dramatic weight loss solutions” or “cheapest blog hosting” anymore because the internet has become more advanced and there is so much high-quality content available. If they want these things, they know that they can easily find them with a quick Google search, and don’t need to click a slightly suspicious looking ad.

To make a long story short: Ad networks do allow you to make money from your blog, but I would not recommend it. It really isn’t worth “uglifying” your blog over the relatively small sum.

2. Private Advertising

Some bloggers choose to sell advertising on their site to specific businesses rather than simply signing up for random, pay-per-click ads. Instead of being sold based on the number of clicks or impressions it receives, these ads are frequently sold at a monthly rate. Although setting up private advertising typically requires a little bit more effort, you will have greater control over how your website appears and feels. In addition, many businesses are willing to pay for the “exposure” to your readers, even if it does not immediately result in sales or clicks, as increasing their visibility will aid in the long-term expansion of their brand. After your blog has established a respectable following, you can begin contacting businesses with advertising proposals for your audience. But, keep in mind that it generally takes a number of tries before you find a great partnership.

3. Affiliate Offers

Basically, if you help a company make a sale, they might be willing to pay you a commission. Bloggers can participate in affiliate programs offered by a variety of large and small businesses. You will receive a unique link for a specific product when you sign up. If someone clicks that link and then makes a purchase, you get paid!

For example, I’m an Amazon affiliate. So whenever I want to share something with my audience that I love and got from Amazon, I use my special Amazon affiliate link. If someone clicks the link and buys, then I earn about 5% of the sale.

Affiliate commissions range from 2% to 90% of a product’s sale price. As long as you keep one very important thing in mind, they can be an excellent method of earning money: Promote only goods and services with which you have positive firsthand experience. Don’t promote something just because you think your audience might like it or, even worse, because it makes a lot of money from advertising. Doing this risks your reputation and influence.

Affiliate programs, on the other hand, can be a great way to monetize your blog if you just focus on sharing products or services that you use yourself and truly enjoy.

4. Create & Sell Info Products

Blogs are free information. But, since your readers are interested in your topic, they very well might be interested in paying for more/higher-quality information on that same topic.
For instance, if you write a blog about healthy dessert recipes, it’s possible that your readers would be interested in purchasing an entire ebook that contains only healthy pie recipes. Or, if your blog is about sewing costumes, your readers might like to buy a video course that you put together about how to sew halloween costumes for kids.

Information products are a great way to monetize because you can create exactly what your readers are interested in, and you get to keep 100% of the profit.
On the other hand, making them can take a lot of time and effort, so it’s important to make sure you have a good idea of what your audience wants before you start creating.

5. Online Service Offerings

Writing a blog on any given subject gives you a certain amount of credibility in that field, which may mean that people would be willing to pay for your expertise or help.
For instance, if you write about how to travel on a budget, you might be able to help clients plan trips that are affordable. Or, if you write about graphic design, you could… design graphics. (I know, what a brilliant idea!) And, at its most fundamental level, you are a writer if nothing else, even if you are not an expert in a particular field. Additionally, people require written communication. Numerous words.

6. Sponsors

Working with sponsors is the final way bloggers make money. Companies that are willing to pay for their products to be reviewed in order to increase exposure are referred to as sponsors. The majority of bloggers only accept sponsorships from loved businesses and are very picky about who they do this for. Also, when writing a product review, it’s critical to be honest about the good things and bad things, not just try to get readers to buy. Your readers follow your blog because they are interested in your topic, but also because they like and trust you. They will leave if you lose their confidence. Prioritize the relationship you have with each member of your audience. Be helpful and connect with people.

Why do bloggers make money?

Because blogging isn’t “real work” or “just a hobby,” some people believe that bloggers shouldn’t be paid. As someone who has run multiple blogs, I can tell you that writing and running a blog is REAL work that takes 10 – 50 hours per week. Additionally, a blogger typically earns more money the more time they devote to their blog. (There aren’t many bloggers who work only 10 hours per week and make a lot of money.) In addition, running a blog requires financial resources, such as hosting, domain registration, web design, advertising, and email services. In the end, it all comes down to whether or not bloggers offer something of value. Yes, they ought to be compensated in that case. The readers are fortunate in that advertisers are willing to pay bloggers!

How do people make money online?

There are many different ways to earn money online, including blogging! If you’re interested in starting an online business, or if you’re a blogger who would like to increase your earnings, I’d recommend you take a look at my free guide, “The Eight Ways to Make Money Online.”