How to Make Money Blogging (Complete Free Guide)

Making money blogging sounds like a dream. Not only do you get to work independently and skip the 9-to-5, but you can also blog from anywhere in the world about the topics of your choice. While it involves hard work, even beginners can achieve this with the right strategy.

You’ll need to create a blog, of course, in order to become a part of the blogosphere. After that, you’ll need to grow your audience. Whether you want a side hustle or a career, this comprehensive guide will walk you through actionable steps on how to start a blog, build your readership and grow your blog. Then, you’ll learn about using the robust tools that can help you learn how to make money blogging, turning your website traffic into money and potentially starting a business online.

Ready to make money with a blog? Get started on your blog with Wix.

Before we dive into the steps to make money blogging, let’s talk about how much you can actually earn.

How much money can you make when blogging as a beginner? Finance blog Millennial Money reports that after just two years of building traffic and subscribers to this type of a website, bloggers can make upwards of $100,000 annually. Within the first year, bloggers can make $500-$2,000 per month.

As you can see, you can earn a wide income range as a blogger. But aside from the numbers, remember these important takeaways before you begin:

1. You can make money blogging even if you’re not a professional writer.

2. It’s possible to use more than one strategy to bring in revenue with your blog.

3. Successful bloggers make money using many of the same strategies.

Let’s break these ideas down and identify these strategies.

Follow these 10 actionable steps to hone in on your craft and monetize your blogging efforts:

Before you start making money, you’ll need to consider making a website, starting a blog and growing your audience. Think of it this way: More traffic to your blog can equal more money.

For that reason, earning money begins with choosing a strategic blogging niche and spreading the word about your blog. Here’s how to do it:

If you’re just starting a blog, you’re probably asking yourself—What should I write about?

Before you dive into writing, you’ll need to select a niche. Pick one overarching theme in a particular field for your blog to attract a targeted group of fans.

Start with your passions when selecting your niche—after all, you’ll dedicate lots of time and effort to this subject. But if you seriously want to make money blogging, you also need to think about what subjects people will want to read about, and if those subjects are financially viable.

Look at Cup of Jo, for example, a daily women’s lifestyle site that explores topics like food, culture, style, travel, relationships and parenting. Founded in 2007, the popular blog “receives over 4 million monthly page views and almost 1 million monthly unique visitors,” according to the site. By narrowing in on a specific niche and providing relevant and relatable content to the right audience, founder Joanna Goddard has cultivated a strong community and deeply engaged readership.

With that in mind, ask yourself these three questions when choosing a blog niche:

You’ll want to write about a topic you’re passionate and knowledgeable about to sustain your blogging efforts for the long term.

Consider your level of professional experience as well. If you have no prior connections to your blogging niche, you’ll find it harder to establish yourself as a credible source in that industry.

On the other hand, if you have work experience, educational background or connections in a particular field, you can write blog posts about those subjects and build trust among your readership. Take a look at these blog ideas—they’ll jumpstart your imagination.

Readers will flock to blogs that provide in-demand information and insight. After you’ve decided on your niche, think about which readers you may attract, the problems they face and the solutions they seek. This way, you can create and monetize a blog that provides this group the answers they need.

While you can blog about nearly anything, some blog niches can earn more money than others. To anticipate whether you can make money blogging with a particular niche, consider the sales opportunities in that subject area. For instance, a cooking blog could promote affiliate links in an article about the top kitchen appliances or sell ad space to culinary brands. A digital marketing blog could sell e-books or offer consulting services.

Several types of blogs can be profitable if you know how to manage them strategically but here are the most common:

Whichever niche you choose for your blog, think about how you’ll monetize it from the beginning and set income goals to build a strong foundation.

If you’re still stuck on what niche to focus on, these blog examples can help provide guidance.

Now that you’ve selected your blog niche, it’s time to start creating content. As you begin, keep in mind that the research and planning behind your articles can influence your blog’s financial success just as much as the writing itself.

On top of that, you’ll want to upload new content consistently and frequently without compromising on quality. Here’s what you should know as you start creating and scaling your content:

Just as you selected a strategic blog niche, you’ll also want to choose strategic topics to write about. The best topics must accomplish two things:

• They address the needs of your target audience and offer them a thoughtful, actionable solution.
  
  

• They target keywords with high search volumes—a number that indicates how many people look up a given word or topic during a selected time frame (typically one month). The higher the keyword volume, the more historic interest in that topic. When your articles provide a thorough answer to people’s search queries, the more likely it will organically rank on search engines—which, in turn, will bring people to your site.

Don’t overlook the importance of writing headlines, either. The catchier your blog titles, the more likely people will click to read the content.

Tip: Use a handy title generator tool to craft effective headlines that grab readers’ attention.

To get more site visitors, you’ll need to post fresh content frequently. Based on the size and needs of your blog, the frequency of posting may vary. HubSpot recommends one to four posts per week, but some larger companies may post an article daily, or in some cases multiple times a day.

On top of that, you’ll want to stay consistent in your publishing cadence. Don’t release a huge batch of articles one week, only to publish nothing the following week. Instead, create an editorial calendar and plan a consistent publishing schedule ahead of time.

As you consider how to make money blogging, remember that while you’re building your online presence, you’re also sharpening your entrepreneurial skills. You’ll soon find it hard to create upwards of three posts per week while also managing your business. Still, don’t let that slow you down. Consider getting extra help as you launch your blog so that you can scale your content quickly. You can do this by:

• Outsourcing some content to freelancers

• Letting other bloggers publish articles on your site (a great free option for you that also gives publicity to the guest contributor).

Whichever option you choose, structure your workload to focus on business strategy as well as writing.

Ready to get blogging? Get started with Wix.

Once you’ve created a large amount of strategic content, establish yourself as an authority in your field as the next step toward making money blogging. These tips will help guide you:

Start by expanding your online presence, particularly in the blogosphere. You can reach out to online publications in your niche and pitch ideas for guest posts. Remember to send a link to your blog alongside your pitch as evidence of your experience in the field.

To find guest blogging opportunities, browse your favorite publications to see if they publish content by outside contributors. Here is a list of 101 guest posting publications and sites that might be worth reaching out to. Some include:

Alternatively, if you follow any bloggers in your niche, you can search for their name online and see where they’re getting published. That will point you toward sites that accept guest content.

From there, you can pitch an idea to a writer or editor over email or via LinkedIn. If you already have a relationship with them on Twitter, you can also pitch them ideas there. Professionals in the online publishing world commonly use these social media platforms.

Don’t be discouraged if a publication doesn’t accept your pitch right away. Rejections are commonplace even for seasoned professionals in the publishing world. Your pitches will be accepted as you improve your outreach efforts. Besides, the more content you have published, the more you’ll build up your reputation—and the more likely a publication will want to publish you in the future.

If you’re lucky, some publications may offer you payment for your contributed content—a great start to making money blogging. That said, even if guest posting doesn’t compensate you financially, it’s still valuable. In return, you get to network with others in your field, grow your readership and establish your expertise and authority. With enough experience, you could eventually land your own guest column.

Guest blogging also provides backlinks to your own blog—an important search engine optimization (SEO) signal. Read this article for more tips on SEO for bloggers.

You can also work closely with other experts in your field to establish credibility, gain exposure and build an audience.

Reach out to professionals within your blogging niche—for example, a successful guest writer you follow or the editor of your favorite publication. Ask if you can conduct an interview with them, either as a guest post or for publication on your own blog. While this may seem like a bold request, people in this position often happily give interviews since it also increases their exposure.

Likewise, you can cross-promote other bloggers in your industry. Give their articles a shoutout on your social media posts and blog, and engage with them on Twitter. They’ll likely start reading your content to return the favor.

The more people read your blog, the more easily you can earn an income from it. For that reason, growing your website traffic is an important stepping stone for making money from your blog.

Before we dive into how to promote your blog, keep in mind that you must continually market your work. You should promote your site alongside all other steps, from the very moment you publish your blog. Even as your readership grows, marketing your site will be just as crucial to its success as the blogging process itself.

Spread the word and build your popularity with the following tactics:

Search engine optimization (SEO) is critical for your website’s visibility on search engines like Google. If you want people to find your blog, create content that ranks on the first page of organic search results for relevant queries. For example, if you’re creating a baking blog, you’ll want to appear in the top results for queries such as “birthday cake recipes” and “carrot cake recipes.”

To do this, you should not only strive to create the most informative blog posts on the web, but you should also optimize these posts by using strategic long tail keywords—a specific type of keyword that targets your precise audience.

While this might sound intimidating, beginner bloggers can easily learn how to find these keywords, especially with the help of certain keyword research tools. These types of blogging tools—which includes Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs (pictured below) and more—point you directly to the terms you should include.

If you’re completely new to SEO and keyword research, it’s worthwhile to set aside some time to take a quick online SEO course, many of which are available for free. Wix’s SEO Learning Hub is a great place to start.

You can also take a look at this blog post checklist to make sure you’ve covered all the SEO basics, from keyword research to image optimization.

Another way to increase blog traffic—and make money as a result—is by making an email newsletter to promote your content. This will ensure that people who find your blog will come back to read future posts.

But how do you get people to subscribe to your newsletter in the first place? Use these ideas:

• Create lead magnets: People will likely sign up if they receive something valuable in exchange. Commonly known as “freebies,” lead magnets are just incentives that you offer in exchange for a subscription. Your offers might include a free e-book or guide, a complementary slide deck or online course, or a coupon code for your online store.
  
  

• Use opt-in forms: Opt-in boxes typically take the form of pop-ups or slide-ins asking readers to subscribe. Because they’re hard to ignore, they tend to grab the attention of site visitors more so than static text. You might choose to create an opt-in form that directly tells visitors to subscribe to your emails. Another route is to make opt-in online forms that highlight your lead magnets and ask visitors to enter their email addresses in exchange for the free reward.
  
  

• Build an email list: A dedicated email list allows you to tap directly into readers’ inboxes and share your most relevant content. Once you’ve secured your list, nurture your relationship with your readers. Avoid spamming or over-sending. Instead, choose a dedicated day and time that you send out your newsletter, so readers can rely on it.

Not promoting your blog articles on social media can be a major blogging mistake. Social media marketing, like SEO, is a great free way to gain exposure.

Not only should you share a link to your blog on your personal channels, but you should also consider creating separate dedicated social media accounts for your blog. Try creating a Facebook business page so that you can promote your blog on Facebook, as well as dedicated business accounts on Instagram and YouTube.

Once you do this, create content to accompany your articles to grow your audience. One option is to lead with microblogging. For example, make Instagram and Pinterest posts (see how to use Pinterest for blogging) that feature images or infographics, and then link back to your blog articles within the posts. Likewise, you can repurpose your blog content as YouTube videos or shorts, or TikTok or Instagram reels and then include a link to the relevant article beneath each video.

Expand your reach even further with different types of creative content formats. Post informative how-to videos on your site, and share your insights by starting a podcast or hosting a webinar. The more varieties of content you create to promote yourself as an expert in your field, the more likely people will discover your blog.

While you should initially offer this content for free to build your audience and drive traffic to your blog, you can eventually start charging to create an additional source of revenue. Keep this in mind as you plan how to make money from your blog.

Once you have a strong content strategy and a growing online presence, you’ll probably wonder how to monetize a blog.

To start making money with your blog, you’ll want to consider popular ways to monetize your blog beyond its content:

• Online courses and workshops

• Advertise within your blog

• Offer paid subscriptions, similar to a membership website

• Sell merchandise and physical products

• Add affiliate marketing links

• Write sponsored content and reviews

• Provide consulting services

• Books and E-books (digital products)

• Webinars

• Speaking gigs

• Consulting services on how to grow a blog

• Freelance services for writing, content creation

• Sell digital downloads

Now that you’ve set your blog up for success, here’s how to earn a profit using the methods above:

Remember when we looked at how much money bloggers actually earn? Their expense reports show us that nearly all top bloggers use affiliate marketing as part of their monetization strategy. And for good reason: affiliate marketing is a relatively easy source of passive income.

Affiliate marketing essentially means that you make money blogging by promoting other people’s products. This involves adding affiliate links to various products or services within your posts, throughout your site or across your social media accounts. When your site visitors click on those links and make a purchase, you’ll earn a commission from the sale.

To find brands to partner with as an affiliate, do your market research and browse the web for affiliate marketing programs that can connect you with different products or companies. Some of the most popular programs include:

• CJ Affiliate: Connect with widely recognized brands and earn commissions by promoting their products.

• ShareASale: Build profitable partnerships with brands across a variety of sectors.

• Amazon Associates: Promote products sold on Amazon and earn up to 10% in associate commissions.

• Clickbank: Explore a range of ecommerce tools, a global affiliate marketplace, and gain access to support and education.

Affiliate marketing is an effective strategy for both professional and personal blogs, so take the time to try out a few different platforms to find what works best for you.

As your blog grows, companies may approach you with sponsorship opportunities. The company will compensate you for each post you create that advertises their products to your audience. Often, these gigs come with extra perks, like free products from the company for you to review.

These posts tend to take the form of product reviews or other demonstrations of how you use a company’s products or services. A good practice is to recommend products you truly believe in so that you retain your readers’ trust. In addition, look for partnerships that enable you to create a series of sponsored posts across an extended period of time. This ensures a recurring source of revenue.

To find these opportunities, you don’t need to wait around for companies to find you. Reach out to the top organizations in your field and inquire about sponsorship options. Be sure to explain why the brand would benefit from the collaboration. For instance, tell them about your number of monthly visitors and what they stand to gain from reaching your audience.

Creating and selling online courses can be profitable, especially when you tap into a niche area that isn’t easily accessible online. By offering unique and specialized knowledge, you set yourself apart from the sea of information available with a quick Google search. This exclusivity not only attracts a dedicated audience eager to learn from you but also positions you as an expert in your field.

Another revenue-creating option is selling products directly through your blog. To do this, you can open an online store and sell items related to your blog niche or personal brand.

Here are some options to get brainstorming for the kinds of items you can sell:

• E-books

• Online courses/Vlog

• Webinars and virtual events or meet ups

• T-shirts, stickers and merchandise with your blog logo

• Handmade crafts and other goods

• Printables

• Workshops

• Digital downloads

Take a look at Minimalist Baker, for example, a personal blog turned online shop and foodie haven for many. Founded in 2012 by Dana Shultz, the blog’s foundation is based on the criteria of 10 ingredients or less, one bowl and 30 minutes (or less) to prepare. Shultz authored a successful book, Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking, with a large online community, has over 2 million followers on Instagram and a full-scale merchandise line selling baking mixes, kitchen essentials, pantry items and even photography and lighting equipment. It’s an excellent example of a blog making money by providing value through merchandising, as well as online recipes and workshops.

What, exactly, is Google AdSense? The program allows you to place ad spaces on your site. Google then fills those spaces with relevant advertisements for your blog and site visitors. You, in turn, earn money when users view or click those ads.

According to Wordstream, if you take the average CPCs (cost per click) across all different types of businesses and keywords in the US, the overall average CPC in Google Ads is between $1 and $2.

This popular and lucrative advertising program allows bloggers to turn their website traffic into money. Through the advertising network you have the freedom to choose your preferred ad sizes, shapes and placement, allowing you to optimize for clicks while maintaining a non-intrusive browsing experience for visitors.

If you decide to go this route, boost your earnings with the following tricks:

• Create high-quality content: Even if you just want to make money with your blog, you should always prioritize your content quality. Strong content attracts traffic. And when you get traffic, your blog becomes a beneficial space for advertisers.

• Find lucrative keywords: As you research keywords for your blog posts, keep an eye out for transactional terms that might interest advertisers. These include keywords that could potentially result in a sale, like “Best DSLR cameras” or “How to take professional photos.”

• Choose ad style and size: Consider how ads will look or contrast with your blog’s color scheme or background. Tools like Social Stream are a great option for customizing your ads’ design.

• A/B test your ad placement: When it comes to making money using ads, not all ad space is equal. The same ad can perform differently depending on its location—for instance, at the top, at the bottom, or on the side of a page. Conduct A/B tests to figure out which ad spaces get clicked on most, and use the results to inform your ad placement moving forward.

You can also add an ads.txt file to your blog. While Google AdSense is the biggest provider, using ads.txt gives you the flexibility of connecting with ad providers other than Google.

You can also get paid to blog through deciding to create and sell subscriptions online, allowing loyal readers to buy access to exclusive content via membership plans.

Of course, some of your content should remain free—after all, readers will want to explore your blog before deciding whether to buy. But you can supplement the freebies with in-depth posts that offer exclusive insights subscribers would pay for.

To pique your readers’ interest, give them a preview of each exclusive post, and then ask them to subscribe to continue reading.

A similar, but slightly different, approach is to offer paid memberships to your site. You can reward members with a variety of perks, including access to webinars, downloadable resources and free blog content.

Another way to make money blogging involves harnessing all the knowledge you’ve gained as a professional blogger. Using your blog as a portfolio, offer your own expertise as a service and promote yourself as a coach or consultant.

Depending on your field, you can either work with individuals or act as a consultant (see how to start a consulting blog) for companies. Many types of blogs, from marketing to nutrition and interior design, are a natural stepping stone to a full-fledged consulting business. For instance, you might build on your blogging experience to become a digital marketing consultant or a food coach.

To start, offer services to individual clients and entice them with special packages and discounts. You can also branch out into group services, such as conferences and public speaking events, webinars and online courses. If people find that your blog offers genuinely valuable insights, they’ll likely pay for advice that’s tailored to their needs.

Another option is to offer freelance services, which can be a great way to turn your skills into a steady income stream. Freelancing offers the flexibility to work on projects that excite you, such as writing or content creation, while diversifying your income. It’s a win-win that lets you maintain your blogging passion while exploring new opportunities and building valuable connections in various industries.

The amount of time it takes to start making money blogging varies depending on a number of factors, including the niche you’re in, the quality of your content, and your marketing efforts. That said, it takes an average of 20 months to start making money with a blog. However, there are many bloggers who start making money much sooner, and some who never make any money at all.

Here are some of the factors that can affect how long it takes to start making money blogging:

• The niche you’re in: Some niches are more competitive than others, and it may take longer to start making money in a competitive niche. Niches including fashion, finance and travel already have many established blogs, which makes it difficult to stand out from the crowd. If you’re interested in a competitive niche, you’ll need to create incredible content and be more active in promoting your blog to get noticed. It can sometimes be easier to get paid to blog with a less competitive niche for this reason.
  
  

• The quality of your content: If you’re writing good content, you’re more likely to monetize your blog. This is because people will want to read your posts and stay on your blog. Your content should be well-written, informative and engaging, as well as relevant to your audience’s interests. If you’re not sure if your content meets those criteria, ask for feedback from friends, family or other bloggers.
  
  

• Your marketing efforts: Actively promoting your blog and driving traffic to it is a great way to make money from it. There are many different ways to promote your blog, such as social media, email marketing and guest blogging. You should also make sure your blog is easy to find on search engines. This means using relevant keywords in your blog posts and optimizing your website for SEO.

Writing a blog doesn’t have to be just a hobby, it can also be a way to make money, generate a profit and live on your own terms. With the right approach you can turn your website traffic into cash in a variety of ways. Follow these tips to grow your audience, build your reputation and make your content profitable. With a combination of quality content, business smarts and monetization tools, you’ll be well on your way to earning revenue from your blog.

Here are some reasons to start a blog that go beyond just making money:

• Share your thoughts and ideas with the world: If you have something to say, a blog is a great way to get it out there. You can write about anything that interests you, from your personal experiences to your professional expertise.
  
  

• Connect with others who share your interests: Blogging can help you connect with people from all over the world who share your interests. You can build relationships with other bloggers, readers and potential collaborators.
  
  

• Learn new things: The process of writing and researching for your blog can help you learn new things about yourself and the world around you. You can also learn from other bloggers by reading their posts and engaging in discussions.
  
  

• Build your brand: If you have a business or want to establish yourself as an expert in your field, blogging can be a great way to build your brand. By consistently sharing high-quality content, you can attract an audience and establish yourself as a thought leader.
  
  

• Have a creative outlet: Blogging can be a great way to express your creativity and share your unique perspective with the world. You can experiment with different writing styles and formats, and use multimedia to enhance your posts.
  
  

• Make a difference: If you’re passionate about a particular cause, blogging can be a powerful way to raise awareness and make a difference in the world. You can use your blog to educate others, advocate for change and inspire others to take action.
  
  

While some might say blogging’s golden age is over, blogging is still profitable and a viable way to make money. The key lies in adapting to the new landscape of blogging. 

The good news is that blogging remains a powerful tool for building an audience and establishing expertise.

As Wix’s Blog Growth and SEO Outreach Specialist, Ophyr Hanan points out,

People still consume content online, and quality blogs can attract dedicated readers. Monetization options from blogging haven’t disappeared – they’ve just evolved beyond simply slapping banner ads everywhere.

That said, competition is fierce, so standing out requires a laser-focused niche, top-notch content and active audience engagement. Relying solely on search engine traffic isn’t enough. Social media promotion, email marketing and community building are all crucial to help you build your presence online. You should also explore multiple income streams to make sure you haven’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Here are some key tips to making money from blogging this year:

• Find your niche and become an authority: Deep knowledge and valuable insights in a specific area attract loyal readers.

• Focus on quality content: Well-researched, engaging and informative writing builds trust and keeps readers coming back.

• Embrace multiple monetization strategies: Experiment with different options and find what works for your audience and niche.

• Build your community: Foster engagement through comments, social media and email lists.

• Stay adaptable and keep learning: The digital landscape evolves, so be prepared to adjust your strategies accordingly.