The Top 5 Ways to Monetize Your Blog

I started this blog for two main reasons. 1.) To help people 2.) To make money doing something that I love. Well, how do you actually monetize your blog? Such a great question! I researched this subject a lot before I even started and I have learned so much since I launched that first post.

After all that research and learning through my own experiences, I have found 5 main ways to generate an income from your blog. I do have to add that most of these do not pay out right away and it will take time to begin to see a decent revenue stream. The exciting part however, is that your income potential is unlimited! If you are consistently putting out quality content, you will reap the benefits.

1.) Sponsored Posts –

This is when a company pays you to include their product or service into a blog post. I have done quite a few of these posts, most of them were from my first blog, but it by far has been my biggest source of income from the site. Everyone is different, but I will only work with brands that I know and love. I care too much about my readers to promote something that I don’t actually use myself. You might be tempted to do any sponsored post, just to make money, but if you stick to your message, it will speak volumes to your readers. Maintaining their trust is essential to your blogs success.

How do you get companies to sponsor a post? Reach out to your favorite brands! You have to put yourself out there, which can be scary. You will definitely experience rejection, but you also just might be surprised by the ones that say yes! I have done some recipes and posts for free because I was trying to build a relationship with the company, but you do have to stand firm sometimes and know your worth. Free product doesn’t pay the bills, it’s okay to name your price. I know the effort I put into each post and recipe, there is value in my work.

Linqia– I also have a profile set up with Linqia, which helps me get connected with brands for sponsored posts. I have done one with them so far, the second fell through because the product wasn’t available in Colorado.

2.) Advertisements –

There are varied opinions on whether or not you should place advertisements on your blog. One school of thought is that it cheapens the blog and takes away from the content. Some believe that it is beneficial for your growth. I obviously have advertisements, and that is because I put a lot of work into the content that I produce and I would actually like to see some profit from that. Ads are my second biggest source of revenue.

• Google Adsense- I started with adsense for the advertisements on my blog, but I was only making pennies at a time.
• Gourmet Ads – I recently switched to Gourmet Ads and I have seen a significant increase in profits. The only problem is that it takes 8 weeks for them to pay out, so that can be difficult.  (Edit: I would not recommend Gourmet Ads) 
• Mediavine – I am now doing ads with Mediavine and I am so happy. They pay so much better. You do have to have 25,000 sessions a month before you can qualify though. 
• Banner Ads – Companies will also pay to place advertisements on you site. The better the location on your blog, the more you can charge. You can also charge depending on the size of the ad.

3.) Selling Your Own Products – 

I do not have experience in this yet, although I do have some projects in the works. This can be a wide range of things, but the most popular is an E-book. I have also seen bloggers sell T-shirts, fabric bags, coffee mugs and so much more.

The reason that I have not done an e-book yet, is because I want to provide enough free content to my readers first. To me it’s about building trust and rapport. Once that is established, my readers will come to know the quality that they can expect from my content.

If you specialize in something, you can also sell online courses or coaching services.

4.) Affiliate Marketing –

Affiliate marketing is when you provide a link or a code to your readers and when they click on it and make a purchase, you receive a small commission. If your site is getting lots of traffic, that small commission can turn into a full time income.

If you can master affiliate marketing, you can go far. I am actually saving up to do an affiliate marketing online course so that I can learn even more. Just like with the sponsored posts, I only accept affiliate links for products/services that I love and use.

5.) Freelance Writing and Photography –

Some people don’t consider this a way to monetize your blog, however, these opportunities would not be as attainable for me without my blog. The blog is a way for people to see my writing style as well as my photography and it’s the same for you.

You can sell your photography for stock photos. If you are a food blogger, beautiful food photos are in high demand. There are so many publications that are in constant need of styled food photos.

Many of those same publications are also looking for people to write articles for them. You can submit your work and pitch your ideas, but as you grow and improve your content, they will come to you.

If you have a blog, I hope you feel encouraged about the ways that you can make money with all your hard work! Don’t let your fears hold you back, I wish I had gotten started sooner!