Making Money by Blogging
Interested in traveling? Skin care and beauty? The latest tech? Sports? Today, the internet is king and if you’re looking for ideas for your upcoming trip, or even just a recipe for a quick dinner, there’s probably a blog out there ready with the answer.
The life of a blogger can seem pretty exciting. As a blogger, you have a space you can customize and use however you see fit. Want to devote your blog to crafts? Go for it. Use your blog to share tutorials, ideas, and your latest projects. The options are limitless.
And blogging doesn’t need to be a full-time job. For some, blogging can be a fun side hustle that allows them to share their ideas after the regular workday is done. With some time and effort, your blogging hobby could turn into a money-making venture.
Here are a few ideas for how to start a blog and make money.
Picking a Subject for the Blog
First things first: If you want to make money blogging, you’ll actually need a blog. If you don’t have one yet, now’s the time to get started. Start by asking yourself what you want to blog about. Picking something you love could make it easier to commit to creating content and engaging with your audience (more on that later).
It’s also worth noting that passion won’t automatically turn your blog into a money maker. Trying to start a blog about something you aren’t super familiar with could be more of a hassle than a fun hobby or potential income stream.
As you think about the type of blog you plan to start, you might be wondering what types of blogs actually make the most money. For most blogs, the key to making money is popularity—having an active and engaged base of readers. While you can likely find readers for almost any niche, there are certain topics that lend themselves to audience interest.
Some popular blogging niches include sewing, health and fitness, parenting, lifestyle, and personal finance.
Building the Blog’s Audience
Getting started is just the first step. The next question is: how can you make money? There are very few blogs that start making money instantly. Usually, turning your blog from a hobby to a money-making vehicle takes a lot of hard work and commitment.
Consider that to host a blog you’ll have to commit time to creating compelling content. Beyond that, you’ll have to promote the content in order to find your audience. This could include curating not only a blog, but also a presence on social media. Will you post photos on Instagram? Share your articles on Twitter? Create a community of like-minded “friends” on Facebook?
More and more companies are hiring social media managers or specialists because creating a brand-conscious social media presence takes thoughtful planning and time. As you work to build your audience, posting with intent means each blog or social media post you create will represent your blog’s brand.
When it comes to growing your audience, that will require a bit of time, too. Consider investing time networking with other bloggers in the space you are blogging in. Once you’ve connected with other bloggers in your niche, you could find symbiotic ways to grow your blogs. One option? Guest posting, which could be a strategic way to benefit both of your blogs.
Consider optimizing your blog for sharing to encourage growth, too. Adding share buttons on each post may make it easier for readers to engage with you, your work, and potentially each other.
Considering Advertisements
Advertisements are perhaps the top form of revenue for a blog. There are a few different types of advertisements bloggers can consider.
Cost Per Click and Cost Per Impression
Some of the most common types of advertising on blogs are cost per click (CPC) and cost per impression. CPC ads are usually the banner ads that can be found on the side or top of web pages.
The blog can make ad money for each click on the ad. A cost per impression ad functions in a similar way, but typically the blog will earn money when the add has been viewed a certain number of times, often around 1,000 impressions.
Affiliate Marketing
Another option for bloggers looking to earn a bit of ad revenue is affiliate marketing. This is when a product is promoted on the blog in partnership with a brand.
When someone purchases the promoted product using the affiliate link, the blog earns a share of revenue. This can be a fairly passive stream of income since it doesn’t always require you put in a ton of work.
Sponsored Posts
Sponsored posts can be another option for bloggers. Sponsored posts are usually formed through a relationship between the blogger and the advertiser. Unlike affiliate marketing, which depends on a sale for the blogger to earn any money, bloggers are typically paid for writing a sponsored post up front.
Typically, bloggers work with brands that tie into their blogs in some way. For example, food bloggers could potentially work with a skillet manufacturer or a butter brand.
As a blogger, it can be helpful to take some time to think about the implications of working with specific brands. It can be appealing to do a few sponsored posts, but if it’s at the expense of alienating your readers, it could be detrimental.
As you explore the possibility of sponsored posts and affiliate marketing, you may want to consider FTC regulations for endorsing products to determine when disclosure is required.
Selling Products
You’ve already got a blog, why stop there? Getting in the entrepreneurial spirit may help you think of other opportunities. Plenty of bloggers make money by selling goods or services in addition to their blogging.
Could an e-book tie into your blog? If you’re a craft blogger, could you sell downloadable tutorials for certain projects? Or could you offer an online “learning to knit” class? As a food blogger, could you offer meal prepping guides to your readers? Some blogs even offer premium content that is kept behind a paywall or offered to subscribers.
The options available to you will depend on your specific blog and your bandwidth to take on additional projects.
Managing Your Blogging Income
With all that extra cash coming in, it might be a good time to reevaluate where you are currently storing your money to make sure it’s working for you. If you decide you are ready to make a switch, consider a checking and savings account like SoFi Checking and Savings.
With SoFi Checking and Savings, you have instant access to your money and an up-to-the-minute look into your finances so you can easily track and manage your spending. Full-time blogger on the go?
Plus, with SoFi Checking and Savings you’ll pay no ATM fees at 55,000+ ATMs worldwide.
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SoFi Checking and Savings
SoFi Money is a cash management account, which is a brokerage product, offered by SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA / SIPC .
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SoFi has partnered with Allpoint to provide consumers with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. Consumers will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third party fees incurred when using out-of-network ATMs are not subject to reimbursement. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.
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