It’s all about the bottom line, and I don’t think that always has to be a bad thing.  You work hard to share your expertise, and hey, running a blog is expensive from paying for your domain to buying necessary materials for your posts.  I’ve been blogging for more than four years and have learned a thing or two about making some moolah from blogging.  And oftentimes, it’s at no extra cost to your readers. Here’s how to make money blogging:

This post includes an affiliate link, which means I may earn a kickback through links clinked. These help me run my blog. All opinions are my own.

Advertisements

I recently started participating in WordAds, an advertising platform through WordPress.  You have to be at a certain tier to be eligible to activate this feature.  The great thing about this is it basically runs on its own.  You don’t have to seek out advertisers, and it’s loosely based on how many visitors your site attracts.  It’s a small amount of money per visitor, but it’s passive income.  Ads certainly don’t bring in enough for me to live on, but hey, it’s not a bad deal.  I’ve read some about GoogleAds but have yet to try that service.

Affiliate links

If you’re already using products you know, trust and love, why not include links to them in your posts?  I’ve dabbled with affiliate programs through Amazon and Target.  I’ve also used ShareASale, a database of many brands looking for influencers and bloggers to promote their products.  You can search for specific brands and apply to them individually.  This is a great place to start if you’re just getting the hang of affiliate links. 

Here are some of the affiliate sites I use: Target Affiliate Program, Rakuten Cash Back Affiliate, Rakuten Advertising, Share A Sale, PepperJam Network, CJ Affiliate.

Note: The FTC requires that you disclose any partnership with companies, such as if you’re getting a kickback from clicks and/or purchases.  Transparency should be your No. 1 goal as a blogger, so do not forget this very important step.  Add something like: This post includes affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission through purchases made through included links.  This doesn’t cost anything extra for you and helps me run my blog.  All opinions are my own.

Sponsored posts

Another way to make money is to reach out to these brands individually.  I am obsessed with Greetabl and slid into their inbox to see about any deals they had for bloggers.  They offered me a coupon if I featured their product on my blog.  I also partnered with Mieroglyphs and featured their bracelet on a post.  Sometimes companies send you their products for free or at a discount and might even give you a discount to share with your readers.  

Most importantly, if you hate it, don’t tell your readers that you love it.  That’s not fair to your readers or the brand.  Again, the FTC requires that you disclose any free products you receive.

Products

This is where it’s at.  Do you have a skill, talent, hobby or expertise people are willing to pay for?  From all the money my blog has generated, it’s been from the books I’ve written.  Maybe you’re a great calligrapher and would like to make personalized prints through etsy.  Maybe you have a boatload of knowledge about a certain subject and sell a video tutorial series. This is how I’ve made most of my blogging money. I’ve sold paperback and e-books.

Influenster

This is my new favorite app.  You simply review products and brands you’ve already used. And once you rack up enough points, they send you new, similar products to test out as long as you share your opinion on social media.  It’s not a check, but you get free products.

You might also be interested in Become a Pro Blogger in 2 Weeks, my 30-page ebook on everything you need to know to build your blog from scratch and succeed.

What did I miss?  What ways have you made money through your blog?

Be sure to check out these 5 blog tools that are worth the investment.