Making Money as a Blogger

Recently, professional blogger Darren Rowse posted a chart on Google+ outlining the several different ways bloggers can make money online. Blogging is one type of freelance writing that is growing rapidly, so if you want to work in this industry, blogging a great option. Let’s go into a little more detail about the ways Rowse notes you can earn money in this type of career:

• Services

I personally have found that using a blog to promote services is one of the best ways to make money online. You can make money as a coach, speaker, consultant, and more based on the topic, or niche, of your blog. For example, want to work as a videographer? Start a blog about how to create videos with lots of tips and have a page on your site specifically for people to hire you to create their videos.

• Advertising

Advertising comes in many forms, but the premise is pretty simple – you’re selling real estate on your blog so companies can promote their products or services. You can work with advertisers through a network or email people directly, but in both cases, it takes some time to build up traffic before you’re attractive to advertisers. However, you can get started with a CPC (Cost Per Click) program right away. With CPC, you’re paid a very small amount whenever someone clicks on the ad.

• Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing allows you to promote specific products or services. You’re paid a commission based on how much you sell. Many large companies, like Amazon, have their own affiliate programs, and you can also join networks like Share-a-Sale or Clickbank, which give you access to several affiliate product programs at once.

• Selling/Flipping Blogs

If you’re experienced working online, you can create blogs or take over failing blogs, build up traffic, and then sell. It’s almost like working in real estate as a house flipper – you basically buy something that’s low-value and do as little work as possible to be able to sell it for much more than you paid for it. This is a challenging way to make money as a blogger, but some people have become extremely good at blog flipping, so you can certainly be successful on this career path as well.

• Continuity Programs

With a continuity program, people pay a weekly or monthly fee to access specific content on your blog. This could be videos, a forum for members, coaching sessions, premium blog posts, and more. You can use special programs in conjunction with your blog to renew their membership every month until they cancel.

• Products

Many bloggers sell products. You can produce physical products like books or t-shirts, but to get started for little to no out-of-pocket cost, think instead about producing virtual products such as email courses, ebooks, or software. You can also make it possible for other bloggers to become affiliates for your product, where you’ll pay them a commission to sell your products.

• Other Indirect Methods

Lastly, there are other indirect methods allowing you to make money working as a blogger. For example, having a blog online can actually help you find a full-time job! When you blog about a specific topic relating to your desired career, you’re showing potential employers that you really know your stuff, so they’ll be more likely to hire you. Think of it as a huge portfolio you can use to support your resume.