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The Ultimate Guide To Making Money Blogging – How I Earn Over $50,000 A Month Online

Last Updated: BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 164 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

If you want to learn how to make money with a blog, then you’ve come to the right place!

I started my blog in August of 2011, and it’s something that has completely changed my life.

Making money blogging is something that YOU can do. I earn over $50,000 a month with my blog and show you how to make money with a blog too.Back then, I never thought about making money blogging. I don’t think I even looked into how to make money with a blog back then, as it was never my goal. I certainly never thought blogging would drastically change my future, but I’m so glad I gave it a shot.

Blogging has allowed my husband and I to leave our day jobs, travel full-time, see family and friends more, meet great people, and have one heck of a great life.

Because of the great experience I’ve had, I love helping others make money blogging as well.

I never thought it would be possible, but here I am. Plus, I know many, many other bloggers in all sorts of niches who are making a great living online.

While there is no 100% guarantee that you will be able to earn a full-time living by blogging, I know many bloggers who are and are very happy with it.

Related articles on how to make money with a blog:

  1. How To Start a WordPress Blog on Bluehost – This article shows you how to create a blog. If you are interested in starting a blog, you MUST read this.
  2. My Monthly Online Income Reports – I show you exactly how I earn a living each month along with valuable tips to help you along the way.
  3. Why You Should Start a Blog – So Many Positives! – There are many benefits to starting your own blog. Check this out if you don’t believe me.
  4. 9 Helpful Blogging Tips For New Bloggers – Here are my tips for after you start a blog.
  5. The Ultimate Guide On How To Start a Blog – Here, you can find ALL of my blogging-related and how to make money with a blog articles in one organized place.

Below is my ultimate guide on how to make money blogging. I have answered the most common questions that I am asked about making money blogging, and hopefully all of you can start a successful blog as well.

Here is how to make money with a blog:

 

What is a blog?

A blog is a website.

Google’s definition of a blog is, “a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.”

A blog is content that is written on a website. It usually consists of articles, like the one you are reading right now.

What is a blog used for? Blogs can vary from person to person.

You may create a blog to journal, to teach on a topic, to sell something, to tell a story, and so on. There’s no exact rules about what your blog has to be used for.

You can learn more at: What is a blog?

 

Should my blog be self-hosted?

Yes!

If you want to make money blogging, the first thing you will need to do is make sure you have a self-hosted blog, such as through Bluehost.

I recommend you start on self-hosted WordPress (this tutorial will help you start your blog the correct way). I cannot say this enough, but I do not recommend Blogger or WordPress.com (you want the self-hosted version, which is WordPress.org – confusing, I know). Buying that $10 domain name from Blogger or GoDaddy does not mean you own it either.

Advertisers, companies, and readers will know you are still on Blogger or free WordPress, which can look unprofessional. Plus, your blog can be deleted at anytime and for no reason when on a free version, and it even happened to me. This can hurt your chances at earning your income online.

Seriously, just trust me. Go with self-hosted WordPress, and it will significantly increase your chances of monetizing your blog.

If you want further proof, take a look at my past income reports. You can tell that my income through blogging didn’t take off until just as I switched to WordPress. Right there is a lot of proof that being self-hosted on WordPress is the way to go!

So, to recap, the positives of being self-hosted on WordPress through Bluehost include:

  • You have a more professional website meaning you may be able to make more money on self-hosted WordPress.
  • The ability to have complete control over your blog.
  • You own your blog, and it can’t be deleted for no reason.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for Bluehost, and will receive a commission if you sign up through my referral link. This is at no additional cost to you, and you will get great pricing and a free domain name for the first year through my link.

If you are interested in starting a blog of your own, I created a tutorial that will help you start a blog of your own for cheap, starting at only $2.95 per month (this low price is only through my link) for blog hosting. In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free blog domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase at least 12 months of blog hosting. FYI, you want to be self-hosted if you want to learn how to make money with a blog.

Do I need a lot of readers in order to make money blogging?

You do not need millions of pageviews per month to make money blogging, but it is something you will want to increase if you want to improve your income. If you want to learn how to make money with a blog, then this is an important step!

Every blog is different, but once you understand what your readers want, understand how to effectively reach out to companies for partnerships, and know how to charge the correct rate, you can make a good income online in many cases, regardless of the amount of pageviews you receive.

There are many different ways to increase the number of pageviews so you can make money blogging.

Here are my tips:

  1. Publish high-quality blog posts – Your blog posts should always be high-quality and helpful. This will lead to readers coming back for more and more. I always recommend that a blog post be at least 500 words, but more wouldn’t hurt either. The majority of my blog posts are around 1,500 to 3,000 words.
  2. Be active on Pinterest – Pinterest is one of my top traffic sources. I recommend creating great images, making sure the description and title of your images are catchy, pinning regularly, and only pinning long images. In case you are wondering, I use Picmonkey to edit all of my images and Tailwind to schedule them.
  3. Find other social media sites to be active on as well – Besides Pinterest, there are several other social networking sites you may want to check out. This includes Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Periscope, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, and others.
  4. Post regularly – For most blogs, you should publish something at least once a week if you want to make money blogging. Going for weeks or months at a time without a blog post can lead to readers forgetting about you.
  5. Network with other bloggers – Too many bloggers see other bloggers as competition. However, you should see them as friends and colleagues. This means you may want to interact with them on social media, reach out to them via email, attend conferences, and more. Of course, be genuine with it all, and give more than you take.
  6. Guest post – Guest posting can lead to new readers checking out your blog and subscribing to it. This can be a great way to reach a new audience.
  7. Make sure it’s easy to share your content – I love sharing posts on social media, however it gets frustrating when some blogs make it more difficult than it needs to be. You should always make sure it’s easy for readers to share your content. This may mean making your social media icons easy to find, having all of the info input that is needed for sharing (title, link, and your username), and so on. Also, you should make sure that when someone clicks on one of your sharing icons the title isn’t in CAPS (I’ve seen this too many times). No one wants to share a blog post when it sounds like you’re screaming at them.
  8. Create catchy headlines – The title of your post is a major factor influencing whether readers click over or not.
  9. Learn SEO – SEO (search engine optimization) is not something I could teach in such a small section of post. I recommend doing your research and learning more about what it is and how it can help you.
  10. Make it easy for readers to browse – If you want more pageviews, you should make it as easy as possible for readers to read other blog posts of yours. You will want to make it easy for readers to find your blog homepage, categories, tags, search bar, and so on. Also, I recommend including links in every single one of your blog posts, so readers can easily find related topics.

 

Where does blog income come from?

This is a question I have received many times lately when it comes to how to make money with a blog. Many of you are interested in blogging, but you are not sure where the income actually comes from.

You receive blogging income from whoever is paying you.

  • If it is affiliate marketing you are providing, then you get paid through the company whenever someone buys or signs up for something through your link.
  • If someone is paying you to place an advertisement on your website, then you get paid by them.
  • If you have display ads on your website such as with Google Adsense, then you get paid from Google or one of the many other thousands of companies.

There are many companies and blogging networks out there who are looking to pay for things on blogs!

You usually get paid either through PayPal or by receiving a check in the mail.

 

Can new bloggers make money blogging?

There is plenty of room for new bloggers to make money.

I’ve had many tell me that they started a blog because of my income reports and that they are able to make money blogging (awesome, right?!), this is proof that new bloggers are still making money. I also personally know bloggers who started a year or two after I did, yet they are making double, triple, or even 10 times the amount I am earning.

The world is a huge place, and the online world is just going to keep growing. Every blogger earns a living online in a slightly different way, and everyone has a different message/story. Plus, there are TONS of different ways to make money through a blog, and I expect this to keep growing.

Due to the reasons above, I believe there will always be room for more bloggers.

 

How long does it take to start making money blogging?

There is no one answer to this question.

As you can tell from my past income reports, I started earning a few hundred dollars a month from my blog less than one year after I started. After just two years of blogging, I was earning several thousands of dollars from blogging, which was all on the side of my day job.

I know some who started making thousands of dollars a month after just a few months of blogging. There are bloggers out there who began a year or two after me and are making hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. There are also other bloggers who aren’t making any money.

As you can see, blogging is not a get rich quick scheme. However, if you are serious about it, you never know what it may turn into.

It all depends on you, the effort you put into it, whether you have the time to learn how to monetize your blog, and more.

 

What ways can a person start making money blogging?

There are several ways to make money blogging. These include:

  • Affiliate marketing
  • Blog sponsorships
  • Display advertising
  • Ebooks
  • Staff Writing

I have further discussed the different ways below.

 

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate income is my most favorite way of earning a living online. Just a year ago, I was barely earning anything from affiliate income, but now I’m earning around $50,000 a month from it!

I recommend checking out my online course for bloggers, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I earn over $50,000 a month through affiliate marketing and I share my exact strategy and tips in this very informative online course. If you’re a blogger, then you NEED this course.

Affiliate income is when you place an affiliate link in a blog post and try to earn money from people buying the product through your link. This can be a good way to make money because if there is a product out there that you love, all you have to do is review the product and hopefully others will be interested in buying it as well.

Affiliate income is great because you can create a post, review, etc., and that post may earn you money years down the line with minimal work needed to maintain the article. It can be somewhat passive, which is what I love about it.

I believe it’s best to recommend products you believe in. A lot of my affiliate income is from my How To Start a Blog post, because I include everything a person needs to know about blogging in that tutorial.

There are many different affiliate programs out there to check out. These include Awin, Max Bounty, OfferJuice, Avant Link, Shareasale, Flex Offers, Commission Junction, Amazon’s Affiliate Program, and so on. If you enjoy a product, there is probably some sort of affiliate out there for it.

Below are some of my tips for increasing your affiliate income:

  • Use the Pretty Link plugin. I use this for all of my affiliate links. It makes them look cleaner when it looks like “makingsenseofcents.com/bluehost” instead of the long links that affiliate programs usually provide.
  • Provide real reviews. You should always be honest with your reviews. If there is something you don’t like about a product either don’t review the product at all or mention the negatives in your review.
  • Ask for raises. If you are doing well with a particular affiliate program, ask for a raise. The worst thing that can happen is that your affiliate manager says no. The best is that they say yes!
  • Form a good relationship with your affiliate manager. Your affiliate manager can supply your readers with valuable coupons, affiliate raises, and more.
  • Publish tutorials. Readers want to know how they can use a product. Showing them how to use it and how it can benefit them can be very helpful.
  • Have a recommendations page. I always like checking out recommendation pages on blogs. It can be a great way to list valuable products and services that readers may need or want. Here’s mine as an example.
  • Don’t go overboard. There is no need to include an affiliate link 1,000 times in a blog post. Include them at the beginning, middle, and the end, and readers will notice it.

 

Can blogs get sponsored?

Paid blog posts and advertisements are when you place an advertisement on your blog in exchange for money.

This might be in the form of a sponsored review, a guest blog post, a sidebar link, an advertisement within a newsletter, and so on. There are many different forms of paid advertisements on websites.

You can either reach out to advertisers yourself, sign up for advertising networks (some include Izea, Find Your Influence, or companies/advertisers may find you. There are many, many companies out there who are looking to advertise on blogs, so it is usually relatively easy to find blog sponsorships once you have a website.

If you want to learn how to increase your advertising income, I recommend taking my Making Sense of Sponsored Posts course. Learn how I made my first blogging income, and how I’m now making $10,000-$20,000 a month with sponsored partnerships!

 

What is display advertising?

Display advertising is when you place an advertisement on your blog in the sidebar, below a blog post, below your header image, or in some other location on your blog. Then, for every so many views that advertisement sees, you will earn a certain amount of money.

It’s an easy way to make money blogging as all you have to do is insert the code provided to you. In general, the more page views you receive, the higher your income from ad networks will be.

You can receive display advertisements for your blog from companies such as Media.net (this is a very popular one) Adsense, BlogHer, AdThrive, and many others.

What is Adsense exactly? Adsense is what many bloggers use, as it’s very easy and you can input Adsense advertisements on your blog starting from the very beginning. AdSense is an advertising network within Google that allows website owners to place advertisements on their websites. These ads are picked out by Google, and you just place the size and type of ad widget you want on your website. You are then paid per-click and per-impression.

 

Making money blogging is something that YOU can do. I earn over $50,000 a month with my blog and show you how to make money with a blog too.

Is making money from an ebook realistic?

I haven’t written an ebook yet, but I am hoping to finish my first one before summer of 2016.

If you are an expert in an area or have something to share that you know others will read, then an ebook may be something you are interested in writing.

There are quite a few people making thousands and tens of thousands of dollars each month from writing an ebook.

 

Can a blogger make money writing for others?

Lastly if you want to learn how to make money with a blog, your blog can also be used as a platform for other projects, such as for staff writing on other blogs.

If you want to staff write for others, I highly recommend having a website of some sort so others can find your work and hire you. It’s much more difficult to get your name out there without your own website.

Staff writers usually start out between $15 to $25 per article, and as you gain more experience, you can usually command higher prices.

I know some writers who are making thousands of dollars a month from writing for others, and it all started because of their blog. In fact, I recently secured a staff writing gig for $1,500 per article, which equates to around $2.50 per word. I never would have received this offer if it wasn’t for my blog.

Are you interested in making money blogging? What other questions do you have for me on how to make money with a blog?

If you are interested in learning how to make money with a blog, I created a tutorial that will help you start a blog of your own for cheap, at only $2.95 per month (this low price is only through my link) for blog hosting. In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free blog domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase at least 12 months of blog hosting. FYI, you want to be self-hosted if you want to start making money blogging. 

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About Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Michelle is the founder of Making Sense of Cents, a blog about personal finance and traveling. She discusses how her business has evolved in her side income series. She paid off $40,000 in student loans by the age of 24 mainly due to her freelancing side hustles. Click here to learn more about starting a blog!

Comments

  1. Mrs. CTC says

    I keep reading posts about earning money blogging, and it’s very interesting! I always thought this was quite unrealistic and only for the happy few (with millions of readers each week). It almost seems to good to be true but on the other hand, there is quite a bit of effort involved. It’s not a get rich quick scheme.

    Let me just get the hang of this blogging thing first 🙂

    Reply

  2. Natalie @ Financegirl says

    Everyone who starts a blog and wants to make money from it needs to understand that their blog has to be a business and from there you can learn the different income streams that are available to bloggers — but the most important part of your blog has to be good content above everything else!

    Reply

  3. Penny @ She Picks Up Pennies says

    I’m not sure that I want to monetize (I mean, it would be pretty great but…) because I want my focus to stay on teaching and tutoring. However, I am going to try to tackle Pinterest over spring break. Thank you for always being so transparent and helpful.

    Reply

  7. Ella says

    This might be a silly question but how do you know if you have content people would be interested in reading about? I would be interested in starting a blog but I don’t have some profound knowledge on a subject considering I am only 22. When you start a blog how did you know what your topic was going to be about or what you were going to focus on?

    Reply

    • Jane Allen says

      I agree 100%. The first should be content that readers would want to share. Then, move to marketing your blog. Then, you can start thinking of making money. Most often, though, we have the list in the reverse. We have the make money part first and get frustrated with the whole project. Like you said, blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a solid business model that can be worked over time.

      Reply

  9. Kristin says

    I was really worried when I started blogging because I read an article about oversaturation in the blogging world. I’m really glad I didn’t list to that article. You’re right – there really is room for everyone who wants to start a blog and monetize it if they choose to.

    Reply

  10. Tammy says

    This is such a great help, having all in one place. I would like to monetize and am working on organization and blogging course to help me advance to next level. Again, thank you!

    Reply

  11. Tammy says

    i forgot to ask, a lot of bloggers do Amazon affiliate, but I am in a state that is not allowed. What other avenue is there that has the same or better income strategy as Amazon?

    Reply

  12. divorcedff says

    Hi

    I’m blogging for a year , and still it is only a side hustle for me and not the main income, there for I don’t give much an effort about it, just post once a week and get a few comments here and there from bloggers I follow. One day I will take a step forward and make it much as a business.

    Reply

  13. Latoya says

    Pinterest frustrates me so much, but I know I should get a handle on it. I think I may eventually hire someone that knows more about it because I have too much on my plate. I’m definitely making this article a point of reference. Thanks, Michelle!

    Reply

  14. Michael says

    Hi Michelle, This is an awesome post with tons of useful information. Thank you for sharin, it certainly helps me and will be of help to many others to. –Michael

    Reply

  16. shaun says

    Hey michelle,

    WOW I must say that this post is full of great information and I love how you have included such positive and actionable steps for people to make money with blogging. Through hard work and knowledge you created a post that will help people.

    I have been reading some other articles on this site also and you definitely show the expertise that is needed these days.

    I make money online through a few channels, having most recently started my blog I have yet to earn income from it, but one day I will with help like this.

    Thanks have a great day!

    Reply

  17. BreAnna | Crafty Coin says

    When I first started my blog, I decided to be self-hosted from the get-go and signed up with Bluehost. This was my way of keeping myself accountable – I knew that if I spent money on my blog, I’d be more motivated to consistently write. I’ve made back that $110 I spent (and then some!), but even if I hadn’t made any money, that’s still pretty cheap for a hobby for a year!

    Reply

  18. Nate says

    So… what is the easiest way I can make at least $3,000 per month? 😛

    Kidding. Blogging really shouldn’t be about making money anyways. You write what you are passionate about, and people will come!

    Reply

  19. Jason B says

    You’re weren’t lying when you said this was the ultimate guide to making money while blogging. Every beginner should take the time out to read this.

    Reply

  20. Brittney says

    This is definitely motivating – I’m working on increasing traffic to my blog in the hopes of monetizing it in the near future, and I love all your tips. Can’t wait until you publish your ebook/course on affiliate income!

    Reply

  21. Monica@wellideclare says

    Once again, so much information and so motivating! For me, I think the hardest part is knowing if you have content that others want to read. I’ve been trying to write about the things that people naturally come to ask me about. Hopefully, out of the billions of people in the world…someone else wants to hear that too! Your posts are inspiring and filled with hope for new bloggers! Thanks!

    Reply

  23. Robb says

    I have to say that blogging is very time consuming. As a new blogger I am realizing it takes time and effort to put together quality post. Then even if the posts are great, if you can’t drive traffic to them they are worthless. Thanks for this post, I will be bookmarking it for future reference.

    Reply

  24. Abigail @ipickuppennies says

    I definitely wish I’d jumped on Pinterest sooner. It’s not the fastest growth in the world — partially, I’m sure, because I have so many posts that still don’t have images/pin-worthy images — but I’m definitely seeing dividends in traffic after only a couple of months.

    My blog probably isn’t seeing a huge explosion yet because — beyond the “give it time” thing — I don’t do a lot of “How to save money with X” posts. But still, I think I can expect traffic to keep rising as I get more old posts on my boards and circulating. Hopefully.

    Don’t forget that there are people you can hire to help you with Pinterest/Pinterest images. I don’t have the time/energy/knowledge to do the whole Pinterest thing myself. So I’m getting help navigating it and posting my stuff to make sure I get on the best group boards and such. It’s the only way I’ve been able to manage it.

    Reply

  27. Mike says

    Love your blog Michelle! Been an avid reader for a while, so much great info. You gave me the motivation to finally start my own blog last month, a huge personal goal for 2016. I can’t wait to keep learning more and hope to be as successful as you one day. Those income reports are impressive, plus you’re helping so many readers, very inspiring!

    Reply

  30. Jaime says

    Thanks for being so encouraging. Back in 2003 when I was really young, I started a blog but then I got discouraged because journalists that blogged back then said that blogging was an over-saturated field. I gave up and I wish that I hadn’t.

    The good thing is that there are 7 billion people + counting worldwide so there’s lots of opportunities to inspire people. We should think in terms of growth =)

    Reply

  31. Doug says

    Hi Michelle! I really like the pics with titles that you have with each blog post. Are you creating these with picmonkey?

    Reply

  32. Allyson says

    I love that you said you earn that much through affiliate marketing! I feel like a lot of bloggers promote earning money through webinars, courses and ebooks. Those are amazing ways to make the money, but like me, I’m not into the whole webinar and course thing. I’ve been learning about affiliate marketing andnhoe to tie in the products with my own product lines! Love this post!

    Reply

  33. Mamoona says

    These are great tips for blogging. I have started my blog but I don’t have enough traffic to start monetizing. Can you please help me out?

    Reply

  34. Hannah Finch says

    Hi Michelle!

    First of all, great post. I can tell you’ve put a lot of time and effort into it!

    In response to your question about earning from eBook sales… I just wanted to also mention that there are many types of info products, not just eBooks and some are much more lucrative.

    For example, there are many online courses selling for $2,000+. You can also sell access to something like a Webinar or monthly access to a membership area.

    I’m gearing up to create my first course… eek!

    Thanks for such informative content. 🙂

    Hannah

    Reply

  35. Regina says

    Thanks so much for all of the extremely helpful information. My blog is less than one month old and I worried about having a voice in a sea of other bloggers. Once I realized that we are all unique, I was able to focus on creating content without worrying if other bloggers were doing the same thing. Thanks again for sharing!

    Reply

  36. Emi says

    I’ve recently launched my blog few days ago but do not know much about how to manage it to get more visitor i know it take time to get visitor to blog but how to derive visitor can you tell me little about this.

    Reply

    • Camille Nelson says

      Make videos and connect with an audience in groups of one million and up
      i have a small blog i run and it has down well.My video channel is connected to each post i write a blog and create a video around it the description provided in this blog was free and that’s nice of the author shout out to Michelle with being humble many blessings to you !

      Look at Perez Hilton he has done well for himself connection to your audience is key to scaling your blog and reaching the people you want to read your blog focus on a keyword and try to find a way to get ranked by using it 10% or more times in your articles and create a podcast or vlog face to face with image and embed into your content i have a niche based website in beauty and have 300K view in one month once i started focusing on keywords that matched what people are searching for post in groups like follow and engage with your readers i hope this helps and if your really want to take it a step further blog everyday and post to YT i seen a user who did this he has 100K users and just started his channel his name is the Last Harpy. Consistancy counts watch video creators and video influencers channels these tips do work and like the author they provide value content and deserve the accolades. Ranking for words that are not so high in competition is going to make more adsense if your using Google because they will target ads that connect with users what we do is use monetize on all platforms and we made on average $30 per month on YT with this case study we have a few channels we are testing because we have a few bloggers we help by posting on our sites to link share.

      I know this is alot but this is hard work to create one blog it’s alot of work we use WordPress and blogger and HD photos and because we use other domain rich keyword sites we use Google analytics to refocus on strategy monthly . It really depends on your title tags keywords and also how do you syndicate ?

      I do not pay a cent for traffic by the way fantastic post !

      Reply

  37. Brenda Smith says

    Indeed a great post about making money online.

    Nowadays people are getting very much creative and wants to make some extra money from home.

    The topic ” Make money from home ” is very much interesting and people get very much excited when they get to know about it. But people should understand, this isn’t that much easy as they are thinking.

    According to me, Making money through Blogging and affiliate marketing is the best ways among all others explained here.

    But to earn through blogging and affiliate marketing, You must need to work hard with lots of dedication.

    You must have to follow these important steps.

    1. You have to choose a profitable niche from which you can earn by promoting affiliate products.
    2. Build a blog on that niche and provide helpful content to others.
    3. Promote your content among potential readers
    4. Drive traffic to your site and make money through it.

    These are the basic steps you need to take to earn through blogging.

    BTW Thanks for sharing such a wonderful post with us. 😀

    Reply

  38. Brianna Williams says

    Great post! I’m a new blogger with zero followers yet and only two blog posts (I just started about 2 days ago) I was wondering, with affiliate programs, do I need to have a set amount of viewers to my blog before they’ll work with me? Do I need to have more blog posts up before I sign up with affiliate programs?

    Reply

  41. Mrs Cents@itmakescents.net says

    What an inspiring and helpful post Michelle. Blogging is most definitely a business. I have just recently (2 months ago) quit my job to work full-time at home with hubby in his business and have started my own blog. I am working way more hours than I did outside of the house but I am loving it. It is so helpful when seasoned bloggers share their tips and experience. Thanks

    Reply

  42. Margo says

    Wow, that is so interesting about “writing posts with 500-3,000 words! I’ve always assumed that readers wanted something quick and easy to read, but I have been hearing more that “meatier” non shallow content is better! Thanks for the insight! 🙂

    Reply

  43. Samantha nunn says

    HI! I just resently started my blog and I am having trouble increasing my revenue and trafficking! Please help!!

    Reply

  44. Abid Kunda says

    Comprehensive post Michelle! You have done such a thorough job that there is nothing more I could add. I have been blogging since past 2 months and have faced something like a zillion problems and sometimes just felt like giving it all up. But I’m glad I stuck out and made it all work. Partly due to reading inspiring blog posts of pro-bloggers. This gave me the strength to go the extra mile. I can now look back and say that problems have solutions and mostly all that you need is available online. Many a times I got stuck( ex. wordpress installation, fb instant articles etc) but I got invaluable help from other bloggers, and this brings me back to what you said in your blog post. Don’t look at other bloggers as competition. Now what I am going to do is this. I’m going to give back at least some of what I got . I am going to help new bloggers out as much as I can within the scope of what I know. Great job and keep up the good work
    Regards

    Reply

  45. Sarah George says

    Hi Michelle,
    I have been thinking about starting a (money making) blog for a while because it is a dream of mine to become Location Independent and travel. I don’t know what i have to offer for a blog though and the only thing i can think of, is the reason i want to start a blog in the first place was because i was predicted to carry the gene for Huntington’s Disease, so the blog might be more inspirational.
    Bucket list wise i really want to live and travel Europe but i cant ignore the fact i will need money later in life to care for myself.
    I guess my question is if i do choose that route for a blog, how can i monetize it considering i will probably not be plugging products?

    Reply

  46. Minnie G. says

    So inspiring! I started my blog in April of 2016 and am tying to take off 🙂 also, a lot of great tips!

    Reply

  47. Veronica says

    How does this work exactly…I mean how do you earn money blogging when you have to pay to set up the blog?

    Reply

    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      You can make money blogging in many different ways, as described in this blog post (advertising, affiliate marketing, creating your own products, etc.). You have to pay to set up your blog because it’s your website and no one else’s.

      Does that answer your question? I’m not sure if I entirely understand your question, though, so perhaps I didn’t. Can you explain further?

      Reply

      • Tarun Kumar says

        Well I had a similar question in my mind. I think I’d make a good writer writing from unique perspectives about a variety of subjects ranging from non-controversial to controversial. But I dont even know ABC of internet blogging. How much it pays to set up a platform (or if it is necessary, I heard it can be done free). I have been advised about certain platforms like WordPress, bloggers etc. There are some that say make the right first choices or you will be stuck with them. I dont understand these things. Generally it is the question about the chance of success that lingers on in the mind, You dont want to work too hard setting up something if its going to require even more work to maintain and very little chance of measurable success.

        And then there is the option of just writing for some websites that want writers to write articles. Would that be a better option for some? I dont think it is so easy to get accepted or hired by those sites because it is their website and we are required to meet their expectations just to get hired; let alone get paid regularly.

        Reply

      • Courtney says

        Absolutely in love with your blog. I have been following you for a while now and watched you grow as a blogger. Thanks for all of the great info!

        Reply

  48. Rakib Hossin says

    Awesome post! I’m another blogger with zero supporters yet and just two blog entries (I just began around 2 days prior) I was pondering, with associated projects, do I need a set measure of viewers to my site before they’ll work with me? Do I need more blog entries up before I join with member programs?

    Reply

  49. ReBecca says

    Good day,am a newbie to the scheme of monetizing a blog am getting negative vibes from a lot of people and the whole over-saturation thing about blogging and stuffs but i really want to enter the online work force…(am thinking of freelance writing and blogging) but i have a problem with the payment method because my country(Nigeria) is not supported for receiving money from other countries through PayPal is there any other way i can get around this please?

    Reply

  50. J says

    Thank You for this information!

    I am in need of a stream of income. I truly appreciate your willingness to so freely share your knowledge.

    Reply

  51. Wendy Tomlinson says

    Thanks so much for sharing all of this information. I’ve definitely noticed a difference since getting active on Pinterest. It’s proving to be time well spent. My adsense income is starting to increase now and I’m focusing on using affiliate links to monetize more and more. You’ve definitely given me plenty to think about.

    Reply

  53. Suzy says

    Hi,

    Thank you for this informative article! I am currently making a few thousand dollars a month blogging on my interior design site. I have it monatized through sponsored articles and banner ads. I would like to take my site to the next level but I just don’t know how. I’m kind of stuck at this level. I read you make money through affiliate links. What company do you use for these affiliate links?

    Any help would be appreciated, thank you so much!

    Reply

  54. Tiff at 18thavenuemom says

    You are such an inspiration to so many bloggers! Thank you for writing this post, and for being honest about the fact that blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Exactly – we have to take the time to learn how to monetize. The ones who just hit it off from the start are few and far between.

    Reply

    • Sara says

      Thank you for all this GREAT information. I have been researching and looking at info for blogging professionally. I plan to have my blog up and going shortly. I have done some blogging in the past, but only on blogger, so wanted to do my homework this time. I am so glad to have great sources like your blog for help. I have looked at Bluehost, but based on reviews, it actually does look like Siteground is slightly better, so I think I will try them (at least starting out). Thanks again and I look forward to more of your great content in the future. I hope you will check out my blog once it is up and going.

      Reply

  57. Karin says

    Hi Michelle, I’m a college student and this post really inspired me to start blogging! I’m really interested in starting a blog to earn extra money for college. Do you have any tips or suggestions on how I can start my own blog and earn money from it? Thank you so much!

    Reply

  58. Jenny says

    I loved this! So many good options and great info for each option =) I’ve been learning SEO and trying to figure out how to make the most of it!

    Reply

  59. Cedar and Cypress Designs says

    WOW! Thank you for sharing, this is some wonderful information. I took a few day and followed up with many of the websites you suggested. This blog was a great tool for me. I can’t thank you enough. Here’s hoping it turns into something!!! Many many thanks!

    Reply

  60. Erika says

    Hi. I recently created a new blog on bluehost with WordPress like you suggested in your free e-mail course. However, I am having trouble navigating WordPress and really figuring it out. Can I just use Weebly instead? I’m much more comfortable with their drag and drop features. Will it seem unprofessional and/or affect my ability to generate income? Thanks

    Reply

    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      I don’t recommend Weebly. WordPress is the top platform.

      It does get easier to manage. Once you’re done designing it too, you don’t really need to mess with it much because you’ll just be mainly writing afterwards on it.

      Reply

  61. Dan says

    This is awesome, thanks for taking the time to write it. Literally just started my own blog (www.MakingtheJourneytoWealth.com) to help me start planning for my family as i’m about to get married. This is a huge help.

    Reply

  62. Jess says

    Hi Michelle! I’m launching a book review blog on March 1, and while I’m not launching it purely for monetization purposes, I do want to earn money from my blog. I’ve heard that book blogs are the hardest to earn from, as there’s controversy around whether you should charge for reviews. Do you have any advice on that controversy specifically or on how to monetize a book blog? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      Hello,

      I don’t know anything about that specific controversy, but a book blog could make money through affiliate marketing (such as linking to the books), display advertising, paid book reviews (such as if the author asked you to review the book), and so on.

      Reply

  63. Bill says

    Thanks Michelle, great information! I am currently making my way through your affiliate course which also has tons of great info in it. I was wondering, do you think it’s better to start off making affiliate income through Amazon, or to try and set up relationships with each individual company? Or is it just a matter of judging it case by case?

    Reply

  64. Maria says

    Hi, do you recommend to use Wix.com instead of WordPress? … I have used both and Wix is easier to handle and prettier.

    Reply

  65. Natasha says

    Hi Michelle, wonderful blog! I am a photographer (mainly travel/studio) and have recently set up my website using Zenfolio (starflowerphotography.zenfolio.com) allowing clients to purchase direct (this is still a work in progress). I also wanted to add a blog to the website to help increase my income.

    I already have a free wordpress blog (starflowerimages.com) but I’m not sure if I should transfer my blog over to Zenfolio or switch to a paid wordpress site? Ideally I’d like to increase the traffic to my Zenfolio site to increase purchases as well as make money from blogging like you do, so would like to have it all in one place but WordPress doesn’t have the direct eCommerce setup for photographers like Zenfolio. Do you have any recommendations as I’d like to follow your tutorials to make money from blogging?

    thank you so much

    Reply

  67. The Savvy Couple says

    Talk about an EPIC post! Love the content on your website! Extremely helpful to learn from someone that has had so much success. We are spending between 3-5 hours a night after we get out of work, working on our site. We absolutely love blogging and should have started years ago. My goal (Kelan) is to become 100% self-employed this year.

    Thanks for putting out such amazing content. I am sure we are not the only bloggers benefiting from it.

    We run TheSavvyCouple.com a personal finance blog for Millennials. =)

    Reply

  68. Redopalooza says

    This is a very informative post of which I will make great use! Thank you so much for taking the time to break it down like this.

    Reply

  69. Kelly H says

    Thanks so much for this very informative post! I’m just starting a blog and am learning as I go! I bought my domain from google and they offer free service with blogger. I haven’t gone any further . I seen where you don’t recommend them and advice WordPress . My question is if I go though self hosting instead can I keep the domain I purchased through google?

    Reply

  70. Shalaria LeNoir says

    I just started a new blog last month and I was looking for tips on how to get started and actually succeed. In the past I’ve always given up before seeing any success,but this has motivated me to keep going and I’m now, for the first time blogging about things I enjoy and every time I sit down to write I actually look forward to it!

    Reply

  71. Whitney says

    All of this information is awesome!!! I recently started a food/oils blog and i’m excited to get started making money!! But I love what I’m doing, so i’m enjoying every stage of the blogging process 😊

    Reply

  74. Damn Millennial says

    Great information, I am going to bookmark this and try to slowly add more over time to my blog. When you were starting out how often were you posting content? One, two, three times a week? When you set up a Pintrest account can you set it up as your blog site? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      I didn’t start my blog to ever make money, so what I was doing doesn’t really matter if you are trying to make money right now, haha. I as publishing every day back then and that’s because I had different goals than you probably do.

      Reply

  75. Millye says

    LOVE!
    This was actually really helpful, with all the information about monetization and all! I’m starting my own blog, so I’ve been doing a LOT of reading lately. Sometimes I felt like I was just wasting my time, seeing other successful bloggers, I thought I’d never make it out there! But your story gave me a little spark that had gone missing for a while there 🙂 No wonder you are doing so well, you write really well and your blog is super helpful. I’m definitely saving this for later use, you helped a ton !

    Reply

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