How to make money from blogging
by Katie
Paterson in Make Money
Updated by Jess Aszkenasy
5 August 2020
Think blogging's just a hobby? Think again – it can
actually make you quite good money. Here's how to get started, find your niche
and turn your blog into a nice little money earner.
We'll be honest: blogging isn't the easiest way to make money.
But, the great thing is that anyone can do it, and it looks amazing on
your CV.
All you need is something interesting to say and enough patience and
dedication to build traffic and a following. But how do successful bloggers
make their money? We've interviewed a couple of them to reveal their
monetisation secrets.
Our guide gives you a concrete action plan to get your
blog off the ground and grow it into a profitable little business from home.
What's in this guide?
·
How to increase your blog
traffic
·
How to make money from blogging
·
Biggest monetisation challenges
Getting started with blogging can seem like a bit of a minefield, particularly
if you don't have much tech knowledge.
You have two main options when it comes to actually setting up a blog – you
can use a free blogging platform, or you can create your own website.
We'll take you through both, and outline their pros and cons, so you can make
the right decision for you and your blog.
1. Free blogging platforms
Credit: Universal Pictures
Best for: Casual bloggers
and those not interested in making money from their blog.
Pros: Super easy to
set up and completely free.
Cons: Limits on
customisation and video/image uploads, you often can't place adverts or use
affiliate links, you can't create a custom URL and the platform retains the
right to delete your blog.
A lot of platforms will allow you to set up a blog for free, and they're
super easy to use. If you're just wanting to blog casually at first, this could
suit you well.
But, free blogging platforms can be very limiting. You'll only
be able to customise to a limited extent, and your blog will have a storage
limit which could make it harder to upload large videos and images.
Another drawback is that your blog URL will be something like
'www.yourblog.wordpress.com' with the platform branding.
Most free blogging platforms also don't allow you to place banner adverts
or affiliate links on your site, which are key revenue streams for most bloggers.
However, if these things don't bother you, here's a quick rundown of the
best free online blogging platforms.
Best blogging sites
§ WordPress.com – This is a free basic
blog hosting service that's easy to use. You'll have to put up with WordPress
ads and branding unless you pay a monthly fee, and you can't put ads on your
site. There are also limited options for customisation and expansion.
§ Blogger – Google's free
blog hosting service, Blogger, is really simple to use. But, the customisation
and design options are very limited, and there aren't a lot of options if you
want to add new features.
§ Medium – With
Medium, the emphasis is on the writing rather than design, and it's used by
lots of journalists, writers and experts. It's a great way to share your work
with a particular community, but you can't run any ads and it's difficult to
create your own personal branding.
2. Create your own website
Credit: Kalamurzing - Shutterstock
Best for: Dedicated
bloggers and those looking to make money from their blog
Pros: Complete control
over design and customisation, your own custom URL and the ability to use
adverts and affiliate links how you like
Cons: You'll
have to pay – firstly for your domain name (URL) and then for hosting, but
we've got tips on keeping costs low.
If you're not particularly tech-savvy, the thought of creating your own
website might seem quite scary – but it's actually pretty easy to do, and you
can create one in just 20 minutes.
Save the Student's founder, Owen, has written an easy-to-follow,
step-by-step guide to show you how to start a website.
With your own website, you'll be able to create unique personal
branding (with your own URL), and there's no risk of your blog being
deleted by the platform – you'll own the site and be in complete control.
WordPress has an insane amount of templates or 'themes' for you to choose
from – take your time to decide on one which suits both your personality and
the topic of your blog.
Opt for something clear and simple, with space for large images
and easy-to-read fonts (Comic Sans and Courier fonts are no-nos).
Credit: ABC
This can either be the easiest or the hardest part of starting your blog.
The most important thing at this stage is to choose a niche which
you can call yourself an authority in – the biggest mistake new bloggers make
in such a crowded blogosphere is starting a blog without trying to do something
surprising or different.
For example, if fashion's your thing, instead of combining generic fashion
content, you could combine your love for clothes with your big-hearted concern for the environment by
blogging about environmentally-conscious designers instead?
These are the best ways to find a topic for your new blog:
1.
Look at other
blogs – This should be your first port of call. What's already
successful? And more importantly, what's missing? Find the gaps in the market.
2.
Use Google – What
are people searching for? Use Google suggested searches and auto-complete to
discover what people are looking for – if they're searching for it, that shows
there's a demand.
3.
Search forums
for common FAQs – When people can't find answers to their questions, they
go to forums. What are they asking? What do they need advice on? This will show
what people are interested in and what there's a lack of available information
on.
4.
Track current
trends – What topics are in the media right now? It's good to pick a topic
with longevity, but if you can piggy-back on a trend early on, you can quickly
establish yourself as an expert on it before anyone else. Searching
#journorequest on Twitter shows what
kind of themes journalists are currently reporting on.
5.
Think about
different types of content – Could you do tutorials/how-to guides?
Reviews? Interviews? Lists? It might not be what you write about, but how you write which
sets you apart.
6.
Identify your
own interests and passions – While all of the above are important, there's
no point in blogging about something you have zero interest in. You'll quickly
get bored and people will spot your lack of enthusiasm. Write about something
you really, truly care about.
Check out our extensive list of business ideas for you to try at
university – get your entrepreneurial juices flowing and
bring in some cash!
How to increase your blog traffic
Once you've created your website, come up with a kick-ass blog topic and
you've published your first posts, the big question is – where are all the
readers?
You can't just expect people to magically find your blog and start reading
it. You have to promote it!
Here are the best and easiest ways to get more readers for your blog:
1. Promote your blog on social media
Credit: NBC
As with any business nowadays, you're not likely to get noticed if you
don't have social media accounts.
We recommend setting up pages/accounts for your blog on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Snapchat and even LinkedIn (you're
essentially your own business anyway, right?). Design these accounts in a
similar colour scheme/theme to your blog so your brand is consistent and easily
recognisable.
Use them to share new posts and tag fellow bloggers/influencers/companies
who might share your content and help it to reach an even bigger audience.
You could also dabble in some paid advertising to help
your blog reach a wider audience, or run a competition to
generate more likes. Once you've got the followers, keep them interested by
posting on a regular basis (not just for new blog posts).
2. Connect with other bloggers
Make yourself known to other people who blog about similar topics. Despite
the fact you're technically a competitor, you're likely to be pleasantly
surprised by how supportive the blogger community can be.
Many bloggers even have a 'links' page on their site which
they use to link to loads of their friends within the community in return for a
link on your own blog. This will help massively with your SEO (that's
search engine optimisation – how likely your blog is to pop up in Google
searches).
If you engage with other bloggers and share their content, they'll likely
return the favour – you could even work on some collaborations!
3. Respond to news stories on your blog
Credit: Warner Bros
If something happens in the news which is related to your niche, get
involved. This is what we refer to as 'newsjacking' and it can work a
treat for getting you some great exposure.
For example, if you blog about cheap student cooking, keep an eye out for
things like the reveal of our latest Student Money Survey.
Students might spend an average of £100 a month on groceries, but you can tell
them how to spend less (while eating better food!).
You can get on social media to say your bit with relevant hashtags, get
involved in discussions and even reach out to journalists to say
you're available for comment.
If you're really great at owning your niche, journalists might even come to
you.
4. Create viral content
Creating viral content will help you reach a new market and, in turn,
increase your readership.
This might be easier said than done, but the key to creating viral content
is to tap into controversial or highly-discussed topics related
to your niche blogging field – as you can imagine, this often involves
newsjacking, as mentioned above.
As this is your niche, you'll be passionate, opinionated and knowledgable
about it, so you'll be able to post an opinion that people want to read, share
and talk about.
How to make money from blogging
Once you've got your blog up and running, you can (finally!) start looking
into ways to make a profit from it.
These are the best and easiest ways to make money as a blogger:
1. Use affiliate marketing on your blog
Credit: Tong_stocker – Shutterstock
Affiliate marketing works by adding tracked affiliate links into the text
of your blog. You can make a small commission every time a
reader clicks through to a site you recommend and makes a purchase.
The links will lead readers to the website of a brand, and the money you
receive is to say 'thanks' for sending some of your lovely readers to their
site.
Almost all online eCommerce websites have an affiliate program of some
sort, like Amazon, Topshop, ASOS and Apple.
Sign up to Affiliate Window –
a huge affiliate network where you can promote thousands of well-known brands
and services from around the world.
Money-saving blogger, Claire Roach from MoneySavingCentral, revealed:
We mainly use affiliate marketing as our main
source of revenue, although there's also Google AdSense on there for an extra
few pounds each month.
Affiliate marketing is a natural fit for many bloggers. As Ceri Jones
from ceriwrites.com suggested:
As a blogger, you're always recommending products
and services to your readers. A lot of companies offer affiliate programs so
it's really easy to find relevant programs to join and start earning
commission.
The key is to be authentic and genuine with affiliate marketing. Write
reviews and articles with your honest opinions and only
encourage your readers to buy something if you think it's a good product or
service for them.
2. Add banner adverts to your website
As a more visual way of advertising, you can sell banner advertising space
on your blog page to brands who relate to your readers.
Adverts can be placed anywhere, but they're commonly found across the top
of blog pages or in the sidebar.
You can earn income in one of two ways. CPC (cost per click) means you'll
get a set payment for every reader who clicks the advert, while CPM (cost
per thousand) means you'll negotiate a set payment for every 1,000
‘impressions’ the ad gets.
With the growth of AdBlocker plugins, the CPC and CPM can be low, but it
does depend on your industry, and there's little harm in trying them out.
A quick way to get started is creating an account with Google AdSense.
3. Write advertorials and sponsored content
Credit: TierneyMJ – Shutterstock
According to the bloggers we spoke to, one of the best ways of monetising a
blog is through offering sponsored content opportunities (or advertorials).
These are essentially adverts in the form of a paid-for article or blog post.
As an example, if Adidas brings
out a new swimwear line and you have a blog on women’s sportswear, they might
offer to pay you to write an article about their range. You may also be able to
add some affiliate links on top.
This monetisation method usually works best when you have a strong niche
audience. Once you’ve grown your readership, brands will often approach you
to discuss sponsored posts.
As Kenzie Harvey, from beauty, fashion, lifestyle and travel blog LemonaidLies said:
I have only ever had sponsored content
opportunities come to me though PR companies, either directly or through apps
like the Instagram agency Takumi.
4. Charge for sponsored social media posts
If you have a strong social media presence, you’ll be very attractive to
brands. Some people actually make their entire blogging income through
sponsored posts on social media. You
can charge per post/re-post and the fees can be surprisingly high.
You’ll just have to work hard on building your followers first – your
'social proof' (or how many people follow you on social media) is seen by
brands as evidence that readers will like what you post about them, too.
5. Write guest blog posts for media outlets
Credit: astarot – Shutterstock
Occasionally, members of the press (or even brands who have a blog of their
own) will reach out to you if you’re an authority on a certain topic, asking
you to make a little cameo appearance on their website.
If you’re particularly knowledgeable on cooking on a budget,
for example, a newspaper might get in touch and ask you to contribute some
budget-friendly recipes to their cooking magazine.
Don't be shy in pitching ideas to publications either – if editors don't
know who you are, a quick email intro is a great way of getting your blog's
name out there.
6. Work with an agency to build your blog
Believe it or not, blogging's become so popular in the advertising world
that there are now agencies exclusively catered to promoting bloggers to big
brands.
Working with an agency can be super lucrative and it offers you security,
but you’ll need to have a pretty decent following to be scooped up in the first
place.
Agency fees are also incredibly high, meaning only the biggest
brands will be able to afford to work with you, and smaller
independent ones will be scared off.
Depending on the kind of blogging business you're aiming for, this may or
not work to your advantage – to use the example of ethical fashion blogging
again, agency fees might prevent you from working with the small independent
designers you really want to promote.
7. Sell digital products on your blog
Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds – Shutterstock
If you have skills or advice to offer, another option is to charge a fee
for access to eBooks, video
tutorials, courses or workshops.
In order to make this option work, you need to be able to show you’re
extremely good at what you do, or that your content has proven to be incredibly
valuable. This isn't easy.
It can be pretty difficult to convince online communities to pay up,
as there's a tendency for people to think everything online should be free of
charge. Worth a try though, right?
8. Sell your blog's newsletter space
It's also an option to charge a brand for either advertising space or a
mention in your weekly/monthly newsletter (if you have one!). It'll take very
little time to do, and you could get a fair amount for it.
However, you’ll need to build up a decent size mailing list for
brands to consider this.
9. Get employers' attention as a blogger
Credit: NBC
Using your blog to promote your own business or even land
yourself a job is another (albeit indirect) way to make more cash with
your blog.
If you're one of the many students selling stuff online,
your blog is the perfect platform to promote what you have to
offer (although don't go in too hard, or you'll put
readers off).
You can also use your blog as a sort of online profile – you can build your
credibility on there, show your skills and hopefully get a good job out of it.
Think of it this way: your blog is like your own small business in itself,
and by showing potential employers that you can do this successfully, you're
showing that you've got an entrepreneurial mind, and know how to achieve
success with it.
For more ideas on how you can put your website to good use, check out these
20 ways to make money from a
website.
The biggest challenges when monetising a blog
Nothing worth having comes without hard work and a few challenges.
Be under no illusion that blog monetisation takes time. Many bloggers only
make pennies from monetising their blog each month – and this is after having
worked on their blogs for a while.
To have a chance of creating a full-time income through blogging, again,
you need to have multiple income streams from a selection of sources.
Monetising a blog takes time and relies on you having some traffic. The more
readers you have, the more attractive you are to advertisers.
Many bloggers decide to monetise quite early on in their blogging journey.
Blogger Urszula Makowska explained:
I started blogging [...] when I was in college. I
decided to monetize my blog because I was putting in a lot of time and effort
to create posts, paying photographers for shoots, and I also wanted to be a
blogger full time. I love blogging and I wanted to follow my passion to making
a full time career in blogging; it brought me happiness.
Another big challenge faced by bloggers is competition. Kelle,
from lifestyle website It’s Kelle’s Space,
suggested:
It’s a challenge competing with so many bloggers in
the same niche as me for opportunities; work for bloggers is quite scarce.
The blogging market is saturated with lots of aspiring bloggers fighting to
be seen. However, if worked on with dedication and consistency, it is possible.
Ceri Jones added:
Blogging is definitely a challenge because it takes
a lot of commitment and consistency to be able to monetise it properly. The
only thing I regret is not starting sooner.
I managed to make my first £50 in my first month of
monetising, and this month I’ve made just over £200. I’m now starting to be
contacted by companies for sponsored posts, so hopefully my monthly income will
continue to increase!
Can you really
make money from blogging?
As we have seen, the answer is yes! But how much money you can make from
blogging is variable. That's the nature of monetising a blog at the start,
however with time bloggers can do very well.
Monetising a blog takes time and relies on you having some traffic. The
more readers you have, the more attractive you are to advertisers.
To make a decent income from blogging, think about having multiple
streams of income coming in from different sources and through
different means.
Check out these super important tax facts –
they'll come in handy when you start making money from blogging.
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