Over 3 million blog posts were written today! Creating a blog is easy. But making a living from your blog is another story.
Can you still make a livable income from blogging in 2022? The game is different than it was. But it’s still possible to earn a living from your blogging business.
You’ll need patience and persistence. But if you do your research and follow the steps, you can have a successful blog.
Read on for more information about how to make a living blogging.
Traffic, Traffic, Traffic
There are bloggers making more than $10,000 a month. But the majority of bloggers don’t make any money at all.
Why is this? It starts with traffic generation. If no one reads your blog, you won’t make money. So, the first step in monetizing your blog is building readership.
How do you generate readership?
Ideally, you’ll write about a subject you’re passionate about. That makes writing easier. It helps if you’re an expert in the subject. If you’re an attorney, write about the law. If you’re a chef, write about cooking.
Once you’ve established yourself as a trusted expert, write posts that offer value to readers. For instance, free recipes or free advice.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Work on your search engine optimization (SEO).
If search engines don’t know your website or blog exists, then readers don’t know it either. A blog helps search engines discover your website as long as you post on a regular basis.
If you have an established service, adding a blog increases your traffic. When your readership grows, you can monetize. You won’t make much money without first having a large pool of reliable readers.
SEO for your blog includes a few major steps:
- Link to well-known and trusted websites
- Use “alt” tags on images
SEO is tough and takes time. Don’t get discouraged. Keep driving readers to your website and blog. That’s what makes you valuable to advertisers.
Share your blog posts across your social media accounts. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and LinkedIn are all great platforms for sharing your content.
Cost-Per-Click and Cost-Per-Impression Ads
Advertisements are one of the most common ways people make a living blogging. Cost-per-click ads (CPC) are sidebar banners. You’re paid every time a person clicks on the banner ad.
Bloggers also earn through “impressions.” These are cost-per-impression ads (CPMs). An impression is a person viewing your ad. Some bloggers get a fixed fee per a specific number of impressions.
Google AdSense is a great example of CPC and CPM ads. With the Google program, you place a banner on your site. Google places relevant ads based on your content.
When a reader clicks on the ad, you earn money.
Affiliate Links
Affiliate marketing through links is another monetizing tool for bloggers. Advertisers pay you when someone buys a product from a link on your blog. The link has a tracking code so the advertiser knows the buyer came from your site.
Look for products that are a good match for your blog content. The best way to use affiliate links is to incorporate the link organically into your blog content. But you can use banner ads as well.
Amazon Associates is an affiliate marketing network. There are many other affiliate networks.
Always disclose affiliate marketing to your readers. It’s a legal requirement. But being honest with your readers maintains their trust.
Private Advertisements
You can also sell private ads. When your readership gets big, advertisers may approach you unsolicited. In this case, set your own rates for placing ads. There’s no middleman like there is with affiliate marketing.
You can use banners, buttons, links, or post content in private ads. You can write entire posts that are sponsored by an advertiser.
But be careful. Your readers come to your blog for a specific type of content. Don’t drive them away because you’re so busy monetizing.
Sell Your Own Digital Products
Once you’re a trusted blogger, develop your own digital products. Write an eBook or create an online course. Ask your readers what types of information they’d find most useful. Then create the book or workshop based on their answers.
Sell your products at a reasonable price, and a good percentage of your loyal readers will buy them.
If you want your blog to be profitable, it needs to be a valuable resource for others. That doesn’t mean you can’t monetize an inspirational blog. But readers must find value in reading what you write.
Content Marketing
Blogs are also great content marketing tools. Do you already have a product or service? Increase your sales through blogging. Blogging drives traffic to your website.
If readers gain valuable information from your blog posts, they’ll come to you when they need the type of product you’re selling.
Can I Make a Living Blogging Soon?
The truth is, it’s not easy making a living blogging. It takes work and dedication. It also takes some time establishing yourself as a trusted source and building your readership.
But making a living blogging is possible. The Internet isn’t going away anytime soon and blogs aren’t either.
For the majority of people, it’s probably not a good idea to quit your day job. But if you blog on a consistent basis and build your readership, you might find you need to quit your day job.
How to Make a Living Blogging
Now you know how to make a living blogging! Blogging for a living isn’t easy, but it’s definitely possible.
Start with a blog with your own unique URL. Build up a readership through SEO. Once you have a significant readership, you’re ready to sell ads or place affiliate links.
Always keep your readers in mind. They won’t come back unless you’re offering them value. Are you ready for your own blog? Get started here.
