How to Earn Money from a Blog or Website

There are so many blogs out there that are absolutely incredible…and most may rarely, if ever, make it up the ranks of the tortuous Google SEO…but that’s a topic for another day…Today, we’re going to go over the basic options you have so that you can earn revenue from your blog.

At the end of this post, there is a very important tip that I wish had been drilled into me before I started!

Is it a blog or a website?

The first thing you have to figure out is if you’re going to create a blog, or a website. What’s the difference, you ask? Well, sometimes there is a fine line between the two…a blog, technically is a website, but not all websites are blogs. Sometimes, a blog is created as a personal journal, or family history. In that case, earning money is not goal, and likely not even a consideration. Let’s look at two ways to view the same subject matter: Dogs.

A blog about dogs, or a dog/dog family is going to be written from more of a personal point of view, and often include posts that read much like journal entries. You’ll read about the adventures and antics and overall care of a specific dog, or the dogs in the same household. You’ll get to know the dog(s) on a more personal level.

The blog can, of course, be a wonderful source of information – but a main focus is for the reader to get to know and connect to the writer. That doesn’t mean that a blog can’t earn money – in fact, that personal connection is often what can make a blog successful. The writer can share health concerns with their pet or breed, product recommendations, etc…see where I’m going?

A website, in contrast, is much more focused on a singular topic. Such as, say, a specific dog breed or overall pet care and health. You’ll find dog specific information, referral links, and expert advice. You can, of course, include a blog on your website. Just ensure that it focuses on the subject matter of your website.

Let’s compare potential titles for posts about dogs on a website vs. a blog:

If your primary goal is to earn money, and you’re really not interested in personal connections or story telling, then what you really want to go with is a website. The good news is, whichever you choose, you can use the same methods to earn income from your site.

Here are some of the options for earning income:

1. Advertisements. These can be automatically generated through an add service, your host provider, etc., or you can (eventually) actually sell add space. This option will come later, once your site is well established. When you’re just starting out, this may be as simple as placing your own ads for affiliate links by creating a photo with a link or inserting an Amazon Affiliate link. For example, I’d love for you to check out these beautiful, unique hair accessories from Lilla Rose, so I’ll place a photo here that you can click to explore! You can also simple place a graphic leading people to another post on your site – this will help to boost your site traffic and SEO rankings.

2. Affiliate links. It seems every company on the planet has affiliate links now…of course, the most common is Amazon. Don’t plan on relying on Amazon to earn your millions, fyi. (we will talk about that later, as well.). An affiliate link can come from anything from your phone provider, to a beauty product company, to service or app you use. Really, if the company has affiliate link, and it’s a product that meshes with your brand, grab you a link and make sure to use it on your site! One warning – MANY companies will offer ‘affiliate links’ for you to refer people to their sites – if you have to buy something in order to get that link and you only get ‘shopping credit’ or discounts for referrals, you’ve been click baited. Now, if it’s a brand you LOVE and you WANT those discounts are credits, go for it. Just be aware of the fine print before you purchase products to get a so-called affiliate link. We’ll go more in depth on this topic another day. Just know, that done correctly, you can absolutely earn a significant income from affiliate links.

3. Influencer Marketing, otherwise known as sponsorships. Once you have built up a following companies will actually pay you to share, review, write about…etc…their products! Yes, it’s doable! You might start by accepting opportunities to receive free products in exchange for reviews and giveaways. This will build up your ‘resume’ of sponsored marketing.

4. Giveaways. Companies, big and small, will actually pay you to review their product and host a giveaway. If you’re going to do this, do it well. You might, eventually, even have a team of writers to review certain categories of products. Some sites are dedicated, primarily, to reviews and giveaways.

5. Direct Sales. I know, you just cringed a little, right? Think of direct sales as falling in the same category as affiliate marketing – you share the product, and a personal shopping link – you earn commission. We’ll dig more into this later: How to choose a reputable company, reviewing compensation plans and costs, and income potentials. If you’re not interesting in signing up, you can always host a personal shopping link to earn product. This would work very well with a product review.

6. Write what you know. Is there a topic that everyone knows you’re the lay expert on? Or maybe you even have a formal education and/or training in a certain field? If that’s something you love, and can write well, focus on that. The more focused and ‘niche based’ your site, the better. You’ll notice that my site is not entirely niche focused – I’m ok with that, and understand the issues with that. I also understand the realities of my goals and work habits. If I were to lock myself into a niche, I would lose my mind. You have to decide what will work best for you in the long run. If you’re building a website rather than a blog, you DEFINITELY want to lock into a niche. Also, your writing doesn’t necessarily have to be formal – especially if it’s a blog! Use your unique voice and skills to create your own amazing space. Trying to be someone you are not – well, that’s just exhausting and not sustainable.

7. Services. Think coaching other bloggers, proofreading, writing articles for other blogs or websites, managing social media, or even becoming a virtual assistant. So many options here! Again, we’ll dig in a little deeper on future posts.

8. Digital Products. Do you love creating forms, graphics, or branding materials? Many small businesses struggle with branding themselves, and their profile images, etc., can be all over the place! It took me, for example over a year to get my ‘brand’ looking the way I wanted it, and to have it show consistently across platforms. If this is something you’re good at, create templates or designs that can be purchased. You can sell them directly from your blog, or through services like Square, Etsy, Shopify, TeeSpring, etc.

9. Physical Products. Are you a maker or crafter? Sell your own products on your site! Or, at least, embed your shop into your site. That can be as simple as utilizing Instagram or Facebook shop tools, or embedding your shop from the site/platform you are utilizing. If you sell on PoshMark, for example, you can place links to your shop or products.

10. Viral Content. Are you really funny? Are you great at make up or hair tutorials? Have the best pet advice on the planet? Can you teach people how to build or fix things? Consider YouTube or TikTok. Create videos there to complement the articles on your site. They can easily be embedded, and also stand alone on those platforms to eventually earn income. If you plan to focus on, or even regularly utilize, video content, you’ll really want to invest in great equipment and software. This absolutely doesn’t have to break the bank. A desk lamp with a piece of paper taped on it makes a great filtered spotlight, and daylight is your bestie.

And there you have it folks! Ten options for making money from your website or blog. We’ll be digging deeper into these topics in coming weeks, so be sure to subscribe to #MondayMotivation so you don’t miss the posts. As they are posted, each article will appear by clicking HERE to see all of the Blogging Income Posts. Alternatively, check out all of the #MondayMotivation posts by clicking the button below.

Are you ready for that one tip that might be a game changer for you? That one thing that I really wish someone had told me before I started? Here it is (hear me now, believe me later!):

DO NOT PUBLISH YOUR SITE UNTIL YOU HAVE WRITTEN YOUR FIRST THIRTY POSTS!

Income School

I’m afraid I can’t tell which video, specifically, I heard this from – but I learned it from a YouTube Channel Called INCOME SCHOOL. This team is definitely worth following if you’re planning to build a site. Why this advice? It will give your site some immediate credibility and searchability. Also, instead of floundering through your first few posts, you will have some time to find your groove, your style, and ensure that things flow together nicely without having to constantly adjust your site template or design settings.