Do you remember when you started a blog and made money easily?
In the beginning, it was that simple. You could even use a free platform like Blogger.com. And you could earn money by monetizing it with Google AdSense or promoting Amazon products.
However, things have changed since then. The competition has become tougher and the rules of SEO have evolved.
If you want to make money from blogging in 2023, you need to adapt your approach as well.
Here are 7 valuable pieces of advice from a blogger who earns a six-figure income.
Display adsYou can still make money by displaying ads on your blog.
Today, we have not only AdSense but also other options that I will mention shortly. However, in order to get paid, you need to join an ad network.
Here are the top three most popular ones:
1. Ezoic
2. Mediavine
3. Google AdSense
Bloggers say that you can make more money with Mediavine compared to the other two.
However, these networks have certain traffic requirements. If you’re just starting out, it’s unfortunate news…
You can’t join Google AdSense or Ezoic either.
Google AdSense has no traffic requirements, but they do require your blog to be of a certain age and follow all their guidelines such as having a contact page, etc. Make sure to check their rules before applying for an account.
While AdSense alone could provide a decent income 15 years ago, today it’s just a nice little bonus.
Other things are more important. And perhaps THE most important thing is to build an online community. With that, you have easy access to making money through other methods, such as affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is when you promote someone else’s product and earn a commission if someone makes a purchase.
It can be a nice additional income or even your primary source of earnings, depending on what you promote and how many sales you generate.
The commission rate is set by the vendor.
For example, Amazon offers around 5% commission depending on the product you promote. The advantage with Amazon is that if someone clicks on your link to buy a $2 hairbrush but ends up purchasing a TV as well, you will earn a commission for both items. However…
This only happens if your visitor makes another purchase on Amazon within 24 hours.
Nevertheless, some bloggers earn a good monthly commission just by featuring Amazon products in their blog posts.
Other vendors, particularly those selling digital products, may offer commissions of 50% or even higher.
You can sell these products, which are usually courses or eBooks, directly from your blog by writing reviews. And you can also market them to your email subscribers.
To be honest… that’s where the money is.
Sponsorship
You can receive sponsorships through certain portals.
You write an article with a link to someone else’s website and get paid. This used to be profitable, but due to Google algorithm changes, it’s not as lucrative anymore.
“It’s not worth the time,” says the six-figure blogger.
It’s essentially exchanging time for money.
Digital products
Now we’re in my area of expertise.
You can make money by offering digital products on your blog, such as:
eBooks
Mini guides
Audio downloads
Planners
Templates
Checklists
Notion templates
The idea is to create quick and concise versions of the above.
Then you test them by giving them away for free. If there is interest, great! You can expand them into paid, low-cost offerings.
If they sell well, you can take it a step further. Let’s say you created a $12 goal-setting planner and people love it. Now, you can develop a comprehensive course on the same topic and charge $297.
Online courses
Online courses are where the real money is.
As the blogger puts it, they are “the holy grail of making money online.” Listen to her, she’s right.
One of the ways I personally made money online was through a course.
People pay not only for the content but also for the personal interaction. Even if you don’t reply to comments, it helps them learn through various methods like reading, listening, and watching videos.
If you can create multiple courses, you’re in a good position.
Coaching and 1-on-1 services
Finally, the blogger recommends coaching or offering other 1-on-1 services.
They can be well-paid, but remember, it’s a trade-off of your time for money. If you enjoy doing it, go for it. If you dislike it, it’s not worth the money.
But before you start making money, you have to start somewhere.
7 Steps to Start from Scratch
Launch your blog (even if it’s not perfect)
Consistently create content
Sign up for relevant affiliate programs and create a freebie to understand what your audience wants. Then turn the freebie into a low-cost offering.
Transform an affiliate product or low-cost offering into an online course
Once you have traffic, consider incorporating display ads (don’t focus solely on this)
Continue publishing consistent and high-quality content
Create a new online course that makes sense as the “next best step”.
