Wait… Can you still make money from blogging in 2023? Yep. That’s the short answer. But the competition out there is tough, and it’s getting tougher. But… If you can start a blog in a niche that you’re obsessively passionate about, one that isn’t too saturated, where you can build a decent audience, then you can make a cool $1000 per month, or more, from blogging. Especially as a freelancer! It all counts, right?
In the past, I’ve been reluctant to write about making money from blogging, primarily because I wasn’t ready to.
I’ve seen far too many bloggers and entrepreneurs jumping on the bandwagon, writing about how to make money from blogging when some are yet to earn a dime from their blogs. I didn’t want to become one of those bloggers.
Sharing advice on making money from blogging, especially as a freelancer, and especially if you haven’t made much to rant about, should be a crime.
I’ve not always been a web designer, I started as a blogger. I’ve been blogging since 2010, so I’ve seen my fair share of bloggers beating to the same rhythm about making money from blogging. It’s all the same.
I would say, as of right now, that I’m in a comfortable position to write and share my thoughts and experiences on earning an income from blogging.
I’ve been earning from my blog since around 2012, so hopefully, I have something valuable and new to share with you on the subject. I’m an old-school marketer, so some of my tactics are not likely to work today, just be warned. Let’s get started.
Is making money from blogging every blogger’s or freelancer’s dream?
Errr, no I don’t think so.
Not every blogger is on a mission to turn their content into an income-generating machine, and I’m perfectly fine with that.
For those who are interested, however, earning a steady income from blogging is a fulfillment that few successful bloggers get to experience. As I already said.
But, when I say a few bloggers, on the whole, most bloggers earn some kind of income from their blogs regardless.
A survey carried out by ProBlogger about twenty-seven million years ago found that just 7% of bloggers (ProBlogger readers) made between $500 to $999 per month.
It’s an old statistic because I can’t be bothered to find a recent one. Still, it’s quite interesting don’t you think?
You’re probably reading this thinking: Crikey, what’s this dude’s problem, sharing outdated content and statistics…
Nothing. I’m just bored of writing content that panders to Google’s needs or guidelines or whatever else, so there. Hopefully, you’re a human reading this and not some AI bot…
Anyway… back to the topic of this post…
I can vividly remember the day I earned my first $27 back in 2011 with my first blog, and the feeling overwhelmed me.
It came through as an affiliate referral/sale. It didn’t happen overnight though, I earned that commission sale from a review that I had carefully written many months after I started my blog.
And, although it wasn’t much money at the time, it was enough to light a fire in me to want to learn more about blogging and creating a steady income from affiliate marketing.
I’ll be the first to admit, updating this post now in late 2023, that it hasn’t been easy over the years, and so many things have changed:
I started many blogs and also ended many blogs.
I’d like to think that I put in a lot of work, and made plenty of mistakes along the way. And even now, almost 13 years later, I’m still not quite making what most would consider a full-time income from my blog. But it’s enough.
This is important to remember:
What you need to know is that there are never any real guarantees from blogging or online business. There are many factors to consider before turning a blog or a freelance business into a profitable venture. That said, it’s not impossible either.
I think anyone can earn something from their blogs or websites, be it just $100 a month or a cool $1000 a month, or maybe even more.
What you’ll need to make $1k per month from your blog
Before you even start to make any income from blogging, you need to have a blog. Obviously. Your platform works best, rather than using a third-party platform.
It doesn’t have to be WordPress, but WordPress seems to be the go-to platform for bloggers, and it has been for Donkey’s years.
If you’re reading this for the very first time, and you don’t have your blog set up yet, here’s what you got to do –
- Get some reliable hosting. I started my journey with Bluehost, however, these days I use and recommend SiteGround.
- Install a great-looking theme. I recommend building a custom theme from scratch using a website builder tool like Bricks Builder. If you don’t know how to do this, I have a beginner-friendly course to teach you how here.
- Start writing great content. Create a content schedule and stick to it for six months or more. Write as many high-quality articles as humanly possible. I use and recommend CoSchedule for creating and scheduling blog content.
Notice how I haven’t mentioned traffic. That’s because traffic usually comes from writing great content. You don’t have to chase after visitors to beg them to visit your blog. Create amazing content and the traffic will come.
Now, of course, that’s just the start of it. You also need to possess a few positive attributes –
- Patience. This is the big one as plenty of people today lack patience. We’ve cultivated a society for being ‘impatient’, and technology is partly to blame. Blogging will not give you instant gratification. It is not a quick fix to your financial problems so don’t expect quick results.
- Smart work, not hard work. If you are smart about how you spend your time working on creating income from your blog, you can achieve your goals quickly. If you can combine smart work with hard work, then even better.
- A plan. Most folks start to jump straight in without having a plan. Start a blog, add some content, throw up some ads and you’re done, right? Nope, it doesn’t work like that. You need to set realistic goals, set milestones, build a community, do your research, and educate yourself much more.
Blog design and personal branding
Sadly, blog design is often an afterthought when building a profitable blogging business. The thing you have to remember is that the content counts, but how your content is presented is equally important.
As a blogger, you’re not just trying to get your content noticed, but you’re also trying to build a brand that’s personal to you and one that people will remember.
If your blog uses some uninspiring or generic theme or worse looks the same as everyone else’s blog, then what’s going to differentiate you from every other blogger? Your blog needs to look unique and stand out.
You don’t need to be a web designer or developer to create a great blog design. There are plenty of tools you can use such as website builders like Bricks Builder or Oxygen Builder.
Earning an income from my blogs
So, how am I earning income from my blogs?
I’m more of a freelancer and content creator than I am a blogger. But blogging got me where I am today. And blogging is still a huge part of my online strategy.
I used to run several blogs in the past and each one earned a certain amount of income. Recently I decided to consolidate the content of those blogs here at FVM since most of the blogs were in similar niches.
So as of 2023, I earn income predominantly from this website/blog at Fabrizio Van Marciano dot com. And yes, freelancers can earn income from blogging. That’s essentially how it all started for me.
Passive income, as in affiliate marketing, actually makes up 35 to 40% of my overall monthly income.
60% now comes from providing services as a website designer, front-end web developer, and content creator through various connected channels, such as my YouTube channel.
I’m OK with this because I’m equally passionate about my freelance and content creation business as I am about blogging for my business.
It’s OK to have multiple passions, it’s what being an online entrepreneur is all about, right?
But, of course, I know what’s really on your mind. You want to see proof that my blog is earning me some money!
Of course, you do.
Show me the proof that you’re earning at least $1k per month from your blog, Fabrizio.
OK, so here goes nothing.
I make an average of $1.5k each month from my blog and, I have done so for the last few years. Not a huge share of revenue, mind you, but it’s a comfortable stream of income for me.
My income has not grown in the last few years in all honesty. It did decrease a little bit during the pandemic, but it has since recovered nicely.
I want to share a quick breakdown of my blog-only income for the last 30 days – Recently updated (1st February 2023 – at the time of updating this post) –
Affiliate Marketing
- Payhip Partner Program – $328.12
- Selfy E-commerce Solutions – $303.38
- Thrive Themes – $155.25
- Fiverr.com – $252.21
- Kinsta Hosting – $2.55
- WPCodeBox – $32.04
- Shareasale – $3.52
eBook + Course Sales
- Ultimate Pro Blog Planner – $24.00
- Online Course Sales – $397
Services
- Website consultancy and design – $180
Total – $1,678.07
The figure above excludes income earned from AdSense for YouTube which is usually around $70+ per month.
Once again, some months, I can earn a little more than the amount shown above, and some months I can make just under $1,200. It can vary dramatically. But generally, I average $1.5k+ per month from my blog.
Important note: I’m sharing this mini-report with you so that you can hopefully appreciate that I am being honest with my earnings. I’ve also included some screenshots for you to view.
Now, let’s get started.
Do you have decent content and traffic?
I’ll assume that you have a blog with some decent-quality content and an adequate amount of traffic. In addition, I’ll assume you have a respectable-sized audience to cater to.
What are your growth and revenue goals?
Don’t be confused by this question. This is so important!
Rather than aim for what might seem to be an unattainable $1000 a month income goal, you should try and break it down into monthly goals, perhaps starting from wherever you’re currently at.
For instance, if you already make $200 a month from your blog, make it your goal to earn $250 or $300 the next month or the month after. If you are starting from zero, make it your goal to earn $50 in the first few months.
Ways in which to generate income from your blog
Now the fun part begins. How can you start to make $1000 per month from blogging?
As already outlined, you must set some goals, and slowly make your way up to your $1k per month goal. Assuming you’re not making $1k already, of course.
Remember, there are no guarantees that any tactics listed in this post will work for you, so don’t set your expectations too high. They have worked for me, so I hope what I share with you, will help you make at least a little more money from your blog. But most importantly, just take your time and have fun with the process.
Critical factors
Some other factors you should also consider before monetizing your blog are audience type, and how engaging your readers are with your content. In other words, how often your readers are commenting on your posts, or sharing your content on social media?
That being said, having lots of blog comments does not mean you will succeed at earning income from your blog, and neither does how many times your posts get shared. But you should use these engagement metrics to determine how you’re going to monetize your content.
OK, let’s get started on monetization tactics.
#1. Promote affiliate products
The simplest way to start generating income from your blog is by promoting third-party products and services.
Now, when I say it’s the simplest, I don’t mean it’s the easiest. I’ve said this many times before. You still have your work cut out when it comes to affiliate marketing.
You first need to find plenty of great quality and trusted products and services that you can write genuine reviews about, as well as create video tutorials, and start promoting them on your blog.
If you can’t think of anything to review or write about, consider all of the tools you’re presently using for growing your blog. These could be –
- The WordPress theme or builder tool.
- The hosting provider you are using.
- Any premium plugins you purchased.
- Any productivity tools you’re subscribed to and using, etc.
Remember, if you’re just starting, you’re not going to see any considerable income at first from your reviews and content.
Search engines take time to rank content and product reviews, but the traffic will start to increase over time.
Once you’ve written your reviews and created your tutorial videos, sit tight and wait for your first few affiliate sales to come through.
Better still, focus on promoting your reviews on social media and through other mediums and platforms. And, continue producing great quality content in the form of more reviews, guides, tutorials, and walkthroughs.
One last thing I want to say about writing reviews is: DO NOT SELL. Don’t come across as a salesperson. Instead, focus on how using a particular product or service is helping you to overcome a problem with your blog. What is the solution you’re benefiting from?
#2. Sell private advertising space
Another great way to help you make $1k each month is to sell some advertising space to targeted advertisers.
You will need a few critical ingredients for this to be successful. Plenty of targeted traffic, and having a large reader/subscriber base will help a lot.
Perhaps make a list of your big traffic posts and add a banner to each one telling visitors this space is available for advertising. You’ll need to create some kind of PDF portfolio or page for your prospects to learn more.
Check out this detailed blog post over on WPBeginner on how to sell ads on your blog, it’s super informative.
#3. Publish sponsored blog posts
Accepting sponsored content on your blog can also be very profitable, however, you need to be super careful and smart about the kind of content you choose to publish.
Accepting sponsored posts is more or less the same as selling private advertising space. The only difference is that it’s a lot more contextual and long-form. In other words, the content plays the role of advertisem*nt.
Even though, you still want the content of the sponsored post to be relevant, helpful, valuable, and not just filled with sales marketing cr*p riddled with links to client websites and sales pages.
Check out this interesting post to learn some truths about sponsored posts.
Depending on your niche, amount of traffic, and targeted readers, you could charge anything from $50 up to $100 or more for a sponsored post. Make sure you set your fees and stand by them. Companies are known to haggle down the price of sponsored posts. If you believe in the value of your website, the traffic, reader base, then stick by your sponsored post fees.
#4. Sell digital products
This is my favorite way to earn income from my blog/website. I have one eBook that I sell. And I also have my online courses which generate 50% of my monthly blog revenue.
If you’re looking for ways to sell your products online, I recommend creating and marketing an online course.
Did you know that the eLearning market surpassed USD 315 billion in 2021?
Information-based products are a lot easier and cost-effective to produce, especially when compared to coding up a piece of software or application to sell.
There’s a little bit of work needed upfront, such as market research before you decide on creating something that your target customer wants and needs. But once you figure that out, the world’s your oyster.
I’ll be honest with you, I did very little research before creating my online courses. That was because I was inundated with email requests to create an online course to teach web design using a specific set of online tools and methods.
Sometimes, you don’t need to do research, your audience will tell you what they want.
#5. Provide a service or consultancy
If you have a particular skill that could be valuable to others, don’t be afraid to polish it up, wrap it up, market it, and sell it on your blog and social media as a service.
It could be something simple like creating custom featured images for blog posts, or something more complex like writing and editing website copy, website maintenance, web dev development, bookkeeping, etc.
If you’ve been following my blog for some time, you will know that in 2014 I started providing services in web design and website development.
This venture took off very quickly only because there was a need for the services that I provided using a specific set of tools for creating websites, i.e. WordPress, Thrive Themes, Oxygen Builder, and eventually Bricks Builder, and so on.
#6. Display network ads
Finally, we get to using network ad platforms like Google AdSense to display ads on your blog.
This is another very simple way to monetize and earn an income from any blog or website with decent content and lots of traffic.
Yes, the amount you earn will depend greatly on your industry and traffic. In many cases, unless you have a blog that generates hundreds of thousands of page views each month, AdSense might not make sense to use due to its low income. In addition, it can make your site look spammy as you have little control over what types of ads appear on your site.
Whilst this is an option for you, I no longer use AdSense for content. I do use Adsense for YouTube, and I think that’s where it should be kept.
Wrapping up
So, there you have it, I hope I’ve given you some things to consider to help you monetize your blog effectively, and help you make $1,000 per month if you’re not already doing so.
It’s not going to be easy, it takes time and a bit of smart work, but you can do it. And, of course, there are plenty of other legitimate ways to make money from your blog that we’ve not covered here.
One last critical tip
I want to share with you one last tip, and that is to never create or rely on a single income stream with your blog. For example, you are successful with promoting a single affiliate product that earns you $2,000 per month, and you call it a day. You have to branch out and create multiple income streams, no matter how big or small it is.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links to various products and services that I use and recommend. If you click on one of these affiliate links and make a purchase, I may be paid a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your continued support.
