How Do Bloggers Make Money?

If you read this post, you know I am celebrating my 1-year blog relaunch anniversary this week.

Over the past year as I have been more active with my blog, I have had several people ask me “How do bloggers make money?”. I totally understand the curiosity but it feels a little awkward to try to explain this, to be honest. There are so many ways bloggers make money and it’s not a simple, straight forward answer. Depending on how long someone has been blogging and what they blog about, the answer will vary.

I have been thinking about how to best answer this question. I am definitely not an expert and I still have so much to learn about blogging. But today, I am sharing three of the ways I have learned to make money as a blogger.

this post contains affiliate links.

HOW DO BLOGGERS MAKE MONEY?

1. Ads. There are several different ad networks that a blogger can join to place ads on their blog. Each ad network is different and they all have their own requirements for joining and how they pay. Some networks will work with smaller bloggers with low traffic. And some ad networks will only work with established bloggers who have more traffic (usually 25,000+ sessions for at least 3 consecutive months). Within each ad network, there are typically 2 different types of ads; Cost Per Click (CPC) and Cost Per Thousand (CPM). CPC is exactly what it sounds like- the blog will earn a commission every time a reader clicks on an ad displayed on their blog. CPM is a rate the blog will earn for every thousand impressions an ad gets. So, if an ad network pays $4.00 CPM, you will be paid $4.00 for every 1,000 times that ad is viewed. Each ad network has different rates for CPC and CPM but obviously, the more traffic a blog has the more money it will earn.  The networks that require more traffic to join pay significantly more than the networks that accept blogs with lower traffic. Ads are a relatively easy way to earn money because, after the initial set up, you don’t really have to do anything else. They will automatically update and usually start to earn income soon after they’re added to your blog.
2. Affiliate Marketing. Affiliate marketing is another great way for bloggers to make money. The way affiliate marketing works is very simple. When a blogger recommends a product to their readers, they use a special, trackable affiliate link. When the reader clicks on that link, and if they decide to purchase that product, the blogger will earn a commission from that entire sale. Like the ad networks, each affiliate program has its own set of criteria before accepting a blogger into the network. Affiliate programs have strict rules the blogger must follow in order to receive a commission. Shopping through affiliate links is the easiest (and really super appreciated!) way to support a blogger. Affiliate marketing has been my main source of income from blogging so far. And it is my favorite way to earn income because I am linking to products I genuinely love and think you’ll love, too. So when you see something a blogger recommends and you think to yourself “I’ll pick that up the next time I’m out”…maybe consider ordering it through their link instead. It doesn’t cost you anything, and you’ll be supporting the blogger.
3. Sponsored Posts. A sponsored post is when a company pays a blogger to write about their brand or a specific product. There are several ways a blogger can get a sponsored deal. There are networks a blogger can join to sign up for sponsored content opportunities. Brands will reach out to a blogger or some bloggers have a manager that will get them sponsored post opportunities. Or a blogger can pitch their idea for a collaboration directly to the brand. Sponsored posts can be tricky because of the brands’ requirements as well as the legal stuff involved. But, depending on the size of the blog and the brand, sponsored posts can earn bloggers thousands of dollars per post!

So, there you have it…three easy ways bloggers make money.

Make sure you check out this post for more about my 1 year blog anniversary and the giveaway I am hosting over on Instagram. Again, thank you so, so much for your support over the past year. Shopping through my links, sharing my blog posts, or sending me sweet messages mean so much to me!

Photos: Megan Higgins Photography