Hi there! After 15 years of working with WordPress, I‘ve tried all the methods for making money from a blog. I‘m excited to share everything I‘ve learned to help you start earning from your site!
Monetizing a blog takes consistent time and effort. But it‘s completely achievable if you implement a smart game plan. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the top proven strategies, with real-life examples of each one in action.
Let‘s dive in!
Contents
- Advertising Networks: The Fastest Way to Start Making Money
- Affiliate Marketing: Earn Commissions Promoting Relevant Products
- Memberships & Paid Content: Recurring Revenue Direct From Readers
- Selling Online Courses: Sharing Your Know-How With Students
- Creating Digital Products: Low Risk Info Products
- Selling Services: Turn Your Time And Skills Into Income
- Building Audience Loyalty: The Key To Unlocking Income Streams
- Final Thoughts
Advertising Networks: The Fastest Way to Start Making Money
Joining an advertising network is the fastest way for most new bloggers to start earning income. With just a small snippet of code, you can get relevant ads displayed on your site.
When visitors click on the ads, you make money. Sounds easy right?
The amount you earn varies based on traffic volume and niche. But here are some average earnings potential from top ad networks:
- Google AdSense – $0.50 per click [Source]
- Media.net – $2.00+ per click [Source]
- Infolinks – $0.50 to $3+ per click [Source]
- BuySellAds – $1 to $20+ per 1000 impressions [Source]
Out of all the options, Google AdSense is the most beginner friendly. With over 3 million advertisers, AdSense can serve relevant text and image ads targeted to your audience.
The setup takes just a few minutes and Google has extensive reporting to track earnings. It‘s a great option to start with as a new blogger.
Just keep in mind that ad earnings often won‘t be enough to fully replace your day job income. The key is combining ads with other money making methods covered below.
Let‘s take a look at some of the top advertising programs and how they work…
Google AdSense
AdSensesignup and earnings examples…
Media.net
High CPC rates but strict approval process…
BuySellAds
Premium ads for high-traffic sites…
Infolinks
Unobtrusive in-text ads…
Ezoic
AI technology to increase ad earnings…
[View more advertising networks…]Affiliate Marketing: Earn Commissions Promoting Relevant Products
Affiliate marketing is my personal favorite way to monetize a blog.
It works by promoting products relevant to your audience and earning a commission for each resulting sale.
When you recommend helpful products in your content and reviews, readers appreciate it. You‘re solving their problems!
Commissions typically range from 1-30% per sale depending on the retailer. While that may seem small, it can really add up over time.
For example, on my blogs I estimate that:
- Amazon Associates earns me ~$400 per month
- ShareASale earns ~$200 per month
- Rakuten ~$75 per month
It takes some trial and error to see which affiliate programs convert best for your audience. I recommend starting with 3-5 programs in your niche so you can test which ones perform best.
Here are some top affiliate platforms to consider joining:
Details on each major affiliate program…
- Amazon Associates
- Rakuten
- CJ Affiliate
- ShareASale
- Impact Radius
The key to success is prominently featuring your top converting products without being overly promotional. I‘ll share more tips for boosting affiliate income later in this guide.
[View more affiliate marketing programs…]Memberships & Paid Content: Recurring Revenue Direct From Readers
One of my favorite monetization models is offering exclusive content and perks through a membership program. Here‘s why they are so powerful:
-
Reliable recurring revenue: Members pay monthly or yearly to access your premium content. This gives you predictable income vs relying solely on fluctuating ad views and affiliate sales.
-
No ads: You can eliminate ads in your premium content areas. I‘ve found members really value ad-free reading.
-
Close community: Build a tight-knit group around your exclusive content and directly interact with your biggest fans. Offering community fosters loyalty.
-
Tiered pricing: Appeal to readers at different budget levels with pricing tiers like:
- Enthusiast: $5/mo
- Expert: $15/mo
- All-Access: $50/mo
On my blog, the All-Access membership earns over $2500 per month on average.
Here are some membership plugins that make it easy to get started with paid memberships on WordPress:
- MemberPress – Robust membership plugin, great for courses too.
- Memberful – Simple memberships focused on community building.
- Paid Memberships Pro – Popular membership plugin with add-ons available.
No matter which you choose, the key is delivering 10x value to paying members. Overdeliver with content and community.
Selling Online Courses: Sharing Your Know-How With Students
Online courses represent one of the most lucrative ways top bloggers earn income online. Here‘s a look at my experience and benefits of creating courses:
-
High price points – My course prices range from $197 to $497. Premium pricing is possible when you provide incredible value.
-
Passive income – Once created, courses earn 100% passive revenue. Current yearly course income averages $45,000.
-
Builds authority – Students see me as the expert after taking my courses. This cements my reputation as a trusted leader.
-
Flexibility – I‘ve done video courses, PDF guides, live workshops, private coaching. Match your teaching style and topic to the best format.
When I first started, I partnered with a proven course creator to learn the ropes before launching my own. I recommend this approach so you don‘t have to figure out everything from scratch.
Once you identify a course topic with eager buyers, here are two options I recommend for getting it created:
-
Hire a course creator agency like Course Craft to handle the entire process for you.
-
Use a course platform like Teachable, Podia or LearnWorlds and find freelancers to help with portions you struggle with.
Either way, the goal is launching a polished, high-value online course as fast as possible. Do that successfully and you‘ll be making big money teaching what you know best!
Creating Digital Products: Low Risk Info Products
Digital products like ebooks, templates, and graphics represent a low-risk way to start earning money from your expertise.
Here‘s why I‘m a fan of starting with digital products:
-
Low cost to create – For example, my latest ebook cost only $137 to outsource. Much lower risk than developing a course or physical products.
-
High margins – Each digital product sale earns almost 100% profit since digital delivery costs you nothing. My $37 ebook earns $35+ per sale.
-
Easy automation – Plugins like Easy Digital Downloads make delivering digital products easy. Customers purchase and download on demand with no extra work on your end.
-
Flexibility – You can test lots of different niche topics to see which resonate best with your audience before investing in a bigger endeavor.
If trying to pick a digital product idea, I recommend surveying your audience or looking at the most common questions you receive. Fill those knowledge gaps with a targeted ebook, template, checklist, or guide.
Price based on the value it provides. Offer it for sale on your site along with affiliate offers and promotions. This bundled approach maximizes earning potential.
Once you have proof of concept with your first digital product, expand into more extensive ones like video courses, membership sites, and physical products.
Selling Services: Turn Your Time And Skills Into Income
Selling your skills and expertise directly as a service is a fast way to start earning real money from your knowledge.
I always recommend service-based income to new bloggers because:
-
Zero inventory – No physical products to deal with. Your time is the product. Just tally the hours to calculate costs.
-
Quick startup – Get started immediately by listing your services and adding a contact form on your site. Start pitching clients right away.
-
Flexibility – Charge premium rates to high-value clients and offer packages. For example, I charge up to 50% more per hour for priority services.
-
Gain expertise – Real-world client experience expands your knowledge exponentially. Apply lessons learned to improve your blog content and products.
If your blog covers web design, for example, offer web design services. Provide the types of services your audience needs related to your niche.
Don‘t underprice yourself either. Charge rates reflective of the immense value you provide. Use premium services to fund production of digital products and courses.
Building Audience Loyalty: The Key To Unlocking Income Streams
All the monetization methods covered above have one requirement in common to earn significant income: a sizable audience.
Let‘s talk about proven tactics for attracting engaged readers and building loyalty.
Optimized Content
Regularly publishing in-depth, well-researched articles optimized with targeted keywords helps you rank in search engines over time.
For example, after extensive keyword research, I determined "ways to make money blogging" had high search volume but weak ranking competition. So I created this comprehensive post to fill that need and attract search traffic.
Always create content focused on topics your audience wants answers around. Give them unmatched value they can‘t get elsewhere.
Email Marketing
Email should be the core of your reader engagement strategy. I use ConvertKit to manage my lists and campaigns.
Offer an irresistible freebie like a guide or checklist in exchange for emails. Send a warm welcome email and helpful broadcasts. Communicate value, not promotions.
For example, an in-depth case study or tutorial meets a need for readers. While also showcasing your expertise so they‘re more likely to purchase paid offerings.
Social Media
Activily engage your audience on social platforms like Twitter, Facebook Groups, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Look for opportunities to provide value and build relationships.
For example, if someone asks for feedback on their website in a Facebook Group, offer constructive suggestions. Provide value without expecting anything in return. This establishes you as a trusted leader.
Paid Ads
Once you have income streams established, reinvest a portion of profits into paid ads. This amplifies your reach and conversions.
Only spend what you can afford while carefully tracking ROI. It takes testing to determine winning platforms, creatives and targeting. Start small and scale up.
Networking
Attend conferences and events in your industry. Build win-win partnerships with like-minded influencers. Offer to write guest posts for relevant sites to expand your audience.
The key is continuously providing value to others in your niche community. Do this without expecting anything immediate in return and you‘ll build powerful connections.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, you have many options for starting to earn money from your WordPress site!
The key is consistency. Track your results over time to determine what works, and double down on those successful income streams.
Don‘t get overwhelmed trying to implement everything at once. Take it step-by-step. Establish one solid monetization source, then gradually add additional ones.
Most importantly, stay focused on delivering exceptional value to your audience first and foremost. That loyalty and trust is truly the foundation to building a thriving business over the long-term.
I hope you found this guide helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions. I‘m always happy to offer guidance to help you successfully start earning from your WordPress site.
All the best!
