Whether you are considering starting a blog or have been at this for a while, there is one question that all bloggers want to know the answer to – how do I make money with my blog? There are so many ways to monetize your blog out there. It can be hard to decide which to try and which will be worth investing your time into. I have been doing this for a couple of years now, and have tried a handful of methods to make money blogging. Here are 25 ways to make money blogging that I have found worthwhile. Not a blogger? Give this post a look anyway! There are many ideas here that can make you a little extra cash through social media as well.

*Please note – this is a money making blog! Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate or referral links. See sidebar for my full disclosure.

Getting Started

If you are new to blogging, the concept of monetizing your blog may be entirely overwhelming. There are so many options out there from ways to monetize your blog to brands that you want to work with. Take your time, focus on each collaboration, and see what works for you. Every writer is different, every blog is different, and every business is different. Find what works for you, and stick with that.

Growing Your Business

Remember that if you want your blog to pay like a business, you have to treat it like a business! Have a brand in mind for yourself, and make sure that you focus on that. Don’t let the goal of making money take away from what you are creating. You need your readers to trust you if you want to be successful with your business. If you want more of my tips on how to grow your blog and brand yourself, check out this post here next.

Monetizing Your Blog

So let’s get down to it – ways to make money blogging. As I said, there are so many ways that a blogger can monetize, that it can be hard to decide where to start. I have tried several money-making strategies on my blog in the last couple of years. Some have worked a little bit, some have worked very well, and some have just taught me where to not spend my time. All of the suggestions here are ways that I personally have been able to make money utilizing.

There are four main ways that I have used to make money blogging – ads, affiliate programs, sponsored content, and referral links. I will explain each a little bit and suggest specific ways to use each to make money in the list below.

25 Ways to Make Money Blogging

Ads

Ads are the most basic way that online companies make money. We’ve all seen them, and for the most part all know how they work. Having those little automatic images on your blog can be a very easy (set-it-and-forget-it) way to start getting some change trickling in. Unless you have high traffic, know that it will likely just be change trickling in.

FOMO – FOMO is great. It’s simple, easy to start, and they don’t have a payout threshold, so you get paid each month no matter how much or how little you make.

Adsense – Google Adsense is one of the most common ad services that you will see on the internet. They’re everywhere! It can be a little confusing to set up, but they have tutorials and guides to help get you going. There’s a $100 payout minimum, which means that it may take a while to get a check…but when you do, it will be a nice payout.  

Affiliate Programs

Affiliate programs are another very common way to make money with a blog or website. You include links to products or websites in your content, and you receive a commission if someone clicks your link before making a purchase. Some programs will let you share links directly on social media as well – make sure to read terms when you join an affiliate program.

Amazon – The Amazon Affiliates Program is probably one of the most common programs you will see bloggers using. It’s really great because you can link to just about anything that your reader could ever want! The downside is that conversions can be hard since it is such a common program. The person who was clicked last gets the affiliate income.

Night In Boxes –  Night In Boxes is a really fun program to be a part of. They give you the guidelines that you need to meet, and if you do, they will send you a free box each month! Plus the affiliate commission is 10% on purchases made through your links, and they offer giveaways for your readers. If you want to see an example collaboration with Night In Boxes, check out my post here. 

Target – Target is a very common affiliate program in the mommy blogger circle. If you love Target, check it out on Impact Radius.

Shareasale  – Shareasale is an affiliate network – they work with the brands to connect bloggers with links and ad content. Their merchants include: Earth Mama, Project Nursery, Tailwind, Dockatot, Gerber, Cricut. I like that Shareasale allows you to share links on your blog or directly on social media including Pinterest. 

Impact Radius – As I mentioned, Target is a part of the Impact Radius network. Other merchants include: HelloFresh, Ibotta, AirBnB, Carter’s, Kohls, UberEats

Pepperjam  – Another affiliate network with merchants including: PinkBlush, Bombas, Burlington

Sponsored Posts

The biggest way that I have made money so far with my blog is through sponsored content. Brands work with bloggers to review their products and spread the word. Sometimes sponsorships will include free product, cash/paypal compensation, and/or gift card payment. You decide what your time and your influence is worth.

Reach out to brands directly – The first way to find sponsored content is to reach out to brand’s directly. This will take some time, and you will get a lot of no’s and no-responses in the process. Once you find brands to work with, this can be the best way to collaborate since you set the terms and payment involved directly with a someone from the company. I used this free course from The Coffee Mom to get started with reaching out to brands. I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

The other option is to join influencer networks that connect brands with influencers. Here are a few of my favorite networks.

Linqia – Linqia is the network that has made me the most money at this point. The campaigns are with big brands and have clearly outlined expectations. They can be few and far between at times, but worth signing up for at least. Here’s an example of a collaboration that I did with Linqia. 

Moms Meet – This is where I have gotten the most campaigns. You are working for free product and usually an Amazon gift card, but the product packages that they have sent me have been high value and things that I really wanted to try. You get to pick which you participate in, so you decide if the product is worth your time. Here is one of my favorite Moms Meet campaigns so far. 

Glambassador  – On Glambassador, you can browse through campaigns and place “bids” to work with brands. It’s not my personal favorite because there isn’t much that is relevant to my content very often. You can check it out to see if there’s much that applies to your niche though!

Referral Codes

Many online businesses will pay you in cash or credit to refer their brand to your friends and readers. Even if you don’t have a blog, you can share your referral codes with your friends and on social media to make or save some money. (Just make sure that you disclose that they are referral codes. I’ve seen people get banned from Facebook for not following FTC guidelines!)

Here are some of my favorite referral programs.

Bonus – signing up using any of the links below will get you a discount or bonus for using my referral link as well.

Ebates  (cash/gift cards)

Swagbucks  (cash/gift cards)

Groupon (product credit)

ThredUp (product credit)

Swap.com (product credit)

Plant Therapy (product credit)

Dollar Shave Club (product credit) 

Ibotta (cash/gift cards)

Walmart Grocery (product credit)

Raise (product credit)

Instacart (product credit) 

UberEats (product credit)  (my code is eats-lexieh61ue if you want $5 off your first order)

DoorDash (product credit) 

There you have it – 25 ways to make money blogging. I would love to hear about some other favorite ways that other bloggers have monetized. Feel free to drop your suggestions in the comments.

More Blogging Resources:

I have a few other posts that can help you out with blogging advice listed below. Those go into a lot more detail, but let me just list off a few of my top favorite tools of the trade when it comes to blog monetization and growth.

Tailwind – Tailwind is an automatic Pinterest tool that can help you grow your traffic and share affiliate content efficiently. I have over 1 million monthly views on Pinterest thanks to consistent Tailwind use. You can also connect with other bloggers to share content using tribes. Search for the “#ManagingMommies” tribe to join a great supportive group of mom bloggers who want to help you grow!

Pinning for Pageviews  – the strategy that I use on Tailwind comes mostly from this ebook. It seriously changed my Pinterest game! 

(You can bundle this ebook with her other ebook Mastering Affiliate Marketing to get a great price on the two. Both are great resources from someone who has built a very impressive brand.)

Other posts to check out:

The Reality of Starting a Money Making Blog

How to Start a Blog on WordPress Through Bluehost

The Honest Truth About Making Money Online

Working Mom, Stay at Home Mom, or Work from Home Mom – which is the best choice for you?