12 Ways to Make Money with a Blog in 2023
“It should feel genuinely good to earn income from your blog–you should be driven by a healthy ambition to succeed. If your blog provides genuine value, you fully deserve to earn income from it.” – Steve Pavlina
If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways to make more money – especially now, given the rising cost of living around the world. If you’ve heard me speaking about side hustles over on Youtube, or had a sneak preview of my new book Your Midlife Side Hustle, you’ll also know that blogging is one method I recommend to help you supplement your current income. In fact, you may have already toyed with the idea of starting a blog as a way to bring in some extra cash, but still have some doubts. After all, is it really worth your time? Believe it or not, yes it is–especially if you do it the right way. To get you thinking, read on for 12 ways you can make money with a blog in 2023!
12 Ways to Make Money with a Blog in 2023
Sponsored content
One of the most common ways to make money with a blog is through sponsored content. Sponsored content is when a brand pays you to write a post about their product or service. This can be a great way to make money, but it’s important to make sure that you’re only working with brands that you trust and that are relevant to your audience.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is another popular way to make money with a blog. With affiliate marketing, you promote a product or service on your blog and earn a commission whenever someone buys the product or service through your link. This can be a great way to earn extra income, but it’s important to make sure that you’re only promoting products that you believe in and that are relevant to your audience.
Advertising
Advertising is another common way to make money with a blog. You can sell ad space on your blog or work with an advertising network such as Google AdSense or Mediavine. It’s important to remember that too much advertising can be intrusive and turn off your readers, so it’s important to strike a balance between ads and content.
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Selling physical products
Selling products is another great way to make money with a blog. If you have a product that you have created, you can sell it on your blog and earn income from each sale. This can be a great way to generate income, but it’s important to make sure that your product is high-quality and relevant to your audience. For instance, you might sell quilts or clothing you have made, from your blog about sewing and quilting.
Selling e-books
Another option for monetizing your blog is to sell e-books. You can write an e-book on any topic that you are knowledgeable about, and then sell it through your blog or on popular e-book platforms, such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Given that I’m a writer, this method is a no-brainer for me. (Shameless plug: you can check out my books on AMAZON HERE!)
Creating content for other blogs
If you’re a good writer, you can also make money by creating content for other blogs. This is often called “guest blogging” and can be a great way to get your name out there and earn some extra income. Just be sure that you’re only guest blogging for blogs that are relevant to your niche and that you’re providing quality content that will benefit their readership.
Offering consulting services
Again, another method that I personally use. If you’re an expert in your field, you can also offer consulting services through your blog. This can be a great way to monetize your blog and earn some extra income, but it’s important to make sure that you’re only offering services that you’re qualified to provide. It’s also important to set up clear boundaries between your consulting business and your personal life so that your readers don’t feel like they’re being taken advantage of.
Creating an online course
Another great way to monetize your blog is by creating an online course. This can be a great passive income stream, but it’s important to make sure that your course is high-quality and relevant to your audience before putting it up for sale. It’s also important to promote your course effectively so that people actually find out about it and are willing to pay for it!
9. Becoming a virtual assistant
If you have administrative or technical skills, you could also become a virtual assistant (VA) for other bloggers or businesses. This can be a great way to make money while working from home, but it’s important to make sure that you’re only working with clients who are reputable and who you feel comfortable working with. It’s also important not to over-commit yourself so that you don’t end up burning out! I have friends in both camps – some who have flourished, and others who have burnt out. As with any service-orientated work, it’s important to keep healthy boundaries.
You might like to check out these posts too:
Have you considered starting a Side-Hustle?
4 Reasons why you should start a Midlife Side-Hustle!
20 Side-Hustles you can start today!
10. Hosting webinars
Webinars are becoming increasingly popular as more people are looking for ways to learn online. If you have expertise in a particular topic, hosting webinars could be a great way for you to monetize your blog while helping others learn more about what you do best! Just be sure not to oversell yourself or try too hard sell people on attending your webinar – focus on providing quality information instead.
Running Live Events
Events are another great way to make money with a blog. You can host events such as webinars, workshops, or conferences and charge attendees for access. Events are a great way to generate income, but they can also be time-consuming and require some upfront investment. Having hosted large and small events, I can testify to the fact that they do require a lot of effort, however there is something special about having a live workshop with a room of people full of energy and excitment.
Selling photos online
If you’re a talented photographer, you could start selling your photos online. Sites like Shutterstock and iStockphoto allow you to upload your photos and earn money whenever someone downloads one of them. You can also sell prints of your photos on sites like Etsy or Fine Art America. Really, if you are a visual artist in any medium, your blog can become your “store window,” introducing people to your art.
So there you have it-twelve ways to make money with a blog in 2023. If you’ve been considering starting a blog, there’s no time like the present to start laying the foundations, so you can hit the new year with a plan. The very first key to a successful side hustle however, is to have a vision, and once this is clear, to begin taking the necessary steps to make that vision a reality.
I hope this post has helped give you some ideas and motivation to get started.
Are you ready to take your blog business to the next level? Let me know in the comments below, or reach out to me on cat@catcoluccio.com and let’s connect!
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Hi Cat I have read through the 12 ways. I’m currently doing direct selling network that is a big brand here in SA and I’m struggling because you sell and recruit. My question is can I sell the products and recruit on my blog or should I get permission from the company?
Hi Kesentseng. While I can’t give you a legal answer, not knowing the company’s policies, I don’t see how they would have an issue with you writing posts about your own experience using their products. For example, if it is a skincare line, you could do so many posts: how to look after your skin in your 20s, your 30s, your 40s; how to deep cleanse your skin; how to protect your skin from the cold or the sun etc etc. You could then add direct links to products throughout your post, or include a call to action to receive a sample. Your main thrust however, would be to grow your data base, so you can promote your products in your emails, so I would consider giving away a free checklist or ebook that people can download in exchange for their email address.
The key with direct selling is building a relationship, so you need to see your blog as a way of educating and giving value to your readers.
Edit: I just had another thought too. Using the example of a skincare product once more, I would suggest that you create your own blog eg: “Kesentseng’s Tips for Beauty at any age!” You then create posts like I suggested above that might reference or link to the products you sell. This way, should that company fall over, or you choose to leave it, you will still have your blog and data base you have created, and can simply link new products to your articles.
Hope this gives you some ideas!
The other question is as I’m growing my Master of Ceremony skill can I blog about it and how. This in relation with number 11
I’ve done a few MCing roles – they are so much fun!
Before starting a blog about being an MC, you’d need to determine who your audience is. Are you writing to the average business owner, suggesting they need to use an MC at their events or writing for people who want to learn how to become an MC?
If the latter, is would be worth creating a niched blog that funnels the readers into a program or course about how to become an MC. If the former and the blog is just about you and your services, I would possibly not create a stand alone blog, but incorporate your MC work into your business site / blog, as one of your services. For instance, my website here has a blog, my podcast, my books and a page about my speaking services. I don’t tend to blog about speaking though, but rather the subject matter I mainly speak about: midlife reinvention, decluttering your life and side hustles.
Hope this helps!
I’m doing the first two, but haven’t thought about the others. Thanks for the checklist! xo Nipa
I’m glad that you found some new ideas to try out 🙂
Hi Cat
These are all great ways and some I hadn’t thought of. I pinned your post to future reference it. I’m going to think about the e-book. I do affiliate links but don’t push products perhaps as some.
Happy Holidays!
Jessxx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
With the amount of quality information on your blog Jess, you could easily put together an ebook!
Hi Cat,
This is an excellent guide to monetizing a blog. It’s helpful to know where to start, and you’ve highlighted pros and cons. Thanks for all the valuable information and tips!
Barbie xx
Thanks for reading Barbie, and glad that you found value in the post. x
What a great informational post! I love these answers and I tell people all of the time your blog should be paying you in some form or it’s just a hobby.
Thanks Rena and I whole-heartedly agree!