How to Start Making Money Blogging (Even as a Beginner)

What’s Inside: REAL tips to start making money blogging, even as a beginner! If you’ve wondered how bloggers make money, we’ve got the goods! (These are the ways I earned my first $500 as a new blogger!)

woman on laptop with text "5 Ways Bloggers Make Money"

How to Make Money as a New Blogger

You’ve probably seen bloggers’ income reports floating around, and if you’re like me, then you’ve probably clicked through out of curiosity.

Many of these high-profile bloggers make tens of thousands of dollars a month! While it’s definitely inspiring, it can also be intimidating for a beginner.

Blogging is first and foremost a passion, but there is definitely potential to make an income with your blog.

However, you’re not going to go from zero dollars to ten thousand dollars right away.

The experienced bloggers have lots of amazing tips to offer, though they might not be realistic or practical for someone who’s just getting started and doesn’t have a million views a month.

That’s why I wanted to share techniques for monetizing your blog, right from the beginning.

Related:

Update 2023 — I originally wrote this post in June 2015, just 6 months after starting my blog. By the end of that year, I was making a full-time income blogging. These days, I earn more than triple my salary from my previous career! (See an income report here!) That’s how I know these techniques really DO work!

I’ve included affiliate links for products/services that I use and love and that might be helpful for you too; read my disclosure policy here.

5 Ways to Start Making Money Blogging (even as a Beginner)

These are the five simple things I did to set myself up for success and start bringing in a real income.

1. Set yourself up to make money

If you’re still on a free hosting platform, then it’s time to make the switch to self-hosting! Many free blog services have restrictions on monetization, so if you’re serious about blogging as a business, you’ll need to purchase monthly hosting and your own domain name. Plus, it just looks more professional to have your own self-hosted website.

I started with BlueHost because they offer the best value for the money (and as a beginning blogger you want to keep your expenses as LOW as possible!) They also offer 24/7 support, which was a lifesaver for me on a few occasions.

Note: I actually started on a free blogging site and a couple months in I figured out how limited the potential was there. I ended up paying my host to switch me over to my own self-hosted website so I could start monetizing my blog. So if you’re already on a free blogging site, no worries! You can switch over for a small fee and then you’ll be off and running!

And this is the really awesome part…

If you sign up through my link you’ll get exclusive pricing for Soccer Mom Blog fans as low as $2.95 a month PLUS a free domain name! (a $15 value!)

Bluehost also has reasonable upgrade options for an easy transition when your traffic increases. Check out this post about why I chose Bluehost hosting and 4 web hosting myths debunked.

2. Join Affiliate or Referral Programs

When you “go pro” as a blogger, you’ll get plenty of offers to become an affiliate for various companies — some big, some small. Be selective! You don’t want the entire focus of your blog to be pushing readers to buy products that you don’t even use, and keep in mind that your audience is looking for helpful tips, not sales pitches. However, you CAN share things that you use and love, and maybe even make some money doing it!

I joined Amazon Affiliates because you can find almost anything on Amazon, so it’s easy to find links for the super-cool stuff you want to tell the world about. Plus, you can get bounties (flat fees) when readers sign up for services like Amazon Prime. Amazon is a large and reputable company, so your audience will likely already be familiar with them and feel safe purchasing through them.

I also LOVE to refer people to the Ibotta Rebate App! I personally use it every time I go to the grocery store to get additional savings on lots of items that I buy (and don’t always have coupons for, like fruits and veggies). Since it’s something that’s been really helpful to me in my daily life, it’s easy to be enthusiastic when telling others about it.

3. Get Paid to Post to your Social Media

Sign up for a service like IZEA (formerly known as Sponsored Tweets), which connects you with brands who will pay you to post to social media for them. This was one of the easiest ways I found to make money right away!

Since social sharing campaigns are based on your social following numbers, as opposed to blog traffic, you can get work this way even if your blog readership is still modest.

So, if you have a Twitter account with tons of followers, but are still working on getting more people to your actual website, you can still start making money with your social media!

Get Sponsored by Big Brands

 

4. Ad programs

Just about any website or blog you visit these days has ads. As a viewer, they can be annoying, but we’re all used to them by now so your guests will generally expect and accept them.

Two of the most popular platforms are Google AdSense and Media.net because they are accessible to small bloggers.

(Once you get bigger there are other ad networks you can apply for, but they generally have traffic requirements).

TIP: If you’ve applied for Adsense but haven’t heard back, be sure to check out Media.net! Their service team is super responsive and their rates are competitive.

Ad revenue may be small in the beginning (more traffic = more ad revenue), but getting ads on your site will ensure that your readers are used to seeing them.

5. Reviews, Giveaways, Sponsored Posts

Even if you’re not one of the power bloggers yet, there are still companies and brands of all sizes that are looking to partner with bloggers big and small! Many times they will even contact you! Make sure it’s easy for them to get in touch with you — your contact page and business email should be prominently displayed!

At first you might just get offers to review products (as opposed to cash for sponsored posts), but this is still considered income and you can get some really neat stuff this way! As with all paid opportunities, be selective and stick to products that are actually relevant to your audience.

You can also reach out to companies with products you love and see if they would be interested in a working relationship. This is how I set up my very first product review and my very first giveaway. I simply explained how much I loved their product and that I wanted to share it with my readers because it was so helpful to me! The worst that could happen is they will ignore your email, but you’ll never know if you don’t ask! Just remember to be respectful, and don’t get too bummed if you don’t hear back — it’s not personal — they probably get TONS of emails and every brand has a different marketing policy.

Learn More: 5 things I wish I had known before starting a blog

One more thing…

(And it’s super important!!)

If you plan to monetize your blog (and you totally CAN!) OR you’ve spent any money to get your blog started (web hosting is just one example), you’re going to need to be filing taxes! Don’t wait until it’s “tax season” to try to figure it all out!

READ THIS NEXT -> The 5 Things I wish I’d Known NOT to do when Starting a Blog

So there you have it, my top five tips to start making money blogging! It might not be much at first, but it’s a start, and if you keep working and keep creating amazing content to bring in more readers, your income will grow too.

I’m always amazed that I can make ANY money at all doing something I love so much — it seems too good to be true! But then I remember all the hours I spend writing, photographing, creating, networking, and even just thinking about blogging and I know that it IS work — it just happens to be work that I love!

Are you excited yet?! CLICK HERE to read more about the very FIRST step in starting your blog!

What Happens if My Blog ISN’T Making Money?

Successful bloggers often make it look easy! But there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of their success!

Here’s what they’re not telling you: Why Your Blog Won’t Make Money (and how to fix it!)

More Posts About How to Blog

Check out more of my popular blogging posts:

Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
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27 Comments

  1. These are some great tips. Thank you for sharing! I tried to join amazon’s affiliate program a few weeks ago and was denied because I live in a “banned” state. Do you have any other affiliate programs that work well?

    1. Glad you found them helpful! You might look into Target’s affiliate program– it would likely have a very broad appeal too.

  2. Great tips! I’ve loved working with IZEA also — it’s nice to have a network that includes social media as a stand-alone. I’m also a fan of Clever Girls and Social Fabric too.

    1. Thanks! I’ve been with Izea for a while and am just getting started with Social Fabric 🙂

  3. this is great advice!!! I will be looking into the Amazon affiliate program, i’m still very new and unsure on how to do this but i’m to start hitting it hard, i desire nothing more than to be home with my daughter but still need to have an income!!!

    1. Glad you found this post useful! The awesome part about blogging is that anyone can do it if you’re willing to commit and work hard. I’ve got more posts and an ebook in the works that goes into even more detail, so stay tuned 🙂

  4. I am new to blogging I blog about sites that I do surveys with and I also test products with. I would love to learn more about blogging and earning money or products doing it. I can’t afford to pay to do this don’t have a job. Any help and tips would be greatfull.

  5. Thank you for your tips. I have thought about this for a while and began to establish a business plan. But what I seemed to get from your tips is that you blog about products and that is how you get ads? Am I understanding that correctly? Because I actually start a blog on fashion and I won’t go into the details on it, but it is not just what is in a store…….etc. so I guess I’m not sure how I would get ads for that?

    1. Hi Denise, with my blog I try to provide do-able ideas and inspiration for moms (and dads). Sometimes this involves sharing a product that I found particularly helpful, though product reviews themselves are not the primary focus of my blog. The ads I am referring to are managed by an ad network and are a separate thing altogether. Think about ads like commercials on TV– they are not always related to the program itself, but are paid for by a brand to reach the audience that is watching a show. In the case of website ads, the brands are paying to reach the audience that is reading your blog.

  6. Wow! Thanks for the tip. I am a new blogger and it is so awesome this community shares their successes. I truly appreciate it !

  7. Thank You! I’ve read many posts on this topic and yours, by far, is the most clear and helpful! More than that it is “hopeful”!! I REALLY needed that right now! It’s easy to become discouraged in this blogging world! ? Again, thank you so much!

    1. I’m so glad you found this helpful Norine! The definition of success is different for everyone, but there are so many wonderful opportunities available if you are willing to put in the time to create quality content and improve your craft. As I’ve told a few bloggers I’m working with: the only way you can truly fail as a blogger is to quit! 🙂

  8. I so appreciate the tips. I want blogging to work for me and willing to put in the hard work. I have to admit that I am a little frightened at the whole thing. I am 70 and new things don’t come as easy as the “old days”

  9. Great information, I haven’t started blogging yet but I am planning on it real soon and I do want to make money from my blog so all your tips have come in very helpful and I feel more confident in getting my blog going!! Now to come up with my blog name, so many things to think about. Hoping this blogging thing really works for me!!

  10. Hello stacey. I really enjoyed reading your blog. I’m just kind of nervous about starting something big and scary. Although I am willing to try anything at this point to stay at home and also make some money. Wish you lived close so you could do classes. That’s how I learn better. But thanks for the great info you have shared with us.
    Dawn.

    1. Hi Dawn – Thank you for the kind words about the blog! It’s always scary starting something new, but what I love about blogging is that it is fairly risk-free. The financial investment is super low compared to other businesses and the freedom and flexibility of schedule can’t be beat! The most important thing is that you love what you do – the money will come if you work hard (it’s a full time job for me!) but you HAVE to love it to stick with it. Keep reading, learning, and go ahead and start writing (even if it is just in a Word doc for now) to get used to it and see what you want to say. 🙂

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