Sharing is caring!

If you landed here, then you want to know how to make money blogging, yes? Or at least you’re interested in starting a blog and understanding all the details.

“How to start a blog” is one of the most common questions I get besides,

Why am I bloated?

and

Why the h@#$ can’t I digest sweet potatoes?

Actual truths.

The Background: August, 2018 – late 2019

This post was originally published in August of 2018.

At the time, it was not my full-time job because I was too afraid to make the leap.

In that post, I stated,

Let me be very clear. I have a full-time job in the natural foods industry as a content producer and digital storyteller. 

That is how I make 92% of my income.

Some over a year later, I would be brave enough to make the full leap. 

I said good-bye to everything else.

And I said a big, fat “hello” to full-time A Gutsy Girl.

I have never, ever, not for a single day, looked back.

Make Money Blogging for Beginners

There are 2 things you must know.

Now, there are two things about how to make money blogging for beginners that you must pay super close attention to.

Seriously, stop all other thoughts right now.

Come to the present, and listen in closely:

1] Year one: making a million dollars

The first thing you should absolutely, positively, and 1,000% know is that, no matter what anyone is out there portraying, very few people are killing it financially with their blog.

Do not believe the hype of an overnight success, lavish “working from the beach” while making millions.

Has it happened before? Yes, for sure.

I would guess that that’s not even the reality for 2% of all bloggers, though.

What you see on social media as working from the beach, raking in serious cash, might just be an extra $200 a month.

There is nothing wrong with that. But it’s not income that will pay all the bills nor will it allow for anything above that.

I want you to understand this reality because the trickery out there is real.

2] Riches in the niches

I have heard this phrase time and time again; the riches are in the niches.

I don’t care if you take riches to be monetary or just as a way to say “success” lies within a niche.

But it’s true.

My own blogging story of going from casual blogger to full-time career blogger is living proof.

Everyone wants to be the person who is so interesting and unique that anything they write and produce makes money.

But that’s just not reality (for 98% of people).

But you can make money blogging

Now, both of those said, I absolutely do make money from this blog. And if I can, you absolutely can.

I keep zero secrets because my goal is to empower women to take their health and lives into their own hands.

And being super excited and happy each and every single day to get up and start working is part of this equation. 

Remember, I was miserably sick in a 3-piece suit working for Corporate American in Los Angeles, California. You can’t heal like that.

I’ll promise it to you.

So with all of that, let’s dive in to the information you are looking for.

How to Make Money Blogging 

Click HERE to save this post for later.

I want to start by showing you a massive list of ways to make money blogging. This is to give you inspiration for what could be and how to make it so.

List of 41 Ways to Make Money Blogging

Click HERE to save these 41 ways to make money blogging for later.

Physical Products

1. books
2. edible products
3. non-edible products / merchandise
4. planners

Digital Products

1. online courses
2. e-books
3. apps
4. printables
5. e-newsletters
6. templates
7. plugins
8. themes
9. software
10. music

Affiliate Marketing

1. Amazon Associates
2. liketoknow.it + rewardstyle
3. find your favorite product, search their website to see if they offer an affiliate program (literally thousands in this category), aka private networks
4. CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction)
5. Refersion
6. ShareASale
7. online summits

Services

1. consulting
2. 1-on-1 coaching
3. group programs/training
4. VA (Virtual Assistant)
5. freelance writing
6. photography
7. website design

Additional Online

1. webinars
2. workshops
3. membership sites
4. podcasts
5. Etsy
6. Ebay
7. general info products; any and all

Partnerships

1. sponsored posts
2. ad networks

Miscellaneous

1. MLM opportunities and companies
2. flipping websites
3. promoting offline business
4. offline partnerships, speaking engagements, etc.

Okay, so now that you have these starting 41 ways to make money blogging, you’re feeling inspired, excited and ready for more.

So next you’re wondering…..

1. Where and how to start?
2. Can you give me more concrete examples?

Let’s dig in.

Where and How to Start Blogging

If you want to get started on your own blog today, you can.

You’ll need to start with these 4 basic steps:

1. Domain – the address of your blog (ex. agutsygirl.com)
2. Hosting – where it all “lives”
3. Installing WordPress – WordPress is the blogging software that I use to produce all this content
4. Theme – the creative part; the look and feel of your blog

Scared? Don’t be. I put together a massive post on How to Start a Blog HERE. 

Here’s something quick and easy from the How to Start a Blog post to do right now, right here.

Check to see if the domain name (i.e. URL) for your desired blog name is available.

You’re welcome.

Okay, moving on.

Concrete Example for How to Make Money Blogging [How I Personally Do It]

Let’s break down specific ways that this blog, A Gutsy Girl, makes money. 

Now remember, I’m in the health and wellness space.

I would guess that 90% of you reading this might be interested in this same space.

Therefore, the way I personally make money blogging could be helpful in getting your own wheels spinning.

I’ll take the broad category from above and then narrow it down to specifics.

1] Books

I have published book a book through a publisher.

It’s The Leaky Gut Meal Plan. Every deal will be different as far as compensation. If you self-publish, the opportunities for income (IMO) are far greater. The barrier to entry might also be harder, though.

My next big project is to turn The Gutsy Girl’s Bible into a physical book. And I will self-publish this one [Buy it now: A Gutsy Girl’s Bible: a 21-day approach to healing the gut].

2] Planners

Many are creating their own journals and planners; I am no exception.

Mine is very niche-focused, though. It’s my 90-day gut healing journal.

You can buy it printed or via e-book. It is self-published, and a huge new stream of revenue for the business.

3] Ad Network

I’m part of the MediaVine ad network. There are many different ad networks to consider. I worked really hard to get on this ad network because they are really incredible to work with.

In order to apply, you do need at least 50K monthly page sessions.

If you’re just getting started, there are others (like Google AdSense).

Pay attention to the content section of this post to hit that 50K mark!

Updated in 2025 to add: I cut my ad network and this is why my website is ad-free.

4] Online Courses

I offer a couple online courses currently.

The first is my 21-Day Quick Gut Detox.

The second is the Gut Healing: ELEVATED program.

5] E-Books

At this point, I have several e-books. There are a handful that make steady income.

The most popular ones to date are:

• A Gutsy Girl’s Bible: a 21-day approach to healing the gut
• Reasonable SIBO
• Master Gutsy Resources

6] Printables

My 90-day gut healing journal is packed with the goods. Because there are some key pages that one might want instead of the full journal, I offer these as downloads.

You can do the same if you have created highly valuable PDF’s, templates, designs, etc.

7] 1-on-1 Coaching

I offer 3 different ways for working with me 1-on-1.

8] Affiliates

Every single time I link to one of my affiliates, you should know that I am making money if you purchase.

You pay nothing and get exactly what you want, oftentimes with a discount code I provide as well.

I make very little per sale, but it all adds up.

Here are some of my affiliate partnerships:

• Amazon
• Thrive Market
• Just Thrive Health
• Fullscript
• Perfect Supplements
• Viome
• FoodMarble
• ….and more!

In addition, I offer the Master Gutsy Spreadsheet to accompany all of it for just $3.

9] Podcast

Yes, a way to definitely make money from your blog.

But by the way, while most make money from sponsored ads on the podcast, that’s definitely not my strategy to begin with.

The reason is that I find them so boring while listening to other podcasts 🙂

Anyways, for reference, my podcast can be found HERE.

10] Sponsored Posts

This post, sponsored. This post, sponsored.

I don’t do very many sponsored posts because I’m super picky, but when I find brands and products I want to develop long-term relationships with, for the right price, I will.

10] Offline Partnerships + Speaking Engagements

I have been speaking more in the past year than ever before.

The topic usually is around some sort of inspiration for others in this space, wanting to get in this space, or living with the issues in this space (ie. IBS and/or IBD).

In addition, I am contacted frequently for other misc. offline (and online) partnerships.

If you want the truth, these can be a huge source of revenue if you enjoy them. I do!

I love sharing my experiences and building new products, programs, and ideas for the Gutsy community.

11] Misc. Partnerships

Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I have been an advocate of IIN since the day I graduated in 2012.

When you decide you’d like to go to the school, too, and refer me, not only will you save a lot of money off tuition, but I also make money.

As you can see, the ways I make money from this blog are plenty.

I keep my revenue streams robust and open. 

But listen, all the ways in the world to make money blogging will not matter unless you are writing and producing content and information that people actually want to read.

So the next part of this is to understand how to get people to come to your website and consume the information.

Create Compelling Content

There are two main parts to this equation:

1. First, you must create content that’s awesome, helpful, and unique, but then….
2. You must make sure people are searching for it and/or can easily be directed to it

So let’s break these two down.

Ways for Creating Awesome Content

Here are 11 ways to create awesome content:

1. Ask your audience what they want.
2. Get visual.
3. Use a content calendar. I swear by mine.
4. Stunning images. If you can’t produce stunning images, then be sure to purchase them and/or find stock photos. If you are interested in learning the art of photography, I have put together a list of 14 tips HERE.
5. Keep a notebook to jot down ideas as they come
   1. Titles
   2. Key words/phrases/thoughts
   3. —-> I keep a tiny notebook right in my purse so it’s with me at all times.
6. Use “notes” in your Smartphone for when ideas come on-the-go
   1. Alternatively, Evernote
7. Get off the computer for inspiration, change your environment
   1. Go for walks outside
   2. Listen to music
   3. Sit at the park
   4. Brainstorm at a cafe or coffee shop
8. Use Mind Mapping to come up with an initial post + several posts to follow
9. Check out THESE 103 ideas to add to your Editorial Calendar – just remember to always customize for your specific niche
10. Listen to podcasts!
11. Create searchable content. Number 11 brings us to the next section.

Creating Searchable Content

Here is the number one way to create searchable content:

Keyword Research

At the very least, you should use a tool like Google’s free Keyword tool.

For the in-depth, fast-growth approach, you’ll want to invest in something like RankIQ, SEMRush, or AHREFs. 

Note about this one: My biggest regret for blogging is that I just got serious about keyword research. Be serious about this from the very beginning. I am obsessed with learning about it. If you’re not, then hire someone. It will pay dividends.

How to Make a Living Blogging

Here is the very simple equation for how to make a living blogging.

First, you need the right content that has the unique blend of being both interesting and helpful plus something people are actually searching for.

Then, you need people to view and engage with that content. This means page views.

And then you need an action to be taken.

With an ad network, straight page views are enough to equal money.

But for most things, one would need to take some sort of action and make some sort of purchase in order for you to also make money.

So…..

Content => People and Page Views => Action => Money

The equation is simple, but the realities of putting it altogether are anything but simple.

You Can Create a Meaningful and Financially Sound Blog

And there you have it. That is how I make money blogging.

Xox,
SKH