If you’ve ever considered starting a blog, a few things have probably popped into your head a time or two.
How much money do bloggers make?
Where do I even start learning how to earn money as a blogger?
Is it going to take years before I earn anything?
I’ve been blogging for more than 15 years and trust me those questions popped into my head when I first started.
I’ve run several different blogs over the years and can’t count the number of times I get blank stares when people ask what I do. Most people associate blogging with a hobby. Someone that likes to write in their spare time.
Most people don’t think of blogging as a way to make a full-time income. They think of it as a way for an unemployed person to sound busy. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
You read about bloggers that are making millions of dollars and you think it’s not possible. Well, let me be the first to tell you that it is possible. There is a lot of money to be made in blogging. You just need to put in the time.
Blogging Has Its Perks
Let’s be realistic, being a full-time blogger can have some major perks…
- Location Independent – You can work from just about anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access.
- You Control Your Income – The average person receives a 3% to 5% raise each year at their job. Bloggers have the ability to control their income. The harder (and smarter) a blogger works, the more money they can potentially make.
- Flexibility – Blogging allows you to take a flexible work schedule to a whole new level. Some people don’t work well at certain times of the day. As a blogger, you can choose when you want to work so that you’re the most productive.
- Give Yourself a Voice – Learning how to make money blogging is great, but being able to have a voice on a topic you love is equally as nice.
How Much Money Do Bloggers Make?
The real question here is how much do bloggers make? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t all that clear-cut. Some bloggers are going to make $0. Some bloggers might find a way to earn $1,000 per month. Others might make $10,000 per month. But on the aspiring end of the spectrum, there are some bloggers who make over $100,000 each month from their blog.
That’s a pretty crazy number, huh?
Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you were making over $100,000 every single month?
Just keep in mind that most bloggers making on the higher end of the range don’t end up keeping all that money. Obviously, a large chunk is taken out for taxes, but most are paying for different expenses. Things that have helped them scale to where they are today. We’re talking about things like…
- Contractors/employees
- Software
- Insurance
- Accounting
Want to see some proof of success? Here are a few bloggers that are making a crazy amount of money.
- Smart Passive Income – Pat has been at this for a long time and based on his last revenue report he earned $167,553.31 in December 2017.
- Making Sense of Cents – Michelle has a widely popular personal finance website where she makes over $100,000 each month selling her online courses and through affiliate marketing.
- Pinch of Yum – My wife has found many new recipes from Michelle’s food blog. From affiliate marketing and sponsorships, this blog is making between $50,000 and $100,000 each month.
- Believe In a Budget – This personal finance blog is another success story. Kristin helps people become smarter with their finances. In 2020 she earned over $840,000 from her blog.
Let’s take a look at a few common questions I get about how much money bloggers make.
How Much Do Bloggers Make Per Post?
One misconception is that every time a blogger writes a blog post, they’re going to get paid.
This isn’t true. When writing, there are two main types of blog posts, informational and transactional.
Informational posts are just that. Their main goal is to help educate the reader on a certain topic. While there might be monetization tactics included, that’s not the objective.
On the other hand, transactional posts are meant to earn revenue for the blogger. These types of posts are things like product reviews, comparison articles, and listicles. The person reading these is in the buying mindset and they’re just looking for the right product or service.
So how much do bloggers make per post? Some blog posts are going to make thousands of dollars and others might not make anything.
How Much Do Bloggers Make On Average?
This is another hard question to answer. If you look on Glassdoor, they tell you that a “blogger” is going to make $64,497 per year.
But let’s be realistic. A lot of bloggers are never going to be able to make anything from their blogs. However, some people are going to make good money. But just a few people are going to earn $100,000 per month type of money as I shared earlier.
Problogger did a survey of 1,500 readers and found out how much money they made blogging.
| $0 | 10% |
| Less than $10 | 28% |
| $10 to $99 | 25% |
| $100 to $499 | 17% |
| $500 to $999 | 7% |
| $1,000 to $9,999 | 9% |
| More than $10,000 | 4% |
While these numbers are not going to be exact for everyone, they give you a good idea of where a group of bloggers stand.
If you want to make sure you’re in the group towards the bottom of the table, there are a few things you need to consider.
As a blogger, you’re building a community of like-minded people. You want to make your readers feel like they’re welcome. If you’re starting a food blog, make people feel like they can come to find a great recipe, but also be comfortable asking questions.
People are going to keep coming back for more if they feel like they’re part of something great.
The most successful bloggers are great at keeping in touch with their readers. Some do this through a Facebook group, others do it through Tik Tok or Instagram. However, some of the most successful bloggers build sizeable email lists to engage with readers.
As a blogger, one thing I like to tell people is this…
The money’s in your list.
Search engine and social media algorithms can change. Meaning you could lose visitors to your blog overnight. The one thing that will never change is the emails of all the people who are craving your content.
Successful bloggers, who make thousands of dollars each month, build great email lists.
A little bonus tip for you. There are a lot of great email marketing platforms available for bloggers. However, my favorite is Constant Contact. They even give you a 60-day free trial without requiring a credit card to get started.
Does The Niche of My Blog Matter For Making Money?
Unfortunately, what you’re blogging about can have a big impact on how much you can make from blogging.
If you’re monetizing through affiliate marketing, the higher valued products and services are going to come with higher payouts. For this reason, financial blogs tend to be very lucrative blogs.
Banks, Credit card issuers, life insurance companies, and other financial brands are all willing to spend big bucks to gain new customers.
Two other very profitable niches are food and travel blogs.
Most people start blogging because they want to make money. They want it to become their full-time job so they can live more independently. Or they want it to be able to supplement the income they’re making from their full-time job.
Just remember when choosing a blog niche, it’s not all about the money. You want to be writing about something you enjoy. Something that you’re an expert at.
Take me for example. I’ve been in digital marketing for more than 15 years. I’ve run and sold multiple websites, led digital marketing teams for some major brands. That doesn’t make me a great fit to run a blog about gardening.
If you write about something you love, your readers are going to see that and want to learn more.
Get Started Blogging Today
Now that you know how much money bloggers make, are you ready to get started? Make sure you read my article on how to start a blog. It will give you all the information you need to actually get your blog off the ground.
