“How to Monetize a Personal Blog and Find a Path to Profit

So, you’ve got your blog up and running, now it’s time to make some money from it.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been at it for a while, these monetization methods will help you turn your blog into a full-time business.

Let’s dive into each method and see how you can start making some serious cash from your personal blog.

1. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is the best monetization method for personal bloggers because it hits the sweet spot between time investment and earning potential.

Affiliate marketing is a form of advertising where a publisher (the site owner) links to a product in their content and earns a commission from the advertiser (the affiliate program) if readers click on that link and make a purchase.

Also, since you can add links to your existing content, it’s the perfect method for beginners. You’ve already written content, so you’ve already done the hard part.

How to Start Affiliate Marketing for Personal Bloggers

Some different kinds of affiliate products to recommend in the personal blogging niche include:

• Web hosting: Many bloggers need web hosting, so recommending a reliable hosting provider can be lucrative as an affiliate.
• Website themes and templates: Bloggers often want to enhance the look of their site, so promoting stylish themes and templates can be beneficial.
• Email marketing services: Bloggers may want to grow their email list, so suggesting email marketing services can be helpful.
• Online courses and ebooks: Many bloggers are interested in improving their skills, so promoting relevant courses and ebooks can be profitable.
• Affiliate marketing tools: Since bloggers are often interested in monetizing their site, recommending affiliate marketing tools can be valuable.

Once you’ve identified which products will solve problems for your readers, you need to sign up for their affiliate programs.

You should start by joining the Amazon Associates affiliate program.

Most physical products in the personal niche will be available on Amazon, and the conversion rate on Amazon is insane.

Yes, Amazon’s commission rates are rough, and they only offer a 24-hour cookie duration, but the conversion rate makes up for it. Plus, you’re nearly guaranteed to get accepted into their program.

For products that aren’t available on Amazon, just Google “[Product] affiliate program,” and you’ll find their program’s signup page.

To save you some time, here are a few of the best affiliate networks for personal bloggers:

1. Affiliate+

   

   Commission Rate: 9-15%

   Cookie Duration: 30 Days

   Affiliate+ is an AI-powered affiliate product marketplace for Lasso users. It's filled with thousands of high-commission Amazon products.

2. Lasso

   

   Commission Rate: 20%, Up to $700+ per sale

   Cookie Duration: 30 Days

   Lasso is a WordPress plugin that allows you to quickly create affiliate link displays that earn more money. Manage all your affiliate links in one place.

3. Keyword.com

   

   Commission Rate: 50% of Revenue for 12 Months

   Cookie Duration: 60 Days

   Keyword.com is a best-in-class Google keyword rank tracking solution for SEO agencies, freelancers and inhouse SEO teams. It provides everything you need to track, pinpoint and validate your SEO efforts and gives you additional features for showcasing and reporting your results.

Once you’ve been approved for the product’s affiliate program, the program will give you your affiliate link, and you can start inserting it into your content.

How To Monetize A Personal Blog With Affiliate Marketing

To add your link to your content, go to your post editor, highlight the relevant text, and insert the link.

Here are a few best practices for adding affiliate links to your WordPress blog:

• Add links where it’s helpful. Adding too many links to your blog posts is just like adding too many ads; it’s annoying. Add links to product titles, images, CTA buttons, and the first time you mention a product. That’s plenty.
• Disclose your links. Every blog post with affiliate links should have a disclaimer at the beginning, and every CTA or product image should also.
• Use direct sales language. When you are writing your call to action, be direct. It’s not rude to say, “Check the price” or “Buy this product today.” Being too passive makes you look unconfident.

Or, take it a step further by creating product displays.

You Can Double Your Affiliate Sales With Lasso Displays

You can create displays manually using the post editor to add links to images and buttons.

However, it can be time-consuming to create these displays and keep them updated if you’re doing it all by hand.

Luckily, monetizing your blog with affiliate links is simplified when you’re using a tool like Lasso.

Lasso makes it super easy to add links and product displays to your posts. You can add product displays to posts right from the post editor; no coding is required. It’s as simple as clicking your mouse three times.

You can also automatically import product info from retailers like Amazon. Just paste the link into the Lasso dashboard, and Lasso will populate the display with the product title, image, and price.

With all of this, remember to follow the guidelines in the affiliate program’s terms and conditions. Amazon, in particular, is pretty stringent.

But everything Lasso does is compliant with Amazon Associates’ TOS, so you never have to worry about being booted from the program.

That’s just scratching the surface of what Lasso can do to help you monetize your personal blog. If you’re ready to start making a serious affiliate income from your personal site, sign up for Lasso today.

Affiliate Marketing Pros and Cons for Personal Bloggers

Affiliate marketing can be a great way for personal bloggers to monetize their content. One of the main pros is the potential for passive income - once you set up your affiliate links, you can earn money from them without much ongoing effort. Additionally, it allows you to recommend products or services that you genuinely believe in and that are relevant to your audience.

However, there are also some downsides to consider. One of the main cons is that it can take time to see significant earnings from affiliate marketing, especially for newer bloggers. Additionally, there is a risk of coming across as too salesy or losing the trust of your audience if you promote too many products or ones that aren't a good fit for your brand.

Overall, affiliate marketing can be a valuable revenue stream for personal bloggers, but it's important to approach it strategically and authentically to avoid potential drawbacks.

2. Display Ads

The second best way to monetize your personal blog is with display ads. Ads are the internet's favorite monetization method, but they have severe drawbacks.

How to Monetize a Personal Blog With Display Ads

Monetizing a personal blog with display ads couldn’t be easier.

First, choose an ad network to join. Networks have traffic requirements, so here are the best ad networks to join based on your site’s page views:

• 100,000+ Visitors per month - Raptive
• 50,000+ Sessions per month - Mediavine
• < 50,000+ Visitors per month - Ezoic

Once you’re accepted to an ad network, follow their instructions to integrate their ads into your site. They will have documentation for every type of content management service (WordPress, Joomla, Ghost, etc.).

If your chosen ad network has a dedicated accounts manager, they will guide you through getting their ads on your site.

And… that’s it. Let the ads run and wait for your deposits to hit your account.

Display Ad Pros And Cons For Personal Bloggers

Display ads can be a great way for personal bloggers to monetize their content. They are relatively easy to set up and can generate passive income as long as your blog receives a decent amount of traffic. However, they can also be visually intrusive and affect the overall user experience of your blog.

One of the main benefits of display ads is that they require minimal effort to maintain once they are set up. This means that you can focus on creating quality content while still earning revenue from your blog. On the downside, some users may find display ads annoying and may be less likely to engage with your content as a result.

Another advantage of display ads is that they can be a steady source of income, especially if your blog attracts a consistent stream of visitors. However, the potential downside is that they may not always align with the aesthetic of your blog, and can sometimes detract from the overall look and feel of your site.

3. Digital Products

Selling your own digital products is a great way to increase your earnings per visitor in the personal niche.

A digital product is anything you can sell on your personal blog that the customer will receive via download.

Here are a few digital products you could sell on your personal blog:

• Online courses: Create and sell courses on a topic you're knowledgeable about.
• Ebooks: Write and sell ebooks on subjects related to your blog niche.
• Printables: Design and sell digital planners, worksheets, or art prints.
• Stock photos: Offer high-quality photos for purchase and download.
• Software tools: Develop and sell digital tools or apps tailored to your audience's needs.

A lot of people search for simple checklists and guides related to different topics. They’d happily pay you for them.

Pros and Cons of Selling Digital Products for Personal Bloggers

One of the main pros of selling digital products for personal bloggers is the potential for passive income. Once the product is created and marketed, it can continue to generate revenue with minimal ongoing effort. This can be a great way for bloggers to diversify their income streams and increase their overall earnings.

Additionally, selling digital products can help establish the blogger as an authority in their niche. Creating and selling products like e-books, online courses, or templates can showcase the blogger's expertise and provide valuable resources to their audience, further solidifying their reputation as a trusted source of information.

On the flip side, there are some cons to consider. Creating high-quality digital products can be time-consuming and require a significant initial investment of time and possibly money. Additionally, there is the challenge of standing out in a crowded market, as there is no shortage of digital products available online. Bloggers will need to invest in effective marketing strategies to ensure their products get noticed and purchased.

How To Monetize a Personal Blog By Selling Digital Products

The first thing to do is create your digital product.

Look at which content your audience interacts with the most, and brainstorm digital products to help serve their search intent.

That’s what I did when I created our Ultimate Blogging Guide:

Then, create the product using whatever tools are at your disposal. For example, use Microsoft Word to create an ebook PDF, or Google Sheets to create interactive spreadsheets and checklists.

Next, you have to figure out how to distribute your product. The easiest way to distribute PDFs is by uploading them to your WordPress media library. Then you can give customers the link, and they can download the PDF from there.

Lastly, you’ll have to set up payment processing and order fulfillment. A plugin like Woocommerce can automate most of this, but you’ll have to tie it to a processor like Stripe or PayPal.

Woocommerce can even connect to an email tool like ConvertKit, so as soon as your customer finishes their checkout, they’ll get an email with a link to their download.

Barring any issues, you won’t have to do anything but watch your bank account grow.

4. Email Newsletter

One effective way to monetize a personal blog is by creating an email newsletter. This method allows you to build a loyal audience and engage with your readers on a more personal level. Let's explore how to monetize a personal blog with an email newsletter and the pros and cons of email marketing for personal bloggers.

Before we dive into the specifics of monetizing your personal blog with an email newsletter, let's first talk about what an email newsletter is and why it's a great tool for personal bloggers. An email newsletter is a regularly distributed email that contains content, updates, and promotions that are relevant to your blog and your readers. It's a direct line of communication between you and your audience, allowing you to build a loyal following and drive traffic to your blog.

How to Monetize a Personal Blog with an Email Newsletter

If you have a personal blog, an email newsletter can be a powerful tool for monetization. Here's how to do it:

• Affiliate Marketing: Include affiliate links in your newsletter to products or services that you recommend, and earn a commission for any sales made through those links.
• Sponsored Content: Collaborate with brands to feature sponsored content in your newsletter, reaching a targeted audience and earning money for promoting their products or services.
• Exclusive Content: Offer premium content or special offers exclusively to your email subscribers, enticing them to sign up and pay for access to valuable information or resources.

Pros and Cons of Email Marketing for Personal Bloggers

Pros:

• Direct communication with your audience
• Targeted promotions and content
• Potential for high conversion rates

Cons:

• Requires time and effort to build and maintain a subscriber list
• Risk of being marked as spam if not done carefully
• May require investment in email marketing tools or services

5. Consulting and Coaching Services

Consulting or coaching is exchanging your expertise and time for a fee. Your customers need an expert, and you’ve proven yourself to be that expert.

As you become an authority in the industry, people will reach out to you with questions about topics they consider you an expert in.

Now, you don’t have to charge for being helpful, but you should place a dollar value on your time.

As a personal blogger, you extensive knowledge of the industry. If a reader reaches out to you asking for help, you should get paid for that effort.

How To Monetize A Personal Blog With Consulting Services

Monetizing a personal blog with consulting services is similar to selling sponsored posts.

Put a “Coaching” option in your nav bar that goes to a landing page outlining your consulting services and your hourly rate. This will help head off some of the people looking for free advice.

Then, wait for requests to come in, evaluate them, and propose your offer. If the customer accepts, send them an invoice using PayPal or another payment processor, and schedule the call.

Pros and Cons of Selling Consulting Services for Personal Bloggers

One of the main advantages of selling consulting services to personal bloggers is the potential for a high level of demand. Many bloggers are looking to improve their content, grow their audience, and monetize their blogs, making them willing to invest in consulting services.

Another benefit is the opportunity to build strong relationships with clients. By providing personalized consulting services, you can establish trust and rapport with bloggers, leading to repeat business and referrals.

However, it's important to consider the potential challenges as well. Selling consulting services to personal bloggers may require a significant time investment, as each client may have unique needs and goals.

Additionally, the market for consulting services in the blogging industry can be competitive, so it's important to differentiate yourself and clearly communicate the value of your services.

Personal Blog Monetization FAQs

What Is The Best Way To Make Money From Personal Blogging?

If you want to build a successful personal blog, then affiliate marketing is the best way to monetize it. It’s the least intrusive way to make a lot of money from your site without much extra effort.

Can I Make A Full-Time Income From Personal Blogging?

Absolutely! Some personal blogs, like James Clear and Zen Habits get hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors. That’s enough for a full-time income for a small team of people.

How Do I Start a Personal Blog?

Learning how to start a personal blog is the first best way to use your expertise to start an online business.

You need to register a domain, install WordPress, and publish great content. It's a lot of work, but totally worth it!

How Do Personal Bloggers Get Paid?

Most personal bloggers make money through affiliate commissions and advertising fees. Both of these monetization methods pay out one or two months after the fees have been generated.

Some personal bloggers also sell sponsored posts, consulting services, or their own products. In these cases, a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe is necessary.

Is Personal Blogging Easy?

Nothing worth doing is truly easy, but that doesn’t mean personal blogging isn’t fun.

As a personal blogger, you’ll get to go places, try new things, and meet new people. And it will be part of your business! What could be cooler than that?

Is It Worth Starting A Personal Blog?

It’s absolutely worth it to start a personal blog. Not only can you make a living from it, but you can also build a community and control the conversation.

Once you’re an established authority, people in personal-related industries will take you seriously.

Final Thoughts on Monetizing a Personal Blog

So there you have it, all the different ways to make money from your personal blog. But here's a little bonus tip for you: use multiple monetization methods!

Diversifying your income streams is key to protecting your blog's future. If one method fails, you'll have others to fall back on.

So, whether it's affiliate offers, display ads, or your own products, don't put all your eggs in one basket. With hard work and smart planning, you'll be on the fast track to earning what your blog deserves. Good luck!

Why You Should Trust Our Personal Blogging Content

You may be thinking, "that's all great, but what does Lasso know about personal blogging?"

Quite a lot, actually.

Here's why you can trust our process for building a successful personal blog:

We've Built Wildly Successful Blogs

Lasso is built for affiliate marketers, by affiliate marketers. We're not gurus; we've walked the walk.

Our team members have built multiple blogs from the ground up, some of them earning over seven figures in revenue.

We put that experience into every guide we write, so you can trust we're giving you a process that works.

We Talk To Personal Bloggers Every Day

Lasso's WordPress plugin is installed on over 8,000 websites, including a lot of personal blogs.

Our team supports those bloggers every day as they create awesome content and earn lots of money.

These communications give us a bird's-eye view of what's new in the personal industry. We take that information and use it to keep these guides as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

We're Super Nerds

We've put a lot of company focus into learning everything we can about blogging, affiliate marketing, SEO, and anything to do with online entrepreneurship.

We attend conferences, collect high-level contacts, read tons of books, and distill all of that information into our content. We pass information onto you that was previously only available to industry insiders.