Can You Really Make Money Blogging?

Yes, you can make real money blogging. In fact, there are many successful bloggers who have been able to replace their day jobs with the income they earn from their blogs. These bloggers started out as ordinary people with no special expertise or marketing background. However, they all had one thing in common – they treated their blogs as online businesses.

If you want to make a living blogging, it’s important to approach it with a business mindset. Treat your blog as a business from the beginning and be prepared to put in the time and effort required to grow it. The amount of money you can make as a blogger depends on your niche and how you choose to monetize your blog. It also depends on whether you blog full-time or part-time.

There are two main ways to approach blogging as a business:

1. Solopreneur: You can run your blog mostly on your own, with perhaps the help of a family member or virtual assistant.

2. Entrepreneur: You can build a full-fledged online business with employees, an office, and other resources.

The income potential of successful bloggers varies widely. Some bloggers earn a modest income, while others support their families with two or more kids. There are even bloggers who have built multi-million dollar businesses.

Now, let’s take a look at some real-life examples of high-earning bloggers and what we can learn from their success.

Patty “Sassy” Knutson – Vegan Cooking Site

Niche: Food, Vegan Cooking
Website: www.vegancoach.com
Primary Monetization Model: Coaching Services
Secondary Revenue Streams: eBooks, eCourses

When Patty started vegancoach.com in 2007, she had no knowledge of the online world. However, she had a passion for vegan cooking and wanted to turn her skills as a personal chef and nutritional consultant into a scalable business. She focused on creating valuable content and providing coaching services to her audience. Over time, her website grew into a successful coaching business with multiple income streams. Today, her husband has also joined her in running the business, which is their main source of income.

Patty’s Top Blogging Advice: “If you are considering starting your own online business, you must be prepared to treat it like a business. It takes time to grow, and there will always be something to do. Find a topic you love and are passionate about, because it will keep you going when the road gets long and winding.”

Mary and Dave Morris – Front Porch Bloggers

Niche: Porches, DIY Home Decoration
Website: www.front-porch-ideas-and-more.com
Primary Monetization Model: Selling Ad Space
Secondary Revenue Streams: Contractor Referral Network, Affiliate Programs, eBooks, Calendars, T-shirts, Mugs

Mary and Dave started their blog, Front Porch Ideas and More, from their kitchen table. They focused on providing valuable content about porches and DIY home decoration. Within a few years, their blog started generating income through ad space sales and other revenue streams. Today, they have been featured in major media networks and their blog is their main source of income.

Mary and Dave’s Top Blogging Advice: “Being a solopreneur couple requires dedication and consistent effort. Stick to your niche, create great content, and be patient. Success takes time, but if you put in the work, you can achieve it.”

Luke and Hollie Barber – Speech Therapy Online Business

Niche: Speech Therapy
Website: www.home-speech-home.com
Primary Monetization Model: Apps
Secondary Revenue Streams: eBooks, PDF Downloads

Luke and Hollie started their blog, Home Speech Home, with the goal of providing valuable resources for speech therapy. They initially monetized their website through Google AdSense and Amazon affiliate links, but the income was not significant. However, they noticed that their “word lists” were popular among their audience, especially those using mobile Apple devices. This led them to develop their first app, which became a huge success. They have since developed six more apps and now make a full-time income from their online business.

Luke’s Top Blogging Advice: “Build your email list early on, even if you don’t have any products to sell yet. Your email list will be your most valuable asset for driving traffic, understanding your audience, and making sales.”

Ashley Cotter-Cairns – Online Comic Book Trades

Niche: Comic Books
Website: www.sellmycomicbooks.com
Primary Monetization Model: Buying and Reselling Comic Book Collections
Secondary Revenue Streams: eBay Affiliate Program, eBooks, Video Courses, Google AdSense

Ashley started sellmycomicbooks.com as a way to buy and resell comic book collections. In the first year, he made his first major sale, which resulted in significant revenue. He also generated income through AdSense and the eBay affiliate program. Today, his blog generates a full-time income and supports his business partner and employees.

Ashley’s Top Blogging Advice: “Think like your visitor and anticipate their needs. Put surveys on your site to understand their struggles and use their answers to create content and product ideas. Provide valuable content and craft sales pages that express their desires.”

Boo and Tony Peel – Travel Bloggers and Zimbabwe Experts

Niche: Travel
Website: www.victoriafalls-guide.net
Primary Monetization Model: Commissions from Hotels, Lodges, and Tour Operators
Secondary Revenue Streams: Vacation Planning Services, eBooks, Google AdSense

Boo and Tony started their blog, Victoria Falls Guide, with the goal of providing valuable travel information about Zimbabwe. Within a few months, they made their first booking and started generating income through commissions. Today, they have a team of consultants and book hundreds of itineraries each year.

Tony’s Top Blogging Advice: “Stick to the action plan and be patient. Building an online business takes time and effort, but if you follow the steps and provide valuable content, success is guaranteed.”

Carl Trent – From Side Hustle Blog to Team of 50

Niche: Travel
Websites: www.dadsguidetowdw.com, www.wdw-magazine.com
Primary Monetization Model: Online Magazine Subscription
Secondary Revenue Streams: Calendars, eBooks, Coffee Table Books, Travel Agency Commissions

Carl started his blog, Dad’s Guide to WDW, as a side hustle while working as an air traffic controller. His passion for Walt Disney led him to create valuable content about Disney travel. Over time, he developed his own product, a monthly digital travel magazine, which became his primary source of income. Today, he has a team of 50 people and his online business supports his family.

Carl’s Top Blogging Advice: “Have something to sell of your own. Your own product is the best way to make money from your blog. Informational sites are cool, but if you want to make a living, start with an idea for a product.”

Taylor Flanery – Household Tips

Niche: Household Tips
Websites: www.stain-removal-101.com, www.home-storage-solutions-101.com, www.household-management-101.com
Primary Monetization Model: Affiliate Marketing
Secondary Revenue Streams: Google AdSense, Sponsored Content, Product Reviews

Taylor started blogging as a way to spend more time with her kids and escape her job as a litigation attorney. She focused on providing valuable content about household tips and monetized her blogs through affiliate marketing and other revenue streams. Today, her blogs fully support her family and she and her husband have quit their day jobs.

Taylor’s Top Blogging Advice: “Building an online business takes time and consistent effort. Focus on providing high-quality content and be patient. Don’t compare yourself to others who are further ahead. If you put in the time and hustle, you can achieve success too.”

Richard Bergman – Deck Building

Niche: Deck Building
Website: www.decksgo.com
Primary Monetization Model: Selling Physical Products
Secondary Revenue Streams: None

Richard comes from a family of builders and developed his own deck building product. To prove the market demand for his product, he created decksgo.com, a content website about deck building. This website not only drove traffic to his online store but also attracted the attention of hardware distributors. Today, Richard’s offline business is a multi-million dollar company, thanks to his online presence.

Richard’s Top Blogging Advice: “Choose a niche you are passionate about and has long-term potential. Building an online business takes time and dedication, so make sure you enjoy what you’re doing.”

In conclusion, making a living blogging is possible if you approach it with a business mindset. Research your niche, understand your audience, and plan how you will monetize your blog. Provide valuable content and build a relationship of trust with your audience. Remember that success takes time and consistent effort, but with dedication, you can achieve your goals.