Let’s be honest, if you’ve ever run across a blog you’ve probably wondered why a blogger would spend so much time writing all sorts of different posts.
Of course, you probably weren’t much of a writer back in school and it just sounds like an absolute nightmare to have to sit and stare at a computer screen and type for hours at a time.
Eventually, this has to get a bit boring and can be ridiculously time consuming.
Well, usually people start out to share their thoughts and opinions. In the long run, however, they realize that blogging is an opportunity to get paid.
You’re probably wondering if it is really possible to generate income from a blog. Well, let’s talk more about that…
Do Blogs Generate Income?
The short answer is yes. It’s important to understand that they CAN, but not all of them DO.
There is a much longer answer that we need to dive into…
Blogging can be quite the income generating opportunity if you know what you are doing. But…it’s not so simple as writing a bunch of words and throwing ads on your home page.
You likely won’t make money without a deep knowledge of SEO, keywords, internet marketing, and branding.
Of course there are the Instagram model types and Instapreneurs that get lucky and fall into blogging as an income generating business. But that’s not the process that most of us follow.
Most people who “blog” are actually running what we call a “niche website”.
This is where you choose a particular subject and write about it, all the time…
While it is possible to make money from your blog, it will take a TON of work and you should not enter into blogging with the intention of making a boatload of money overnight.
It’s likely it just won’t happen, especially in the time frame that you are expecting.
Please take me seriously when I say that it takes months for a blog to start making money. If you plan to replace your income or turn this into a real side hustle it is not going to happen overnight.
I worked for probably 4-5 months before I actually saw commissions that were able to validate any bit of effort I had put into my blogging. Here’s a reflection on my 2018 income progression…
If this sounds like you and something you can commit to you may be able to make money like other bloggers, but don’t start if you don’t have the work ethic to execute day in and day out.
Most bloggers regularly dedicate a couple hours each day to developing new articles and content for their websites.
Blogging is not a get rich quick scheme, if you are looking for a get rich quick scheme you have definitely come to the wrong place.
This is a side hustle that takes REAL HUSTLE.
Eventually it can be a full time job and you can blog from anywhere in the world but that doesn’t come without some work ethic.
What Is The Average Income From a Blog?
To be honest most blogs are absolute duds. They bring in almost zero income.
That isn’t a reflection on all blogs though. Blogging is just like most small businesses: 90%+ fail within their first year.
Even more fail in the years to come.
But…if you know what you are doing and have the proper training there is potential that you can earn the average or above average income from a blog.
There is no real way to determine the average income from a blog because most blogs are not written with the intent of making money. This dilutes the average numbers drastically.
However, niche websites are… and many niche websites can be very profitable.
I personally know many internet marketers that easily clear 4 and sometimes 5 figures a month. This results in way more than a full time income in the long run.
However, these results are above average.
AVERAGE bloggers don’t put in the time and effort it takes to really dig in, learn the different ways that a blog can generate income, and most also don’t spend an above average amount of time tweaking and perfecting their website to drive conversions, sales, and ad clicks.
So, if I had to pick an average number for blog income, I would guess it’s pretty close to $0.
However, if you want to become an above average blogger and write with the intent of making money, there are options.
How To Earn Money From a Blog
As mentioned above, earning money from your blog is not a walk in the park. It can be quite complicated to build a high performing niche website and there is a lot of training required and hard work that needs to be put in.
There are a couple of ways to earn money from a blog…
First, you can choose to advertise on your website. Advertising on a website can include Google Adsense and other platforms that advertise through a widget you post on your site.
You can find different advertisers on affiliate platforms like Commission Junction, Clickbank, or JVZoo. However, if you are looking for “pay per click” revenue you’ll want to just stick with Google Adsense.
There are other options for pay per click advertising but they often show things you cannot control, this can be quite scary and destroy your site’s reputation if something that is a bad representation of your brand pops up.
A second option would be affiliate marketing. If you are interested in affiliate marketing in particular, click here to read about my favorite affiliate marketing platform.
Affiliate marketing is usually way more profitable than pay per click advertising.
Blogging and including affiliate links means that people click on the links you share, and if they purchase a product you get a % of the profit.
This is usually what most bloggers use as their primary form of revenue.
The niche site you are reading right now is 100% driven by affiliate commission. I refer people to products and services through my own personal experiences with these products. I then receive a commission if someone purchases something through one of the links on my site.
You’ve probably seen the “Swipe Up” or “OMG I love X Product” on social media… this is precisely the model that most of these people are using.
This is why celebrities who use certain products (or at least pretend to) get paid so much to push these exact products to their millions of followers.
Unlimited reach means unlimited money.
Bloggers are trying to achieve the same thing but through traffic to their websites, not their social media following.
You might be wondering if it’s possible for you to start up your own blog.
It can seem like quite the chore when you aren’t sure how to get rolling…
But… if you are ready to put in a serious amount of effort, and want to learn all you need to know about affiliate marketing, pay per click advertising, and exactly what you need to do to get your very own blog off the ground with the hopes of ultimately working from anywhere you want… keep reading.
Create Your Own Blog For Free
Creating your own blog is pretty simple!
You need just a few things:
- A Domain Name
- A Hosting Platform
- A Niche Of Your Choosing
- Proper Training
- An Audience
A domain name is basically the name of your website. In this case it’s the incitewealth.org that you see in your search bar up top. Grabbing your own domain name is simple. You can either pay for a unique domain…Or you can click here to read my article on getting setup with a free domain name and where to host that domain.
Once you have a domain setup you’ll want to choose a niche. I have outlined 4 easy steps for choosing a niche in previous articles. Your niche should be something that you are passionate about and will have no problems writing about for years to come. Remember, you are building a business and this needs to be LONG TERM.
If you are going to start a website just to abandon it after a couple months, you will not earn money through blogging.
Now that you have a domain, you have found your ideal hosting platform and a quality niche you are passionate about… you’ll need proper training.
I outlined earlier that there are a ton of online resources out there that are basically full fledged online universities that have detailed video lessons teaching you exactly how to setup your site and start driving traffic to your site which ultimately results in sales.
Click here to learn about Wealthy Affiliate University.
Not that you have the first 4 items, you need an audience.
The audience is the tricky part. However, if you follow the training at Wealthy Affiliate over time you will start to bring in a consistent flow of new readers to your blog.
When you provide them with the info they are looking for it will start to result in link clicks which can then turn into sales and affiliate commission.
The best part of all this is, you can head to Wealthy Affiliate right now to set up your free starter account where you’ll be taught how to register a free domain, build your website in minutes without any coding experience, and ultimately learn what you’ll need to do in order to scale your blog to an actual income generating online business.
Remember this is not a get rich quick scheme and you most likely will not see any sales in your first few weeks.
However, with dedication and time, you’ll eventually be driving organic traffic to your website and can actually make money talking about the things you enjoy.
What are you waiting for? If this sounds like a challenge you’re up for head over to Wealthy Affiliate by clicking the banner below and sign up for free today! No credit card required.
If you have experience with blogging yourself and have earned an income doing so, please drop me a line below as I’d love to hear about your experiences in the online business realm.
If you have any questions, also feel free to ask those in the comment section.
Thanks for reading, I hope that you gained value from this article and that you come back to read more soon!
I like how you are honest about the reality of blogging! It’s true that it’s not a quick cash grab and only people who put in the hard work will get the results they are looking for! The most important thing is finding a niche that you are passionate about and creating realistic money goals for your blog. It’s a long investment, but still, an awesome way to earn passive income!
Hi Ariana!
Thank you for reading my article. It’s super appreciated that you took the time to comment as well.
So many people out there like to talk about how quickly you can make a ton of money by blogging. What they don’t understand is that they are actually doing their readers a HUGE disservice when they essentially lie to them.
When someone signs up for the platforms that I recommend to get started with an online business, I want them to understand that they won’t see overnight results.
Setting realistic money goals is a huge part of this and I’m glad you outlined that here.
I couldn’t agree with you more on that subject, but I definitely do agree that blogging can be a great way to building a semi-passive income in the long run. It just takes quite a bit of start-up effort and understanding of marketing.
-Dalton
Great and In depth post. I find it really amazing, easy to read and comprehend. Blogging is a good way of making money from home, it requires the right mindset and commitment. I think it is also advisable to find a specific niche that someone had passion for and also promoting products. Thank you
Hello, Clement!
Glad you thought so. I do agree blogging can be a great income stream for those looking to expand. It definitely requires some resilience though, especially early on. Hopefully you’ve found your niche and are well on your way to creating your own online business!
Let me know if I can be of any help to you.
-Dalton
I’m going to ramble on over to your blog and take a look under the hood. I’m sure it will be as good as this post.
Blogs are time consuming and sometimes tiring due according to your observation and a little experience from mine. But the fact remains that they are like investments, with proper channeling and consistency, blogging is a huge money vault which requires pressing the right bottoms and typing the best keys.
Haha, thanks for the compliment Ayodeji. Glad my posts are coming across as high quality! With the amount of effort I put in I always hope that my readers find my articles not only informative but aesthetically pleasing.
I try to avoid spamming folks with links and hopefully I am able to offer you some important information along the way.
It does seem like there’s a secret code to blogging sometimes and if you don’t have it there’s no way to get it. That’s not quite true though, once you ask the right people and learn the code, it very rarely changes so drastically you can’t figure it out again.
Hopefully that metaphor makes sense.
Let me know if I can help you with anything or if you have questions on your journey into internet marketing and all that it has to offer.
-Dalton
It is very much possible to generate income from a blog. It demands so much input, dedication and commitment. Earning from blog is not a get rich quick schemes I know but one thing is certain.,. I will surely breakthrough. It can only take some hard work and time. Blogging makes you versatile ::
Hey Kenechi!
It definitely is possible if you put in the effort just like you said. I’m glad you have the confidence and determination to really go out and create a steady income for yourself blogging. Hard work and time are necessary to success in any realm.
This is especially true from the online business standpoint. Best of luck to you and I wish you much success with your online business.
If you have any questions or need help with your blog please reach out to me here or at Wealthy Affiliate if you have signed up!
I’m always eager and happy to help you achieve the success you are looking for.
Keep up the good work my friend!
-Dalton
Hi Dalton – I can definitely relate to your post. For starters, I’m not really much of a writer, and I am wondering if you really can make money from blogging. I had not heard of the term Instapreneurs before, I’ll have to check that one out as well.
So my main problem is traffic, but I know that you just need to consistently work at it and produce great content.
Thank you for this informative post,
Michele
Hi Michele!
Traffic is everyone’s number one hurdle at the beginning. Often times the problem is that people inorganically try to force traffic and overspend on Facebook Ads or Adsense expenditure. They don’t yet realize that with time your site builds authority and with more content comes more keywords and ultimately better ranking.
Consistency is key! If you keep writing and creating awesome content, eventually you will start driving the traffic you are looking for. Ideally this will lead to sales if you know and understand proper linking techniques and how to make sure to hook your readers.
I hope that this article not only caught your attention but hopefully it helped you out with your own online business.
Thanks for reading!
-Dalton
Very informative article! I am in the blogging business, myself, and found some great information in the post. I agree wholeheartedly that this is definitely not a get-rich-quick scheme. Running a successful blog takes tons of time, effort and dedication – but you will start to see some hefty financial benefits if you have the proper training! Couldn’t agree more!
-Darci
Hi Darci! I’m glad that you found this article informative.
Understanding that this is not a get rich quick scheme is perhaps the first step to success in the online business space. So many people are trying to force success and when they don’t see it they give up. Persistence is imperative and absolutely a necessary quality and course of action here.
I’m happy that you realize the time and effort it takes to PROPERLY run a blog. Anyone can write words, but in order to truly appeal to your audience and convert sales you need to fully understand the work required before embarking on this type of journey.
Thanks so much for reading and I hope that the training you have discovered is helping you out a great deal!
-Dalton
Dear Dalton,
I must say I found your post highly uplifting and educational. This has to be motivating, not only for me but also for many others.
To be honest, exactly two years before I had the same question. When I did some research on how to make money online experts advised blogging is the best way to earn money online in the longer run. But I know nothing about blogging, affiliate marketing etc.,
In order to learn I searched for many training platform and finally joined Wealthy Affiliate on November 2016.
To cut the long story short…
I am still with WA and since December 2017 I am full-time blogger working from home thanks a lot to WA. Although I am not earning big income like you I am on the way. Indeed as you said it will take time and effort. For me to make my first sale it taken 6 months.
YES It Is REALLY Possible To Generate Income From a Blog!
Much Success!
Paul
Hello Paul,
First, thanks for reading my article. I always aim to educate so any time I am successful in doing so I am ecstatic as it means I am successful in achieving my own goals. I’m no motivational speaker, but I do enjoy helping others achieve what they have set out to.
Congratulations on finding Wealthy Affiliate! Not everyone has that opportunity, especially right at the best time to get into the affiliate marketing space. The internet is only growing, the training there is forever adapting and this marketplace has gotten SO HUGE.
6 months is about right for a first sale. Some see above average success and land sales in early months (3-4 months) but sometimes, depending on your niche it can take a bit longer. Competitive niches usually are a bit harder to land sales in because the time it takes to establish true site authority is extended.
There is also more competition associated with the keywords you are trying to rank for.
Keep up the good work and best of luck to you this year!
-Dalton
Congratulations to you. Great article, great website. I wish I could blog or write really good and do it with ease like a breeze. I’m trying very hard though and still learning. WA is a great platform to learn and potentially make money for yourself. I just have to stick to the training, focus and be patient. I love it so far and I am learning a lot.
Thanks!
I appreciate the kind words. All it takes is the level of effort you are putting in. You’ll get there with time. It’s definitely a bit of a learning curve, but just write naturally and you’ll realize very soon that your readers respond to that over dishing out an English lesson 🙂
Patience is tough when trying to monetize a blog. It takes quite a bit of time to see any legit results. Stay focused and best of luck to you!
Dalton
Blogging can be hard for new comer sometimes if one don’t have have knowledge about it.
ranging from how to choose a right niche to write about on your website
and also how to create a good website for niche
many get tired along the way because there website is not making them more money despite the effort they put into it at the beginning
less money and more effort and this discourage them to go on.
thanks for all the information in the article I find it very useful and am sure newbie will find it very useful too
You’re 100% correct. It can be tough with zero knowledge, but with the proper training, resources, and tools out anyone can learn the ins and outs of blogging, and what’s more… affiliate marketing.
If you are interested in being able to find a niche for your website, I outlined a few steps that may help with doing so.
Check it out by clicking here.
Hope that helps and let me know if you have any questions.
Great connecting with you!
-Dalton
Hi,
Thank you very much for sharing with us such an important blog. If I did not read this blog I can not find the details about online income. This blog will be very helpful who want to work online. The most important thing I just learn from here is as mentioned above, earning money from our blog is not a walk in the park. It can be quite complicated to build a high performing niche website and there is a lot of training required and hard work that needs to be put in. I will definitely share this blog with my friends.
Hi and thanks for reading!
It most definitely is not a walk in the park. Many like to think it’s just throwing your thoughts on a screen and publishing content. While that works over time there are many intricacies that come into play.
You have to be marketing within the right space as well as know how to convert readers to clicks and sales.
Keep pushing through the training and let me know if you have any questions!
Please do share it, the more knowledge being spread the better.
-Dalton