How to Monetize a Blog: 7 Ways to Make Money Blogging

Short answer

The fastest path to blog income is affiliate marketing (earning commissions by recommending products) combined with display ads once you hit ~10,000 monthly visitors. For higher income, add digital products or sponsored posts as you grow.

7 ways to monetize a blog

1. Affiliate marketing (best for most bloggers)

Recommend products and earn a commission when readers buy through your link.

No inventory, no customer service
Commission rates: 3–50% depending on product type
Best programs: Amazon Associates, ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, individual brand programs
Works best when: You genuinely recommend tools you use

2. Display ads (Google AdSense, Mediavine, Raptive)

Get paid per 1,000 page views or per click.

Google AdSense: Open to anyone, but pays low ($1–$3 RPM)
Ezoic: Better rates, minimum ~10k sessions/month
Mediavine: $15–$30+ RPM, requires 50k sessions/month
Raptive: $20–$40+ RPM, requires 100k sessions/month

Don't add ads until you have consistent traffic. Ads slow your site and annoy readers when you're still building an audience.

3. Digital products (highest margin)

Sell ebooks, templates, courses, or printables.

Keep 100% of revenue (minus payment processor fees)
Platforms: Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Podia, Teachable
Works best when: Your blog has a clear niche and audience with a specific problem

4. Sponsored posts / brand deals

Get paid to write about a product or feature a brand.

Small blogs: $100–$500/post
Mid-size blogs (50k+ monthly views): $500–$5,000/post
Reach out to brands in your niche OR join networks like AspireIQ, Cooperatize

5. Coaching or consulting

Use your blog to attract clients for 1:1 work.

Highest revenue per hour
Works when your blog demonstrates expertise
Add a "Work with me" page with a Calendly booking link

6. Email list monetization

Build an email list and sell to it:

Affiliate promotions
Your own products
Membership or paid newsletter

An email list is the most reliable asset. 1,000 engaged subscribers is worth more than 100,000 pageviews.

7. Membership / paid content

Charge for premium content, a community, or exclusive resources.

Platforms: Patreon, Memberful, Substack
Works for personal finance, cooking, fitness, and hobby niches

The right order to monetize

Month 1–6 (building audience):

Add affiliate links to any product recommendations
Collect emails from day one

Month 6–12 (10k+ monthly visitors):

Add display ads (start with Ezoic)
Consider a simple digital product

Year 2+ (50k+ monthly visitors):

Negotiate sponsored posts
Upgrade ad network to Mediavine
Launch a course or membership