How to Start a Blog that Makes Money in 2025

Blogging is one of those small business ideas that can turn into a serious money-maker—potentially earning thousands of dollars each month. Whether you’re selling your own products, earning commissions through affiliate marketing, or making money from ads, a blog can become a great income stream.

In this guide, we’ll go over 11 ways to make money from blogging—real strategies used by professional bloggers who have turned their websites into full-time businesses.

1. Pick a Profitable Niche

Before you even start blogging, spend time choosing the right niche.

A niche is a specific topic within a broader category. For example, instead of just writing about food, you could focus on vegan recipes. Picking a niche helps your audience connect your blog with a particular subject. If someone is looking for vegan dishes, they’ll know exactly where to go—your blog.

Choosing a strong niche increases your chances of becoming the go-to resource on that topic.

“Before thinking about monetization, focus on quality and expertise,” says Mushfiq Sarker, founder of The Website Flip. “Find your niche, figure out why you should be writing about it, and build a persona. Over time, you’ll gain a following. Monetization will come later.”

To make money blogging, your niche should meet three key criteria:

• You’re knowledgeable or passionate about it – Blogging takes time and effort, so picking a topic you enjoy makes it easier to stay consistent.
• There’s competition, but not too much – If no one is blogging about your topic, there may not be money in it. But if too many big brands dominate, ranking on Google will be tough.
• There are ways to monetize it – Look for companies in your niche that advertise, offer affiliate programs, or pay for sponsored content.

2. Build an Email List

Once you have a blog, your next goal is to build a loyal audience.

A great way to do this? Email marketing. When people sign up for your mailing list, you can reach them directly in their inbox—a powerful space to stay top of mind.

“Email marketing is my most profitable channel,” says Brittany Berger, founder of Work Brighter. “I don’t even try to sell directly on social media anymore. Instead, I use it to grow my email list.”

To grow your list, use pop-up forms on your blog and offer an incentive like:

• A free downloadable guide
• A list of recommended resources
• VIP access to exclusive content

Once people sign up, keep them engaged with valuable emails. This warms up your audience, making it easier to sell products or recommend affiliate offers later.

Blogger Lily Ugbaja built her blog FindingBalance.Mom while staying at home with her son. By leveraging email marketing, she made money in just two weeks.

Also Read: Can you make Passive Income on YouTube?

“I used lead magnets and tripwires,” she says. “Instead of a regular success page after signing up, I offered a discounted product for $7—which added up to real revenue.”

Even with less than 1,000 monthly page views, Lily made over $100 in her first month, eventually scaling to thousands.

3. Write Sponsored Reviews

Businesses love social proof—people talking about their products online. That’s where sponsored blog posts come in.

Brands will pay bloggers to write honest reviews about their products. If you already use a product, why not get paid to share your experience?

To land sponsored posts:

• Reach out to brands in your niche and pitch a review.
• Disclose any payments or affiliate links (this is important for transparency).
• Be honest—share both the good and the bad to build trust with your audience.

4. Sell Ad Space

If your blog gets traffic, you can make money just by displaying ads.

There are two ways to do this:

• Directly sell ad space – Reach out to businesses in your niche and offer advertising spots on your site.
• Join an ad network – Platforms like Google AdSense, Mediavine, or Raptive automatically place ads on your site.

Emily Brookes, who runs Emily May Designs, says 60% of her blog income comes from display ads.

“Ads make me money every month, even when I don’t publish new content,” she shares.

However, keep in mind that ad networks usually pay per 1,000 views (RPM)—so to make serious money, you need consistent traffic.

5. Try Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing lets you earn commissions by recommending products on your blog.

Here’s how it works:

• You join an affiliate program (like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, or Shopify Affiliates).
• You get a unique affiliate link to share in your blog posts.
• When someone buys through your link, you earn a commission.

It’s a great way to make passive income, but the key is only recommending products you truly believe in. If you push bad products just for the commission, you’ll lose trust—and that’s hard to get back.

6. Offer Services

As your blog grows, people will see you as an expert. That opens up opportunities to offer services like:

• Consulting (especially for business blogs)
• Freelance writing
• Graphic design
• Virtual assistance
• Online courses or coaching

“If you have expertise and people are reading your content, consulting can be a big revenue stream,” says Mushfiq Sarker. “It’s high-revenue and low-commitment compared to other monetization methods.”

Also Read: Dropshipping vs Print on Demand – Which is Better?

7. Sell Digital Products

Digital products are scalable, meaning you create them once and sell them over and over again.

Some popular options include:

• Ebooks or guides
• Printable templates
• Stock photos or graphics
• Online courses

Unlike services, where your time is limited, digital products let you sell to unlimited customers without extra work.