Recently, I started posting a series of Blog Stats & Income Report posts and in doing so, I've received a lot of questions from you guys!

The biggest one being, how do bloggers make money? And since it's been such a popular question, I decided to dedicate an entire blog post to my answer!

So, after figuring out what works best for me and checking in with a few other bloggers, I have come up with a list of six different ways to monetize your blog!

1. Ads

From my experience, ads are the best way to monetize your blog and earn a passive income! At the moment, I have two different types of ads on my blog: Google Adsense & sponsor advertising.

Google Adsense allows you to earn money whenever your ads are seen or clicked. That's it! You don't have to do anything except upload the ad's code to your blog template and then they practically run themselves!

In addition to my Google Adsense ads, I also have the option for sponsor advertising on my blog! I got the idea from some of the other blogs that I love and I thought I'd implement it myself! Basically, brands, bloggers, and businesses pay me to put their ad in my sidebar for a predetermined amount. Currently, I have multiple packages that range from $1-$10 and they include various benefits. The reason that these ads work for me, is because I get to pick and choose who is the right fit for my blog and what I will do for them. Most of the time, I just have to put the ad on my sidebar and schedule a couple shoutouts for each sponsor.

To get more of an idea of how it works, you can check out my advertising page here!

2. Products

Products are another great way to monetize your blog and there are so many awesome bloggers out there that do this too! If you've checked out my sidebar recently, then you know that I have a shop of my own as well!

A lot of the bloggers that I follow make a majority of their income from their products. And I'm not just talking spare change either, some of them make thousands of dollars from their products each month! It definitely helps that bloggers have so many different product options too! From e-books to courses, to printables and physical products, your options are endless!

The best part about having your own products is, you only have to create these products once! And if you play your cards right, you can have them sent directly to your customers and you won't have to handle the orders at all! I mean, who doesn't love passive income?

3. Referral Programs

I have a love hate relationship with referral programs! At the moment, I only use a couple and I'm not a huge fan of them. Mostly due to the fact that I don't actually earn cash, but instead earn a shop/service credit! And although this isn't exactly what I'm looking for, it's perfect for other bloggers!

The way referral programs work is pretty simple. After signing up, you'll get a link to share with your friends and family, and each time someone uses that link, you'll earn something for that referral! For me, most of my referral programs pay between $5-$15 per referral. However, as I mentioned earlier, the majority of these programs pay with credits instead of cash. So if you're looking for cash, I recommend affiliate programs!

4. Affiliate Programs

Besides my usual ads, I'd have say that affiliate income is my second favorite way to monetize my blog! There are just so many wonderful affiliate programs out there, you are bound to hit the jackpot with one of them! For me, I signed up with about 15 different brands and I've made less than $5 total in the past few months, then I signed up with another company and I've made a little over $60 in about three weeks!

Now, there is a little bit more work involved with affiliate programs, but it's worth it! Most affiliate programs have pretty great commission rates compared to regular ads and other forms of monetization. In fact, the one I was just talking about gives 25% commission to the affiliate that makes the sale. Of course, it's important to note that not all affiliate programs have commissions this high, but it is something to look forward to! In my experience, a majority of companies stick around the 8% range, which is still pretty good!

Another perk is that as long as you're recommending things that you love, you're actually getting paid to enjoy those things! So for me, I earn money for wearing leggings, using Photoshop, and even shopping at Walmart!

5. Sponsored Posts

Similar to sponsor advertising, bloggers can also get paid for sponsored posts! Usually, brands and businesses will reach out to the blogger directly for this type of collaboration, but many bloggers also get jobs by pitching to brands on their own. Personally though, all of my sponsored posts have been through different networks that specialize in connecting sponsors and bloggers.

One of the great things about sponsored posts is that you get to choose who you work with, how much you make, and what you have to do! Honestly, I love that sponsored posts aren't limited to blog posts alone. Some bloggers get paid just to post a picture on Instagram or give a shoutout on Twitter! So don't let your blog stats deter you from exploring sponsored posts! Some companies care more about your social media engagement, so as long as you're doing well on one platform, you've got everything you need!

6. Freelance Services

Just like products, many bloggers offer up their own freelance services too. Whether they're selling coaching sessions, content editing, or graphic design services, many bloggers are also freelancers! In fact, I'm a freelancer and that's where a majority of my blogging income comes from!

Usually, if you've been a blogger for a while, then you've picked up a couple of important skills! For me, I've learned a lot about graphic design and social media marketing. So, I've taken those skills and turned them into an opportunity for income!

In addition to these types of services, other bloggers also freelance as virtual assistants for other businesses and bloggers. Personally, I've tried my hand at this, and I wasn't too fond of it. It was fun and all but ultimately, I just had too much of my own work that needed to get done. On the plus side though, the job paid pretty well!

Honestly, there are so many different ways that you can earn money as a blogger! This post just includes my favorite six from, what I can only imagine is, a list of 100+ different ways!

Ultimately, I'd like to share them all with you and I hope to do so soon! Not only that, but I plan on making lists of all the best affiliate networks and brands to work with too!

Do you have any other tips or questions in regards to monetizing your blog? Take a moment to share them with me in the comments below!