How Much Money Do Bloggers Really Make?
Blogger Earnings Report
Making money with a blog…ahhh…what a concept. Some would argue that blogging is today’s modern day goldrush. Wanna-be bloggers flock to the internet, set up a blog and just watch the cash pour in. If only that were true. Ask any full-time blogger what their secret is and they’ll tell you a lot of hard work, patience and few moments of luck are what likely brought them to where they are today.
Fascinating! Find out how much money bloggers really make with this 10 page earning report! Click To Tweet
As someone who has made a living off the internet for the last 10 years I know that blogging can be profitable and lucrative. But what I don’t know is what other blogger’s earn, or how they earn it or how long it took them to get to that level. So in an effort to bring some transparency to blogger’s earnings, I put together an anonymous blogger’s salary survey and posted it in some of my favorite blogging groups and waited with baited breath for the results. Below I’ll highlight key takeaways from each of the niches (Coupons, Parenting, DIY, Fashion, Travel & Other) We’ll also take a look at the difference in monetization strategies at different revenue levels.
The survey questioned respondents about their niche, monetization efforts, and number of years blogging. If I had this to do over again, I would have asked for page views. However, the information laid out below is still incredibly valuable.
Below are the 5 questions bloggers were asked:
- How long have you been blogging
- What niche do you blog about?
- What is your average monthly revenue
- Rank the monetization strategies (Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Sponsored Posts, Client Services & Product Sales)
Survey information: (See the survey here)
- 67 Bloggers offered up their salaries and insight into their monetization efforts.
- 64% of respondents make less than $1,000 per month
- 10% of respondents make more than $5,000 per month
- Advertising, Affiliate Marketing & Sponsored posts were amongst the most popular monetization strategies
Lessons learned from the blogger salary survey:
Not all niches are created equal
It’s apparent from the survey results that some niches are more profitable than others. Bloggers in the couponing niche had an average income of $5,000 per month, while bloggers in the parenting niche averaged less than $500 per month.
Sponsored Posts are great for some niches
DIY & Recipe bloggers reported that sponsored posts were the top revenue earner more than any other niche blogger. Parenting bloggers also reported earning from sponsored posts. However, sponsored posts were not as popular with the couponing/frugal living blogger crowd.
More time blogging = More Money
We found that the longer you have been blogging, the more likely that you are in the top earners bracket. This should be great news for newcomers who are hoping to grow their monetization efforts. However, sobering news for bloggers who expect to earn top dollar with a new blog.
Bloggers earning more than $5,000 per month
Below we will take a look at some of the highlights from the top earners who responded to the survey. We’ll take a look at the average monthly revenue, niche and also which of the monetization strategies most utilized by bloggers making more than $5,000 per month.
Key Takeaways:
- Out of a total 67 respondents, 10 bloggers reported making over $5,000 per month including 3 bloggers who are making over $25,000 per month
- 90% of the bloggers making more than $5,000 were in the Frugal Living, Coupons & Deals niche
- Average $5,000+ earner has been blogging over 4.35 years
- 50% of the respondents stated that Advertising was their primary source of income
- 40% stated that Affiliate Marketing was their primary source of income
- Sponsored posts did not account for anyone’s primary source of income (on average it ranked #3)
Advice from Top Earners:
- Content is the key. Quantity and quality.
- Take it one day at a time. Know you will not make $$$ right away. Build a fanbase
- Find a niche and do it well!
- Be unique – and DO NOT COPY other’s work. Befriend someone who has been blogging for a little while and listen to what they say.
Want to see more? Download the full report below!
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Wow, I didn’t realize the couponing niche was so profitable! Great info, thanks for sharing.
Yes it is! Something to consider 😉
Thanks for the info!! Its so imfomative to see where you can get doing what your doing !!
Great post and really good to know about those details!! Thank you for sharing
Thank you for the transparency. This is encouraging as well! We have been blogging almost a year now and made very little money. We have a very specific niche and are working on building a fan base. You’re posts are always so helpful and positive! We’ll keep on keepin’ on!
Happy to help!
Just curious… what is a couponing blog?? I’ve never heard of that! Do you have someone that I can look at as an example? This is really interesting!
I just started a new blog and i’m thinking of taking it in the opposite direction of the blog I had before it. I love DIY & recipe posts too. This is great information, thanks for sharing!
Narrowing down your niche can be a painstaking process..go with what you enjoy!
Wow this is so interesting! I would’ve never thought those niches made the most. Fashion can be hard because it’s very subjective!
Lauren
http://www.thefashionistasdiary.com
Very true!
This was SOOOO interesting. Thank you so much for sharing this. Will share around.
Awesome! Thanks Heather
Interesting data. Thanks for collecting and sharing it!
I suppose there’s a combination of hard work and luck mixed into the formula, but definitely agree that quality content makes the biggest difference.
Hard Work + Luck = Winning strategy
Great post! Love how it is so informative
These was really interesting. I didn’t realize the frugal living/couponing blogs were so profitable (slightly ironic! haha) Also nice to see I’m making a similiar amount to some other bloggers. I always tend to think others are doing better than me, and really I’m doing alright for the amount of time I’ve been doing it.
Haha! Yes it’s funny that time somehow gets away from us! I’ll be releasing a monetization course in the next month which may help you put some systems into place to help you earn on your blog without taking up a whole lot of time
So interesting! Thanks for doing this survey. I love watching how blogging changes over the years.
This is a great report and valuable insight! I have been blogging for almost two years and have not made much at all, it seems almost impossible to make money with a full time job and technology kicks my butt, so everything takes me longer!
The friendships and connections I have made, and some opps that have come my way are totally worth it!
This is so interesting – especially for new bloggers. Thank you for putting all of this info together it’s very helpful
Wow! This is such an interesting post! Definitely eye opening! I’ve been blogging for about 5 years now, but didn’t really take it seriously until recently. The more time and effort put in definitely provides more lucrative results. Thanks for sharing this…so helpful.
xo Ashley
Well, that’s it. I guess I need to start couponing! ;o)
Blogging really is a lot of hard work, time, and dedication… I still can’t seem to break the level I want to with my skill, but it’s hard balancing it with two other jobs and stuff too.
Great information, thanks for sharing!
Wow, I had no idea couponing blogs made so much!
Great Post. Just the information I was looking for. I just started my blog and I will be following your advice. Thank you !