If I manage to make more than € 30,000 a month with my blogging business for more than two years, on a recurring basis and working 1 hour 30 minutes a day, it is thanks to the four sources of income that I have been able to set up on my blogs over time.
In this article, I present to you each of them, the time to start earning money, what you can expect every month depending on the source, as well as the difficulty to set it up. We start with the ones that pay me the least and we end with those that represent more than 60% of my business turnover. At the end, you will have the keys in hand to implement these revenues on your blogs and propel your activity to new levels.
1) Sponsorship: sponsored articles with brands
Sponsorship consists of working with brands or companies that pay you to promote their products or services on your blog, by writing sponsored articles.
Difficulty
Difficult. Good sponsorships can be difficult to obtain, because they depend on the credibility, the notoriety of your blog, and your ability to establish good relationships with the right brands. There are methods and strategies to maximize success, but it takes time.
Revenue potential
High but variable. If you have an engaged audience and a specific niche that brands are interested in, the potential may be significant, but it remains irregular: for example, a lot of requests in December (holidays and promotions), then sometimes none in January.
Delay before the first winnings
Longer than other sources. It all depends on your ability to attract the attention of brands and negotiate good partnerships. Developing notoriety and credibility takes time. It is a source suitable for well-established blogs with an engaged audience.
2) Partnerships: Win-win content collaborations
Not to be confused with sponsorship, partnerships consist of collaborating with other blogs, companies or brands to create content together and promote products or services. Here, you are the one who will canvass and negotiate the deals.
Difficulty
Average. Negotiating good partnerships is not always easy; it takes good strategies and knowing how to capitalize on collaboration to make it profitable for both parties.
Revenue potential
Variable. You can make very good months as well as rather average months. It all depends on your ability to find and negotiate relevant partnerships, and then exploit them correctly.
Delay before the first winnings
Depends on the nature of the collaboration. Some partnerships can generate revenue quickly, others require more time before producing results.
3) Sales of training and coaching: monetize your expertise
This is a very powerful method to make money with a blog, because it allows you to monetize your experience and bring real value to your audience.
How it works
We attract traffic with articles that solve specific problems of a target audience. We offer a free gift (lead magnet) in exchange for the email: guide, ebook, video, video sequence, or any other content that directly meets the needs.
With email marketing, we strengthen the relationship: relevant content, advice, additional information, then training and coaching proposals.
Difficulty
Between medium and high. Creating and selling training / coaching requires time and effort: producing quality content, structuring it pedagogically, and communicating effectively with prospects. Once the system is solid, it becomes a more passive and scalable source.
Revenue potential
Very high. You set your prices according to the value added. With a high-value offer and a qualified and engaged audience, we can achieve regular sales and a significant income.
4) Affiliation: the most profitable source of my business
Affiliation is, by far, the source that pays me the most. The principle: redirect a person to the product / service of another company via an affiliate link and receive a commission on each sale generated.
How it works
You recommend a € 70 product with your affiliate link; for each purchase made via this link, you receive a commission. The rates usually range from 10% to 60%.
Your articles make it possible to present the product, convince readers and convert thanks to concrete arguments.
Difficulty
Easy. It’s relatively simple to set up: find the right programs, register for them, and integrate your links into the content. Many companies (in most industries) have affiliate programs, regardless of your niche.
Revenue potential
Extremely high. It all depends on your ability to :
- selecting good programs,
- position yourself on the right keywords and intentions,
- highlight products and promote effectively.
By controlling these factors, we can collect tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros per month.
Conclusion
These four sources of income—sponsorship, partnerships, training & coaching, affiliation—complement each other and make it possible to stabilize and then accelerate a blogging business.
Start with the ones that are the fastest to set up (often affiliation), build your authority (via partnerships), then monetize your expertise (with training / coaching). Sponsorship consolidates the whole when notoriety and audience grow. By applying these levers methodically, you can start, optimize and achieve significant recurring revenue on your blogs.
