On this subject, has income generation attracted writers? Let’s take a look at the news: Why, in 2024—13 years since blogging started—is it still possible to make money online? The answer to that question may be different for different people. But overall, with all new platforms, algorithms, and updates in content preferences, are people who write for a living still able to achieve a stable and profitable living through blogging in 2024?
In the rest of this series, we will first take a current look at blogging and then find out what strategies work today. I notice that the word “blogging” felt like it should be written as “post” these days, but really this could change as quickly as the weather. So let’s not concentrate on one thing. But with rapid growth from platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, audience behavior has also changed significantly. Short-form video, as well as social media content, is now more popular than ever before. In this context, many analysts are asking if traditional blogging is nearing the end of its natural lifespan.
Despite this shift, blogging is something that still works. Why? Because textual content is the foundation of online searches and getting your posts found. Search engines like Google prefer long and detailed articles over short ones that don’t fulfill specific information needs, meaning that blogs are essential for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Moreover, blogs add to your portfolio with more substantial, evergreen content—building trust, authority, and steady organic traffic over time, something which a brief video or bite-sized social media post often lacks.
The Current Landscape of Blogging in 2024
What are the most effective ways to make money from blogging in 2024? Ads and affiliate marketing, for example, still form the backbone of many bloggers’ incomes. However, now that ad revenue has become increasingly competitive, success in affiliate marketing means lowering your expenses while promoting high-value goods or services to a well-defined target audience.
Sponsored Content: Now, in 2018, brand coordination is mostly done with niche bloggers. The basic idea is that small-time blogs have fiercely loyal fans, and so many of these businesses believe that sponsored posts on them provide deep consumer engagement.
Membership Sites and Paywalls: Some bloggers put all their exclusive content behind a paywall. While not every reader will pay for this, offering it as a service separate from the blog provides an additional income stream.
Selling Digital Products: In particular, many people are now producing eBooks. Being a private work, many netizens have taken up this form of side income.
Consulting and Services: Extraordinarily successful bloggers often offer consulting services to go along with their expertise—workshop appearance fees, flight, and board for the personal workshops they hold every month.
The income of bloggers who diversify their revenue streams is usually more sustainable than that of those who rely solely on ads; many big-name bloggers agree.
The Present Difficulties Facing Bloggers
We now see the forces that are putting pressure on domestic bloggers: it has become hard to enter the market at all, let alone make a name for yourself. For SEO, what was once three simple tasks has expanded into an ongoing project. Some zombie websites that rank high today could just as easily be surpassed tomorrow because of shifts in SEO rules.
Additionally, increased time costs. To succeed these days, it is necessary at all times to create top-notch current content that beats out competitors. Low-quality content will likely not be produced casually anymore nor have any influence on traffic or profits. Today, the quality of content required or expected by netizens has certainly gone up, as has the demand for consistency in publishing.
Elements of Profitability
For those with money on their minds, here are some factors that can increase the profitability of being a blogger:
Choosing a Niche: Selecting a niche that makes money is vital. Categories such as finance, health, technology, and personal development are still top performers in earnings. Going down one level to the specific category within that will bring higher user engagement and hence greater earnings.
Traffic Sources: Rely on organic traffic from search engines. This is one of the few ways to generate stable income today. Successful bloggers also utilize social media, email marketing, and paid traffic in their quest for audience and income growth.
Content Strategy: Top-performing blogs have both evergreen and trendy content. Evergreen content drives steady traffic over time, while trendy topics cause spikes in interest. Long-form, rigorously crafted posts perform better than short, generic articles.
Realistic Income Expectations
One of the most common questions is, “How much can you realistically earn from blogging?” The answer depends on many factors, such as the topic of your blog, how much traffic it gets, and what other ways you have to make money from it. Rough general figures are as follows:
- Beginners (0-12 months): It is very normal to earn next to nothing in the first year that you’re blogging. Your blog takes time to build up, and usually, it’s a few days after the traffic comes in before profits start trickling in. Expect somewhere between $0-$500/month.
- Intermediate (1-3 years): With consistent effort and strategic growth, bloggers generally start making between $500-$2,500 a month. Income might come from ads, affiliate sales, and low-ticket digital products.
- Advanced (3+ years): Senior bloggers with loads of traffic can make anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000+ per month. Successful bloggers in lucrative niches can even earn $20,000/month or more—especially if they diversify their income streams wide enough.
Blogging success is often a marathon, not a sprint. It could be months or even years before you begin seeing substantial returns.
Tips to Maximize Blogging Profits in 2024
Want to boost your blogging income in 2024? Here are some well-proven strategies:
- Focus on High-Demand, Evergreen Niches: Material that remains pertinent over time can draw consistent traffic and income. Even within crowded niches, there’s scope for standing out in sub-categories.
- Diversify Your Income Streams: Don’t rely solely on one income source. Mix ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, digital products, and even consulting to make a more stable income flow.
- Leverage AI and Automation Tools: Use AI tools for content creation, keyword research, and SEO optimization. AI can also help with streamlining repetitive tasks, freeing up time for strategy and content development.
- Invest in Building An Engaged Audience: The size of your audience matters less than how engaged it is. Grow a community that interacts with your content, signs up for your newsletters, and buys your products.
Conclusion
So, is there still profit to be made from blogging in 2024? The short answer is yes—but only if you approach it strategically. It’s no longer enough to randomly post articles and cross your fingers. Success requires selecting the right niche, producing high-quality content, and maintaining a consistent rhythm. Today’s environment is more competitive than ever, but there are still great opportunities for profit if you diversify your income streams and adapt to changing trends.
Blogging remains one of the few ways that small and medium-sized businesses can access large amounts of traffic cheaply. Bluehost, the WordPress hosting company, is advertising career opportunities in 2019, many of which are based around running WordPress blogs. There are still massive traffic advantages for new bloggers who want leverage before building their audience.
What should you choose? Keep experimenting with different media. A month after you start, and yet another when it comes time to review this article, test out ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, digital products, and even consulting. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your revenue streams for more stable growth.