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Can you make money blogging in 2025?
Yes! You can still make money from a blog, but the easy traffic and quick ad cheques of the 2000s are long gone.
These days, you need to do things differently.
The good news? Blogging remains one of the lowest-cost, highest-flexibility ways to build an online income. You can start a blog from home, use your own experiences, and layer income streams that suit your skills and time.
Here’s what actually works in 2025.
The seven income streams that still work
Most profitable blogs mix a few of these together. Think of them as building blocks you can combine rather than pick-and-choose options.
- Affiliate marketing – recommend useful products and earn a commission when someone buys.
- Display ads – show automated adverts and earn from impressions or clicks.
- Services and consulting – offer writing, design, SEO or coaching based on your expertise.
- Digital products – create templates, ebooks, or courses that sell on autopilot.
- Sponsored content – work with brands who pay for exposure to your audience.
- Direct ad sales – sell your own banner placements without a middleman.
- Email and memberships – run a free newsletter, then upgrade to a paid tier for premium content.
Different bloggers earn differently. Some turn their blog into a lead-generation machine for services; others focus entirely on passive income from ads and products. The smart ones build both — fast money from services, long-term wealth from assets.
Pick a niche you can win
Don’t chase trends. Choose something you already understand, then approach it with focus and purpose.
Ask yourself three questions:
- What recurring problem can I solve?
- Who experiences that problem most often?
- What do they already spend money on?
If you can answer those, you’ve got the basis of a money-making niche.
A blog about “healthy packed lunches for shift workers” will always outrank “health and lifestyle tips” because it speaks to a defined audience with real needs.
And don’t panic about competition. The web is full of content, but most of it is generic. Your edge is your lived experience.
Build a simple, trustworthy blog
Forget perfection. Focus on clarity and trust.
- Domain and hosting – get a fast UK or EU host with SSL.
- Theme – light, mobile-friendly, and accessible.
- Core pages – About, Contact, Privacy, Disclosure.
- Social proof – real photo, credentials, testimonials or screenshots.
- Email list – start collecting addresses from day one, even if you don’t send anything yet.
A polished design won’t make you money if visitors don’t trust the person behind it. A clear message and honest tone will.
Affiliate marketing done right
Affiliate income can be wildly profitable — or painfully disappointing — depending on your strategy.
At its heart, it’s simple:
- You link to a product or service.
- A reader clicks your link.
- They buy within the cookie window.
- You earn commission.
Where most people go wrong is promoting things they’ve never used. Readers can tell. The most successful affiliates build trust first, then make offers naturally through tutorials, comparisons and product reviews.
Tips for better results:
- Pick partners you genuinely believe in.
- Write “before you buy” content like comparisons and FAQs.
- Use clear CTAs and comparison tables instead of random links.
- Track conversions and refine the pages that perform best.
Affiliate links are slow burners, but once your content ranks, they can pay you for years.
Display ads: slow and steady income
Ads are the easiest monetisation method to implement — but they need volume to pay well.
When you first start out, use AdSense or Ezoic. They’re beginner-friendly and pay per view or click.
Once you reach 50,000 monthly pageviews, you can apply for Mediavine, and AdThrive once you cross 100,000.
Keep in mind:
- RPM (revenue per thousand views) varies by niche — finance and tech pay more than lifestyle.
- Christmas and Q4 usually bring higher rates.
- Overloading your site with ads will ruin the user experience and drive people away.
Think of ads as a background income stream — low effort, low reward, but steady.
Sell your skills and services
If you want to make money quickly, use your blog as proof of ability.
When you write regularly about a topic, readers start seeing you as the go-to person. That opens the door to paid projects.
You could offer:
- Freelance writing or editing
- Website setup or SEO audits
- Social media management
- Coaching or one-to-one training
Create a simple “Work with me” page that outlines what you do, who it’s for, and how to book a call.
Even if your goal is passive income, services can fund your hosting, tools, and coffee habit while your blog grows.
Digital products and online courses
Once you know what your readers struggle with, you can package your knowledge into something they’ll pay for.
Examples include:
- Short guides or ebooks
- Online workshops or mini-courses
- Templates and planners
- Checklists or spreadsheets
Start small. Sell a £19 workbook before committing to a £299 course.
Once you know what people buy, you can expand or bundle your products.
The beauty of digital goods is that you make them once and sell them forever.
Sponsored posts and direct ads
When your blog has steady traffic, brands will start knocking.
Sponsored posts are articles you write that mention a company, product, or service in exchange for payment.
Direct ad sales are banner placements you sell yourself rather than through an ad network.
To manage both professionally:
- Make a Media Kit listing your stats and audience demographics.
- Publish a Sponsored Post Policy so you stay transparent and compliant with ASA rules.
- Price sensibly. Niche blogs with loyal readers can charge more than general lifestyle sites with big but unengaged audiences.
Transparency builds trust with readers and advertisers.
Build an email list you control
Algorithms change. Email doesn’t.
A subscriber list is your safety net — and one of your highest-value assets.
Here’s a simple framework:
- Offer a useful freebie (a checklist or short guide).
- Send a friendly welcome sequence explaining who you are and what to expect.
- Email once a week with quick tips, new posts, or offers.
- Occasionally include affiliate picks or sponsor spots.
Even a small list — a few hundred engaged readers — can outperform thousands of random search visitors when you launch a product or course.
Traffic that keeps coming
You don’t need to go viral. You need consistent discovery.
Focus on:
- SEO – publish guides that solve real problems and interlink them.
- Pinterest or LinkedIn – visual or professional niches do well here.
- Email – every new post should reach your subscribers.
- Repurposing – turn posts into short videos, carousels or threads to bring people back.
Traffic takes time, but it compounds. Each useful post strengthens the next.
What can you really earn?
Every blog is different, but here’s a realistic view once things are up and running:
| Income source | Typical range per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Display ads | £50–£1,000 | Depends on traffic |
| Affiliates | £100–£5,000+ | Scales with trust |
| Services | £500–£3,000+ | Fastest to cash |
| Digital products | £200–£10,000 | Big margin, needs audience |
| Sponsored posts | £100–£1,000+ per post | Depends on DA and engagement |
It’s not overnight money. But stacked together, even a small blog can bring in a solid part-time income — and grow from there.
A 90-day starter plan
Month 1 – Foundation
- Choose your niche and income ladder.
- Build your WordPress site with clear navigation and about page.
- Write three strong articles and set up basic email capture.
Month 2 – Growth
- Publish five more posts targeting “how to”, “best”, and “review” keywords.
- Join affiliate programmes relevant to your niche.
- Promote posts in relevant communities or forums.
Month 3 – Monetisation
- Add comparison tables and CTAs to affiliate posts.
- Create your “Work with me” or “Hire me” page.
- Send your first newsletter and invite replies.
- Pitch one sponsored post or guest feature.
Follow that plan and you’ll have the foundation of a profitable blog by the end of your first quarter.
The bottom line
Blogging isn’t a quick win anymore — but it’s still one of the best long-term assets you can build online.
Treat it like a business, publish content that genuinely helps people, and stack income streams as you go.
Start with the fast wins (services and affiliates), reinvest into the slow burners (ads and digital products), and keep showing up.
That’s how you make money blogging in 2025 — and how you keep making it long after the trends change.
