There are a ton of popular blogs out there but even today, few people understand how to make money with one.
This guide breaks down 6 types of blogs that make money and includes:
- how blogs make money
- what kind of blogs make money
- examples of bloggers who make money blogging
- how to create a profitable niche blog in each category
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I could earn a commission if you make a purchase using them at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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6 Types of Blogs that Make Money (2021 Guide)
People are naturally skeptical about things they don’t understand.
And when there are all sorts of blogging myths out there, it can be challenging to differentiate fact from fiction.
So, can you actually make money blogging?
Absolutely – I say this as someone who makes a full-time living as a blogger and social media content creator.
However, there are more effective and less effective ways of making money online – we’ll cover it all here.
So, what blogs make money?
The most profitable blogs have a few things in common:
- they focus on evergreen content
- they produce new content regularly
- they promote their content frequently
- they’re active across a variety of social media platforms
- they’re current and stay up to update
- they’re maintained and run well
To check your blog’s speed and performance score, visit GTmetrix.
Since 40% of users will leave a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load, you’ll want to make sure that yours loads well beyond that time.
I’m extremely happy with my site speed score – just 1.1 seconds!
To improve your blog’s loading times, consider switching to Siteground – they’re known for their super-fast speeds and all plans include the SG Optimizer caching plugin for free.
Blogs that make money also rank well in search engine results.
It’s actually possible to make money with almost any type of blog – you just need to learn how to do keyword research and search engine optimization (SEO) to see if there’s a demand for what you have to offer.
Squirrly Pro is my favorite SEO tool for Google and helps me research topics to write and rank for. It also helps me optimize my posts and keeps me updated about Search Engine Result Positioning (SERP’s).
You can save 30% off your first month of Squirrly Pro with my special link.
Learn SEO for Pinterest and Google:
What is Evergreen Content?
Evergreen content is content that continues to be of interest to readers year after year and remains relevant for a long time.
It’s also:
- detailed
- useful
- searchable
Evergreen Content Examples
- Step-by-step instructions
- How to guides
- List posts
- Tips
- Comparisons
Pro Tip: Consider whether or not your topic will be relevant in 3 years from now.
What isn’t evergreen content?
Think news and trends.
For example, a piece on spring 2021 fashion trends won’t be as highly searched in three years from now as it will at that time.
Make your job easier by writing timeless content!
How Blogs Make Money
There are so many incredible ways to make money blogging!
A few of the most popular methods for monetizing a blog include:
- Displaying ads
- Affiliate marketing
- Selling digital products
- Providing digital services
- Creating sponsored content
- Sell memberships
Learn more about blog monetization.
6 Popular Types of Blogs That Make Money
The following 6 types of blogs are especially popular and make an incredible profit.
We’ll discuss each category in further detail and then feature a number of ideas for how you can make an income within this niche.
1. Health & Fitness Blogs
A topic that’s a part of our everyday lives, health and fitness blogs are built around an incredibly popular category.
Cover this niche as a whole or get more specific about a specific diet or exercise!
To make money with a health or fitness blog, you could do the following:
- display ads
- sell a diet or workout program
- create a monthly membership program
- recommend products as an affiliate marketer
- create sponsored content for the fitness brands you love
Australian sensation Kayla Itsines is an incredibly successful fitness blogger who earns a living through a monthly membership program to her fitness app and eBook sales.
2. Parenting Blogs
Like health and fitness, this is an everyday topic for couples and their families!
You could stick to a specific age category like babies, toddlers, or preschoolers or create a more general parenting blog for those with children ages from zero to 18 years old and beyond!
While your audience may change in cycles, raising children is an evergreen topic that brings all sorts of people together.
To make money with a parenting blog, you could:
- display ads
- sell parenting eBooks
- sell parenting printables that simplify life
- create sponsored content
- recommend products as an affiliate marketer
Motherly is a successful and popular parenting blog that makes money displaying ads and selling items in their retail shop.
3. Finance & Business Blogs
People are always looking for creative ways to save and make more money.
Providing a unique insight into this daily discussion topic will have you on a very diverse audience’s radar.
Nikki Blogs, the one you’re reading right now, was created by me to teach stay at home moms and female entrepreneurs how to make money with social media and blogging.
I earn a living through:
- displaying ads
- recommending affiliate products
- creating sponsored content
- providing photography and social media management services
I love what I do because it lets me be a mom first!
4. DIY & Craft Blogs
Creative at heart and want to share those project blueprints with others just like yourself?
A DIY blog is the perfect way to do it and make money! Consider your audience – parents looking for fun activities to do with young children or homemakers looking to beautify their home for less?
Create items your audience will want to make again and again for a major impact!
DIY & Craft bloggers can make money with:
- affiliate marketing
- creating sponsored content
- selling blueprints
- selling eBooks
- displaying ads
Repeat Crafter Me is a fantastic Crafting and DIY blog that earns income through affiliate marketing and displaying ads.
5. Food Blogs
The most successful food bloggers have gone on to write cookbooks and even host their own YouTube channels! However, some say that monetizing this niche can be a bit more difficult.
Displaying ads that can pay up to thousands of dollars a month as well as writing sponsored posts can get you earning big time though!
Imagine working with brands who send you free product and then pay you to write about it! It’s an exciting and rewarding experience all at the same time.
Food blogs can make money with:
- affiliate marketing
- creating sponsored content
- selling cookbooks
- selling eBooks
- displaying ads
Love and Lemons is a wonderful vegan food blog that earns most of its income through displaying ads and selling recommended products with affiliate marketing – Jeanine and Jack also have their own cookbook!
6. Fashion & Beauty Blogs
Does writing about the makeup trends and taking selfies in your new wardrobe sound appealing to you? Fashion and beauty bloggers are some of the highest paid influencers in the industry.
Some of the most notable bloggers and influencers in this category have even gone on to collaborate with brands on makeup lines and clothing collections!
Don’t get caught up in the hype though! Being this kind of blogger doesn’t mean you have to break your bank account – the most successful beauty influencers I’m in touch with have mastered the art of a capsule wardrobe.
Fashion and beauty bloggers can make money with:
- affiliate marketing
- creating an e-commerce shop on their blog
- creating sponsored content
- displaying ads
Cara Loren is a fashion blogger with over 1 million Instagram followers and earns a living through affiliate marketing and selling her own clothing line.
How to Promote and Grow a Blog
Believe it or not, you’ll probably spend at least 80% of your time promoting your blog rather than creating new content!
It’s the easiest to grow your website with the right tools.
Personally, I’ve never paid for ads!
I prefer to grow organically using a combination of social media and Google search engine optimization tools (like Google Search Console).
Paying for ads can also get expensive – I had a friend who started an e-commerce business and was spending over $1,000 a month on Facebook ads at the start of 2020!
The result? Just a handful of sales.
Use Tailwind for Pinterest to Promote Your Blog
Instead, I invested in the Tailwind Plus Plan for Pinterest.
Tailwind lets me:
- Schedule Pinterest pins in advance
- See detailed Pinterest analytics not available within the platform
- Promote my content to tens of thousands of other Pinterest users
Here’s a screenshot of my results from Tailwind Communities.
The Tailwind Plus Plan costs just $9.99 a month (a fraction of the cost of ads) and helps me reach millions of Pinterest viewers every month!
Here’s a free month of Tailwind to get you started!
How to Use Instagram to Promote Your Blog
Unlike Pinterest, Instagram is a bit more time-consuming for blog promotion.
But the beautiful thing is, you can promote your Pinterest content with Instagram to save yourself some work!
Learn how: How to Use Instagram to Promote Pinterest Content and Grow Your Business
Instagram is about building relationships and connecting with your followers – if you create content and captions that resonate with people, you’ll grow your fan base that much more quickly.
What Not to Do on Instagram
Anyone who’s been using the platform for a while can spot fake attempts to inflate followers and engagement.
So, please stay away from:
- Instagram engagement groups (or pods)
- Buying fake followers
Doing these two things could result in an Instagram account suspension and distrust from your followers.
How to Grow on Instagram
I grew my brand new Instagram account from 0 to 1,000 followers in 28 days – and you can too!
Here’s how:
- Post every single day – 1 to 2 times a day
- Create original and helpful content
- Comment on other Instagram accounts – a combination of large and small followings
- Have meaningful interactions with other users
- Use the right hashtags
- Tag feature accounts
- Tag brands
Follow me on Instagram for tips on IG growth, Pinterest, blogging, and how to balance life as a working mom 🙂
The most profitable blogs have a few things in common:
- they focus on evergreen content
- they know how to promote their content
- they’re active on social media
- they’re well maintained
These blogs also have quick load times and rely on a fast and reputable web host like Siteground for their hosting needs.
Six types of blogs that make money in different blogging niches include:
- Health and fitness
- Parenting
- Finance and business
- DIY and crafts
- Food
- Fashion and beauty
Can’t choose just one niche? No problem!
You could also start a lifestyle blog that features a combination of your favorite topics.
There are a ton of successful lifestyle bloggers out there and with your unique personality and take on things, there could be one more 🙂
All the best in your blogging journey, friend!
Nikki Slivarich
Writer
Blessed mama of two beautiful little girls. I’m a full-time blogger and social media content creator who teaches moms and boss babes how to start an online business. Follow me on social for clever ideas to make money using the platforms you already love!