Yesterday, I freaking made $519 in a single day! 🤑 How exciting is that?! And I made it just by displaying ads on my blog. Here is a screenshot:
Now, this isn’t the only way I make money from blogging—there’s also affiliate marketing and selling digital products. But, ads still bring in the biggest chunk of daily revenue.
Why “still,” you ask? Well, that’s because ads are actually one of the less profitable ways to monetize a blog.
That said, in my opinion, ads are the easiest way to make money blogging. No need to stress over affiliate marketing strategies or develop a new product from scratch. All you really need is a blog, some keyword research, and consistent content. Once you hit 50k sessions a month, you can apply to Mediavine and start making money from ads. And if you’re not there yet, no worries! You can still make money with ad networks like Google AdSense or Ezoic.
How Much Can You Earn from Displaying Ads?
On my blog, my RPM (Revenue per Mille) averages around $50. This means I earn $50 for every 1,000 people who visit my site. Sometimes it even spikes to $65+ during the holiday season when advertisers go wild with their budgets. 😏 But come January, that RPM takes a dip, and so does the overall revenue.
Mediavine (the ad company I use) has a cool ad revenue tracking graph that shows how ad revenue fluctuates throughout the year.
You can read the full article here.
I love visiting this page to estimate revenue and remind myself how RPM behaves month to month. FYI, the best months for ad revenue are June, November, and December, with Q4 being the highest-earning quarter.
So, hitting $519 on October 6th is actually not even the peak, which means I’ll (hopefully) break this record again a few more times before the year ends! Last Q4, I made $21,584.96 with almost half a million sessions! Here’s a screenshot here.
Oh, and my RPM back then was $44—now it’s around $52. That bump means I’m making more money on the same amount of traffic. Love it! 🙌
How Much Traffic Do You Need to Earn $519 in a Day?
If you’re wondering about the math, let me break it down real quick. According to Google Analytics, on October 6th, I had 9,251 sessions. If you divide that by 1,000 and multiply by my RPM that day ($56.16), boom—you get $519 in ad revenue. Can you earn that with less traffic? Totally! You just need to improve your RPM. 😉
Why Should You Start a Blog?
Ahh, the million-dollar question! Seriously, there are so many reasons why you should start a blog. But instead of listing a hundred different reasons, let me tell you how it totally changed my life and boosted my career.
1. Blogging Is a One-Person Show
One of the things I love about blogging is that you don’t need a massive team or a fancy office to get started. Heck, some of the most impressive and professional websites you see are run by just one person! And let me tell you, in my first year of blogging, I was doing EVERYTHING myself. Writing, editing, designing, marketing—you name it, I did it.
Okay, I’ll admit, I did hire a few freelancers here and there to help me write some articles. But when it came down to it, I was the entire team.
With the right design and quality content, your site can look like a huge company online!
As my blog grew, I started outsourcing more tasks—like content creation, Pinterest management, and design—but guess what? I still don’t have any full-time employees. How cool is that? Less overhead, fewer expenses, and more freedom to focus on what matters to me.
2. You Can Start a Blog With Almost No Costs
One of the biggest myths about starting a blog is that it’s expensive. Spoiler alert: it’s NOT. You don’t need to rent an office, buy materials, or even have a physical product. All you need is a blog, and setting one up can cost as little as $100 a year.
Yes, you read that right—a year!
And if you want to pay monthly, it’s like nothing. Most of the time, you won’t even notice the cost.
Let’s break it down. The essentials? A domain name and hosting, which will run you about $100 annually (for example on Bluehost). And then there are tools that make your blog look professional and help you create killer content:
- Canva for graphic design ($100/year)
- A premium blog theme to make your site stand out ($39-$100 one-time) – optional but recommended (I use 17th Avenue Themes for my blogs)
- Stock photos from DepositPhotos ($30/month) or Haute Stock
- Scheduling tools like Buffer ($5/month) or Tailwind ($14.99/month)
- SEO tools like Ahrefs or UberSuggest ($39-$100/month)
- Newsletter service – I use MailerLite (stars from $9/month)
But even with these, your startup costs are low compared to literally most of other businesses. And the best part? As your blog grows, you can slowly increase your expenses—hiring freelancers or investing in better tools—but the profitability margin is sweet right from the start.
3. Blogging Is a Profitable Business
Yep, blogging is a business, and it can be a seriously profitable one! Like I mentioned earlier, the expenses are pretty low when you’re starting out, and they stay low unless you decide to scale up and bring on more help or buy fancy tools. I once did a rough calculation and found that for every $6k I make, about 30% goes toward expenses, leaving me with $4k before taxes. That’s a healthy profit margin in the world of business! Of course, Uncle Sam will come knocking for his cut, but hey, it’s still a win.
Want a peek behind the curtain? You can check out my full blogging income report where I break down my expenses and show how I made $11k in one month here.
4. Blogging Can Be an Amazing Side Hustle
Don’t feel like quitting your 9-to-5 just yet? No worries—you don’t have to! I still work full-time as Head of Marketing, and I manage my blog as a side hustle. That’s the beauty of it! You can work on your blog for just 5 hours a week. Seriously, that’s all you need—whether it’s early mornings, late nights, or weekends.
And if you hire freelance writers, you’ll spend even less time on content and focus mainly on marketing and strategy. With the right automations in place, you can run the entire thing in a few hours a week. So, you can keep your day job and start blogging on the side to boost your monthly income without sacrificing the security (and perks) of being an employee. Isn’t it nice to get extra $11k per month on top of your monthly salary?!
And who knows? One day, if you’re ready to make blogging your full-time gig, you can totally do that. I know plenty of bloggers who took the leap and haven’t looked back!
5. Work From Anywhere
Here’s my favorite part—blogging lets you work from anywhere. Have you ever heard the term “digital nomad”? Well, that’s exactly what you become when you’re a blogger. Whether it’s from home, a cute café, or even on vacation, you can take your work with you. For me, it means flexibility—especially during my maternity leave or while traveling.
Honestly, blogging gives you the kind of freedom that most jobs just don’t offer. You can fit it around your life, instead of the other way around.
6. The Money You Can Make Is Endless
Now let’s talk money, because who doesn’t like the sound of that? 🤑 The earning potential in blogging is pretty much limitless. How much you make depends entirely on your strategy and how you choose to monetize your blog.
Sure, displaying ads is the easiest way to get started and make some passive income. But if you want to really unlock your blog’s potential, you can dive into affiliate marketing or even create your own digital products. You can check my products here.
These methods help you squeeze more value from each visitor that lands on your site. And the best part? The list of products you can promote or create is endless. Whether it’s e-books, online courses, or even offering consulting services, your blog can be the gateway to multiple streams of income. This is exactly what I share on my blogging course here.
7. Fun and Creative Work
Blogging isn’t just about the money (although that’s a big plus 😄). It’s also a fun and creative outlet. I’ve had the chance to meet and interview some incredible people just by offering them a platform on my blog. It’s a great way to build relationships and tell stories that inspire. And trust me—people love sharing their experiences, so don’t be afraid to reach out and offer them a space to shine. You never know who you might connect with!
How I Drive Traffic to My Blog (and Earned $519 in One Day)
Pinterest, baby! This is where most of my traffic comes from. I used to focus on Google SEO, but after their crazy algorithm updates in early 2024, I’ve been taking a break. Until I have a solid SEO strategy, Pinterest is where it’s at! Read my full guide on how I drive over 150k sessions a month from Pinterest here.
Another traffic source? My newsletter! I’ve built a funnel that not only drives traffic but also promotes my products and keeps me in touch with my audience. I share exclusive content and build a deeper connection with my readers. You can subscribe to my newsletters below:
The best part about a newsletter? You’re not at the mercy of Google or Pinterest algorithm changes. It’s a direct line to your audience.
Over the years I have experienced many traffic drops on Pinterest and Google, when they surprisingly decided to change their algorithm and it affected my monthly traffic and revenue. By managing a newsletter, I stay in touch with my readers directly which is amazing.
What’s Next?
As a business owner, I’m always thinking about what’s next. My Q4 goal for this year is to double last year’s earnings and hit $50,000! 🙌
On a daily level, my goal is to break the $519 mark consistently. How am I going to do that?
- Keep updating and optimizing my content
- Build a brand – create a memorable blog that keeps readers coming back for more
- Create visually appealing content with amazing images
- Develop more digital products and grow this revenue stream
- Launch a YouTube channel to promote my blog and products
Have questions? Drop a comment or sent me an email, and I’ll reply!
And if you haven’t started your blog yet, don’t wait! Sign up for my 7-day free email course to get your blog up and running and start making money doing what you love. 💻✨
Happy blogging!
