I Tried 7 Ways to Make Money Blogging — Only One Worked


Why I’m Telling You This (Before You Waste Months Like I Did)

Let me guess.

You started blogging because:

  • People said it was “passive income”
  • You saw income reports on Pinterest or Twitter
  • You wanted freedom, flexibility, or financial control

Same.

So you did what everyone told you to do. You tried multiple ways to make money blogging. You followed tutorials. You stayed consistent.

And yet… the money either didn’t come—or came in painfully small amounts.

I’ve been there.

I tried seven different blogging monetization methods. Some were hyped. Some sounded logical. Some worked for others.

But only one actually worked for me in a way that was scalable, predictable, and worth the effort.

This article isn’t motivational fluff. It’s a breakdown of:

  • What I tried
  • Why most methods failed (even when done “right”)
  • What finally worked
  • And how you can skip the painful part

If you want the truth—not the fantasy—keep reading.

Method #1: Display Ads (The Biggest Disappointment)

Let’s start with the most common advice.

“Just get traffic and run ads.”

So I did.

What I Was Told

  • Ads = passive income
  • Once traffic grows, money grows
  • You don’t need to sell anything

What Actually Happened

  • Needed huge traffic to earn anything meaningful
  • Earnings were laughably low at the beginning
  • Required constant content publishing just to maintain views

The reality? If you don’t have tens of thousands of monthly visitors, ads will not pay your bills.

Why It Failed for Me

  • Too slow
  • Too dependent on algorithms
  • Zero control

Ads reward volume, not expertise.

Method #2: Affiliate Marketing (Worked… Kind Of)

Affiliate marketing is often sold as the solution.

And to be fair—it can work.

What I Tried

  • Product reviews
  • “Best tools” articles
  • Comparison posts

What Worked

  • Some commissions
  • Proof that monetization was possible

Why It Still Failed Long-Term

  • Required heavy SEO competition
  • Readers trusted Google more than me
  • Income was inconsistent and unpredictable

One algorithm update?
One program change?
Income gone.

Affiliate marketing works best when paired with authority, not as a standalone beginner strategy.

Method #3: Sponsored Posts (Not Worth the Effort)

This sounds glamorous until you try it.

The Reality

  • Brands want traffic + influence
  • Negotiations take time
  • Payments are often low unless you’re established

I spent more time emailing, pitching, and revising than actually earning.

Why It Failed

  • Not scalable
  • Dependent on brand approval
  • Not beginner-friendly

Sponsored posts are dessert, not the main meal.

Method #4: Selling Digital Products (Too Early)

Everyone says:

“Create an ebook or course.”

So I tried.

The Problem No One Mentions

If you don’t already have:

  • An audience
  • Trust
  • Proof

Your product just sits there.

What Went Wrong

  • No traffic funnel
  • No warm audience
  • No clear positioning

The product wasn’t bad. The timing was.

Digital products work after authority—not before it.

Method #5: Freelancing Through My Blog (Almost There)

This one came close.

I started offering:

  • Writing
  • Consulting
  • Creative services

And yes—I got inquiries.

Why It Was Better

  • Higher income per client
  • Fewer people needed
  • Faster results

Why It Still Felt Off

  • Inconsistent leads
  • Clients didn’t fully understand my value
  • My blog content wasn’t aligned with selling services

I was visible—but not positioned clearly enough.

Method #6: Email Marketing (Powerful, But Slow Alone)

Email lists are valuable—no doubt.

But here’s the truth: An email list doesn’t make money by itself.

What Happened

  • People subscribed
  • Engagement was okay
  • Sales were still slow

Why? Because the list reflected the same issue as my blog: no clear monetization strategy tied to a strong offer.

Method #7 (The One That Actually Worked): Authority-Driven Service Monetization

This is where everything changed.

Instead of asking:

“How can I make money from my blog?”

I asked:

“How can my blog position me as the obvious solution?”

The Shift That Changed Everything

I stopped:

  • Writing generic advice
  • Chasing every monetization method
  • Waiting for traffic

I started:

  • Writing from experience
  • Addressing specific pain points
  • Showing how I think—not just what I know
  • Leading readers toward working with me

Why This Worked

Because:

  • Authority beats traffic
  • Trust beats tactics
  • Clarity beats volume

People didn’t need more blog posts. They needed guidance.

And my blog became the proof.

Why Most Bloggers Fail (Even After Trying Everything)

Here’s the hard truth most won’t say:

Most bloggers don’t fail because they didn’t try enough methods.
They fail because they never aligned content with income.

They try:

  • Ads without traffic
  • Affiliates without trust
  • Products without authority
  • Services without positioning

That’s not strategy. That’s hoping.

The Simple Framework That Finally Worked

If I had to summarize what worked into a repeatable system, it’s this:

1️⃣ Pick ONE Monetization Path

Not five. Not “eventually everything.”

One.

2️⃣ Build Content Around Buyer Intent

Not just “how-to” content—decision-making content.

3️⃣ Position Yourself, Not Just Information

People don’t pay blogs. They pay people.

4️⃣ Lead Readers Somewhere

Every article should answer:

“What should the reader do next?”

What I’d Do If I Were Starting Again Today

If I could start over, I would:

  • Skip chasing passive income myths
  • Focus on authority from day one
  • Monetize expertise early
  • Use blogging as a client attraction system, not a traffic game

Blogging isn’t dead.

Unfocused blogging is.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Try Everything—Try the Right Thing

Trying seven ways taught me something important:

More methods ≠ more money
More clarity = more money

Once I stopped copying what “successful bloggers” claimed to do and built a system that matched real buyer behavior, blogging finally made sense.