25 Proven Ways to Make Money Online with WordPress Blogging

When I launched some of my blogs several years ago, my goal wasn’t just to blog it was to build a sustainable, diverse stream of online income. Back then, we didn’t have a blueprint. But over the years, through continuous learning, experimentation, and adaptation, we discovered a formula that works.

This isn’t a “get-rich-quick” guide. If that’s what you’re after, you’re in the wrong place.

What you’re about to read is a real-world playbook. It’s packed with tested and proven strategies that can help you make money online legitimately without falling for scams or shady tactics. Whether you’re launching a blog from scratch or looking to grow your current WordPress site into a full-time income, this guide is built for you.

💡 Need Help Starting Your Blog?
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Since this is a lengthy article, we created a table of contents below for easy navigation.

Monetize Your WordPress Blog Content

When people think of making money from blogging, they usually imagine ads. While ads work, they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Below are the most effective and practical ways to start making money from your blog content.

1. 💰 Make Money with Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing remains one of the fastest and most scalable ways to make money blogging. It’s simple in concept: you promote a product or service using a unique tracking link, and when someone buys through your link, you earn a commission.

At Chweya, we use affiliate marketing to recommend tools, financial platforms, and educational products we trust. You can do the same in any niche.

Examples of affiliate networks:

• Amazon Associates
• Commission Junction (CJ)
• ShareASale
• PartnerStack (great for SaaS tools)

Pro Tip:

Use a plugin like Pretty Links to manage your affiliate URLs and track performance.

📌 CTA – Start Now
Want to learn how affiliate marketing can earn you passive income on autopilot?
👉 Read our Affiliate Marketing Beginner’s Guide

2. 📈 Make Money Blogging About Forex Trading

Forex trading is a massive industry and blogs that offer trustworthy analysis, signals, strategies, or broker reviews can earn significant revenue. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned trader, building a niche blog in Forex can attract loyal traffic and monetization opportunities.

How to monetize a Forex focused blog:

• Promote Forex brokers via affiliate links (e.g., IC Markets, Exness, FXTM)
• Offer signal subscriptions (manual or automated)
• Sell online Forex trading courses or eBooks
• Create premium content or a members-only area
• Host paid webinars on trading psychology, indicators, or risk management

To succeed, you need credibility, consistency, and content that solves real problems. SEO-focused blog posts on trading strategies, live market analysis, and trading tools can drive targeted traffic that converts.

📌 CTA – Get Started in Forex Blogging
Learn how to start a profitable Forex blog, even if you’re not an expert trader.
👉 Download our Free Forex Blog Starter Kit

3. 💲 Display Google AdSense on Your WordPress Site

Google AdSense is one of the easiest ways to monetize your content with display ads. Once your blog has regular traffic, you can earn passive income by placing ads in your sidebar, within content, or as banners.

How it works:

• You register with Google AdSense and get approved
• Place the ad code on your WordPress site
• Google displays relevant ads to your visitors
• You get paid each time someone clicks an ad (CPC model)

While AdSense won’t make you rich overnight, it’s a great way to earn from informational blog posts and attract hands-free income.

🔁 Looking for AdSense alternatives?
Try Media.net, PropellerAds, or Ezoic for different ad formats and better rates.

📌 CTA – Maximize Your Ad Revenue
Learn how to optimize ad placements and boost CTRs for maximum earnings.
👉 Read: The Smart Blogger’s Guide to AdSense

4. 👨🏾‍💻 Sell Ad Space Directly on Your Blog

Why let third-party networks take a cut when you can sell ad space directly?

If your site has a loyal audience and steady traffic, you can charge businesses to place banner ads, sponsored widgets, or sidebar promos. This method gives you full control over the pricing, content, and design.

Common ad formats:

• Header banner (728×90)
• Sidebar square (300×250)
• In-content inline ads

Use ad management plugins like AdSanity or Advanced Ads to easily manage placements and track performance.

📌 CTA – Sell Your First Blog Ad
Learn how to price, pitch, and close direct ad deals like a pro.
👉 Get Our Blog Ad Pricing Calculator

5. ✍️ Publish Sponsored Blog Posts

Sponsored content is a lucrative way to work with brands and get paid to publish dedicated posts promoting their products or services. Unlike traditional ads, sponsored posts allow deeper storytelling and often perform better in terms of engagement.

How to land sponsored content deals:

• Create a Media Kit with your traffic and audience stats
• List your sponsorship offerings on your site
• Reach out directly to companies or join networks like Cooperatize, GetBlogged, or BlogMint

Make sure to disclose sponsored posts according to your country’s laws (e.g., FTC guidelines in the U.S.).

📌 CTA – Attract Sponsors
Want to get paid for sponsored content? Download our free pitch template.
👉 Get Your Sponsored Post Outreach Kit

Advanced Monetization Strategies

Once you’ve set the foundation with affiliate marketing, ads, and sponsorships, it’s time to look at higher-value income strategies. These next five methods involve building deeper authority and leveraging your expertise in more scalable ways.

6. ⭐ Get Paid to Write Honest Reviews

If you’re already reviewing products or tools in your niche, why not get paid for it?

Paid reviews are a smart monetization strategy—especially when you’re transparent and focus on helpful, honest opinions. Brands are willing to pay for feedback and exposure, especially when your blog audience is highly targeted.

How to get started:

• Identify tools, software, or services related to your niche (e.g., trading tools, SEO software, finance apps)
• Reach out to companies with a media kit and proposal
• Offer multiple options: blog reviews, newsletter mentions, or social media shout-outs

⚠️ Transparency builds trust—always disclose that it’s a paid review and offer balanced commentary. It’s not just about promotion—it’s about serving your audience first.

📌 CTA – Monetize with Reviews
Get our free outreach email template to land paid review deals.
👉 Download the Paid Review Pitch Pack

7. 🏠 Flip WordPress Websites for Profit

If you’re good at building blogs that attract traffic, you’re sitting on a valuable digital asset. Website flipping is the process of buying, growing, and selling websites for a profit.

There’s strong demand for:

• Affiliate blogs with proven income
• Local business sites
• Niche authority sites (e.g., Forex, finance, health)

You can use marketplaces like Flippa, Empire Flippers, or Motion Invest to list your site. Alternatively, approach niche buyers directly.

What buyers look for:

• Clean, fast WordPress setup
• Consistent traffic (SEO or social)
• Earnings history (AdSense, affiliate income, etc.)
• Niche authority

📌 CTA – Sell Your Site Smarter
Ready to flip your blog for cash? Get our free valuation calculator and checklist.
👉 Evaluate Your Blog’s Worth

8. 🗣️ Book Paid Public Speaking Gigs

Your blog isn’t just a website it’s your platform. As your expertise grows, you can turn it into real-world opportunities, like speaking at events, webinars, and conferences.

Whether it’s trading, personal finance, business growth, or digital skills organizers are constantly looking for confident, knowledgeable speakers who can educate and inspire.

How to get started:

• Create a “Hire Me to Speak” page on your blog
• Share videos or testimonials if you have any
• Promote your niche knowledge via YouTube or podcasts
• Attend local events and network with organizers

You might start with free opportunities, but with consistent value delivery, you can scale into $500 to $5,000+ gigs.

📌 CTA – Land Speaking Gigs
Want to speak on panels or conferences? Get our speaker profile template.
👉 Get Your Speaker Pitch Template

9. 🔒 Create Premium Members-Only Content

If your audience values your insights, they’ll often pay for exclusive content especially if it’s packaged with convenience, depth, or time-saving value.

This is the heart of a membership blog, where only paying subscribers can access certain content or features.

Examples of members-only content:

• Advanced Forex analysis or indicators
• In-depth case studies
• Weekly investment breakdowns
• Private video Q&A or newsletters
• Downloadable templates and tools

You can charge monthly, quarterly, or annually. Use MemberPress or Restrict Content Pro to manage access and payments directly from WordPress.

📌 CTA – Launch Your Membership Site
Want to build recurring revenue with exclusive content?
👉 Read: How to Create a WordPress Membership Site

10. 💬 Build a Private Forum or Community

People crave connection. A private forum or community space lets you foster deep discussions and charge access for premium networking or mentorship.

You can use platforms like:

• bbPress or BuddyBoss (for WordPress-based forums)
• Facebook Groups (with off-site payment)
• Discord (for younger, tech-savvy audiences)
• Circle.so (premium community builder)

Monetization ideas:

• Monthly access fee
• Tiered memberships (basic vs. VIP)
• Access to private threads, AMAs, or downloadable content
• Group coaching or community webinars

🧠 Bonus Tip: If you run a Forex or investment blog, a private signals group or Q&A mastermind can be incredibly valuable.

📌 CTA – Start Your Premium Community
Learn how to build, moderate, and monetize your own online tribe.
👉 Download the Community Launch Playbook

Let’s now dive into methods which focus on selling knowledge, offering services, and positioning yourself as an expert. These monetization strategies are ideal for creators, coaches, educators, and freelancers who want to build authority, trust, and high-ticket income on their WordPress blog.

Create Online Courses, Services & Coaching

Once your blog positions you as an authority, people will naturally seek your guidance—whether that’s through courses, consulting, or coaching. These methods help you monetize your skills, experiences, and insights at scale.

16. 🖥️ Host Paid Webinars

Webinars are a powerful tool to educate your audience, sell high-value offers, and establish yourself as a go-to expert.

Unlike traditional content, webinars are:

• Live, which boosts trust and urgency
• Interactive, which keeps viewers engaged
• Replayable, which means passive replays = passive income

Use webinars to:

• Sell a Forex or crypto course
• Host live portfolio analysis
• Launch a new product or service
• Deliver a free value-packed session, then pitch your offer

You can charge upfront for access, or offer it free as a lead magnet followed by a paid offer.

Top webinar tools include:

• Zoom + WooCommerce
• WebinarJam
• LiveStorm
• Demio

📌 CTA – Launch Your First Webinar
Need a step-by-step framework for planning and hosting a paid webinar?
👉 Download Our Webinar Launch Blueprint

17. 🏫 Sell Online Courses

Online courses allow you to package your knowledge once and sell it infinitely.

If you’re consistently teaching people in your niche whether it’s blogging, investing, crypto, design, or career skills it’s time to turn that content into a premium course.

You can charge:

• $19–$99 for mini-courses
• $150–$499 for full-length premium courses
• $997+ for mentorship programs with coaching support

Top LMS plugins for WordPress:

• MemberPress Courses
• LearnDash
• Tutor LMS
• LifterLMS

Or go off-site with:

• Teachable
• Thinkific
• Podia

Great course ideas for Chweya-style blogs:

• “How to Start and Monetize a Forex Blog”
• “Crypto Trading for Beginners”
• “Financial Freedom with WordPress”
• “Side Hustle Blogging for Kenyan Youth”

📌 CTA – Launch Your Course
Want to build your first course in 7 days, even if you’re a beginner?
👉 Get Our Free Online Course Starter Kit

18. 💼 Offer Freelance Services

Freelancing is one of the fastest ways to start earning from your blog especially if you already have writing, marketing, tech, or design skills.

Top freelance services bloggers offer:

• SEO content writing
• WordPress website setup
• Logo and graphic design
• Social media management
• Email marketing & sales funnels
• Forex signals or trading journal setups

You don’t need a marketplace to get started. Just:

• Create a “Work With Me” page
• List your services clearly
• Share testimonials (even if unpaid at first)
• Add a contact form or booking calendar

💡 Use tools like Calendly for scheduling and WP Simple Pay or PayPal Buttons for easy payments.

📌 CTA – Start Freelancing Fast
Don’t know where to begin? We’ll guide you step-by-step.
👉 Grab Our Freelance Launch Toolkit

19. 🎯 Start a Consulting Business

When readers see your blog as a reliable resource, many will want to work with you one-on-one. That’s where consulting comes in.

You don’t need to have “decades of experience.” You just need:

• A proven method or system
• Testimonials (even from free clients at first)
• A specific niche (e.g., beginner traders, bloggers, small business owners)

You can charge hourly ($50–$250/hr), by project, or offer retainer packages.

Types of consulting you can offer:

• WordPress blog setup
• SEO strategy for local businesses
• Personal finance & budgeting
• Digital marketing campaigns
• Trading mentorship (if certified or qualified)

Use tools like:

• Zoom or Google Meet for calls
• Stripe or PayPal for payments
• Calendly for scheduling

📌 CTA – Become a Paid Consultant
Want to book your first paid strategy session this month?
👉 Download the Consulting Business Blueprint

20. 🤝 Offer Group Coaching or Masterminds

If you want to scale beyond one-on-one clients, group coaching is your next step.

Coaching programs combine live sessions, private community, accountability, and teaching into a powerful transformation package.

You can charge:

• $97–$297/mo for ongoing coaching
• $500–$2,000 for short-term masterminds (4–12 weeks)

This model is great for:

• Forex or crypto education
• Business or blog growth
• Personal finance transformation
• Career coaching

Use Zoom for group calls, Notion for materials, and MemberPress or Podia for content delivery.

📌 CTA – Launch a Group Program
Ready to coach your tribe and change lives—while earning premium income?
👉 Grab Our Coaching Program Planner

Before I wrap up with the conclusion and monetization checklist. These next methods are ideal for scaling your blog through productization, automation, and smart systems, all while staying true to your niche and audience.

Scale Your Income with Digital Products, Plugins & Ecommerce

Once your blog has traffic and trust, it becomes a launchpad for powerful digital and physical products. These strategies are especially effective if you want to scale without relying on client work or constant content creation.

21. 📁 Sell Digital Templates and Toolkits

Digital templates are incredibly profitable because you create them once and sell them forever. If your blog teaches a process or skill, there’s likely a template someone would pay for.

Popular examples include:

• Forex trading journal templates (Excel/Notion)
• Blog content calendars
• Canva templates for social media
• Business plan or pitch deck templates
• Budgeting spreadsheets for personal finance

You can sell via:

• Easy Digital Downloads
• Gumroad
• WooCommerce

Bundle templates together to create higher-value offers, like a “Forex Starter Kit” or “Blogger Business Toolkit.”

📌 CTA – Start Selling Templates
Want to turn your blog into a digital product shop?
👉 Download the Template Seller Starter Guide

22. 🔧 Build and Sell a WordPress Plugin or SaaS Tool

If you’re tech-savvy or know a developer, creating a plugin or small SaaS product is one of the most scalable ways to earn income.

Some of the style ideas are:

• A WordPress plugin for African Forex brokers
• A price alert tool for cryptocurrencies
• A “budget builder” app for Kenyan youth
• A plugin to simplify affiliate link management for beginners

Don’t worry if you’re not a coder. You can:

• Use tools like Bubble.io or Glide Apps
• Hire freelance developers on Codeable or Fiverr

📌 CTA – Build Your First Micro SaaS or Plugin
Not a developer? No problem.
👉 Get the No-Code Plugin Blueprint

23. 📦 Sell Physical Products via WooCommerce

Want to turn your blog into a real e-commerce store? With WordPress + WooCommerce, you can sell physical products alongside your content.

Perfect ideas for physical products:

• Branded merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers)
• Forex trading tools (planners, journals, books)
• Printed financial education workbooks
• Dropshipped accessories or gadgets

You’ll need:

• A WooCommerce store
• Payment gateways (Stripe, Flutterwave, Paystack)
• Shipping plugins or integrations with Printful/Printify

📌 CTA – Launch Your Online Store
Learn how to turn your WordPress blog into a shop in a weekend.
👉 Get Our Ecommerce Launch Checklist

24. 📬 Start a Subscription Box or Monthly Club

If you want to build predictable recurring income, consider creating a subscription box or monthly club tied to your blog’s niche.

Examples:

• Monthly Forex strategy guide + worksheets
• “Invest Like a Pro” toolkit (stickers, planners, tools)
• Monthly curated digital downloads (Excel tools, crypto guides)

Subscription models are popular because they offer:

• Recurring revenue
• Deeper customer relationships
• Less dependency on ads or affiliates

Use WooCommerce Subscriptions or MemberPress to manage billing and fulfillment.

📌 CTA – Build Your Subscription Club
Want to build a loyal fanbase that pays monthly?
👉 Grab Our Subscription Box Launch Guide

25. 🚚 Start a Dropshipping Store

If you want to sell physical products without keeping inventory, dropshipping is a smart option. You handle marketing and support your supplier handles shipping.

What can you sell?

• Trading accessories or gadgets
• Personal finance tools
• Lifestyle or inspiration merchandise
• Branded notebooks, planners, or apparel

Use WooCommerce with plugins like:

• AliDropship
• Spocket
• DSers

Pair it with your blog traffic and social media audience for organic sales.

📌 CTA – Launch Your Dropshipping Store
We’ll walk you through your first product, supplier, and sale.
👉 Download the Dropshipping Starter Bundle

🎯 Final Thoughts

As you’ve seen, there are countless legitimate ways to make money online with your WordPress blog.

But here’s the truth…

💡 Most bloggers fail to make money not because they don’t try but because they try too many things at once. Focus on one or two monetization strategies, master them, then scale.

I believe in building sustainable digital income for African youth, creators, and hustlers. Whether you’re blogging about Forex, crypto, business, tech, or finance, this guide gives you the roadmap.

No matter where you are right now, you can start monetizing your WordPress blog today:

👉 Already writing blog posts? Add affiliate links.
👉 Already have traffic? Start selling templates or courses.
👉 Just starting out? Focus on building authority + one monetization method.

📌 FAQs About How to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress