Technology has made it easier than ever to have a blog. This is part of the larger movement towards citizen journalism, where anyone with the desire can start up their own website or blog and write about just about anything they want for free. Small business owners are leaping on this bandwagon by utilizing blogging platforms to grow their businesses. Here are 10 ways you can use your blog to make money.

1. Contribute As A Freelance Writer

This is perhaps the best-known way of making money with your blog. Many publications are always on the lookout for quality freelance writers who can contribute pieces relevant to their niche. It's a great opportunity to get seen by new audiences while getting paid at the same time!

2. Promote Affiliate Products

This method is especially useful for bloggers with their own products to sell. If you're an online marketer, this is definitely the way to go when it comes to making money with your blog. You can create a website or blog that talks about affiliate products that are relevant in your niche and make money every time your readers purchase something through your links.

3. Sell Digital Products

If you're a master of Photoshop, there's no reason why you can't sell digital products like stock photos or graphics online. You can easily set up an online store where you showcase your awesome work and earn commissions on each sale that is made. It's a great way to get your products in front of the right people and get paid for doing so.

4. Record A Podcast

The rise of online video has led to another form of entertainment making a comeback: podcasts. If you want to start an entertaining podcast that could potentially bring in money, you can do it all by yourself with a digital recorder or a smartphone. It's a great way to get exposure and make money with your blog too!

5. Sell A Membership Site

Many bloggers prefer to keep their blogs free for anyone who wants to read them, but there are also those who charge readers for premium access. You can create an exclusive website that offers memberships to your blog and charge an amount per entry. This is especially effective if you make your blog about a very "niche" topic, where there aren't as many blogs competing for attention.

6. Get Sponsored To Host Events Or Classroom Visits

Another great way to use your voice and blog to raise funds for charity is by hosting events. If you love to travel, you can organize a meet-up and ask people to pay for the expenses of the trip in return for a chance to win a free seat. The benefit of doing this is that not only will your efforts be rewarded with money to help your favorite charity, but you'll also get exposure from the event through word-of-mouth and online reviews.

This is a great way to grow your blog as well as help out those less fortunate than you. People love sharing stories about successful entrepreneurs who are doing their part in making the world a better place, so if you can organize an event like this, do not hesitate to go for it!

7. Sell Your Own Products

This method has already been mentioned, but it's worth repeating because it really is an effective way to make money with your blog. You don't need to create your own products if you don't want to - there are so many products out there that you can resell at a much higher price than what they cost originally. The best part about it is that you don't need a lot of capital to do this.

8. Offer Services To Businesses For A Fee

If your blog is already doing well and you're seeing a nice flow of traffic every day, you can use it as leverage by offering services such as consulting or even training to businesses for a fee. Not only is this a good way to make money with your blog, but it's also a great way to strengthen relationships with other businesses in your niche.

9. Train Others To Start Their Own Blogs

If you're an authority figure in your niche and have built up quite the audience for yourself, others will also look up to you. You can use this to your advantage by training others to do what you are doing, but with their own blogs. Teach them how to start a blog, drive traffic to it and make money from it so that they learn the ropes. Although this may take some time initially, once you have enough students who are ready to go out there and hustle for themselves, that time and effort will be paid back with a nice passive income.

10. Promote Other People's Products

Finally (and this is probably the least obvious way to make money with your blog) is by promoting other people's products. You don't need to create your own product or sell physical items if you want to make money - you can always become an affiliate and promote other people's products. If this is something you're interested in, be sure to join a good affiliate marketing program so that you have access to the best offers at any given time.

Conclusion

Being a blogger is a great way to showcase your expertise in a certain field and get exposure to both new audiences and potential employers. With the right strategies in place, you can use your blog to make a lot of money, so it's definitely a good investment of your time and effort.