Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods
Raise your hand if you want to earn passive income with your new blog! Even though your traffic is still growing, you want to set up display ads to monetize your traffic. Today I’m going to show you how to make money with the best AdSense alternatives for low-traffic blogs. Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
Because here’s the thing:
AdSense payouts aren’t as good as they used to be. Plus, their dashboard has too many bells and whistles for most beginners. Making money with display ads should be as easy as possible. To help you find the best ad network for your small website, I’m sharing with you the six best Google AdSense alternatives for low-traffic blogs and websites in this guide.
I’ve been generating blog ad revenue with these ad networks since 2018 and I know you can do it too. If you’re looking for a long-term AdSense alternative that pays, you’ve come to the right place. Most bloggers look to Mediavine or Raptive as a goal. Once they get there, they can monetize their blog. Except you have to wait a long time to get there Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
It took me about 5 years of blogging before I got into Mediavine. Now, I was very wrong. But even a new site that is doing everything right usually takes a year and a half. I don’t know about you, but when I’m putting in full-time hours, I don’t want to wait 18 months to start making money. Once I learned these easy ways to monetize a website that doesn’t include ads, I was able to monetize new blogs very quickly Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
They’re also great for bloggers who are looking to clean up the user experience (aka, they don’t want any ads on their site). I used to be one too, until I learned how much you can make per month from ads. You deserve to be paid in some way for all the effort you put into your blog. And you shouldn’t have to wait 2 years to make your first $1!
Recommended = High Paying Freelance Niches with Low Competition in 2025
1. Affiliates
The easiest way to make money from a blog or even social media is to work with affiliates. Affiliates are brands, companies, or individuals who pay you a % commission when you refer them to a sale. Affiliates are one of my highest sources of income, easily making 3-8x what I make from advertising Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
Find affiliate networks for products you like, or networks like Amazon Affiliates that are marketplaces for products you like. Create dedicated blog posts reviewing this content Internally link to these blog posts from other blog posts, especially those that get traffic. Include clear calls to action (like “Buy Now!” or “This Credit Card Saved Me $1000 in Fees!”) in both affiliated and non-affiliated blog posts Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
Take original photos of yourself with or using the product and include it in your post (even include a video if possible)
Affiliates are Not Magic
You still need to sell the product, just like you would any product or service you create. But this way there is no overhead or time wasted in creating the product It is also a good way to do market research on which products or services your audience buys the most. One of my starter sites that I use for testing makes over $500 per month with less than 15k page views. It only has 4 affiliate posts on it. I could write more, or improve them better, and make even more Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
I made less when I was with SheMedia with a blog with 30,000 page views during Q4 (peak ad revenue season). I made $300 my best month. Affiliate commissions can range from pennies to thousands of dollars per item. Be sure to do your research to see which ones are the most profitable. But ultimately, stick with what you love and what your audience needs.
For example, check if a product is offered on multiple programs and look for the option with the highest commission. You can learn more about affiliates in depth in the Affiliate Marketing module of Profitable Part-Time Blogger Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
2. Digital Products
Digital products work anywhere. They can be ebooks, video courses, spreadsheets, workbooks, printables, or templates. I’ve bought everything from puppy potty training workbooks to RV toilet disaster ebooks to cooking video courses. Digital products are an easy way to make money early in your blog’s life, as long as they are valuable to your audience and solve a clear pain point. Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
You don’t want to create an ebook for the hell of it, or “slap it together” to sell. These should be valuable products that have a clear conversion for your students. I sold my first $30 ebook for She Knows SEO with less than 100 people on my email list, and less than 1k page views a day on my blog. I had no other social community to speak of.
3. Services
Most people start online businesses for passive income. But passive income pays much less than services, so keep that in mind.
She knows that SEO started as a services-first marketing agency, and then transitioned to a passive income business because I was away traveling and then had health issues. I’m grateful I was able to make the shift, but my services still make 3x more than passive offerings, when I turn them on. Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
People like personalized help. That’s why tutors exist, even though there are free group classes at school. Maybe the person needs a slightly different learning style, or they just want specialized attention to their specific problem. Whatever the reason, people will pay more for what they want.
It probably costs $20 to get your “season” of colors in an e-book, but I know someone who charges $400 an hour for it (and is fully booked for months). Services require more time on your part to complete the service for each client, but they also have the highest return. Once you have a solid foundation and community, you can always move on to other passive income streams.
Keep in mind that some services require a license, such as being a travel agent. Or they may require special insurance to be able to participate, such as those that involve giving financial advice. Before I officially started She Knows SEO, I did 1:1 blog coaching for $75/hour. Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods
I didn’t even have a blog with any traffic yet and I was easily making around $300+ a month from my day job. If I had done it more often, I could have made thousands. Many bloggers also supplement their income by working as freelance writers or as a VA for other bloggers. This is a great way to make some money, using your site as a portfolio to showcase your skills.
I used to make $3-4,000 freelance writing per month, even while working as a law clerk.
Pro tip: Companies will pay writers more than bloggers, but the work is less fun Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
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4. Membership or Subscription
Running a membership is hard. I failed at it, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It’s a great way to make money and keep making money! Many people run low-ticket memberships. Evelyn Weiss teaches this method extensively Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
You can run a community membership with access to an online forum, or a virtual fitness club membership with new workouts every week. To make a subscription profitable, you need to find the sweet spot between offering enough value without over-promising. And you’ll need to offer new offers regularly, so people have a reason to become a part of the membership.
This could be new content, monthly life, or access to a popular community while their membership is active. I recommend planning at least 1 year of content before you get started so you don’t make the same mistakes I did. Here’s how I burned myself on my membership and what I’ll do differently next time Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
5. Paid Newsletters
A paid newsletter is like a subscription service, but in this case, the deliverable is just an email. Don’t doubt it though! An email can be extremely powerful.
In the travel space, Ashley Gets Around has a paid newsletter for business class flight deals that is earning her over $200k per year by a very conservative estimate.
Dr. Mary Haynes has a paid version of her weekly newsletter that unlocks additional content, deeper dives, and even historical posts. Niche Site Lady has a paid archive of her older newsletters that people can access for a one-time payment Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
The key here is that these emails provide value. They either save someone time and money or they offer some kind of change and growth. It’s best to start with a free newsletter so you have time to write this content, and then you can upgrade to a paid newsletter.
Some blogs start as a paid newsletter and never reach the full “online blog” stage. There was one for an old town I lived in that started as a paid newsletter and has since branched out to 6 paid newsletters for different locations and niches. It was incredibly popular Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
A paid newsletter can cost anywhere from $1 to $1 million. Okay, maybe not $1 million unless you’re offering something significant. But if you have $100 a year, and you get 10 people on it, that’s $1,000. A beginner blogger can easily do it!
6. Private Podcasts or Patreon
Most bloggers think they have to stick to written content with their paid offerings. No! A private podcast feed or Patreon option with audio versions of the content, or additional audio content, is a great way to appeal to different styles of learners Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
I love blogs, but I’m too busy. I’d love to hear blogs being delivered. My screen reader helps with that, but I can’t download them for a flight like that – and it’s a weird robotic voice. It would be great to hear the blog owner read the post and even chat about additional information!
I had a Patreon for my failed travel podcast (well, it was a thesis project that I abandoned after I graduated). Now, I have a private podcast feed for all my courses as a bonus for access. Patreon is great for getting started without the upfront costs. But it will take a significant percentage of each sale.
Hello, Audio is my go-to for private podcast feeds. It’s a one-time, up-front cost. But it’s audio only. You won’t be able to add video content like you can with Patreon. Come up with something that adds to your content. I recommend additional content or anything that feels like community building Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
I’m part of the Red Handed Podcasts Patreon community. You get an extra episode every month, a weekly “news” style aftershow after their podcast episode, and first dibs on VIP tickets to live shows.
I love the extra content, and it helps me feel more a part of their community, which keeps me more invested in my Patreon subscription over time.
Private podcasts, much like a newsletter, can start at under $1. I recommend a monthly or annual subscription for regular new content. But if it’s unlocking the audio course without any new updates or regular new episodes, I’ll do the one-time fee for Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
Conclusion
Advertising is one of my favorite ways to make money. It’s much more passive than other forms. But passive income isn’t passive. It’s the profit from months or years of unpaid labor. These methods have very fast results, and can still generate some level of passive income over time.
Get 1,000 page views on your blog (from any source, but I prefer SEO), then choose 1 of these options to monetize your blog. I teach in-depth how to create affiliate content, digital products, and sponsored links in my Profitable Part-Time Blogger Program. I share my surefire ways to grow your blog to $30k/month with these methods Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
FAQs
1 How to monetize a blog without ads?
You Don’t Need Ads on Your Site to Monetize Your Blog. Here’s How Bloggers Make Six Figures.
- Secure sponsors and review their products.
- Include affiliate links to receive a commission Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
- Create a course and sell it on your blog.
- Productize your knowledge and sell it on your blog.
- Self-publish an ebook and sell it on your blog.
2 How long does it take to make $1000 per month blogging?
In most cases, you should expect it to take at least 6 to 12 months (minimum) of consistent blogging & promoting your content to start earning something from your blog. When it comes to making $1,000/mo in blog income, expect that to take 1 to 2 years of consistent effort for most people Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
3. How can you monetize your blog?
Joining an ad network is one of the most common ways that bloggers make money. Basically, you just sign up with one — such as Google Adsense or Media.net — and then ads get displayed on your site. Those ads you see in the sidebars of most blogs? Yes, those are generally from ad networks Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
How to monetize on Ghost?
4. Monetize Your Audience
Unlock Revenue Opportunities What sets Ghost apart is its built-in tools to monetize your content and grow your audience. With the integrated subscription and membership features, you can offer premium content, sell subscriptions, and build a thriving community around your brand Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.
5. How do I monetize YouTube without ads?
Turn on YouTube Premium revenue
If a viewer who is subscribed to YouTube Premium watches your content, you get part of the fee they pay for YouTube Premium. All content you post (that meets our Community Guidelines) is eligible for YouTube Premium revenue Monetizing a Blog Without Ad Networks Alternative Methods.