Passive Income Ideas For Bloggers [2024]
Interested in earning passive income as a Blogger in 2024?
We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a Blogger today. These will help you increase your quality of life by bringing in more income for yourself or your business.
For each income idea, we’ll show you real-world examples, revenue expectations for each idea, plus some things you might need to know before you start your passive income journey as a Blogger.
Here's the full list:
1. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)
Starting a niche blog could be an excellent way to supplement your income as a blogger by sharing your expertise on a specific topic you're passionate about. Identifying a profitable and underserved niche like fashion, video games, film reviews, or cooking would allow you to attract a dedicated audience. Once you find your niche, you could create unique content such as how-to guides, top product lists, and video interviews to engage readers.
Monetizing your blog becomes easier as you gain visibility and followers. You could include affiliate links, grow a YouTube channel, collaborate with relevant brands, and even speak at events to generate income. Success in niche blogging comes from being passionate about your topic, consistently creating engaging content, and staying active with your followers.
How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $650 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Starter Story grew to 1.4 million monthly visitors and millions in annual revenue by sharing the stories of entrepreneurs. Pat breaks down the early days and how he grew the business into something that changed his life.
2. Make passive income with a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)
If you're a blogger, starting a YouTube channel could be a smart move to supplement your income and enhance your online presence. By creating video content that complements your blog posts, you could reach a wider audience and potentially earn money through ads, sponsorships, and merchandise sales. Your channel could feature anything from how-to guides and vlogs to educational content and entertainment, all while showcasing your expertise and passions.
Although building a successful YouTube channel requires time and effort, the rewards could be significant. Consistently posting quality videos and engaging with your audience could improve your visibility and attract more followers. If you're willing to put in the work, a YouTube channel could offer both creative fulfillment and financial benefits.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $333,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,250 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
This case study follows the journey of a young entrepreneur from Nigeria who started a profitable blog generating a monthly revenue of $1,500+ through sales of advertising space, sponsored posts, and information products, and shares his strategies for success including a Twitter growth challenge and guest post pitches.
3. Make passive income with a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could be a great extension of your blog, offering a new way to connect with your audience and share your passion. You could choose a niche related to your blog's theme, which can attract your current readers and help you reach a wider audience. Podcasts are a popular form of entertainment and information-sharing, making them an ideal addition to your content strategy.
All you need to get started is some basic recording equipment like a microphone and headphones, along with a free or affordable hosting platform. Once you get the hang of it, you could promote your podcast through your existing blog, social media, and online communities to grow your audience. Over time, you could even attract sponsors or advertisers, providing a new stream of passive income while doing something you love.
How much you can make: $400 — $1,020,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 2 hours/week
A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.
4. Make passive income with a social media automation business ($148K/month)
Starting a social media automation business could be a great way for bloggers to supplement their income by using their existing skills in content creation and audience engagement. By offering services to schedule posts, automate interactions, and analyze data, you could help other businesses and influencers manage their social media presence more efficiently. This could save your clients valuable time and allow them to focus on their core activities.
Given the growing need for consistent social media engagement, there's strong demand for automation solutions. You'll need to stay updated on the latest trends and build relationships with clients to customize services based on their needs. If you have a good grasp of technology and marketing, this could be a rewarding and profitable side hustle that aligns well with your blogging career.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $400,000/month
How long does it take to build: 50 days (?)
MeetEdgar, a bootstrapped social media automation tool founded in 2014 by Laura Roeder, has grown to $4 million in annual recurring revenue and more than 5,000 customers, with a team size of two dozen, achieved through content marketing, social media marketing, and organic search.
5. Make passive income with an affiliate marketing business ($77.5K/month)
If you're a blogger looking to supplement your income, starting an affiliate marketing business could be a great option. By promoting other companies' products and services on your blog, you could earn a commission for every sale that comes through your referral links. This means that even when you're not actively working, your blog could still be earning money for you as readers make purchases through your affiliate links.
To start, you could research and find the right products and brands that align with your blog's niche. For example, if you write about tech gadgets, partnering with an eCommerce store or a manufacturer that sells those products could be an ideal fit. This way, you ensure that the products you're promoting are relevant to your audience, increasing the likelihood of generating sales and, consequently, earning passive income.
How much you can make: $500 — $773,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $700 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
This case study explores how Spencer Mecham founded Buildapreneur, an affiliate marketing business, and has made over half a million dollars in profit with no employees, relying solely on content marketing through platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
6. Make passive income with a lead generation tool ($108K/month)
As a blogger, you could supplement your income and make extra money by developing a lead generation tool. This type of tool helps businesses find potential customers by collecting valuable information like email addresses, phone numbers, and interests from websites and social media channels. By creating such a tool, you automate the time-consuming process of finding new clients, making it easier for businesses to focus on turning those leads into actual customers.
Given the high demand for streamlined marketing efforts, businesses are eager to adopt efficient lead generation tools. If you have a knack for tech and a good understanding of marketing, this could be a great way to leverage your skills. Imagine not only boosting your own blog's revenue but also helping other businesses grow by providing them with quality leads.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $400,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $600 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Dux-Soup is a LinkedIn automation tool that helps business owners and sales & marketing professionals generate more leads, increase efficiency, and save time; with over 70,000 users and revenue of nearly $5 million, it offers automated top-of-the-funnel LinkedIn outreach activities, targeted LinkedIn campaigns and multi-touch & personalized LinkedIn drip campaigns for lead generation.
7. Make passive income with an online course sales business ($85K/month)
As a blogger, you could turn your passion and expertise into an exciting online course sales business. By developing courses based on topics you already write about, like cooking, web design, or even blogging tips, you could reach a whole new audience eager to learn from you. This allows you to leverage your existing blog audience while also attracting new customers.
The beauty of such a venture is that it can generate passive income over time. Once your course is created and uploaded to an online learning platform, it can sell repeatedly with minimal ongoing work from you. Given that the e-learning market is expected to be worth over $645 billion in the coming years, there's a significant opportunity to supplement your blogging income.
How much you can make: $100 — $300,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.
8. Make passive income with a wordpress plugin business ($33.4K/month)
As a blogger, starting a WordPress plugin business could be a great way to supplement your income and earn extra money. Since you already understand the importance of plugins in running a successful WordPress site, you likely have insights into common issues that other bloggers face. By developing a plugin that offers a solution to one of these problems, you could generate passive income.
You could sell your plugin on online platforms like CodeCanyon or directly on your blog. This way, you leverage your existing audience and WordPress expertise. It’s a viable way to turn your blogging experience into a profitable side hustle.
How much you can make: $120 — $120,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Wheely Sales CEO Josh created a lucky wheel popup that has grown revenue from $0 to $600/month in just 4 months since getting started and has attracted over 1.1 million users to his customers’ websites, all while proving that when it comes to creating a product, competition is validation.
9. Make passive income with an email marketing tool ($235K/month)
Starting an email marketing tool could be a fantastic way to supplement your income as a blogger. With an email marketing tool, you could create, manage, and automate email campaigns, making it easier to reach your audience directly and consistently. This software can help you generate leads, increase sales, and grow your subscriber base, thus providing multiple streams of passive income.
As a blogger, you already have valuable content, and by using an email tool, you could monetize your email lists through newsletters, affiliate marketing, or promoting your own products. Given the booming email marketing industry, which is projected to be worth $2.53 billion by 2028, creating your own email marketing tool could open up numerous opportunities, allowing you to tap into a growing market and grow your online presence.
How much you can make: $120 — $2,083,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 170 days (?)
H-supertools founder Hasan developed a set of free SEO and digital marketing tools generating $2k per month in profit using Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, selling ad spaces, and email, plans to launch a membership option, and has attained over 80k registered users and 300k monthly visits in less than two years.
10. Make passive income with an AI writing tool ($255K/month)
As a blogger, venturing into the creation of an AI writing tool could open up new avenues for passive income. This tool, driven by Artificial Intelligence, could generate engaging and error-free content effortlessly, saving you and other writers valuable time. By developing this tool, you're not only enhancing your own content creation process but also offering a solution to bloggers worldwide who are in constant need of compelling content.
Imagine providing a digital assistant that helps writers produce high-quality articles at a faster pace, leading to increased productivity and more consistent posting. This could attract a significant user base willing to pay for such convenience, turning your AI writing tool into a profitable venture. It's about leveraging technology to ease the creative process and meeting the growing demand for efficient content production.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $1,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 52 days (?)
Rytr, a new AI writing assistant developed by a startup platform and business incubator, has become a market leader, serving over 300,000 customers across the world and doing seven figures in ARR.
11. Make passive income with a subscription box business ($97.9K/month)
As a blogger, starting a subscription box business could be a natural extension of your content. Your audience trusts your recommendations, so curating a monthly box of niche products would provide them with exclusive items they may not find elsewhere. This trust can make it easier to attract subscribers who are interested in the topics you regularly cover.
By aligning your box with the themes of your blog, you could add value through exclusive products and unique customer service. To get started, you would need to understand your niche market, select high-quality items, and build good relationships with fulfillment companies. This side hustle could become a highly profitable passive income stream while offering your followers something special each month.
How much you can make: $400 — $400,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $210 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
Vowed Box Co. is a line of curated, quirky gift boxes with non-traditional brides in mind, offering four different products that have helped the business become profitable most months since its launch in 2018, with a monthly income of roughly $600.
12. Make passive income with a mobile app ($70.3K/month)
If you're a blogger looking to supplement your income, developing a mobile app could be a great option. Picture this: you have a brilliant idea that could help users with productivity or offer some entertainment. By turning this idea into a mobile app, you could tap into a huge market and attract a broad audience.
Starting a mobile app business might seem daunting, but it’s more doable than you think. If you don't have coding skills, you could hire a developer to bring your vision to life. Once your app is up and running, the income potential grows as more people download and use it. With thoughtful planning, a good user experience, and effective marketing, your app could become a significant source of passive income.
How much you can make: $1 — $500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
BACH, an app that plans and books bachelorette parties, has grown from $0 to >$1M net revenue run rate in less than 6 months, gained over 100,000 users in their first 60 days, and has over 40,000 parties using the app this month.
13. Make passive income with a niche website ($107K/month)
As a blogger, you could supplement your income by starting a niche website. A niche website focuses on a specific topic, allowing you to create targeted content for a dedicated audience. This specialized approach can attract loyal followers who are interested in the same subjects you're passionate about.
You could monetize your niche site in various ways, such as through affiliate marketing, ad placements, or selling digital products. Over time, as you build traffic and a solid content base, this can evolve into a steady stream of passive income. If you have a specific interest and are willing to invest the time in research and content creation, a niche website could be a rewarding addition to your blogging efforts.
How much you can make: $400 — $250,000/month
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
DPW (Digital Procurement World) is a fast-growing conference and community in procurement that has more than tripled in revenue since launching in 2019, capping out the year at €1.8 million, with 95% of their growth coming from inbound traffic leveraging LinkedIn and applying social selling techniques.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
