How can one make money starting a blog

Let me approach the answer a little differently.

What if we looked at the world’s top-earning blogs that came on the scene just about a decade ago, briefly analyzing their success strategy and see if we could pick out valuable insight on how to make money starting a blog.

Take your dive now. First, into the deep end.

#1: $14 million per month.

FOUNDERS: Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, Jonah Peretti and support from Andrew Breitbart.

YEAR OF LAUNCH: 2005.

AREA OF INTEREST: Politically liberal news and opinion website. Feature-rich also in entertainment, culture, technology, and lifestyle. Content created in localized and international editions, widely translated to serve these verticals.

SOURCE OF INCOME: Sponsored advertising across its various channels, and is considered the most successful blog of its kind by far.

Huffington Post was acquired by AOL in 2011 for $315m and currently is known as HuffPost.

SUCCESS FACTS: According to a Businessinsider report on Huffington Post,before it was taken over by AOL,”it was producing 600-1000 pieces of original content every day, be it on tech, social issues, sports or business, with between 10-100 going viral, and then doubling down on what was working.” **Working hard!

Not discounting the obvious celebrity connections Arianna Huffington enjoyed as the wife of a Senator, the editorial team ensured that their articles were always attention-grabbing, timely and SEO optimized. **Working smart!

It was also one of the early blog sites that encouraged readers to make comments and start discussions below articles of interest. It also encouraged social shares across various social media channels which has helped to build a loyal community of followers. **Being people-oriented!

#2: $2.5m per month.

FOUNDERS: Michael Arrington and Keith Teare.

YEAR OF LAUNCH: 2005.

AREA OF INTEREST: Publishers of technology industry news, especially the business side of tech, analyzing emerging tech trends and new tech products, and regular profiling of popular tech businesses, with a huge interest in tech start-ups.

SOURCE OF INCOME: CPM advertisement and fixed weekly and monthly advert slots.

Having built up such page views per month and setting such CPM rate, you can appreciate why CPM [cost per thousand views] is such a good money spinner for them. The site updates by the minute to constantly remain richly informative to its particular kind of visitors.

Just like HuffPost, TechCrunch was acquired by AOL in 2010 for what was rumored to be in the neighborhood of $30m.

SUCCESS FACTS: They have made themselves the “center of the tech reporting universe” by combining quality writing with deep knowledge of the tech industry.

TechCrunch shows a keen interest in and supports tech start-ups to the point of running, across the world’s major cities, what is known as the “battlefield for start-up ideas”, where the best ideas are rewarded and exposed to sponsorship in Techcrunch Disrupt.

**Talk about open commitment!

There’s also the Crunchbase where information on acquisitions, everything start-up and technologically newer ways of doing things can be accessed.

Michael Arrington was a hard-working founder who, despite his many business and professional commitments, insisted on always having only top quality, industry-relevant articles published. Himself crafting several a day. Its early popularity was helped when it broke the news first about Google’s acquisition of Youtube, with other outlets linking to it when reporting the same story. **Staying on top of the news, early!

#3: $2m per month.

FOUNDER: Pete Cashmore.

HEADQUARTERS: First started in Scotland, but now in New York.

YEAR OF LAUNCH: 2005.

AREA OF INTEREST: Digital media website with a special interest in social media happenings. Content usually rich in visuals: videos and infographics in ways that make user engagement easy.

SOURCE OF INCOME: Advertisement across its various channels.

AOL offered to take over Mashable as it had done its other rivals, Huffington Post and Techcrunch, but its young owner, Pet Cashmore turned down the offer, preferring to stand alone and stick to his standards and ideals.

SUCCESS FACTS: Pete Cashmore started Mashable at the age of 19 and devoted three-quarters of the day creating 3-4 posts on trending topics consistently for about 18 months. As views increased so did his team and the daily articles; up to 17 per day.

Since digital media was relatively new when it started, the editorial team made the content as digestible as possible for everyone with heavy use of images, infographics, and videos.

Pete Cashmore quickly associated the Mashable brand with social topics and trends – with the digital media as a tool for communication and social good. **Talk about catching the wave and sitting on its crest!

It doesn’t hurt to put a human face on your business. Especially if you as handsome as Pete Cashmore. Quality content is a no-brainer, but a charming personality can be a plus when you need to build real engagement with your followers.

#4: $4.2m per month.

FOUNDERS: Rand Fishkin and his mother, Gillian Muessig.

YEAR OF LAUNCH: Founded in 2004, but moved into SEO as a specialty in 2008.

AREA OF INTEREST: Search Engine Optimization [SEO] tools and analytics, along with page optimization insights to assist users in improving their search engine positions and ranking.

SOURCE OF INCOME: SaaS [software as a service] subscription. Paid membership area with access to premium inbound marketing software, marketing analytics and other professional services for better online visibility.

Due to the critical role MOZ plays in SEO SaaS delivery, it has received numerous venture capital fundings that have made the brand what it is today.

SUCCESS FACTS: MOZ has worked hard to build this enviably full SEO bouquet: from Mozscape for online crawling services to Moztrust which helps users sort out a site’s trustworthiness and MOZrank for sites’ page rank analysis.

Not knowing a lot about running a business and taking off without a strategy or roadmap didn’t place them on the best of starting blocks. **But persistence and self-belief saw them through.

Starting a blog alongside the SEO business to inform readers about SEO, content marketing and strategies was key to their eventual success.

See other less-known Bloggers making $100k monthly. Different niches, varying approaches, same result: success. Hard work and determination pay big time!

#5 $575,000 per month.

FOUNDER: Perez Hilton whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. [Emigrated from Cuba in the Fidel Castro days]

YEAR OF LAUNCH: 2004. When his acting career failed to flourish.

AREA OF INTEREST: Gossip items about celebrities, and divides opinion by adding his own funny ‘doodle’ to celebrities’ pictures.

SOURCE OF INCOME: Sponsored high-profile adverts.

SUCCESS FACTS: He basically carved out a digital empire by choosing to stir up curiosity and provoke outrage in his manner of reporting. And his brand has taken over the niche in style.

Largely, because it has to do with what he loves doing: following celebrities and finding delicious, even if embarrassing, bits to talk about them! **Do what you have a passion for!

That celebrity news and scandals sell is proved by Perez Hilton’s crazy monthly income. Just know where the pulse is, then add your own unique spin, voice, and personality to it. That is Hilton’s advice to celebrity gossip mongers interested in the business.

He currently has expanded his empire and re-invented his interest by doing more of the gentle aspects of life with sites on fitness and wellness, fashion, and even parenting. **Who says you shouldn’t build and exploit success!