Welcome to my article How I Made My First $100 Blogging (and How You Can Too). Let’s be honest—when you start a blog with dreams of making money online, your first goal is usually just to make something. Anything. Even if it’s $3.17 from an Amazon affiliate link buried in a post about budget coffee makers. So when I made my first $100 blogging, you’d think I’d won the lottery. (Spoiler: I didn’t. But I did treat myself to a very fancy sandwich.)

In this post, I’m going to walk you through exactly how I earned my first $100 from blogging—and more importantly, how you can do it too. We’ll cover what I did right (and wrong), the monetization method that finally clicked, and the traffic strategies that actually moved the needle. Whether you’re a brand-new blogger or still stuck in the “publish and pray” phase, this guide is packed with honest advice, practical steps, and just enough sarcasm to keep it fun.

So grab your beverage of choice (coffee, tea, wine—no judgment here), and let’s dive into the real-life strategy behind earning your first blogging income. Because yes, $100 is just the beginning—but it’s also the first step toward something way bigger.

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Picking a Niche That Pays (Without Selling Your Soul)

When I first started blogging, I had two goals:

1. Make money.
   
   
2. Not lose my will to live writing about things I didn’t care about.
   
   

The internet is overflowing with “profitable blog niches” advice—finance, fitness, food, and a suspicious number of people yelling “Start a blog about blogging!” But here’s the truth: you don’t need to pick a niche just because it’s “hot.” You need one that pays and keeps you from rage-quitting after three posts.

So, how do you choose a niche that actually pays your bills (eventually) and doesn’t make your eyes glaze over?

✅ Step 1: The Passion-Profit Venn Diagram

Picture three circles:

• What you love to talk about
  
  
• What you’re good at or experienced in
  
  
• What people are willing to spend money on
  
  

Where they overlap? That’s your blogging sweet spot. It doesn’t have to be your life’s purpose—just something you can stick with and strategically monetize.

✅ Step 2: Check the Market

Here’s where you get a little nerdy.
 Use tools like:

• Google Trends to make sure your topic isn’t dying
  
  
• Ubersuggest or Ahrefs to peek at keyword demand
  
  
• Amazon, ClickBank, or ShareASale to see if there are products/services you can promote
  
  

If people are searching for it and buying stuff in the space, you’re on the right track.

✅ Step 3: Niche Down, But Not Into Oblivion

Instead of “fitness,” go for “strength training for women over 40.” Instead of “personal finance,” try “money-saving hacks for new parents.” Specific ≠ limiting—it just makes your content more targeted (and more likely to convert).

Bottom line? Don’t sell your soul to a niche that makes money but bores you to tears. Pick something profitable and sustainable—because blogging is a long game, and you want to enjoy the ride (or at least not dread it).

Creating Content with a Purpose (Spoiler: Not Just for Pageviews)

Content creation—the magical place where inspiration meets caffeine and occasionally results in a blog post. But if you’re trying to make your first $100 (or your first any dollars), you can’t just write whatever your heart desires and hope Google says, “You know what? Sure, let’s rank this random post about your cat’s morning routine.”

To earn money from blogging, your content needs purpose—a strategy. And no, the goal isn’t just to rack up pageviews so you can screenshot your Google Analytics and humblebrag on Twitter (though that’s always fun). The real goal is to create content that:

1. Solves a specific problem,
   
   
2. Attracts the right kind of traffic (aka people ready to take action),
   
   
3. Points toward a monetization method (affiliate link, product, email signup, etc.).
   
   

Let’s break it down:

🎯 Write for Search Intent, Not Just Search Volume

Sure, “best wireless earbuds 2025” gets a ton of traffic—but are those visitors looking to buy, or just browsing? Focus on keywords with buyer intent, like:

• “Best [product] under $50”
  
  
• “How to choose the right [tool/software]”
  
  
• “Alternatives to [popular paid product]”
  
  

These search terms are your money-makers. They’re typed in by people who are actively looking to make a decision—which means they’re way more likely to click that affiliate link.

🧩 Each Post Should Have a Goal

Before you write, ask:

• Am I trying to rank in search?
  
  
• Am I leading the reader to an affiliate product?
  
  
• Is this a list-building piece?
  
  

If your blog post doesn’t support a larger strategy, it’s just digital noise. Helpful, maybe. Monetizable? Not so much.

💬 Add Real Value, Not Fluff

You don’t need to write 3,000-word essays to make money, but you do need to be actually helpful. Teach something. Recommend tools. Share what worked (or didn’t) for you. The more your reader trusts you, the more likely they are to take your advice—and click that affiliate link or sign up for your list.

Moral of the story? Every post should earn its place on your blog—not just in word count, but in purpose. You’re not just building traffic. You’re building trust, credibility, and income streams (hopefully in that order).

Choosing the Right Monetization Method for Beginners

Here’s the thing no one tells you when you start blogging: hitting “publish” doesn’t magically trigger a PayPal deposit. (I checked. Many times.) If you want to make money, you need to pick a monetization method that matches both your content and your comfort zone.

Access My Proven Blueprint for $50-$100 Daily Income – Watch This FREE Video Now >>>

Now, I know what you’re thinking—“There are like… 73 ways to make money blogging. Which one won’t make me cry into my keyboard?” Don’t worry. We’re keeping it simple, beginner-friendly, and totally doable even if you have no audience yet.

🛍️ 1. Affiliate Marketing: Your First Passive Payday

This is how I made my first $100. Affiliate marketing is basically you recommending a product, and when someone buys through your unique link, you get a commission. No need to create your own product or provide customer support—just share what you genuinely love and explain why it’s useful.

Pro tip: Promote products that actually relate to your content and your readers’ needs. If you run a productivity blog, a standing desk makes sense. A “detox tea”… maybe not so much (unless your blog is about caffeine-fueled regret).

Platforms to explore:

• Amazon Associates
  
  
• ShareASale
  
  
• Impact
  
  
• Individual SaaS programs (like ConvertKit or Grammarly)
  
  

📢 2. Display Ads: Traffic = Tiny Dollars

Once you start getting consistent pageviews (say 5,000+/month), you can slap ads on your blog via platforms like Google AdSense or Ezoic. It’s easy and low effort—but don’t expect to buy a yacht with the earnings. More like…a fancy coffee. Maybe two.

📕 3. Digital Products (If You’re Feeling Fancy)

Selling an ebook, template, or mini-course is great if you’ve got something valuable to share. You’ll need a bit more setup and trust from your readers, but the margins are all yours. This is a great next step after your first affiliate wins.

🛠️ 4. Services (Yes, You Can Freelance From Your Blog)

If you’re not ready to wait for passive income, offer a related service: writing, coaching, consulting, design. Your blog becomes your portfolio and trust-builder.

Bottom line? Don’t try to monetize with everything at once. Choose one or two methods that make sense for your niche and your current traffic. I started with affiliate marketing because it was low-pressure and fit naturally into my content. It wasn’t “get rich quick,” but it was “get paid eventually”—which, honestly, is a huge win when you’re starting out.

Promoting Your Blog Without Feeling Like a Used Car Salesperson

Promotion. The part of blogging where you bravely step out from behind your laptop and whisper to the internet, “Hey… I made something. Wanna see it?” And if you’re anything like I was, this step feels less like “marketing strategy” and more like awkwardly handing out flyers at a party you weren’t invited to.

But here’s the truth: you can’t make money from your blog if no one reads it. And while your content should be doing some of the heavy lifting via SEO, you also need to give it a gentle push out the door—and ideally, into the right audience’s eyeballs.

Let’s talk about how to promote your blog without sounding like you’re trying to sell someone a 2002 Honda Civic with “character.”

🚀 1. Pinterest: The Search Engine That Looks Like a Vision Board

Pinterest isn’t just for DIY wedding centerpieces and keto casseroles—it’s a visual search engine with serious traffic potential. Create eye-catching pins for your posts, use keywords in your descriptions, and link back to your blog. It’s beginner-friendly and can drive traffic for months (or even years).

Bonus: You don’t need a huge following. Just good pins + smart keywords = traffic.

👥 2. Facebook Groups: Yes, But With Tact

Join niche-relevant Facebook groups and be helpful first. Answer questions, drop value bombs, and only share your blog post if it’s truly useful to the conversation. No link-bombing, no “please follow my blog” desperation posts. Be the person people want to click on—not scroll past with an eye roll.

🧠 3. SEO: Your Blog’s Long-Term BFF

Search engine optimization is the slow-cooked brisket of blog traffic. It takes time, but oh boy, it’s worth it. Focus on writing posts that answer real questions people are Googling, sprinkle in some keyword magic (no stuffing, please), and make your posts easy to read and valuable.

Use tools like:

• Ubersuggest (free)
  
  
• Google Keyword Planner
  
  
• Lowfruits or KeySearch for beginner-friendly SEO
  
  

📨 4. Email List: Not Just for “Professional Bloggers”

Even if your list is 12 people (hi, Mom!), start building it now. Offer a freebie—a checklist, guide, template—and invite readers to join. Why? Because email gives you direct access to people who actually want to hear from you. It’s like building a tiny fan club… that clicks on affiliate links.

Moral of the story? Promotion doesn’t have to feel gross. You’re not scamming people—you’re helping them find solutions (and maybe clicking a link or two along the way). Be helpful, be human, and remember: you don’t need to go viral to make your first $100. You just need the right people reading the right post at the right time.

Lessons Learned (a.k.a. What I’d Do Differently Now)

So, I made my first $100 blogging—and yes, I celebrated like I’d just scored a six-figure book deal. But let’s be honest: the road to that first payout wasn’t exactly a straight line. It was more of a scenic route through “What am I even doing?” and “Why did I spend 6 hours choosing a font?”

In hindsight, I made a few classic rookie mistakes (and a few uniquely ridiculous ones), but each one came with a valuable lesson. If you’re just getting started, here’s what I wish someone had shouted at me lovingly from the sidelines.

🧩 1. “Just Create Content” Is Terrible Advice

Yes, consistency is important. But blindly cranking out post after post without a purpose is like throwing spaghetti at the wall and then wondering why no one’s hungry. I should’ve focused sooner on creating content tied to a monetization goal—affiliate post, email list builder, product lead-in, etc.

Do this instead: Ask yourself, “How will this post help someone and make me money?” before you even write the first sentence.

📉 2. Don’t Obsess Over Vanity Metrics

I spent weeks refreshing my Google Analytics like it owed me rent money. Pageviews are exciting, but they don’t pay the bills. I should’ve tracked actions that mattered: clicks on affiliate links, email signups, conversions. Spoiler alert: 5 engaged readers are better than 500 bored ones.

💸 3. Stop Waiting for “Enough Traffic” to Monetize

I thought I needed thousands of views before I could earn anything. Nope. I earned my first affiliate commission with less than 1,000 visitors a month—because I wrote a super-specific, helpful post with a clear call-to-action. Lesson? Start monetizing sooner, even if it’s small.

🤯 4. Paralysis by Plugin Is Real

I wasted far too much time tweaking my site’s appearance, installing 14 plugins I didn’t need, and switching themes like a digital outfit change. Yes, branding matters—but not as much as your content and traffic strategy. Keep it simple, clean, and fast.

The takeaway? Your first $100 isn’t just about money—it’s about momentum. It’s about learning what works, what doesn’t, and what you can laugh about later. If I could go back, I’d start with purpose, focus on helping real people, and stop trying to be perfect.

Blogging is a marathon with detours, snack breaks, and the occasional existential crisis. But once that first affiliate payment hits your inbox? You’ll know: it was absolutely worth it.

Now go get that hundred bucks, my friend. You’ve got this. 💪💻💰

Conclusion: Your Turn to Make That First $100

So here we are—the end of the post, the beginning of your blogging empire, and possibly the point where you’re wondering, “Can I actually do this?”

Short answer: Yes, you absolutely can.

Access My Proven Blueprint for $50-$100 Daily Income – Watch This FREE Video Now >>>

Long answer: You don’t need a viral post, a massive email list, or a blog design that looks like it was handcrafted by a Silicon Valley unicorn. You just need a strategy, a niche that pays (and doesn’t bore you to death), content with purpose, and a way to get your brilliant blog in front of real people.

Your first $100 won’t fall from the sky—but it will show up if you keep publishing with intention, promoting with heart (not hype), and monetizing smarter, not harder. It’s not magic. It’s momentum.

Let’s recap, shall we?

• 🎯 Pick a niche that’s profitable but still feels like you.
  
  
• 🧠 Write content that solves problems and guides readers to helpful solutions (ahem, affiliate links).
  
  
• 💰 Choose a monetization method that fits your style—and start using it early.
  
  
• 📣 Promote like a human, not a billboard.
  
  
• 🛠️ Learn, tweak, rinse, repeat.
  
  

And when that first email rolls in—“You’ve earned a commission!”—you will screenshot it, dance a little, and maybe cry a tasteful tear of joy. That’s when you’ll realize: it’s real. You built something from scratch, and it worked.

Now go. Take messy action. Publish the post. Share the thing. Make the offer.

Because your first $100 is just the beginning—and trust me, it feels so much better than a thousand pageviews with zero purpose.

You’ve got this. 🤑💻🚀

Thanks a lot for reading my article on “How I Made My First $100 Blogging (and How You Can Too)” till the end. Hope you’ve helped. See you with another article.