An Alternative Way To Monetise Blogging: Launch A Side Career!

Bloggers are increasingly making a living through their blogs, with a growing number monetising their blogs through product reviews, affiliate programmes and other such tactics.

But this is not the only way bloggers are earning an income. More and more mega-bloggers are using their online success as a platform from which to launch exciting new side careers. Think: fashion bloggers who become models, beauty bloggers who launch make up lines and food bloggers who open restaurants.

Wondering how you could do the same? Here, we’ve rounded up some of hottest career paths we’ve seen bloggers take over the last few years, to serve as inspiration.

From Blogger to… Author

Given that full-time bloggers already write for a living anyway, the transition from blogger to author is a fairly smooth one – which is probably why so many popular bloggers take this route. From cookery books to memoirs, more and more bloggers are taking the plunge and breaking into the world of publishing.

Sometimes they’re even changing genre – just look at beauty blogging sensation Zoella, whose young adult novel Girl Online earned her a place on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Even photography bloggers can make the transition into traditional publishing, as Humans of New York’s Brandon Stanton has proved with his two bestselling books, Humans of New York and Humans of New York: Stories.

From Blogger to… Instructor

Another way bloggers are capitalising on their blogging success is by setting themselves up as instructors and sharing the expertise that has made them famous, offering classes or courses either online or in person.

For many bloggers, their most lucrative skillset is often blogging itself. After all, it’s something they have proven success at, and there’s always going to be a new generation of bloggers eager to learn the tricks of the trades. To differentiate themselves, some bloggers focus on more specialist blogging instruction that’s particular to their niche – Minimalist Baker, for example, offers an online food photography school.

Another option is to set yourself up as an instructor in something relevant to your blog – for example, doing cookery classes if you’re a food blogger, or make up tutorials if you’re a beauty blogger. Benny Lewis, the Irish polyglot who rose to fame through this blog Fluent in 3 Months, now offers a ‘Premium’ service for wannabe language learners, which gives subscribers access to a whole range of online resources and support.

From Blogger to… Entrepreneur

This last category is harder to define – after all, bloggers are already ‘entrepreneurs’ – but refers to those bloggers who use their niche expertise to launch another businesses as a side project to their blog.

Take popular travel blogger Adventurous Kate, who last year started leading her own guided tours around Central America. Or the runaway success that is Deliciously Ella, whose empire now include branded products, an app, two cookery books and her own London deli!

As you can see, there’s no shortage of potential side careers out there. If there a job you’ve always dreamt of doing, gaining blogging success in a relevant niche may well be your first step towards achieving it. These days, the field is open: a book blogger might open a bookshop, a fitness blogger might become a personal trainer, and a wedding blogger might launch their own wedding planning company. The only limit is your imagination!

Do you have plans to use your blog to launch a side career? Or perhaps you already have? We’ve love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.