> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.freedomblogger.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Can Blogging Still Make Money in 2026? - URL: https://www.freedomblogger.co.uk/can-blogging-still-make-money-in-2026/ - Published: 2026-08-30T18:00:01.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-01T18:40:17.000Z - Author: Paul Schofield - Tags: Side Hustles There are millions of blogs already. AI can produce written content in seconds. Social media has changed how we consume information, and YouTube, podcasts and short-form video compete constantly for our attention. So why on earth would anyone start a blog in 2026? I did. And yes, making some extra money was always somewhere in the back of my mind. But it wasn't the main reason. I wanted to create something of my own, something that helped me reflect on the things I've learned about careers, money, side hustles and creating more choices in life. More importantly, I hoped some of those experiences might help someone else too. That became Freedom Blogger. It's still young. I'm not sitting here claiming my blog makes thousands of pounds every month. It doesn't. My Google AdSense application is currently going through the review process, and I'm still building my readership and subscriber base. That's exactly why I wanted to write this article now. Rather than telling you how successful blogging was for me, I'm going to document what happens as I try to build one in 2026, and I'll come back and update this article as the months and years pass. So, can blogging still make money? I believe it can. But I think you need to start for the right reasons. ## If You're Only Doing It for the Money, Think Again If someone sat opposite me over a coffee and said, "Paul, I'm thinking about starting a blog to make some money, is it worth it?" my first question would simply be: why? Why do you want the money, why do you want to blog, and what's your reason for doing it? If the only answer is "I want to make loads of money online," I'd probably suggest looking at something else. There are easier ways of earning additional income. Blogging requires patience. You need to create content when hardly anyone is reading it, publish when you're not making money, and continue long after the initial excitement has disappeared. But if you enjoy helping people, sharing ideas, telling stories or writing about something you genuinely care about, then blogging can be incredibly rewarding. And if money eventually follows, fantastic. **If money is your only reason for starting a blog, there are probably easier ways to make it. If helping people is the first reason and money is the second, blogging can reward you in ways that don't appear on a bank statement.** ## How Can a Blog Actually Make Money in 2026? There isn't just one way. A successful blog can potentially create several income streams at once. - **Advertising.** Display advertising is probably the best-known method. I'm currently going through the Google AdSense approval process for Freedom Blogger. If approved, adverts can appear on the site and potentially generate revenue as readership grows, though I'm under no illusion that switching adverts on suddenly creates meaningful income. Traffic matters, and that's something I'll be watching closely as the site develops. - **Affiliate and referral links.** If I use a product or service I genuinely find useful, I may sometimes include an affiliate or referral link, and if a reader chooses to use one, I may receive a commission or referral benefit. The important word there is genuinely. I don't want Freedom Blogger to become a collection of articles recommending things purely because they pay commission. Trust is far more valuable than a quick referral payment. - **Products and services.** A blog can also introduce readers to something you already do, whether that's consulting, photography, tutoring, coaching, a trade, or another business you're building alongside your career. Helpful content gives people the chance to understand who you are and what you know before they ever decide whether they want to work with you. - **Sponsorships.** As an audience grows, businesses may become interested in sponsoring relevant content. That's something for much further down the road for me, and I'd only want to work with businesses or products that genuinely made sense for Freedom Blogger readers. - **Digital products.** Guides, templates, ebooks, courses and other useful resources can also create income. It's something I may explore eventually, but I'm in no rush. First comes the audience, then trust, then monetisation, not the other way around. ## My First Target Isn't £10,000 a Month Spend enough time researching blogging and you'll inevitably come across some enormous income claims. That's not where my head is. My first meaningful target is £50 a month, because £50 would prove something. It would show that something I created from scratch can generate income. Then perhaps £50 becomes £100, £100 might eventually become £500, and yes, one day I'd love Freedom Blogger to generate £1,000 or more each month. That's an ambition, not a promise. And before any of those numbers matter, there's an even more important target: earn the first £1\. Everything starts somewhere. ## My Blogging Priorities I've deliberately put my goals in this order: 1. Consistency 2. Subscribers 3. Income Income comes last. My commitment is to publish a new Freedom Blogger article every Sunday at 7pm, and I want to prove to myself that I can keep showing up. One thing I've noticed through researching blogging, building side hustles and simply living life is that consistency appears again and again. People often don't fail because an idea couldn't work. They stop before they've given it enough time. That's why I'm giving Freedom Blogger at least a full year before making any meaningful judgement about its potential. ## Blogging Is More Affordable Than Many Businesses, But It Isn't Free You can start blogging very cheaply. I've chosen to spend a little more because I wanted to build something professional from the beginning. My domain is registered through Squarespace, Freedom Blogger is hosted using Ghost, and I also use Google Workspace for professional email and other tools. I've chosen basic paid packages and currently pay monthly. Could I have started more cheaply? Absolutely. But I view those costs as an investment in something I'm trying to build. You don't need the most expensive package, you don't need thousands of pounds, and you certainly don't need a fancy office. You need somewhere to publish and something worthwhile to say. ## Why I Use Ghost Before Freedom Blogger found its current home, I'd experimented with several different blogging and website platforms over the years, including Blogger, Squarespace, 123-reg and WordPress. They all have their strengths, but for me personally, Ghost was the point where blogging started to feel simple. I find it quick, clean and easy to use, and it means I can concentrate on writing rather than constantly thinking about how the website works. That matters to me because Freedom Blogger isn't my full-time job. I'm building it around one. ## How Much Time Does Blogging Take? Probably less than you think. At the moment, I generally spend a couple to a few hours each week working on Freedom Blogger, which is manageable alongside my full-time career, home life and other commitments. Some weeks I'll do more, others less. The important thing is that I keep moving forwards. **I'd rather spend two focused hours every week for a year than twenty hours one weekend and then do nothing for two months.** Small and consistent wins again. ## What About AI? You can't write an article about blogging in 2026 without mentioning artificial intelligence. I use AI, but I don't use it to replace me. I use it as a sounding board, to challenge ideas, to check grammar, and to explore different opinions and think about how I want to communicate something. But the experiences are mine, the opinions are mine, the lessons are mine, and the stories are mine. I think that's increasingly important. AI can help you communicate an idea. It can't live your life for you, and your experiences are what make your content different from everyone else's. ## But There Are Already Millions of Blogs Absolutely. There's also more than one restaurant in your town, more than one coffee shop, more than one YouTube channel, and more than one book about money. People don't need there to be only one. They need to find one they connect with. If you're worried nobody will read your blog, remember this: you only need your first reader. If that person finds something useful and shares it, perhaps you get a second, then another, then another. I'd love thousands of people to read Freedom Blogger, but if one person lands on an article, finds an idea that genuinely helps them and leaves in a slightly better position than when they arrived, I'm happy with that too. If this sounds like the sort of thing you're already wrestling with, I've written before about [the truth about relying on one income in today's world](https://www.freedomblogger.co.uk/the-truth-about-relying-on-one-income-in-todays-world/), which digs into why so many of us are looking for something extra in the first place. ## Traffic Matters. Trust Matters More. Of course I want Freedom Blogger to grow. I'd love more visitors, more subscribers, and more people sharing articles. But I'd rather build an audience that trusts what I write than chase enormous visitor numbers at any cost. Some people might subscribe and read every Sunday. Others might arrive through Google, read one article and never return. They're welcome too. If that one article helps them, it's done its job. ## What I'd Do Differently At this stage, surprisingly little. The biggest change I'd make is probably starting with Ghost from day one. Everything else has been part of learning, and that's another unexpected benefit of blogging. Writing forces you to think. I've found myself reflecting on decisions I've made, mistakes I've learned from, and things I want to do differently in the future. Freedom Blogger isn't just helping me share ideas. It's helping me understand some of my own ideas better too. ## The One-Year Blogging Rule If you're going to start a blog, give it a proper chance. My suggestion is one full year, one full cycle. Don't publish five articles and decide blogging doesn't work. Don't check your visitor numbers every morning and become disappointed. Don't expect meaningful income immediately. Write. Learn. Improve. Publish. Repeat. Then, after twelve months, look back at what you've built. You might be surprised how far those small weekly actions have taken you. If you're weighing up whether a side hustle like this is even worth the effort, it's worth reading [10 side hustles you can start while working full time](https://www.freedomblogger.co.uk/10-side-hustles-you-can-start-while-working-full-time-from-someone-whos-tried-most-of-them/), where blogging sits alongside several others I've actually tried. ## One Thing You Can Do This Week Don't buy hosting yet. Don't spend three evenings comparing blogging platforms. Don't design a logo. Instead, write one article. Pick something you genuinely know about, care about or have experienced, and write 800 to 1,000 words that could help one other person. Then read it back. Did you enjoy writing it? Would you enjoy doing it again next week? If the answer is yes, perhaps blogging deserves a closer look. ## Before You Go So, can blogging still make money in 2026? I believe the answer is yes, but I'm also putting that belief to the test. Freedom Blogger is still at the beginning of its journey, and my priorities are simple: publish consistently, build a loyal readership, grow subscribers, and help people. Then see where the income goes. I'll keep updating this article as Freedom Blogger develops, including what works, what doesn't, and whether blogging genuinely becomes a meaningful second income for me. Come back in a year and let's see how I've done. ## Freedom Check If you've ever thought about starting a blog, ask yourself: what could I write about for a year even if nobody paid me for the first six months? Your answer might be exactly where you should begin. If you're already building something of your own, or you've learned something from your own blogging journey, I'd genuinely love to hear about it. ## A Thought to Leave You With 💡 *You don't need a million readers to make your words worthwhile. Start by helping one. Then show up next week and do it again.* --- New articles are published every Sunday at 7pm UK time. Subscribe for free and have each one land straight in your inbox. Got a question about this post, or want to share your own story? Get in touch any time at [paul@freedomblogger.co.uk](mailto:paul@freedomblogger.co.uk).