Blogging used to be for the hobbyist. Yet now, there are hundreds of headlines out there telling you that you can make thousands of dollars blogging. The truth is that you can make money blogging, but probably closer to a few hundred dollars a month. However, there are some ways to maximize your earning potential for your blog.

If you want to make money blogging, the first thing you need to do it have a blog. There are a number of blogging sites that allow you to build a nice looking blog about whatever subject suits your fancy. Yet, it is this subject that can help determine how much money you can make with your blog. If you want to make money blogging, you should try to look at which topics will pay more per click than others. You can usually do this through Google AdSense and Google AdWords, which allow you to see how much each click costs. Google AdSense allows you to place ads on your blog, and you earn money every time someone clicks on an ad.

Besides Google AdSense, you can also use BlogAds.com, which will allow you to have more control over the ads on your blog. Plus, BlogAd allows you to make money blogging regardless of the number of clicks. With BlogAds, companies pay for space over a period of time. You just sign up (it's free!) and then determine what your advertising prices will be. Then the companies contact you for space. This differs from Google, where any related ads are placed on your blog.

You can also make money blogging by becoming an affiliate to another company. Amazon has a popular affiliate program that gives you a commission for every time they click on the ad and purchase something. You can check out affiliate programs through LinkShare.com or CJ.com to make money blogging by becoming and affiliate.

Do you want to make money blogging for a specific cause? If you love your blog, but have an altruistic side, you can also ask people to give to a specific cause - even if it is you. PayPal has a donation button that you can put on your site. Also, Amazon has an honor system that can provide you with a donation button.

Finally, you can sell yourself to make money blogging. People love unique merchandise like t-shirts, tote bags, mousepads, and more. If your blog has a catchy name, you can sell items with your logo on it to make money. The company, CafePress.com allows you to design your own items that you can sell from your blog. By selling these items you make money blogging by netting the markup. Plus, when people wear your items, it is like free advertising, drawing more people to your site.

Read the rest of the article here: Make Money Blogging.