ONE YEAR BLOG INCOME REPORT

 

I have officially been blogging for ONE whole year. I started this blog as a place to share my financial advice, recipes, life tips and more.

 

I also started it as a way to create some passive income for my family and to get out of debt faster. All of our credit card debt has been paid off since February 2018.

 

There are bloggers who make little to no money blogging and there are those making over $100,000 a month!

 

{This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. Full disclosure policy.}

 

I’d be happy being somewhere in the middle 😉

 

 

 

There are multiple ways to make money blogging. Affiliate marketing, sponsorships, ads, selling your own product, etc.

 

There are also multiple reasons why it took me so long to start making money blogging, but I am learning from those mistakes.

 

June 2018 BLOGGING STATS

 

Traffic (last 28 days): 10,684 pageviews

 

When I first started I got 200 pageviews in one month and I was so happy. Yes, you read that right. Now I get days where I get 200 pageviews in 1 day and that is disappointing. We all have to start somewhere.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

PINTEREST: 634 followers

 

FACEBOOK: 557 followers

 

INSTAGRAM: 482 followers

 

TWITTER: 979 followers

 

EMAIL LIST: 28 subscribers*

 

 

* Due to the GDPR rule that went into effect May 25 I lost a significant amount of subscribers. Technically the rule only affects those in the European Union, but I would rather be safe than sorry so it looks like I will have to work harder at building my list back up.

 

Pinterest is my main source of traffic and therefore I have been spending less and less time on my other social media accounts. I try to keep them all active in case I want to do more sponsorship opportunities in the future.

 

REVENUE YEAR-TO-DATE: $225.05

 

When I first started blogging my focus was on creating content and ads were my only source of income, which isn’t the best way to make money unless you’re getting a boatload of traffic.

 

Ads

 

Google AdSense: $128.85

 

This is the amount I’ve cashed out thus far. If I had to guess it looks like I’ll average about $50 a month on ads if my traffic stays the same. I did just switch to Google’s Auto Ads a few days ago so it may increase.

 

Once I can get my traffic up to 25,000 monthly pageviews I would like to join Mediavine as their payouts are higher. Many bloggers have stated they made more in 1 day with Mediavine than they did in a week using Google AdSense.

 

 

Sponsorship

Linqia: $59.20

 

This is a great way for bloggers/influencers to get connected with different brands and has proven to be a great place for new bloggers to make money.

 

This was my very first pay-per-click sponsorship opportunity with Linqia. They offer a lot of support, pay you within 10 days of project completion, and the average earning is $220 per program.

 

I think Linqia is a great place for new bloggers to start doing sponsorship opportunities as they look at your combined traffic and social media reach. Other networks require you have a huge following that can take a long time to achieve. As you can see above I haven’t hit 1,000 followers on any of my social media profiles.

 

Sign up for Linqia here!

 

 

Referrals

 

Although I haven’t made any money with these referrals, I genuinely love these sites because they help people save money doing things they already do and they aren’t blogging-related. If you’re a blogger you’ll understand what I mean.

 

Groupon: $0

 

eBates: $0

 

iBotta: $5

 

 

Product Reviews

 

 

Intellifluence: $27

Intellifluence connects brands with influencers who want to try and review their products. Some are paid while others are only given the product to try for free. I’ve already completed 3 product reviews and they were easy and fun.

 

 

Affiliate Marketing

 

Amazon Associates: $0

 

I’ve made a few affiliate sales, but not enough to cash out just yet. I just purchased another blogging toolkit that offers several courses on affiliate marketing that I am hoping will help me be more successful in this department.

 

 

EXPENSES: $912.90

 

Blogging Courses

 

Pinteresting Strategies by  Carly Campbell: $32

 

I LOVE Carly Campbell’s manual pinning course for several reasons.

 

#1 Unlike other Pinterest courses that say you need to purchase a pin scheduler to get tons of traffic, this course is focused on manual pinning. Carly gets over 200,000 pageviews a month without using a scheduler.

 

#2 It’s super cheap compared to other Pinterest courses out there.

 

#3 The book focuses on a unique pinning strategy using Google Analytics that I have not read about anywhere else and I do my research.

 

#4 Carly runs a Facebook group that is full of the most helpful people, it’s even has some big name bloggers. They all give great advice (FREE) and answer questions ASAP. Carly also does Facebook Live videos and gives updated Pinterest traffic tips.

 

#5 My traffic got a huge spike after implementing her tips and my Pinterest follower growth has consistently been growing since taking her course.

 

 

 

 

I bought Carly’s book because all of the great advice she gives, her honesty, and the fact that she doesn’t actively promote her book. The majority of her book promotion is through word of mouth. I read the reviews on her page and they were all singing her praises. Check them out here at Mommy on Purpose!

 

I also wrote a review on Pinteresting Strategies, the pros and cons, my personal results, and Q&A with Carly.

 

The Billionaire Blog Club (BBC): $179

 

I stole this course.

 

Scrivs, the guy in charge is a blogging expert. He has been blogging for years and you can tell he knows his shit. He curses and tells you like it is without the sugarcoating. His no BS approach is what got me to buy his course.

 

He runs multiple blogs, all of which are very successful.

 

 

 

The Billionaire Blog Club is full of videos on SEO, content building, Pinterest, Boardbooster Master class, niche selection, WordPress, Google Analytics, and a community the creator (Scrivs) actively monitors, which is a huge plus for a blogger who likes to ask questions.

 

When I implemented a lot of what he taught my traffic went up…a lot. One of the bloggers within the community recently quit her full-time job because she has been doing so well. #goals

 

Every one of his emails addresses blogging problems and relevant topics in the now. I love BBC because the membership you purchase is for life. This means when Scrivs adds in new courses and videos you don’t have to pay for them. Unlike other bloggers who charge for every course individually you get it all. Which reminds me, I need to go through the Pinterest course again because 11 videos were added in May that I haven’t gone through.

 

Blogging expenses add up. If you don’t have the money I suggest checking out the Billionaire Blogging Pinterest Manual. It was my first Pinterest course and explained a lot aboutPinterest that I couldn’t find online. It has great graphics and is explained in simple terms that a new blogger can understand.

 

Don’t take my word or anyone else’s word for it. Just check out Scriv’s FREE 12 day blogging boot camp email series and see if you like his teaching style, what he has to say, and if the course is a good fit for you.

 

Here is What’s Covered in the Email Series:

 

1. Choosing a Niche
2. Utilizing Pinterest
3. Understanding Your Audience
4. How to Make Money
5. Sales Funnels
6. Email Opt-ins
7. Web Hosting
8. Choosing a Theme
9. Your Content, Part I
10. Your Content, Part II
11. Launching Your Blog
12. Moving Forward

Genius Toolkit: $97

 

A toolkit full of blogging resources that gives you a taste of everything blogging related. It’s written by multiple bloggers and is something I would purchase every year. Only sold one/twice a year, currently unavailable.

 

 

PO Box: $144 (18 months; $48/6 months)

 

Bluehost Web Hosting: $95.40

I paid for the 3 year plan because you get bigger savings. Bluehost offers great web support and I was able to start my blog at $3.95 a month. If you plan on starting a blog be sure to use eBates and score an extra $10 off!

 

Boardbooster: $5 for 1 month

 

Fiverr logo: $31.50

 

Etsy WordPress Theme: $30

 

 

PROFIT: -$687.85 (well that sucks)

 

I’m not sure if I will do Income Reports in the future. I like them because they help other bloggers learn where they can make money, discover areas for improvement, AND I get to see my own personal growth.

 

Most bloggers don’t include their course purchases in their expenditures because it is something that is a one time purchase. Since this is more of a yearly report I chose to put them in for total transparency.

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

You can’t always measure success with money. Even though I didn’t start making money with my blog until recently, we did pay off our credit card debt. I have been able to document what worked for us on our debt-free journey and help others along the way so *high five*

 

Since starting my blog I went from zero pageviews a month to close to 11,000 pageviews.

 

I’ve started to see a consistent follower growth on my social media channels. On my Pinterest account I get new followers every single day. Follow my Pinterest account here to get more money making and saving tips, delicious food recipes, and more!

 

I hit an all time high of 2,093 pageviews in a single day!

 

My Pinterest traffic is up and I am spending less time actually pinning, which means I can focus on other important blogging tasks.

 

I did a free trial of Tailwind and Boardbooster and love them. I found Boardbooster to be a little easier to use, but Tailwind is a Pinterest approved pin scheduler so I plan on working with them going forward.

 

Try out Tailwind here and get 100 free pins and a $30 credit!

 

 

MISTAKES

 

Not creating multiple pins for each blog post.

 

When I started blogging I didn’t really understand pinning. I thought you created a post, a pin to go with it, pinned it one time and then waited for the stampede of traffic.

 

I had a pin that I only pinned a handful of times and was lucky enough to have it drive a good amount of traffic to my blog. If I had created multiple pins for that post and actively pinned I truly believe it would have gone viral.

 

Some people create as many as 8 pins per post. I don’t have the time or energy for that, but I am working towards 3 per post.

 

 

Not spending enough time promoting my new posts or marketing old posts.

 

Whenever I write a new post I normally post it to all of my social media accounts sans Instagram, and that’s it.

It’s important to engage with bloggers within your niche and drop relevant links in blogging groups. Try to get your voice out there.

 

 

Not engaging with my email list.

 

Now that my email list has disappeared I think I should focus on creating an email series for new subscribers.

 

 

BLOGGING TIPS LEARNED

 

Join more Pinterest group boards.

 

Interact/comment on other blogs within your niche.

 

Take blogging courses and invest in yourself. It can be hard to spend money on your blogging when you aren’t making money, but just one good course can help you build the proper foundation for your blog where you start making money immediately. It can also save you a ton of time trying to figure out stuff bloggers have already mastered.

 

Stop wasting time on stupid stuff. I am part of several share groups and although it’s great to comment on each others’ blogs its not the best way to spend your time.

 

Take a proper Pinterest course. It is one of the biggest traffic sources for bloggers. After researching and taking Pinteresting Strategies and buying the BBC Pinterest Manual I learned that so many new bloggers are sabotaging their blog traffic. I’ll write about the biggest mistakes new pinners are making in another post.

 

 

GOALS

 

Work on ways to increase my email subscribers.

 

Create a roundup post.

 

Interact with big name bloggers within my niche and ask them for advice.

 

Finish and go through all of the blogging courses I’ve purchased.

 

Focus on other sources of blog traffic. Don’t depend solely on Pinterest. Focus on SEO.

 

Post more frequently (twice a week).

 

Start preparing posts for the holiday season.

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

I’ll admit, there were times that I wanted to quit blogging. Making pennies and seeing so many people fail and few succeed has been disheartening.

 

However, I received a few comments from people telling me they really like my blog and how helpful it is. I know I can make it into something great if I come up with a solid game plan and post more.

 

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

 

Before the end of 2018 I hope to be part of Mediavine and join more affiliate networks.