Do bloggers really make money and are blog income reports reliable? When I started blogging the intent was to make money doing something that I love. Also, I wanted to be able to escape the 9-5 rat race due to the frustration that comes with it. I wasn’t fulfilled and I felt like I was going through the motions every day with no end in sight.
As with most people before taking the leap into blogging I wanted to research on whether blogs actually make money. The best source of that information is from bloggers and their income reports. This post highlights the best information that I found from bloggers, their recommendations, their strategies and the mistakes that they made.
While some blog income reports made me want to hand in my resignation immediately and blog fulltime others were more candid and realistic in their journeys to make money. Blogging is not easy and it’s certainly not for everyone. However, blogging is a great way to make money as a side hustle and if you are successful it could become a full-time job.
Six figure bloggers such as Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents have proven that you can make money blogging and earn extremely well. Now I am nowhere near Michelle’s league, but this was encouraging because if we can get a small piece of the pie then what more can you ask for.
How to start a blog:
Before you start a blog, you need to have a why. A blog should provide information that readers are looking for. One of the mistakes that many bloggers make is writing for a non-existent audience. If you write for yourself that’s exactly who will read your blog.
If you don’t have great content, then you will have no traffic which translates to lower chances of making money on your blog. The trick is to find topics that you like, and that people are interested in such as finances, health, fashion and weight loss. Provide solutions to people’s problems and you will always have traffic.
Here are the steps that you should take before starting a blog and I have linked a more detailed post here.
- Pick a niche or interest to write about.
- Decide on a blog name.
- Find a host service.
- Choose a platform for the blog.
- Add blog pages.
- Pick a launch date.
- Write 10 – 25 posts before launching.
- Find high quality images or photos.
- Pick a theme for the bog.
- Customize the blog.
- Add an opt in email subscription message.
- Set up social media accounts.
- Launch you blog.
- Monetize your blog.
Key steps in starting a blog:
One of the most important steps as highlighted above is picking a niche or an area of interest. The second step is finding a host service. I use Bluehost and it has been a great experience. I genuinely recommend self-hosting and Bluehost offers great pricing especially for beginner bloggers as well as a free domain name.
You can sign up here for just $3.95 per month. It’s a very straightforward process and Bluehost walks you through the steps of creating a great blog. Most of the successful bloggers I researched before selecting Bluehost use Bluehost.
Thirdly ensure that you create great content because content will drive traffic. To be able to monetize your blog you will need traffic. Some of the best drivers of traffic are social media and specifically Pinterest. I have seen it work wonders for me so I would encourage anyone who is starting a blog to familiarize themselves with Pinterest. You will need to set up a business account to fully leverage Pinterest for traffic.
In line with this is that you should have at least 15 great posts before launching your blog. Once you have traffic coming to your blog you will need to have information for readers. If you only have a few posts it would be difficult for a reader to return to your blog.
Once the blog is set up then it’s time to monetize it. There are two viable options for a new blogger. You can select to use Ad Sense, or you can use affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is how most bloggers make their money. I am still mastering affiliate marketing, but you can apply for Ad Sense early on when you start your blog. Affiliate marketing is a bit more complicated because they have a minimum threshold of traffic for good affiliate networks which means your blog needs to grow before you can apply.
There are some programs such as Share a Sale, Flex Offers, Awin and Amazon Associates Program that accept new bloggers.
Blog Income Reports:
The first income report I wanted to highlight is from TheFab20s. In the fourth month of blogging she was able to make $1,543.42 after expenses! This is a huge accomplishment because many blogs don’t make money until they reach the one-year mark. Her strategy to creating a successful blog was ensuring that she didn’t take short cuts. It’s important to ensure that you follow the steps I have highlighted above. Don’t rush the process so to speak. Ensure that you create great content, research on what is working for other bloggers and never give up.
The second income report I highlight is from Do You Even Blog. They are extremely candid and detailed about how to earn money blogging. They also highlight different ways of monetizing your blog other than affiliate marketing and ads. This blog has been very successful in freelance work and selling various products on their site that are related to blogging. It’s a great strategy to try and diversify your blog to ensure that you don’t depend on just one income stream.
The third income report is one that has motivated me to really work hard on blogging. Her story is motivating and really makes all this seem achievable. She earned $22,288 which is net profit in 2019! She emphasizes the need for SEO which is another thing I need to work on. Most of her income comes from affiliate marketing and the rest is from ads and products that she sells. Again, you see that successful bloggers diversify their income.
The fourth income report reflects growth possibility for a good blog and the earning potential of the blogging industry. In July of 2018 her blog made $703.57 and by January of 2019 had gone up to $6,790.93. That’s 865% growth. That’s super encouraging for someone who is starting out because it shows that bloggers can make money even when the market seems to be saturated. There are thousands of blogs that make money even with the same information out there.
The last income report is from The Whole Kitchen Sink. She goes into details about finally quitting her job to blog full time. It can be a scary thing to do because once you quit you essentially become a business owner. You set your schedule and your effort largely impacts how much you make month to month. In her first month as a full-time blogger she made $5,860.34 which is significantly more than $0.27 she made on the blog the first month. In her 12th month of blogging she made $6,338.62 which is a bigger raise than anyone will give you ever!
I hope this post on blog income reports encourages someone who is on the fence about blogging. Take the leap and follow all the steps I have highlighted. Most of all be patient.
