Make Money with an Online Blog
Are you ready to make money with your online blog?
In this post, I’ll share my second Blogging Income Report and explain exactly how increased my blog earning by over 600% in the last 6 months.
Affiliate Disclaimer: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
You may recall in my first Blogging Income Report I also shared Income Reports of 7 Top Mom Bloggers. This time I’ll only be sharing one Income Report other than mine. Because it’s one I’ve been as eager to read as I am to read my own numbers.
It’s the Annual Wrap Up posted by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of makingsenseofcents.com
In 2016, Michelle earned just shy of a Million Dollars and so I have been reading her monthly income reports all year with great interest. I knew she would earn in excess of $1 Million this year… and, of course, she did.
Here’s Michelle Schroeder-Gardner’s Annual Wrap Up for 2017:
I Made $1,536,732 In 2017 – My December Online Income Report and Annual Wrap Up
Michelle’s Income Timeline has been particularly inspiring:
- In 2011, Michelle started blogging as a side hustle
- In August 2011, she launched Making Sense of Cents
- In February 2012 (6 months later), she made her first $100
- In 2013, Year 3, her business income totalled $116,519.
- In 2014, Year 4, it totalled $163,929.
- In 2015, Year 5, she made $320,888.
- In 2016, Year 6, she I made $979,321.
- In 2017, Year 7, she earned $1,536,732
- In 2018, Year 8, her goal is to earn $2,000,000
About half Michelle’s income comes from Affiliate Marketing and about another 35% comes from selling her own course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, which is why I’m super keen to do her course.
I set a goal to purchase Michelle’s course once I have completed Affiliate Bootcamp at Wealthy Affiliate.
I have noticed that massive incomes are being made online by Affiliate Marketers and I am a firm believer that, in time, Affiliate Marketing will become one of my main sources of income too.
My main source of income this year has been people paying to guest post on my site – and I highly recommend this to any blogger who has taken the time to build their site to a Domain Authority of at least 10. (If you don’t know your sites Domain Authority, go to moz.com and download their free toolbar).
It can take a bit longer to start seeing Affiliate sales, but once they start coming in, you’re set.
The way I see it, there are 3 Distinct Benefits of Affiliate Marketing over Paid Guest Posts and they are all to do with time versus money.
- You don’t get paid by the hour, you get paid when visitors buy what you are promoting in your post
- You can do the work once (write one blog post or create one video) and be paid over and over
- You can make money in your sleep (your website never sleeps)
Now, I know that having advertisements on your site has the same benefits, but I’ve noticed income from Advertising is generally lower (unless you have huge traffic you’re earning practically nothing from Advertising) and I decided I just don’t like having Ads on my site.
Too distracting. Too busy. Too annoying.
I figure If Top Bloggers like Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, Sarah Titus and Melyssa Griffin can earn 6 or 7 Figures with zero Advertising Income, so can I.
2018 – My Year to Crack Affiliate Marketing?
All signs this month seem to be pointing towards me going flat-out with Affiliate Marketing this year.
Sign 1: Affiliate Marketing Secrets
First-off, I got featured in a book by Adam Houge on Top Affiliate Marketers, called Affiliate Marketing Secrets.
The ebook launched on 15 January (my interview is on pg. 105) and guess who’s featured on Page 25?
Yup! You guessed it – Michelle Schroeder-Gardner.
Soooo excited to be featured alongside so many Affiliate Marketing Superstars. I also blogged about this one Inspiring Mompreneurs on the Day of the Launch.
By the way, the ebook is still available FREE of charge. This offer is time sensitive.
Get Affiliate Marketing Secrets Free here.
Sign 2 – The Work at Home Summit
I’m subscribed to Michelle’s email newsletter and on 20th January, she sent me details of the Work at Home Summit.
This is a Free Online Event that runs from Monday, January 29th to Saturday, February 3rd 2018.
And Michelle Schroeder-Gardner is one of the Speakers at the event.
So I jumped at the chance to become an Affiliate of this event as I can’t become an Affiliate of Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing until I’ve bought and done the course myself. Can’t wait!
This way I get to learn from and work alongside not only my Blogging Hero, Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, but also other Top Bloggers I follow, like Selena Soo, Rosemary Groner of the BusyBudgeter.com, Julie Stoian of CreateYourLaptopLife.com and Emma Bates of KidsCashandChaos.com.
How do you earn Affiliate Commission from a Free Event?
During the Event, we will all have the opportunity to join The Work-At-Home School and this is where Affiliate sales can be generated.
Affiliates can earn 40% Commission on each Sale. The Work-at-Home School offers packages to suit all pockets.
Get Your Free Ticket to the Work-at-Home Summit here.
Or
Join the Work-at-Home School Affiliate Program Here.
Sign 3 – Super Affiliate Challenge
The second sign was when Kyle, co-Founder of Wealthy Affiliate launched his Super Affiliate Challenge.
The Challenge is a rigorous pilot program to build an elite group of Wealthy Affiliate members, hand-picked by Kyle to become Authority Affiliate Marketers by the end of the year.
To be chosen you had to apply first.
I applied (along with 800+ other members) and on 24th January I found out I was accepted (as did about 100 other members).
Our first task is to complete Affiliate Bootcamp Phase 1.
Hey… why don’t you join me?
Did you know that at Wealthy Affiliate, the first Phase of Bootcamp is completely free? Along with 2 free websites, access to over a million stunning free images as well as free access to Jaaxy, the most brilliant Keyword and site ranking tool on the market.
Click here to Join Wealthy Affiliate free
And, Finally onto…
How I Grew My Blog Income by 600% in 6 Months
- I started blogging in November 2015.
- I launched InspiringMompreneurs.com and HappyHumanPacifier.com on 18th January 2017.
- In 2016, Year 1, I earned $ 50.
- In 2017, Year 2, I earned $ 1,527.48
Let’s break it down a bit further. If you recall, my first Blogging Income Report was based on the first 6 months of 2017.
- In the first 6 months of 2017, I earned $ 214.16
- In the second half of 2017, I earned $ 1,313.32 (Just over 6 times the amount)
Here’s a Month by Month Account so you can see my Income Timeline clearly:
GRAND TOTAL YEAR 2 = $1,527.48
As you can see, my Top Earning Month for the Year was November, when I earned $ 625.
Business was booming, I finally felt my blogs were taking off! And I was EXCITED!!
I was certain I’d hit the $1,000 mark in December… but alas, business slowed in December.
So I set my sights on having my first $1000 month in January but this month has also been a bit on the slow-side.
I’m at $ 587 so far for the month with just a few days to go. Eek!
Still… $600+ a month is nothing to sneeze at, considering where I was just a few short months ago.
Which was basically nowhere – not able to cover my own expenses or assist with my family’s expenses.
What this Means To Me
- Since December I have been able to cover my own debit orders.
- Which means I don’t have to ask my husband to deposit some of his salary into my account each month.
- I was also able to cover my Wealthy Affiliate Expenses for the upcoming year.
- I was able to buy a nice Christmas present for my hubby.
- I was able to treat my Mom to a delicious Spa Day in January (I went along too, my hubby’s Christmas present to me).
- I was able to cover the annual bonus for the lady who cleans our house once a week.
- I have been able to pay for some of my own coffee dates and playdates for my son.
- I was able to pay for my son’s Holiday Club in the December/January holidays.
- I was able to pay for my son’s Pre Primary School T-Shirts.
So… where did the money come from?
The short answer, almost all the money came from Paid Guest Posts or Contributed Posts.
Remember, I started offering this as a Gig on Fiverr in January?
Well, once I had a good few Guest Posts up on my sites, I started getting emails from people asking to Guest Post.
And so I decided to add a Shop to my site where I offer this as a Service.
This was still ad-hoc income, until mid-November, when I was referred to a company who sends Contributed Posts to Bloggers and they started sending me an average of 1 post a day.
A post a day keeps the bill collectors away. 🙂
The Benefit of Allowing Paid Guest Posts:
- It’s a quick way of adding new quality content to my site
- Most of the content is written specifically for my site by professional content writers
- Most content I’ve received is high quality, well-written with very few grammatical or spelling errors
- Images are usually supplied by the client
- Some clients even add internal links into their content
- Many clients don’t require social media sharing (they are simply paying for their backlink within the text)
How I use Paid Guest Posts to Build My Site:
- I choose one Keyword per post and use that as the Permalink and somewhere in the first paragraph
- I write an opening and closing paragraph – to maintain my voice throughout my site
- I reformat each post to improve readability (shorter paragraphs, bullet points etc.)
- I correct spelling and grammar where needed
- I format images in keeping with other images on my site
- I add another internal link if I remember a post that ties in well to the new content
Detailed Breakdown of Blog Income
For those interested in Stats, here are a few more for you.
Here’s the breakdown of blog earnings from July to December 2017.
Again, I’ll go in order of Highest to Lowest Income:
I firmly believe that in the coming year Affiliate Commission will overtake Paid Post Income for me.
And I also plan to focus on creating my own Products and Training Courses this year.
They say that when you start a new business:
- You lose money in the first year – Check
- You break even in your second year – Check
- You make money in your third year – Woohoo! Bring it on!
I am very happy with the results of my second year of blogging. I broke even and I made a few bucks.
I hope this post has given you a good idea of how you can make money from your online blog.
If you have any questions or if you have your own blogging story to share, please leave me a comment below.
Very impressive indeed. Guest Posting is a great idea and adding that as a Gig on Fiverr is very smart. Your progress so far is motivating. I also follow Michelle’s blog. What she has done has been very inspiring as well.
I am so looking forward to see where you are around this time next year. Just reading your progress put a huge smile on my face. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks so much for the compliment, Nate. You are too kind.
Wow I’m inspired! Signed up for the Work-at-home Summit too. Funnily enough, I started my venture into the online world through Making Senses of Cents too. I aspire to be like you both. So far I’ve made a few Pounds, not bad considering I’ve only been doing this 4 months. All the best and thanks for the brilliant post.
Aw, Thanks for the huge compliment, Lace. And WELL DONE on making your first few Pounds in 4 months! I love your site, Frugal by Nature. I just signed up for your newsletter.
This is such a great post, and I thank you for sharing your blogs income. It motivates us all so we know what we all get to look forward to. I’ve never considered allowing paid guest posting but I guess I’m leaving money on the table and now that worries me now, because I have had offers in the past. Well now I know what I should do next! Thanks for the inspiring article 🙂
Awesome, Brandon. I am so glad you found this post so motivational. Yes, I would definitely encourage you to give Paid Guest Posting a try.
Not too many bloggers like to share their income and I understand sometimes but when someone does like in your case it is very motivating. I never thought about how profitable guest blogging could be and you have opened my eyes to a new perspective and income opportunity. I thank you for taking the time to break this down so well and help give me some motivation to keep pushing forward.
Awesome Melissa! I wish you all the best with your blogging career.
How inspiring! And thank you for sharing your income progress – it allows for a realistic view into an industry with amazing potential. I’m on board! 🙂
Thanks, Terri. Excellent!
Hi Lauren.. thank you for a great and honest post, I really enjoyed reading it.. 🙂
Every business online or offline is the same and people don’t start to see any “Real Income” until year 3.
People over-estimate what they can achieve in one year and under-estimate what they can achieve in 5 years.
Be proud of what you have achieved so far, I feel, you are well on track to major success in the online world..
Paid Guest posting has been on my mind for the last couple of months but I was not sure, I see now that I need to focus on this too!
I have bookmarked your site and will be visiting often!
Best wishes
Moni
Thanks so much for that encouragement, Moni. Hugely appreciated.
I’m so glad I could give you a real-life example of how paid guest posting has impacted my revenue. All the best to you as you add that into your business plan.
Wow, what a genius strategy. I’ve never thought of that. Thanks for breaking down all the numbers step by step. This is a truly inspiring post!
Thanks so much Jeff, delighted to hear you’re feeling inspired after reading this post!
I love reading your articles, so inspiring. Reading your story motivates me to keep doing what I am doing.
I do have a question though. In regards to the guest post, so if I decided to use this service, where do I go to pay someone to blog for my website? I am a bit confused on that.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Hong, thanks so much for your comment and your question.
I know this concept can be a bit confusing at first – in this case, you’re not paying someone for blog content, they are actually paying you to publish blog content on your own site. I will email you a more in-depth explanation.
Hi Lauren. Thank you for this really informative post. I am very intrigued with much of the information you have given here and really look forward to seeing how I can apply this to my own site. I’m sure that I can make at least some, if not all, of the knowledge here work for me.
I have a question related to the paid posts – maybe I’ve not understood this properly, but are you saying that people pay you so that they can write an article for your site? Or have I got that wrong. What would be the benefit to them?
Sorry if I’m sounding a little dumb on that one but I’d love to hear your answer.
Hi Gail, yes, you have understood me correctly. The benefit to them is this: within their content they provide one link to their own product or service or their client’s product or service. Quality links on multiple sites increase traffic and grow Domain Authority.
This promotion of your work and goals are commendable. I appreciate the transparency and the acknowledgment of your competitors in a positive light. Your publication here will be an inspiration for others.
Thanks so much for the compliment, Maurice.
Very motivating indeed. I always used to wonder how bloggers make it. Thanks for sharing this important information.
Awesome Angee, am really happy to hear you found this post motivating. Yes, there are many ways to make money as a blogger, more than I ever imagined when I first started.
That is quite a good record of achievements that you have accumulated,It just goes to show what can be accomplished with sheer hard work and determination..That is a great credit for you. Hopy you have more luck on your journey.
Andrew.
Thanks for the compliment, Andrew. Much appreciated.
Hi Lauren, your post is so inspirational and motivating. It´s brilliant what you have done to leverage from paid guest posting to launch your own business. It´s awesome.
Thanks a million, Verónica. I am ever grateful to Lynne Huysamen at Kaboutjie for showing me the way.
What a superb article about making money online, I am very new to this field and still need a lot of work to be done in order to start earning good money. This article is so so helpful and make me understand many things about online money making that I didn’t knew before. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us.
Wonderfully detailed post on ways to make money online. Glad you are doing well with guest posting – very nifty way to make money. I never thought of using fiverr for guest posting. Oh, and thanks for breaking it down on a monthly basis your online earnings, it helps give a more realistic view on potential online earnings.
I am glad your post was recommended to me. Thank you for sharing these avenues of income.
All the best in your endeavors.
Thanks so much, Lem. Appreciate your comment. Yes, Fiverr is a great place to start. I’d love to know who recommended my post to you so I can Thank them personally. I’ll email you.
Yes, of course, WA member JillAlexaVA recommended your post. 🙂
Awesome, Lem! Thanks for letting me know. Jill Alexa is my Mom and she recently became my VA. Actually, she’s also building her own site now. Am so excited for her!
Hi Lauren,
This is awesome with all the income proofs to really show people how real this job is! I like how informative this was and how you made it sound promising. I wish you a continued success!
All the best,
riza
Thanks a mill, Riza. Same to you.
Hi Lauren. I’m so happy for your success. This is a wonderful article that inspires so many, beginners and experienced alike. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Blessings,
Suzanne
Thanks Suzanne. Happy to hear that.
Hello Lauren, thanks for sharing this blog with us. This post has motivated me to work harder, and learn more about making consistent income by blogging. I’m still a newbie to this and things are overwhelming, but I’m trying my best to make wonderful thing happen!!! I’m proud of your success, and I hope that you continue to be great!!!
Oh Yay! Happy to hear that Ahmad. Thanks for all the compliments. Wishing you every success as well.
You have just given me new hope. I am a member of the Super Wealthy Affiliate Group as well. I had only been a member of Wealthy Affiliate maybe a month before getting accepted.
But, since reading all this information in your post, it makes me want to broaden my horizons once I have finished this bootcamp.
The fact your mother is now joining you is just awesome.
I am in my last years of the 40’s and would like to start building my future as an empty nester. My goal is to have something to do with my life once they have grown and move on to start their lives.
Since you have began to make your dreams come true, where would you suggest that I should start? I would like to continue to help others that have had a hard life and are not able to work the traditional 9 to 5 job Those that really need to work from home for what ever the reason may be, and not have to spend their life savings in doing so.
Hi Lee Ann, great to meet you. I just found you on Wealthy Affiliate as well and left a quick message on your profile.
I had a look at your site and it’s looking fabulous. I think you are well on your way to helping others find legitimate work-from home-opportunities. You’ll also find a lot of ideas in my latest post: How to Start a Side Hustle.
Hi Lauren
I was really glued to your article about working from home and making money from blogging. I think your ideas are great, and I too don’t like ads popping up on my site, although I do have them at the moment. I have been wondering how else to utilise my website and I have got some good inspiration here. Thank you for your wealth of information!
Hi Ruth, that’s wonderful to hear! So happy I could be of assistance.
Lauren, I am so annoyed that I only came about this post of yours now, that it’s too late for me to take part in the event which took place in February. I really wish you will meet all the targets you wish for 2018. I am sure you will smash all your very best expectations! And of course, I have pinned your website as one of my few favourites. Because, Lauren, I have to read more about your work and how you have achieved so much in such as short time. I know: hard work is the key. But I believe you are doing an absolutely fantastic job. I shall follow your progress with massive interest 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind compliments, Giulia. Deeply appreciated.
Great insights — thank you for your honesty and candour about the process. I started affiliate marketing just last September, so not even a year yet, but am seeing the trickle that can turn into the flood at some point. Its inspirational to see other people further along in the process. I need to check into some of the tips you recommend such as guest blogs. You are right to highlight Wealthy Affiliate, its a game changer for me too!
Hi Dr.Doug, aah, that’s awesome that you are seeing results so quickly with Affiliate Marketing. You’re clearly following the Training at Wealthy Affiliate and applying what you’ve learned. I can’t wait to see my Affiliate Marketing truly taking off which is why I really must complete Affiliate Bootcamp ASAP. I’m only on Phase 2. Have you completed Bootcamp already?