How I Made $702 My Second Month Blogging
This post contains affiliate links, to find out more information, please read my disclaimer.
Like many of us aspiring online entrepreneurs, I’ve got big dreams.
As I mentioned in last month’s income report, I recently started blogging again (with a strategy) to hopefully reach a wider audience and earn a side income. And so far, I’ve been able to do just that!
In my second month of blogging, I was able to earn just over $700. And I’ll tell you exactly how I was able to do it in this post.
If you’ve been thinking about starting your own blog, just know that it’s easier than you think.
In 2022, I switched my blog over to Squarespace and was able to literally redesign my entire blog in an afternoon.
This platform includes everything - domain, hosting, website templates, font combinations, and everything in between. It’s cheaper than most other options and looks AMAZING from the get-go.
Check out my guide on how to start a Squarespace blog in less than 1 hour.
Blog Traffic Breakdown
Before we start crunching numbers, I want to talk about my blog traffic for a minute. Because in order for you to fully understand how I made money blogging this month, I think it's important for you to know how many people actually visited my blog.
My most popular posts in July:
Powerful Pinterest Strategy | 1,042 views (I removed this post as it was outdated)
How to Start a Lifestyle Blog | 865 views
SEO Tips for Bloggers | 631 views (I removed this post as it was outdated)
I had a total of 4,662 page views on my blog this month. The majority of this came from Pinterest and Facebook, which brought in a combined total of 3,118 views. The rest came mostly from search engines and Twitter.
Blog Income Breakdown
In a similar fashion to June, I mostly focused on affiliate marketing this month. And, I was able to earn a total of $577.20 from affiliate marketing alone. Plus another $125 through my services!
Let's take a closer look:
Airbnb: $0 | I'm a huge supporter of Airbnb. You can read this post to learn more about how I actually live in Airbnb apartments full-time. In July, 3 people signed up for Airbnb using my referral link, which will give them $50 off their first trip! If and when they complete their first trip, I will receive a $25 credit. (Update: Airbnb no longer offers a referral program)
Awin: $180* | This is an affiliate network that connects bloggers to various companies. It costs $5 to join, but you get it back after you make your first commission. I had 6 people sign up through my Awin referral link this month and after they make their first commission, I'll receive $30 per person. Since I technically didn't make any money from Awin this month, I did not include this amount in my monthly income total.
Bluehost: $455 | This is the company that I use to host my blog and in July, I had 6 people sign up for Bluehost using my referral link. (Update: I no longer use Bluehost as I moved to Squarespace)
Booking.com: $0 | I've included several links to this popular travel accommodation website in my posts like 7 Stunning Small Towns in Poland. Although I've seen a lot of clicks, no one has made a booking yet.
Ebates: $50 | I have a confession. I'm a total Ebates addict guys. You can use it to shop at your favorite websites and earn cash back on your purchases. I had 9 people signed up for Ebates through my link and 2 of them made a purchase of over $25. Normally this would earn me $10 but, Ebates is running a referral bonus period, which gave me an extra $40!
Fiverr: $30 | Selling services on Fiverr has been my most successful side hustle by a landslide. I've talked about the benefits of Fiverr (like scoring awesome logos for $5) in a few of my posts and two people have bought services on Fiverr, earning me $30 this month.
Freshbooks: $5 | This is my one-stop shop for everything related to my blogging services. It lets me track my time, create invoices, manage expenses, and bill my clients. It even lets me accept credit card payments! I mentioned Freshbooks in one of my blog posts and earned a $5 commission.
Grammarly: $25 | As a freelance writer, Grammarly is pretty much a necessity. It ensures that everything you write online is clear and mistake-free. I talked about the benefits of Grammarly on my resources page and earned a $25 affiliate bonus.
Linqia: $10 | I signed up for this influencer network that connects bloggers to brands and although I haven't participated in any campaigns, two people signed up for Linqia through my link, earning me $10.
Mailerlite: $0 | I made the switch from MailChimp to Mailerlite this month and honestly, I couldn't be happier with my decision. Two people signed up for Mailerlite through my link but have not made any upgrades yet.
TrustedHousesitters: $0 | This is one of my best travel secrets! You can sign up to be a house/pet sitter and in exchange, you get free accommodation - it's that simple. Although no one has signed up through my link yet, I'm happy to keep promoting something I love using.
Services: $125 | As per the request of several readers, I began offering blogging services this month. That's right folks! I now offer blog audits, blog set-ups, blog coaching, Pinterest assistance, freelance writing - and more.
Blog Expenses Breakdown
As I mentioned in my last income report, I technically started this blog two years ago. And I paid upfront for a 36-month hosting plan. So, I didn't have very many expenses this month.
Tailwind: $119 | I bit the bullet and purchased an annual Tailwind plan. I mean, I'll pay just about anything to put my Pinterest on autopilot! Pinterest was my best source of traffic for the second month in a row.
Office Supplies: $30 | If we want to get really technical, I did purchase some office supplies this month in relation to my blog. I bought a whiteboard to help visualize all of my ideas, an agenda to help me track my schedule along with washi tape and bristol boards for styled stock photos.
July Achievements
Social Media Growth | I spent a lot of time on social media this month. And I saw a huge increase in my traffic. Here is a breakdown of my social media growth in comparison to last month:
Facebook page likes: 242 to 595
Twitter followers: 957 to 1,432
Instagram followers: 3,011 to 3,612
Pinterest followers: 305 to 462
Resources Page | I rounded together a list of my favourite blogging tools on a resources page. I personally love reading resource pages from other bloggers, because it gives me a behind-the-scenes look at their blogs! (Update: this page has been removed).
Email List Growth | I offered an incentive to those who sign up for my email list. A library full of freebies like blogging printables, worksheets, and lists of the best Pinterest group boards. I just added a new feature - styled stock photos. I am SO proud of the email list growth I experienced this month. (Update: I have removed this email list).
Goals for August
Write More Content | I'm kind of ashamed to say that I didn't write much content this month. In fact, I only wrote two blog posts! That's not to say my time wasn't spent productively, I certainly worked on other aspects of my blog but, next month I want to write more content!
Connect With More People | I spend a lot of time reading other blogs and next month I want to make a concise effort to actually connect with the awesome people who write them.
Start a Facebook Group | Full disclosure, this was one of my goals from last month. And although I technically started a Facebook group in July, I haven't promoted it anywhere and there's literally no one in it. In August, I want to start promoting this group and gather together a group of awesome entrepreneurs! (Update: I no longer manage this Facebook group)
Where are you in your blogging journey?
That concludes my second income report.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my journey so far and how I made money blogging this month. If you feel inspired to start your own blog, check out this guide. I can teach you how to set it all up, write great content and make money from any niche.
If you have any questions along the way, don't be afraid to send me an email.
Let's talk in the comments! Where are you in your blogging journey? Have you started to monetize yet?
