This post may contain affiliate links
Happy 2019! Can you believe how quickly this year flew by?! I can’t!
Welcome to the year end blog report!
I love blogging and I love writing everyday. Blogging helps me focus on my families goals and what we want to accomplish. That didn’t change at all this year and we continued to grow!
Are you someone with a million ideas and nowhere to organize them? Give yourself space to create.
At first blogging was just a spot for me to post my craft projects, I never dreamed that it would blossom into a business. When you take the first step anything is possible!
If you’re new to The Rising Damsel, you might be wondering why on earth I make an income report public, I’ll tell you why!
- Before I started blogging and exploring side hustles I felt stuck. Exploring different options for yourself is positive and rewarding and I’m proof! You can earn money and you can live a life filled with passion. Nothing is beyond you. I started out just like everyone else, not even knowing how to title a blog post. Now I have a working passive income that’s driven by social media. You can do that too.
- I want blogging to be easier for you! The more knowledge I’ve gained the easier earning has become. The more I can share about what I’m doing the easier it will be for you!
- An income report gives me an easy way to keep track of my efforts and what does and doesn’t work.=
How Do I Make Money Blogging?
I make my blog income from affiliate links, services, Pinterest marketing and Pinterest Audits.
Affiliate marketing essentially means that you promote a product and receive a portion of the profit when someone purchases through your affiliate link. That means you are giving the company free advertising in hopes that your readers will like their product.
I’ll admit it, I didn’t understand how to really make money with affiliate marketing or my blog until I took Michelle’s course Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing! With her help and her extensive affiliate lists, I was able to explore different ways to promote my affiliates. Her ideas and suggestions put me in a whole new marketing ballpark. I never would have thought of half the promotional ideas without her guidance.
In addition to her guide you get exclusive access to the Mastermind Facebook Group which has been a great resource for bouncing ideas off other bloggers.
I spent years trying to earn from my blog, I wish I invested in the program earlier, who knows where I would be now!
Michelle from Making Sense of Cents teaches bloggers and website owners how she earns over $50,000 / month in affiliate income. If you’ve been struggling I would definitely recommend her course. It’s the best money I spent on my blog.
Is Blogging Expensive?
Starting a blog actually kept me from wasting a lot of money. While exploring my passion I realized that I had the skills that I already needed to start a business online.
All it takes is an internet connection, and the desire to share information. Since I had those already, I set my sights on hosting with the most trustworthy company I could find.
When I started blogging I did massive amounts of research to see who I could trust, but also who would give me the most bang for my buck! It’s Bluehost hands down times a million.
Blogging is a great way to start a business with little to no startup costs. No storefront, no inventory, and no tuition.
There are free ways to host your blog but I suggest an inexpensive hosting company like Bluehost. My favorite part of working with Bluehost is that WordPress is included. The appearance of a professional site is very important, and WordPress and Bluehost provide that.
Is Blogging Really Technical?
Thanks to new internet rules and security requirements, blogging legally might seem like a confusing burden, but not with Bluehost I assure you! With Bluehost you have access to an entire control panel full of tools. Plus a customer service team that’s ready and willing to help.
Can You Blog Too?
Of course you can! Setting up a blog is the easiest thing in the world. Have you dreamed about coming out of your shell, sharing recipes, posting your artwork or maybe quitting your job? A blog can make all of those things a reality.
I’m here to help you if you have any questions. To start your blogging journey check out this post filled with free tricks to jumpstart your blog: Start a Lifestyle Blog with Bluehost.
So How Did I Do This Quarter?
I reached over 100,000 pageviews last quarter! Compared to other bloggers that’s not much, but I feel incredibly successful!
Pinterest is without a doubt my single biggest traffic driver!
How Did I Earn Over $349.54?
Shareasale: $7.50
Chitika: $2.98
Amazon Affiliate Links: $81.36
Pinterest Audits: $240.00
Adsense: $8.20
Trim Financial: $4.50
What Do I Pay For in Expenses?
Tailwind currently pays for itself due the awesome affiliate program they have. Definitely a bonus if you decide to use their automated scheduling and analytics. Get a completely free trial of Tailwind to see what it can do for your traffic.
After my last quarterly blog report I focused on 3 things:
- Working with my beautiful customers for their Pinterest Audits
- Work with guest bloggers
- Post more often
I am thrilled to report I met all of my goals!
Posts This Quarter:
How Affluent Affiliates Can Propel Your Income
8 Things That Make Managers Crazy
Cyber Monday and Black Friday Deals
Christmas Gifts For People Who Have Everything
Unique Ways to Save Cash By Cleaning Less
Best Credit Repair Companies to Secure Lower Rates
17 Everyday Purse Essentials for An Organized Life
Halloween Treats for Last Minute Parties
Stupid Easy Ways to Achieve Success
Did I Meet My Social Media Goals?
Social Media is the easiest way to spread your content! It’s massively important to make connections and build relationships. Just a few pins a day to start will blossom into something great!
Pinterest Goal SUCCESS! 5,000 Followers strong! I love Tailwind‘s automated pinning. If you’re debating the use of automated pinning, just dive in. Tailwind has a completely free trial, check it out here. You can read about my full Pinterest technique here.
Follow me on Pinterest and feel free to message me at anytime with Pinterest questions.
Instagram Goal 440. SUCCESS!! 450 awesome followers on Instagram. Find me on Instagram.
Twitter. Goal 300. FAILED! From 289 to 282 followers. Retweeting is so easy! But alas my work schedule has kept me from tweeting as often as I’d like. My goal will be to hit 320 for next quarter. Find me on Twitter so I can retweet you.
Facebook Page Follows. Goal 550. SUCCESS!! From 472 to 569 follows on my Facebook Page. You can also join our Facebook Group: Connect and Share to help you catapult your business or blog with sharing opportunities daily.
Consider a Pinterest Audit if You’re Struggling with Traffic
Soon after I started pinning, my traffic jumped up like crazy! People were reaching out for tricks to grow their boards! Amazing! It was then that I decided to create my Ultimate Pinterest Audit. I love to help bloggers fix Pinterest because it’s the single most powerful social media / marketing platform available to bloggers.
With my help, we will get your Business Account set up with the correct SEO keywords so that readers are directed to you!
This Pinterest Audit will set you ahead of your competition! I currently reach more than 3.4 MILLION viewers every month with my accounts. I want to help others succeed with their own business! When you invest your time in the Pinterest it will provide you with free marketing in the future.
Pinterest has been my biggest traffic driver! If you aren’t getting massive traffic from Pinterest, I hate to say you’re doing it wrong…. but you are.
What’s the Plan For Next Year?
- Focus on affiliate programs that help my readers
- Create more roundups
- Use more SEO
- Guest Post for Other Blogs
Blogging is the best because you always have an opportunity to learn something new. It’s a video game that you benefit from is really how I think about it. I love blogging and I’ll never stop. I have a lot of ideas for this upcoming year stay tuned!
Starting a blog is still the best thing that I have ever done for myself! Ready to jump into blogging? Read my post Start a WordPress blog with Bluehost! Self hosting is one of the most important aspects of blogging and for just $3.95 a month you can start a blog with Bluehost. Take the next step to starting something great!
Thanks for reading my year end blog report! Be sure and pin this article if you found it inspirational you never know who you could be helping.
Subscribe to The Rising Damsel, to get immediate access to The Rising Damsel’s Free Library! My Social Media Scorecard is the only one of it’s kind to help you track all your social media in one place. Learn more about it in this post: Skyrocket Your Traffic Using The Ultimate Social Media Scorecard. Take all the mystery and struggle away when you share enough to social media!
Find The Rising Damsel on Pinterest or join my Facebook Group Connect and Share for Success.
I want to help spread your content. If you are looking for a free Tailwind Tribe try The Rising Damsel’s: Promote Your Blog – A Rising Damsel Tribe.
Much Love!! Together we will be great!
Questions and comments are always welcome. I really hope this post inspired you.
My Go-To Resources
Credit Sesame I used Credit Sesame to lower my credit card debt and start saving money. I would have never been able to afford my car for cash, or pay off my debt without learning about my credit score first. Credit Sesame provides free service and a free credit score. Check them out to see how they can help dig you out of debt today. You won’t be sorry, I can’t believe how much they helped me. See what they can do for you.
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Learn to make money from a pro! Michelle earns over $50,000 a month through affiliate marketing. There are tons of ways to make money on your blog. If you want to make money by promoting ac company or product, you need Michelle’s course Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. The money didn’t actually start coming in till I took this course. Save yourself from frustration, Michelle has it figured out for us.
Tailwind I would be lost without this social media scheduler. It’s worth every cent. Tailwind will help take your marketing to a new level with optimal pinning times to increase viewership. Freebie alert! Tailwind is offering a free trial via The Rising Damsel! If you already use Tailwind, try The Rising Damsel’s Tribe for more chances to share your pin: Promote Your Blog – A Rising Damsel Tribe.
Trim – Bill Negotiator Will negotiate bills with credit card companies and potentially get them lowered. Trim will also ensure that your subscriptions are cancelled across all your accounts. This is a full money-saving system for free. Tryout the Trim Bill Negotiator today and see how much you could be saving!
