Another month and another blog income report! Last month there were lots of changes around here! The biggest change was that I changed the name of my blog! It was both exciting and scary. While I did see a dip in my traffic, I’ve already begun to see the rewards and benefits in January! I can’t wait to share my income report for next month with you guys! But I digress. Here is December 2016’s blogging income report!
Why I started blogging?
About 14 months ago I decided to join in on the blogging fun because I wanted to help overwhelmed moms who were stressed by their homes and schedules. I have a passion for organization, living a clutter free life, and creating pretty spaces everywhere I possibly can! I wanted to share that with others in hopes that I would help out just one exhausted mom.
But blogging isn’t free, so as soon as the expenses started rolling in, I started trying to find a way to compensate to at least cover those expenses. What I discovered completely shocked me! People are actually making a full-time income with this blogging thing! Don’t believe me?! Check out blogging income reports here, here, and here. These bloggers are rocking it all while providing high-quality, helpful content!
So what is a blogging income report?
A blogging income report is simply the amount of money a blogger made from their blog and all of it’s side hustles in any given month. I’m writing this report to help and encourage other bloggers and to show people that you really can make an income from blogging. Plus, I need a way to hold myself accountable so I’m putting it all out there for the world to see!
If you are thinking of starting a blog, you can check out my tutorial to start a blog on a budget here. Then head over to find all of my favorite blogging resources here.
How do bloggers actually make money?!
I’ve earned money from my blog in three ways so far. But there are several other monetizing options out there that I plan to look into in the future.
The first way I’ve monetized is through banner ads. Yes, I know they aren’t the most attractive thing, but right now they are helping me to cover the cost of actually maintaining a blog so they will stay. I’m really sorry if you find them annoying!
The second way I’m earning money is through affiliates. This is probably my favorite way to monetize my blog because it means I get to share about some of the things I’m loving, using, and finding helpful in my life with you, my readers. It’s also a great way for me to share great deals, discount codes, or flash sales on products that you may use. I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
The very end of December I jumped into my third stream of monetizing by selling my own products! Simply Organized: 50+ Printables to Help You Get and Stay Organized was released on December 30th. It’s been doing really well during the month of January, but I will just be sharing what I sold those last two days of December.
I want to note that what started out as a hobby for me has turned into a small business. While I’m beginning to make money from my blog, I also have a lot of expenses associated with it. The longer I blog, the more expenses I seem to accrue. I invest about 20 hours each week into this blog so the amount I’m earning is definitely far less than minimum wage. It’s not a get rich quick type of thing.
There are many people who are making an amazing income from blogging. But it doesn’t happen overnight. You have to be willing to work for next to nothing in the beginning to get there. If you are considering starting a blog, make sure to find something you are truly passionate about and would be willing to work for free because you definitely will in the beginning! 🙂
I want to also share my stats in these income reports so that you can see how many visitors and page views I’m receiving to earn the income that I do.
Okay! So let’s get to the numbers!
December 2016 Blogging Income Report
Income
- Adsense $121.22
- Media.net $67.27
- Make Over Your Mornings/Evenings $25.50
- Shareasale.com $1.30
- $5 Meals $3.00
- Amazon Associates $81.10
- Simply Organized: 50+ Printables to Help You Get and Stay Organized $84.00
Total $383.39
Please note that these are amounts earned in December, not necessary what I received in payout. Most of these income sources are 30-90 days out on payments.
Expenses
- Board Booster $15.00
- Converkit $49.00
- Crystal Paine Blog Coaching $48.50
- Blog Rebranding $125.00
Total $237.50
After Expenses
- Income = $383.39
- Expenses = $237.50
- After Expenses = $145.89
Stats
- Pageviews 38,126
- Visitors 29,170
- Unique Visitors 26,364
It’s important to compare your revenue to your stats. Most bloggers calculate a metric called RPM which simply stands for revenue per thousand pageviews. It’s a simple formula:
(Earnings / Pageviews) x 1000
My RPM for November 2016: $10.06
This means I earned $10.06 for every 1000 pageviews on my site. This is a little bit of a drop from last month, but I’m already seeing some big changes in my income and page views in January and can’t wait to share that next month!
Analysis
I knew my page views would be down because of the switch. Good news is that it has definitely recovered and then some in January. My ad income was lower for the month because I was unaware of a little switch I had to make within my ad network and ended up losing out on almost 2 weeks of ad income from media.net. I’m hoping to hit that magic 100,000 page views mark soon so that I can switch to a bigger ad network and in turn have a more substantial ad income.
After launching my first product, I’m totally hooked! I’ve loved hearing from you all about how my printables are helping you get organized and stay on track with your home, life, and budget!
I have a few more ideas for new products I’m hoping to launch during 2017 so stay tuned for that!
Goals Moving Forward
I want to continue to improve my stats. Moving forward I’m planning to focus on Facebook and Google+ to try and boost my traffic coming from the google search engines. I’m really focusing on building my Facebook page as well. If you haven’t yet, be sure to head over there and follow me! 🙂
I’m also looking to add some more streams of income within the next few months. I’m looking into some additional affiliate programs that I think my audience would like and I have some super-secret projects I’m working on for some awesome upcoming products for you guys!
I’m wanting to continue to grow the community that I’m building through my email list! If you haven’t subscribed yet, head over here so you can get involved there! You also will gain access to my entire library of organizational printables!
And just last weekend I launched A Simply Organized Life Facebook group. It’s a community of people who are striving for a simpler life with less clutter and more organization. If this sounds like you, make sure to come over and join!
What’s To Come on the Blog?
I have some really big plans for 2017! If you haven’t already noticed or are brand new here, I’ve completed the transition from The Mom on Purpose to The Simply Organized Home and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’m so happy with the name because I feel like it fits me, the content I share, and the brand I’m trying to build just perfectly!
When I started blogging, I focused around a lot of parenting and motherhood topics that I just don’t cover anymore. My passion is for organization, DIY, home decor, and home management so I feel like The Simply Organized Home is a perfect fit! Don’t worry! You will still find the same great content here…just with a different name! 😉
The end of January 2017 I will begin a 6 week long series on organizing the kitchen! Make sure to subscribe below so you can follow along!
There are a few other things to come early in the year that I will share about later! I’m super excited about them and can’t wait to give you all the details!
As you can see, it takes a lot of work to earn a small amount in the beginning. But the potential is there and I truly enjoy helping others in their walk towards a more organized and clutter free life so I continue to push on! 🙂
If you are considering starting a blog, I highly recommend Abby Lawson’s book Building a Framework. You can read a full and honest review of it here.
BLOG GOALS for 2017
New Posts from The Simply Organized Home (December 2016):
- 7 Realistic Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Countertops Clutter Free
- The 2017 Budget Binder
- DIY Rustic Christmas Burlap Wreath
- Blogging Income Report: November 2016
- Cleaning Tips: What to Do When You Fall Behind on Cleaning
- How to Make a DIY Rustic Wood Sign
- Create an Organized Filing System
{This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. See my disclosures here.}