MY BLOGGING JOURNEY
Before I became a blogger, I was a freelance writer.
As a stay at home mom, this was a great option for me.
I enjoyed the flexibility that came with freelancing and I got the opportunity to work with some great companies.
I built a solid freelancing portfolio and the money was good too.
I have some great freelancing tips to share with you so if this is something that you’re interested in then I have a detailed post here on becoming a successful freelancer that you can check out.
But despite my thriving freelancing career, I also dreamt of creating something from scratch.
An asset that I owned. Something that brought in passive income.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission for qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
My obsession with “passive income” started after reading a book called “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki.
This book literally changed the perspective with which I viewed wealth.
The premise of the book is based on the importance of creating passive income. This is money earned that is NOT linked with your time.
While freelancing was an awesome option (especially since I was a stay at home mom at the time) I started to look for ways I could start generating passive income.
And that is when I came across the term “blogging”.
STARTING MY BLOG
I was infinitely sceptical at first.
What exactly is blogging, how do you start a profitable blog and how in the world do you make money from it?
I had some major concerns regarding blogging.
My view of blogging was that you shared your life with other people and in exchange for that, you got fame and money.
I was super uncomfortable with that.
I’m a very very private person and not at all comfortable with plastering pictures of myself and especially my kids all over the internet for random strangers to see.
And the last thing I wanted was fame (again, I’m an introvert and having to put myself out there was really freaking me out)
I also kept worrying about my privacy and also about what my friends and family would think of me if I started blogging.
Would they laugh at my writing? Would they genuinely be happy for me? Would I make a total fool of myself?
I spent a year contemplating about starting a blog or not starting a blog (in retrospect, this was time wasted!)
In the meanwhile, I started researching everything I could about blogging. In particular, I started studying other mom bloggers to see what exactly they were doing.
Most of these mom bloggers had blogs about topics such as toddler activities, homeschooling, arts and crafts, positive parenting hacks etc.
A lot of these bloggers wrote about their focused topic and kept their personal lives private.
They would give examples from their personal lives in their posts but the focus of their blog was not their private life.
That gave me so much hope that starting an anonymous blog was possible!
Before long, I was digging through income reports of these mom bloggers.
And the numbers literally blew me away!!
Many of these mom bloggers were making consistent profits of $10,000-20,000/month!
They were all seemingly average humans with no super powers and their writing was average.
If they can do it, why can’t I??
Reading other people’s blog income reports is what really encouraged, propelled and motivated me to start a blog.
So that’s exactly what I did. I started my blog anonymously and told no one about it except for my husband.
Blogging anonymously is the most wonderful, liberating feeling in the world. You can write your heart out without worrying about what your friends and family think.
You can also take your time figuring out how to make it into a profitable career.
I made so many blogging mistakes along the way but because my blog was anonymous I felt less pressure to be perfect.
WHY MOMS SHOULD START A BLOG
Starting a blog as a mom can be incredibly rewarding, offering a creative outlet, financial freedom, and the flexibility to work around your family’s schedule.
For moms with little kids, it can be a great way to document memories, share experiences, and connect with a like-minded community.
Unlike other jobs that require strict hours or a physical presence, blogging lets you earn from anywhere, working in your pyjamas if you like!
Plus, the skills you develop while blogging—from writing to digital marketing—are valuable and versatile for future opportunities.
Blogging has another awesome benefit: income potential.
There is no upper limit to the amount of money you can make blogging.
You might start off making $10/month, proceed to $100/month, then $1000/month and then 10,000/month. Some of the bloggers that I regularly follow make 150-200,000/month from their blog!!
With the right strategies and tools, you can grow your blog from a simple side project to a source of real income.
When I first started my blog, I had humble goals.
I told myself that if I could make an extra $100 – $200 a month in passive income then I’d be happy.
Never had I imagined that my tiny, unknown, anonymous little mom blog would ever bring in thousands of dollars per month in passive income!
START YOUR BLOG TODAY
I wasted a year of my life contemplating whether I should start a blog or not.
After starting, the only regret I have is: WHY DIDN’T I START SOONER?
Starting a blog is so simple and straightforward. You don’t need any fancy tech skills (I’m living proof of that because I’m the most un tech savvy person ever!).
It literally takes 15 minutes to set up.
To get your blog off the ground, you need to choose a platform and hosting.
I recommend Bluehost for new bloggers.
It’s affordable, reliable, and comes with easy WordPress installation, which is beginner-friendly and powerful for growth.
Take out 15 minutes to get your blog set up, pick a catchy blog name, and get started.
I know so many people who get stuck trying to choose the “perfect” blog name.
Because they can’t choose the perfect blog name, they unfortunately never end up even starting their blog.
Bluehost solves this problem.
When you set up your blog using Bluehost, it gives you the option to create your blog but choose your blog name (your domain name) later.
You simply click on “I’ll create my domain name later”
That way you can start building your blog, writing amazing content and making money without getting stuck on the name.
If you’re interested in getting guidance and someone to hold your hold while you start a blog, you can sign up to my FREE email course.
I offer this exclusive 5 day email course to help total beginners start their blog from scratch.
In this course, I walk you through the EXACT steps I used to create a blog, grow traffic, and earn money—all without any tech skills or writing experience!
I’d love to help you start and grow a successful and thriving blog. Sign up below to get started!
4 Main Ways to Make Money Blogging
Blogging has changed over the years and so have the ways to make money with it.
Let’s discuss the four primary ways successful bloggers earn income:
1. Ads
Once you have traffic coming to your blog, you can set up ads to generate income.
Many ad networks, like Google AdSense and Mediavine, allow bloggers to earn a portion of revenue based on ad impressions or clicks.
The great thing about ads is that they’re passive; once placed, they don’t require much extra work.
However, ad income is highly traffic-dependent.
For new bloggers, it might take a while before this revenue stream becomes substantial.
But once you reach certain traffic thresholds, ad income can become a solid, ongoing source of passive income.
Pro Tip:
One of the best ways you can work on increasing traffic to your blog is by focusing on Pinterest.
Pinterest is a gold mine when it comes to free, organic traffic.
If you haven’t heard of Pinterest, it’s basically a visual search engine where people come to get ideas and inspirations. All you have to do is create eye catching pins that get people from Pinterest to your website and voila, you have traffic!
Did you know that 1 single, beautifully designed pin on Pinterest can drive traffic to your blog for months and even years?
I have pins that I created years ago and they still bring me consistent traffic to this day.
Once you understand how Pinterest works, you need to automate your Pinterest strategy by using this awesome Pinterest sheduler app which has changed my blogging life.
I don’t spend nearly as much time pinning manually anymore, and it has saved me so much time!
Since I started using Tailwind, I’ve seen a big improvement in my traffic.
The time-saving benefits are huge because you can schedule pins to post throughout the day.
Tailwind is also the go-to pin scheduler for most bloggers.
If you’re interested in trying it out, you can get a FREE one-month trial on Tailwind and a $15 credit by using my link here.
2. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is ideal for beginners and can bring in substantial income.
By promoting products and services you genuinely like and linking to them with unique affiliate links, you earn a commission when someone purchases through your link.
For example, if you recommend products on Amazon, each purchase through your link brings you a small cut.
The trick here is to promote products that resonate with your audience.
Moms trust other moms for recommendations, so your voice and experience carry weight!
3. Digital Products
If you have expertise in any area, you could turn it into a digital product, such as an eBook, printables, or online courses.
Moms often look for solutions to make life easier, and if your blog addresses any pain points or interests, a digital product can be an easy sell.
Digital products require some upfront work, but once they’re made, they can generate passive income.
You might consider creating meal-planning guides, toddler activity bundles, or printable organization planners that resonate with your readers.
For example, because my blog is for parents to little ones, I create printables that will help make their lives as parents easier.
So I sell printables like Busy books (to keep kids engaged), Potty training resources (to help parents toilet train their kids with ease) and Bedtime Charts (to put an end to bedtime battles).
Selling digital products is a very lucrative way to monetize your blog.
4. Sponsored Posts
Brands often pay bloggers to write about their products in exchange for a fee. Sponsored posts are a great way to work with companies you love and give your readers access to recommendations you truly stand behind.
When your blog grows in reach, you can pitch brands that align with your content or accept sponsorships directly. The key to successful sponsored posts is authenticity; only promote products you genuinely use or feel would benefit your readers.
Case Study – How A Small Blog Can Make Money
When you first start a blog, you’re not getting a lot of traffic to your website.
Most people think that low traffic means that you can’t make any money with your blog. But that’s totally wrong.
There is no reason why a new blog can’t make money just because of low traffic.
Today I want to dive into a case-study with you and show you how its possible to make money with a new blog that’s getting less traffic.
How I Built My Blog to $928/Month with Less than 20,000 Pageviews
One of the main reasons why I started a blog was because I started reading blog income reports of other bloggers.
I saw how they made their first $100 dollars on their blog and grew it to over 10k a month.
It was SO inspiring for me!
With all the scams out there and “get rich quick” promises it can be hard to tell which side hustle is actually legit.
Reading income reports from bloggers you trust can make it seem so much more realistic that money can actually be made with a blog.
Today i want to show you that money can be made, even if your blog is relatively new.
When my blog was only getting 20,000 pageviews (which is considered low traffic), I still managed to make $928 in a single month.
How?
Let’s dive into it.
My primary strategy for monetisation at the time was affiliate marketing.
For new bloggers, affiliate marketing is a very smart way to monetise.
The thing is, to make any decent money with ads, you need lots of traffic.
But with affiliate marketing, it’s not about the number of people you can get but the quality of people.
What I mean by that is, with affiliate marketing you just need to connect the right people with the right product and boom. You’re making money.
Let me try to explain this point with an example.
I am an affiliate for a program called Children Learning Reading.
This is a reading program that I used with my child when she was young and it helped her immensely in learning how to read.
Every time I recommend this program to someone on my blog and they go on to purchase the program, i make money.
Now here’s the deal.
I need to be smart with the content that I am creating as this will define the kind of audience I get to my blog.
If I start writing blog posts about Best Keto Dinner Ideas, the audience that comes to my blog will not at all be interested in buying the Children Learning Reading Program.
But what if I write about topics such as: 10 Simple Steps To Teach Reading Using Phonics, 10 Exciting Ways to Teach Phonemic Awareness to Kindergarten Kids and 10 Super Fun Phonics Activities to Boost Your Child’s Reading Skills?
When I write about these kinds of topics, I am building an audience that is definitely going to be interested in the Children Learning Reading Program.
This is how I will make sales as an affiliate.
And so your focus changes from “how many people can I get to my blog” (quantity) to “what kinds of people can I get to my blog” (quality).
This is one of the biggest secrets to affiliate marketing success!
Going back to how my blog made $928/month, let me break down the numbers.
Affiliate Income – $ 800
Amazon Associates – $ 640
Clickbank (Children Learning Reading) – $160
Digital Products Sold – $ 146
Total Income: $946
MY BLOGGING INCOME WAS $0 WHEN I FIRST STARTED
As I mentioned earlier, I was making $0 the first few months that I started blogging.
I was so incredibly clueless when I first started with zero tech skills or any previous experience making money online.
I feel so strongly that if I can turn my tiny little blog into an income generating machine then SO CAN YOU!
There are are some things that I did that were super important and helped my blog achieve success.
The most important out of all those things was setting up my blog properly.
This is the foundation of your blog and needs to be done correctly otherwise you will NEVER EVER make any money from your blog.
SETTING UP YOUR BLOG CORRECTLY
To start your blog properly, you need some basic things.
1. Domain Name ( what your blog is called eg. sweetnsourtoddlers.com)
2. Hosting (where your blog “lives” on the internet)
3. Content Management System (the system that allows you to create and publish posts and manage the whole back end of your blog)
What is the most affordable and effective way to get all 3?
My top recommendation is Bluehost. This is the platform used by the most successful bloggers out there.
Bluehost is the platform I’ve trusted for years and have no plans to ever go to another hosting company.
Here’s why Bluehost is ideal:
- It’s incredibly affordable, starting at just $1.99/month (it can’t get cheaper than that!)
- You get a free domain name, saving you the cost of registering it separately.
- With one-click installation, you can easily set up WordPress.org for free
- It includes a free SSL certificate, ensuring your site’s security.
- You’ll also have 24/7 support available.
So basically with Bluehost, you’ll get hosting, a domain name, a content management system, and an SSL certificate for less than $2/month!
If that’s not crazy affordable I don’t know what is.
Also, if you have read this far, it means you are serious about starting a blog and making money from it.
Take out 15 minutes and get the first step done TODAY to get your blog properly set up.
How to Set Up Web Hosting with Bluehost
Follow these simple steps to get your blog up and running with Bluehost:
1. Click Here and Then Click the “Get Started” Button
Head over to Bluehost using this link and hit the “Get Started” button to begin.
2. Select Your Hosting Plan
You’ll see a few different plan options. I recommend the Basic plan for new bloggers. It’s crazy affordable and has everything you need.
3. Choose Your Domain Name
Enter the domain name (what your blog is going to be called) that you’ve already decided on.
If you haven’t decided on a blog name yet, don’t worry! So many people never start their blog because they can never decide on the “perfect” blog name (hint: there is no such thing as a perfect blog name!)
Bluehost solves this problem for you.
Simply click ” “I’ll create my domain later” and that way you can start your blog without getting stuck on what you’ll call it.
4. Create Your Hosting Account
Fill in your details to create your Bluehost account.
5. Select Your Package and Pay
Choose a hosting plan. I strongly suggest going with the 12-month plan to get the best deal. You can also pick the 24-month or 36-month plans for even more savings.
What about extras? Bluehost offers extra services like backups, SEO tools, and security. However, I don’t recommend paying for these because there are plenty of free plugins that do the same thing.
6. Congrats, You’re Done!
Bluehost will automatically install WordPress.org for you, which is the platform where you’ll manage your blog.
WordPress is the tool you’ll use to write blog posts, upload images, and customize your blog’s look. It’s super beginner-friendly, so you’ll have no problem getting started.
AND THAT’S IT!
If you follow the above quick steps, you’re ahead of 99% of people who just read the post but didn’t take any action.
Getting my blog set up was my first ever step to creating a profitable blog that brings in monthly passive income. You can’t get to 1-10k a month from you blog if you don’t ever get started.
And the best time to start is today!
I wish you the very best in your blogging journey ahead!
If you need guidance and a helping hand that helps you set up your blog, drive traffic and make money, then sign up below! It’s totally free and has nothing but value for you 🙂
MORE IDEAS TO MAKE MONEY:
The Ultimate Guide to Start a Profitable Blog As a Beginner
20 Blog Niches to Make Money: How to Pick the Right One and Why It Matters
How to Choose a Memorable Blog Name Without Wasting Time
15 Insanely Profitable & Flexible Side Hustle Ideas For Moms
Mastering Fiverr: How to Earn Like a Pro
Become a Successful Freelancer in 2024: A Beginner’s Guide for Stay At Home Moms
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