How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (2024)

by Caroline Simmons | Jul 28, 2017 | Free Blogging Tips | 14 comments

How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (1)

I definitely didn’t when I started my Pregnancy and Parenting blog back in October 2016. I started my blog because I wanted a way to challenge myself while staying home (aside from the endless duties that come as a new mom) and I definitely wanted to contribute to the household income (we had just gone from 2 incomes to ONE!) So I started researching and planning andeducating myself and working my little tail off to launch a blog. I worked HARD in those first few weeks andmonths (heck, I STILL DO!) in order to build Swaddles n’ Bottles. The blog was brand new, I had no previous following and had never blogged before in my life.

Within 30 days of launch,I had 95,000 pageviews. By 6 months, I had clocked in over 1 million pageviews. How were all those people finding my brand new blog? PINTEREST! You can get my full Pinterest strategy that led to all those pageviews here.

Withall those pageviewscame a full-time income! While there are a ton of ways to make money from a blog I focus on 2 main areas: Affiliate Marketing and Ads. We’ll go into details for each on here in a bit, but firsthere’s a quick look at my income for the first 6 months:

Ads: $7,126.95

Amazon Affiliates: $12,837.67

Other Affiliates: $1,608.13

Grand total: $21,572.75

How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (2)

Note: You may be wondering why the dip in March and April… I found out I was expecting baby #2 mid-March and took a 35-day blogging hiatus… blame the morning sickness!

So many bloggers disregard affiliate marketing because they think the small commission percentages won’t add up to any amount of income that is worth their time. Well, my pregnancy and parenting blog is proof that isn’t true!

Affiliate marketing has HUGE potential!

The majority of my affiliate income comes from Amazon. They are one of the world’s largest retailers and with that comes a ton of opportunities to make money.

A vast majority of the products that I am promoting on my site are products I was already using in my home on a daily basis. And the fact that I am making a small kick back from each sale never effects the buyers price!

If you would like to apply my strategy to your blog, I’d love to share it with you. I sat down and outlined everything in Master Affiliate Marketing, a 30 page eBook that explains everything I do to earn money through affiliate marketing.You can download it here.

Ads are such a great way to make money from your site, but only if used properly. Certain type of ads can actually HURT your blog more than help. If you are going to sign up with an ad network, make sure it is a reputable one. The Mastering Affiliate Marketing eBook has an entire bonus section on ads, including which ad networks pay the most and how to strategicallyplace the ads on your page to optimize income!

If you are ready to start monetizing your site, I highly suggest taking some time to educate yourself on how it can be done effectively. Like I said, I make thousands of dollars every month from my blog using the exact strategy lined out in the Master Affiliate Marketing eBook.

Related

  1. How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (4)

    AJon August 2, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    Excellent resources! I am sure I would be shocked at how much money I could make if I actually tried 🙂

    • How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (6)

      Caroline Simmonson August 2, 2017 at 1:28 pm

      Thanks Stacey! Love your blog!

  2. How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (7)

    Sarahon August 2, 2017 at 1:03 pm

    This is incredible! Thank you for the super helpful post. I’m still new at this whole blogging thing, but hopefully some day I can get to this point! Great post & blog!

    • How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (8)

      Caroline Simmonson August 2, 2017 at 1:49 pm

      You can totally get to this point! You just have to start thinking in a Business type mindset!

  3. How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (9)

    octaviaon August 2, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    Wow! In six months, that’s amazing. I’ve only started blogging but I’m hoping I also get to where you are someday. def. need to up my goal smashing game. thanks for the encouragement

    • How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (10)

      Caroline Simmonson August 2, 2017 at 1:48 pm

      You can do it! If you’ve just started, that’s the perfect time to start putting some solid strategies in place to make sure you start making money ASAP! Be sure to check out the eBooks!

  4. How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (12)

    Sydneyon August 2, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    Very helpful! Congrats on your success!

  5. How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (13)

    Gingeredlifeon August 4, 2017 at 12:36 pm

    wow! thank you for sharing your income chart. I would love to have these kinds of results. I have started with amazon, hope to make it work for me.

  6. How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (14)

    McKays Photographyon August 10, 2017 at 10:11 am

    Thanks for the insight. There is so much hype out there, but it is great to see what your own results have been. Also great to know that it is from your parenting blog. I’m sure that topic gets tons of page views. Are over saturated markets still worth exploring? (So long as I keep it all business minded). I’ve blogged for 10 years on my photography blog & haven’t monetized, however I have started a second blog with all my prior web knowledge and geared toward a passive income stream… http://parallaxlife.com

    • How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (15)

      Caroline Simmonson August 10, 2017 at 1:49 pm

      I just checked out both of your blogs- great work! I would guess that parenting would be considered an oversaturated market, yet I still see income. I think there is an abundant amount of people out there searching for information and not all of them are going to find a connection with existing blogs. A few things already come to mind with how you could monetize and I would absolutely encourage you to take the plunge to do so if you are truly passionate about the subjects you will be blogging about!

    • How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (16)

      Caroline Simmonson August 10, 2017 at 1:49 pm

      Shoot me an email if you want to chat more about it! But I think your second website is onto something good when it comes to monetizing.

  7. How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (17)

    Princaon August 14, 2017 at 3:26 am

    This is truly amazing. Although I use Pinterest actively, I’ve never been able to achieve so many page views for my nearly one-year-old website. I suppose you must have a good Pinterest and blogging strategy. I hope you elaborate on this in a future post.☺
    Cheers!

How I Make a Full-Time Income From My Blog - The Basics Of Blogging (2024)

FAQs

How can I make full time income from my blog? ›

How to make money blogging: 11 ideas
  1. Choose a profitable niche.
  2. Build an email list.
  3. Write sponsored product reviews.
  4. Sell advertising placements.
  5. Join an affiliate marketing program.
  6. Offer services.
  7. Sell digital products.
  8. Sell physical products.
Dec 12, 2023

How to make money with a blog for beginners complete guide? ›

Here's how to do it:
  1. Choose a profitable niche. If you're just starting a blog, you're probably asking yourself—What should I write about? ...
  2. Scale your blog content. ...
  3. Build a reputation. ...
  4. Promote and grow. ...
  5. Advertise within your blog.
  6. Offer paid subscriptions. ...
  7. Sell merchandise, e-books and more. ...
  8. Become an affiliate.

What is one of the most common ways bloggers can earn an income? ›

Affiliate marketing is one of the most common income streams for professional bloggers. This earning opportunity tasks you with promoting a third party's products — usually using a link or promo code that's unique to your blog — in exchange for commission earned on each affiliate product sold.

How much can I earn from blogging as a beginner? ›

Blogging can be one of the most profitable online businesses with very low startup costs. You don't need to blog full-time either. Even part-time bloggers can earn well into the six-figures from their blogs each year, like I've done for many years here, earning between $250,000 – $500,000/yr from part-time blogging.

Which blog is best for earning money? ›

Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money
  • 7 Blogger. ...
  • 8 HubPages. ...
  • 9 Weebly. ...
  • 10 LinkedIn. ...
  • 11 Twitter. ...
  • 12 Write.as. ...
  • 13 Tumblr. Best For: Creatives who want to monetize their Tumblr blog and tap into the site's audience. ...
  • 14 CMS Hub. Best For: Marketing-minded bloggers looking for tools to reach, expand, and manage their audiences.
Feb 28, 2024

How much blogger pays for 1,000 views? ›

Earnings can vary from $0.5 to $2.5 per 1000 views, but several factors influence this, including your blog's niche, audience location, and ad technicalities. 🔍 Understand the Key Factors: Ad Types & Sizes: Choose wisely for better CPM. Audience Geography: Some countries offer higher CPC.

How many blogs do I need to make money? ›

However, in general, you should aim to have a decent number of high-quality blog posts before you start monetizing your blog. While there is no magic number, most bloggers recommend having at least 20-30 blog posts before you start monetizing your blog.

How can I start a blog for free and make money for beginners? ›

Table Of Contents:
  1. Step 1: Choose a Home for Your Blog.
  2. Step 2: Get a Custom Domain.
  3. Step 3: Design Your Blog.
  4. Step 4: Write Your First Blog Post.
  5. Step 5: Drive Traffic to Your New Blog.
  6. Step 6: Create a Blogging Schedule.
  7. Step 7: Plan Ahead with Blog Analytics.
  8. Step 8: Promote Your Blog.
Feb 20, 2024

How long does it take for a blog to get traffic? ›

On average, it takes anywhere from 3 to 6 months to gain traction in search engines, assuming you are publishing high-quality content, targeting the right keywords, and building backlinks. If you are targeting low-competition keywords, you may start to see organic traffic within a few weeks.

How can a beginner make money online? ›

How to make money online
  1. Pick up freelance work online.
  2. Test websites and apps.
  3. Learn to use AI tools.
  4. Take surveys for money.
  5. 5. Make money from your blog with affiliate links.
  6. Sell your wares on Etsy.
  7. Self-publish an e-book.
Feb 8, 2024

What is the average income of a blog? ›

On average, bloggers make around $45,000—with most bloggers earning somewhere between $38,440 to $51,906. However, there are a lot of variables that'll influence how much money you make blogging, so keep reading and I'll explain how to set the right expectations for your blog income.

How long does it take to make $100 blogging? ›

Earning $100/mo blogging: 6 to 12 months. Earning $1,000/mo blogging: 1 to 2 years. Earning $10,000/mo blogging: 3 to 4 years. Earning $25,000/mo blogging: 4 to 5 years.

Can you make a full time living blogging? ›

However, it is important to note that becoming a full-time blogger is not easy and it requires a lot of hard work and dedication. It can take time to build up a large enough audience and to monetize your blog through advertising, sponsored content, and other forms of income.

How to make $10,000 per month blogging? ›

The quickest, and most effective strategy for growing a new blog to $10K/month is to sell your own products. Yes, it's possible to get there using advertising or affiliate marketing, but selling your own products provides the shortest path to big revenue numbers – with the least amount of traffic.

Can you make a full-time living blogging? ›

However, it is important to note that becoming a full-time blogger is not easy and it requires a lot of hard work and dedication. It can take time to build up a large enough audience and to monetize your blog through advertising, sponsored content, and other forms of income.

Can blogging become a full-time job? ›

yes, it can be. Many are doing it, so why can't you do it? But like all other careers, to take blogging as a full-time career, you must give time, hard work, and practice.

How much can you realistically make from a blog? ›

That's going to vary based on your skills and the niche you've chosen. Check out my comprehensive list of profitable niches to blog about for more inspiration. But it's certainly realistic to expect to make a good, full-time salary from blogging: think $100,000/year or more, once your blog is well-established.

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