Hi there! I am Traci from Beneath My Heart! And I am so honored to be here sharing how I started making money from my blog! It is hard for me to believe that I actually make money from my blog. I cannot believe that I actually make money doing something that I would do for FREE! What a blessing!
When I started blogging, I had no idea that you could actually make money doing it. That is NOT why I started blogging. I started blogging as a creative outlet. It was fun, and I loved connecting with other bloggers around the world. I think most bloggers did not start their blog with the intention of making money. Making money is the added bonus.
I feel so blessed that I have been able to start making money from my blog. Who would have thought it? But I didn't start making money right away, it took me a long time,(like a year), to build up my blog and my readership in order to make some money.
I started by visiting blogs in my niche and checking out the private sponsor buttons in their sidebars. Then I wrote a letter to the sponsors that I thought would fit well with my blog and asked if they were interested in placing an ad in my sidebar. I was surprised with the number of “yes’s” I received.
They paid me a monthly fee to have their button on my blog. Their hope, as my sponsor, is that my readers will click on their ad button, visit their shops, and hopefully purchase something. I have awesome sponsors!!!
I remember feeling so “legit” when I had some sponsors in my sidebar.
The people behind these ad buttons are precious! Some of them I have met in real life, and some I have not. I am so honored that they advertise on my blog, and I love supporting their businesses as well.
Then this past year, after my blog numbers had grown even more, I signed up with some Ad Networks. (Ad networks are the biggest part of my income.) I am currently a part of 3 different ad networks. You can see their ads above my header…
and in my sidebar as well.
I get paid from these networks by how many page views I get on my blog each day. That means how many times someone clicks on my blog page to view it. So yes, the more page views I have, the more money I make.
I am also able to make more money depending on how many times those ads are clicked on. For example, if you see an ad coupon for Michael’s in my sidebar and click on it, that will give me a better “click through” rate which helps my “CPM” increase. Basically, it helps me make more money.
I also decided to look into making money through Affiliate Sponsors. Those are my sponsors like Canvas People and Silhouette.
Each time someone clicks on one of those buttons and purchase something from their site, I make a small percentage of the profit.
Just recently, I’ve started making money through Sponsored Posts. This is where I review a product and post about it on my blog. I will be paid to write that post, but I am free to give my own opinion. If I do not like the product, I have the freedom to say so, and I will still be paid.
Some people don’t like a blog with a lot of ads in their side bars. But it doesn’t bother me one bit. Because I know that blogger is probably somebody just like me.
I’ve stayed home with my boys for 12 years. We have had to live frugally all those years, and still do. Money has always been tight for us. So for God to surprisingly open up this avenue for me to make a little money to help provide for my family is amazing. Again, I would do this for FREE! But since the opportunity is there for me to make money, I will.
It seems the older my children get, the more they cost! Can I get an “Amen!”? I am so grateful to be able to contribute to the financial needs of my family through this blog.
However, whenever I look at adding another sponsor, becoming an affiliate, or writing a sponsored post, I definitely try to make sure that it is a product that my readers would enjoy. If it doesn’t really fit with my blog, I don’t do it.
For example, you will not see me writing posts about a car product on my blog.
Lastly, since I have started making money from my blog, I have had to start treating it more like a business than a hobby, in respect of my advertisers.
This has not been the easiest transition as a wife and mom of four busy boys! It’s been a learning process.
When I first started blogging, I spent so much time on my blog that I began to neglect my family. After a while, I knew I couldn’t keep that up, and I had to reexamine my priorities.
I think I have finally come to a place where I have found a good balance. The key for me is “family first.”
If I do not have time to be the wife and mother I need to be for my family, then I will stop blogging. The money is not worth it.
But I have found time to work on my blog early in the morning (before they wake up), during my youngest son’s naptime, or in the evenings when they are in bed. My schedule is different every day. Some bloggers blog at a certain time everyday, but I just can’t do that.
The blog fits into “my” schedule, I do not fit in my blog’s schedule. Does that make sense?
I am continually growing and learning new things as a blogger. It is a very exciting and rewarding job, and I look forward to all the opportunities I have ahead of me.
Thanks for letting me share my journey with you!
Traci, we really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and insights to us. These are very valuable as we navigate the tricky waters of blogging.
If you enjoyed this post, my friends, please check out what others have to say in this Blogging For Dollars Series.
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