Blog Income Report May 2019

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Blog Income Report May 2019 : Find out how I made $1465.15 through my blog with various strategies.

Something clicked in the month of May in a major way. I somehow realized that even though this blog is a side-hustle for me, it doesn’t mean that side hustles cap out at a certain amount of money.

The truth is, the next 1.5 year of our lives is up in the air as we have our first child and while Mike gets out of the military. Having something … ANYTHING that makes us money from home is a true gift, and to let that fall to the wayside is a bad idea.

This month I changed my strategy and my mindset and was able to generate an extra $233 this month. Even thought that my not seem like a lot, the hope it brings in playing the long game was all I needed to kick things into a different gear.

Check out: Blog Income Report | February & March 2018 | $18.34
Check out: Blog Income Report | April 2018 | $203.17
Check out: Blog Income Report | May 2018 | $50.93
Check out: Blog Income Report | June 2018 | $213.50
Check out: Blog Income Report | July 2018 | $213.50
Check out: Blog Income Report | August 2018 | $174.52
Check out: Blog Income Report | September 2018 | $177.52
Check out: Blog Income Report | October 2018 | $563.78
Check out: Blog Income Report | November 2018 | $345.42
Check out: Blog Income Report | December 2018 | $919.76
Check out: Blog Income Report | January 2019 | $1334.94
Check out: Blog Income Report | February 2019 | $1156.02
Check out: Blog Income Report | March 2019 | $1120.24
Check out: Blog Income Report | April 2019 | $1231.17

Here are some noteworthy things that happened in May:

The 80/20 Rule: All my health foodie friends probably look at that and think that it has to do with diet and eating, I know I did! This is actually the concept that 80% of your results come from 20% of the work you do. I listened to this explained on a podcast and it made SO MUCH SENSE in blogging to me. Truthfully, my every day traffic is coming from the SAME 5-6 posts every day. My new posts rarely bring in traffic and if they are going to make that list, it takes 6-12 months for them to do so. I started looking into my top posts and seeing how I can spend my time optimizing THEM instead of just thinking that the answer was constantly cranking out content. So far this strategy is working and I have a full spreadsheet of older posts to work on along with my new ones.
Deeper research: Figuring out the posts I needed to work on required I do much more research on WHY they were bringing in traffic. It also had me looking at what my competitors on each post were writing and why they had top spots. Once I did this, I was able to add more information to those top posts so hopefully I can rise above. Pretty much all of my research is done by using Keysearch.co It is an SEO tool that gives TONS of information on URL’s and posts and what they are ranking for as well as helping you develop your keywords and phrases to target. It is a paid service, but without it I don’t think I would have gotten this far. I am not signed up for their affiliate program, so I don’t have a code but I would recommend checking it out! I also am open to splitting the monthly cost (of $11.90) with someone who is looking to try.
Video: By now you probably know that video has completely taken over how we take in our information. More people are searching how to do things on youtube than they are buying books. More people are watching the accounts of others lives on youtube or instagram stories instead of watching TV. While I didn’t think that people would actually want to watch a short video of me cooking a recipe when they could just read it, I was wrong. Creating and having videos on my site have already helped bump up my revenue because advertisers are basically begging for spots on videos to place ads. I have been very strategic about which recipes I want to make a video on because it really is a LOT of work but I really do love creating videos, especially of personal memories on our Youtube Channel. I also want to point out that done is better than perfect. Some of the videos I made this month (Air fryer burger, Instant Pot Pasta with Meat Sauce) are not great but they convey what they need to.
It’s A Long Game: Obviously, I knew for a while that blogging is a long game. Not only do you have to create quality content that is going to rank (if you want traffic) but you also have to WAIT IT OUT to see if it will gain traction. Often times, it doesn’t but it’s all part of a puzzle that eventually gets finished over time. The more you post, the more you build your foundation on the internet and become some sort of authority on some subjects. Things I never expected to rank for do well and vice versa. Because I know this information, I am able to create content AROUND those subjects to build up authority. But, this takes so much time to not only create but also to climb in rankings. It can be a very frustrating process but looking at growth over time does help. I am happy to have kept up these reports when I get discouraged. I will say this though, these income reports are my favorite things to write but once they are out there for the day they are shared, they pretty much tank. These are an example of posts I write for ME and the small group of people interested in them. Long story short, its all a crazy balancing act that takes time and patience.
Fucking Algorithm: I know I say something about this EVERY time I have an income report. And I also know I talk about it a lot on my IG stories, but this shift is VERY REAL. I thought I was going crazy because my engagement seemed even worse than before, but it turns out SO MANY OTHERS are experiencing the same. It really makes me think about spending time on social media platforms. Do I really want to take the time to put meaningful content out on a free platform that people wont see? Or should I maybe make my email list and blog the place where I create that and use social media to let others know that the content exists. While I figure all of this out, I find myself using social media less and less. As my due date gets closer and as I focus on my quality content in other areas, Instagram becomes so much less fun and engaging for me and maybe it is a lesson I need to learn.
Summer slump: We are officially in the slump as of June 1st. From what I understand, it’s that date where advertisers pull their budgets and save up for the holiday season. I don’t blame them. Business really is a cyclical thing. In fact, in my personal chef business I have clients traveling so much that I have full weeks with no work going on outside of the house. While I have had my panic moments about this, I am fully embracing that time to work on blogging. The small growth keeps me motivated and the fact that I will be able to create an income from home with a new baby and possible move keeps me engaged.

A note on the metrics below: All of this is income that was MADE in May. I don’t actually see all payment for this money for about 2-3 months depending on the company paying me.

Blog Income Report May 2019 | Metrics

Food/Recipe posts that were created in May: 7

Amazon Affiliate Income: $44.41

Mediavine Income: $870.74

Recipe Development Projects Paid Out: $500

Virtual Assistant Work: $50

Hours spent working on the blog: 15-20 per week

Blog Income Report May 2019 Total: $1465.15

Valerie Skinner is a Whole30 approved personal chef & recipe developer that bridges the gap between healthy eating and busy lives by providing simple healthy meals and recipes for you and your family.