Well, guys, it has been quite a ride! This month, The Coffee Mom is a whole-year-old and what a crazy year it has been. I went into this blogging adventure with no clue what I was doing. Just dove in headfirst and hit the ground running. This one-year blogging has taught me a lot though, and I plan on doing and learning so much more in the following year as well. I have made friends, gone to events, and even made some income. After a year I can say with full confidence that this is what I was meant to be doing. My blog will continue to grow, and I want you to grow with me.
*This post may contain affiliate links*
One Year Blogging
I started this blog on a whim. It was during a time when I had lost my job, just had my son, and was lost as to what I was supposed to be doing in this life. I needed something; something for myself that I loved and that could also potentially make me an income. It was actually my husband who suggested that I start a blog. You see, I have always enjoyed writing. I wrote short stories and poetry all of my life. I even started ( yet never finished, yet) a novel, but I had never thought to do anything more non-fiction. Though I wasn’t too sure, he pushed me to start The Coffee Mom, and I have been so thankful I did it every moment since then.
The First Few Months
The first few months of my blogging journey were my learning curve for sure. I Initially started with a WordPress.com site, but quickly moved over to self-hosted. I ended up joining a few blogging groups on Facebook and learned so much from a lot of wonderful bloggers. My first post was deeply personal, my VBAC story with my son. Surprisingly, it was met with a wonderful reception. It got more traffic than I really thought it would, and that is what kept me going in those first few months.
While I knew I eventually did want to make money from my blog, during the first few months I focused on producing content and growing a following. While monetization was always in the back of my mind, it was not something I was able to do from day one. So I just kept plugging away, putting out content and interacting with others on social media. and just getting my voice out there.
Starting With Sponsors
After a few months of learning and starting to build a following, I decided to focus more on working with sponsors. I researched and joined every influencer network that fit my niche and started applying to available campaigns. At first, all I got was a whole lot of no, but eventually, I started getting a few that said yes! I was so excited to get my first ever sponsored campaign. I worked so hard on that post, and while it wasn’t perfect, the company was happy. As time went on, I started perfecting my pitch and getting better at photography. With those improvements, I was able to land more and more paid work on my blog and my social media outlets.
In the spirit of transparency, I will let you know that most of my paid work has come in the last few months. So from about August until December of 2017 is when the work really came rolling in. It has not been what I would consider a full-time income for the year, but it is getting there. I say this because I don’t want anyone to go into a blogging journey expecting to make six figures in their first year and get right quick.
Not A Get Rich Quick Scheme
Now, while blogging can make you money, it is by no means a way to get rich quickly.
Earning income from blogging takes time, work, and dedication. It is for sure possible to make a wonderful living, but you have to be willing to put in the work, from learning how to write a blog introduction that piques your interest, to learning SEO, there is a lot to master. Before I started blogging, I knew that it was work, but I had no idea how much work it really was. You always read posts about people making six figures a month and so on, but that only comes after a lot of hard work. One thing I was able to really learn after one year of blogging, was that it takes work!
The Time Involved
So when I say that it takes work, I mean it. The time involved in crafting a perfect blog post can be pretty high. From the actual writing to editing, taking photos, editing photos, and then the promotion, it can take numerous hours to craft a blog post. So don’t think you can just throw just anything up online in a few minutes and start raking in traffic. A good quality post that will attract traffic and appeal to potential sponsors is going to take some time to get right. SO many non-bloggers don’t realize the time that really goes into this.
Promotion
Another after one-year blogging tip that I have is that promotion is key! It is very unlikely that anyone can just post up something that has had tons of traffic roll in right off the bat. You are going to have to promote your post. I have had great success on social media, Facebook, and Pinterest especially. Pinterest has become my #1 driver of traffic to my site! Promotion will probably take up a large chunk of your blogging time, especially in the beginning. I would say sometimes I even spend more time promoting than I do writing!
Don’t Give Up
The biggest thing I have learned in a year of blogging, and the best piece of advice I can offer newer bloggers is to never give up. If this is something you desire, then keep pushing towards it. It may be slow going for a bit, but it will work out in the end if you keep on pushing. Never stop writing, never stop applying for campaigns, and never stop learning. Even one year in, I know there is so much more that I have to learn, and I can’t wait to do it.
I want to learn and grow and share what I have learned with others, and that is why I am starting my Friday Blogger’s Corner. Every Friday I plan on putting up a post and a video ( yup I am doing video now, so check me out on YouTube) on blogging lessons, tips and tricks, and things that help me out that I think can help you as well! So if you have any suggestions for this series, I would love to hear them in the comments below! I will do my best to get to every topic that y’all want to hear about! You can also join my Facebook Group for exclusive weekly live training, daily threads, and more!
One Year Income Report
Okay, some of you may have been waiting for this, or just scrolled down here but here I am going to share my real one-year income report with y’all! I have been hesitant in the past to share income reports because honestly, mine isn’t as impressive as a lot of others, but it is real. The majority of my income this year has come from sponsored posts. I have done a small amount of affiliate marketing, but I need to really get better at that. Also, I am not currently selling my own product (yet), which is an area which a lot of bloggers make a good portion of their income from. I also only run one very small ad on my site, and I only started running it recently, so I don’t get significant money from that either.
2017 Income
Sponsored Posts 2017 ( already paid out): $4,044.95
Sponsored Posts 2017 ( Pending payment aka not in my bank account yet): $2,905
Affiliate Marketing 2017: $233.69 (Total)
$127.27 (Amazon Affiliates)
$15.42 (Share A Sale)
$48 (Everyday Family)
$43 (Ultimate Bundles)
On-Site Ads 2017: $38.36
Grand Total For 2017: $4,317 Paid and $2,905 Pending
There you have it, my real one-year blogging income report. Since the majority of my income has come from sponsored posts, and I have gotten the majority of those in the last few months, there is a large amount that has not been paid out yet. For the most part, sponsored campaigns will pay you out anywhere from 30-90 days after a campaign is completed. 30-45 days seems to be the most common though. So once you complete a campaign, it can take a while to see the money actually in your bank account.
As you can see, I am not quite at the “full-time income” level yet. I believe by the end of 2018 I will be there with no problem.
Jessi is the creative mind behind The Coffee Mom, a popular blog that combines parenting advice, travel tips, and a love for all things Disney. As a trusted Disney influencer and passionate storyteller, Jessi’s authentic insights and relatable content resonate with readers worldwide.
Wow – thanks for sharing all these real tips and your honest income report. I’ve been blogging for years now and get discouraged by all the reports I see of people who have six figures a month! This is helpful to see an honest read-out of your organic growth.
I am so glad you found this helpful. I have worked hard to grow from nothing to what my blog is now. I totally get how it is discouraging seeing those 6 figure numbers and being told ” you can do it to in 2 weeks” or something crazy! I try to be real as possible when talking about making money online and how to create an income generating blog.
Congrats on your one year! I commend you on just going for it! I had other bloggers to lean on for advice, and that has helped me a lot! I’m glad you’ve stayed the course!
This was useful. One thing I would like to know about is affiliate programs other than shareasale for international bloggers. I find most specify only US citizens. Currently I am focusing on growing my social media and sponsored content. But would love to add more affiliates soon.
Wow! First of all, congrats on making it one year! Secondly, this is a refreshingly one of the few reports I have read. I know quite a few blogger who inflate their numbers to make themselves feel great about their income.
Blogging takes a lot of work and time, I look forward to seeing your videos and I wish you continued success!
I blog from South Africa and most affiliate programs don’t support bloggers outside the US sadly 🙁
Thank you! I see a lot of those super large income reports as well, and usually they are from selling products themselves as well. I wanted to share something realistic, and what a real blogger can aim for in the first year. I don’t know much about affiliates overseas, I am not sure if Amazon has affiliation over where you are at but I know they have a large variety of countries they work in.
Congratulations on your one year blogoversary! Sounds like you’re doing quite well for your first year! I think it definitely takes a lot more promoting than writing and that’s what a lot of long-term bloggers say. I wish you continued success in the New Year!
CONGRATS on your own year! You did it and hitting the ground running was probably the best way to go about it. Cheers to an even better 2018!
Thank you. I really went,into it with a business mindset. Hope you have an awesome 2018 as well!
Congratulations! 2018 will be even better!
Glad your husband has encouraged you and your blog. I think that’s a really impressive first year income. I just wrote my blog for years before I even thought about making a penny from it.
Congrats on a great first year. I’d love to know where you find sponosred posts from. That’s one avenue I definitely intend to pursue more in 2018.
I do a lot with networks, clever, massive sway, and influence central are my favorites. You can also reach out to companies directly through their websites and pitch them an idea
Congratulations to you! I am so happy for you. It has been fun watching you grow in your journey! Best of luck to you in 2018. Your hard work will continue to pay off. Your resources are very helpful and I look forward to see what more you accomplish 🙂
I’m glad you’re having an amazing time blogging! It definitely takes hard work and dedication as opposed to what others would believe. I’m sure it’s going to be so much better in 2018! You’re off to a good start after all.
Congrats on your first year of blogging! I love your tips and might have to try the one about promoting on Pinterest! Kudos to your husband for encouraging you to start blogging!
Thank you 🙂 I know I probably never would have taken the chance without his push and now I can’t see myself doing anything else
I love you mentioned it is not a get rich scheme. So many people on the outside see it as one and it is so frustrating! I had no idea you were only doing this for a year, you seem like such a confident pro!
You are so sweet! Yea it seems so many think it is so easy and the money just rolls in, but it is so much work but so rewarding.
Whoa! Totally goals for me! I’ve learned lately I need to get more into Pinterest! I can’t believe how much traffic it’s getting me.
Yes! Pinterest drives a large majority of my traffic
Good for you girl and I’m so glad you are sharing this info for so many others to get started! I’m now almost nine years blogging and wish I wrote everything down!
9 years is so awesome!
Great job on your first year. Thanks for sharing all of this information. It helps all of us bloggers. And you are correct that it is is a lot of work. 🙂
just wait for your second year! you will still learn so much and grow as a business woman.
This is a great post! I have been blogging for 3 years, but only seriously for the past year. The one thing I learned too was it takes a lot of time to be successful!!
Loved seeing this post! I went and signed up for access to your influencers networks list, and would love any additional advice you have on working with brands!
I’ve always wanted to start a blog, for year nows, and I finally bit the bullet in October and did it. Being a stay at home mom to a new baby, I needed some sort of outlet to keep my sanity intact! Thank you for sharing your income report.. it makes the thought of making an income from your blog a real thing! I’ve made a tiny bit through affiliate programs so far, so I’m happy with that! But I hope I’ll be where you are now by next year. I’ll be sure to follow along!
That’s pretty impressive for one year. I didn’t make that any income until my 3rd year. But that’s mostly because I didn’t know what I know now! So glad you were able to find something that you love doing after losing your job.
Wow! You really made a lot in just one year. My blog is going to be one year this month and I have not reached $1000 yet.
Congrats on a great year! You have some great insights shared but the biggest learning take home is to not give up. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s great and some days you just feel like throwing your hands up BUT it always comes back around.
This was definitely very helpful to me considering I am pretty new to blogging (about 6 weeks in). I would agree…it takes WORK. Way more work than I initially thought it would. But it’s fun and worth the effort!
I actually think that’s a GREAT amount for your first year! I’m so new to seriously blogging that that seems like a lot to me! But I do know what you mean about seeing people post income reports of thousands per month (and good for those people!) I bet 2018 is going to be awesome for you!
I think,it is an amazing amount as well. Many people get discouraged and think they should make thousands of dollars a month from the start and that just isn’t the case! I bet 2018 will be great for you as well!
Awesome blog, great content and super fantastic post!
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