Today I’m sharing how I made my first $1,000 blogging. While $1,000 might not seem like very much, it was everything to me. It was the first sign that I was on the right track with my content and strategy. It was money that I earned on my own as a digital entrepreneur. Most importantly, this small victory was the motivation I needed to stick with it. If my small but growing blog could make $1,000 in 6 months then imagine what the possibilities could be.
As a digital creator and solopreneur, it’s easy to second-guess yourself. I was new to blogging, and writing. When you’re a team of one, there is no one to bounce ideas off of, or ask for help. It can take months before your make any traction leaving you to wonder if you’re doing this right.
With blogging, I’ve learned it’s more than just being a good writer. Yes, content is KING but so is figuring out how to make your content discoverable. What good is your amazing content if no one can find it? I launched shetakesfive.com in 2019 but it took me until 2023 to begin experimenting with SEO and ranking on Google.
Today I’m going to share everything I can from how I started my blog to how I monetized it. If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
How I started blogging
I started blogging years ago but mostly as a hobby. At the time, I was chronically ill and discovered writing as a creative outlet. My first blog was on WordPress.org. It was my version of therapy. I developed a small following.
Years later, I took a stab at self-hosting a blog with the intention of monetizing. I launched a few blogs but had very little success with traffic and gave up. I had a lot of imposter syndrome and very little confidence in myself. In all fairness, I was also burned out from chronic illness so I should have taken a break.
As an entrepreneur, I learned it’s easy to launch something. It’s getting it off the ground that’s the real challenge. That takes real determination.
In 2019, I launched shetakesfive.com, a lifestyle blog for health and balance. This time I had more focus and had learned a lot over the years. I experimented with growing my email list. I began writing more consistently and sticking to it. Even with a strategy in place, I still struggled to gain traction. Over time, life got in the way and I took breaks from blogging.
Growing my blog with SEO
When I got the courage to pick myself back up again, I decided to test out new strategies to grow. Enter SEO, or search engine optimization. I’ve read about its importance but never focused heavily on it. Not because I didn’t want to but because I never quite understood how to do it. This was my new goal: learn SEO.
I watched a few YouTube videos, took courses, and read as much as I could. I tried optimizing but didn’t know if I was doing it right. Instead of second-guessing myself, I decided to invest in using an SEO Agency. I used Influencer SEO (search engine optimization for bloggers). I did this for a few months and saw great results in my traffic and revenue. I knew I was on to something.
At the same time, I read, From Nothing by Ian Pribyl which is by far the most helpful book I’ve read on profiting from affiliate marketing, blogging, and learning basic SEO. He made it so simple to understand. The best part was you didn’t need to buy any fancy tools to improve your SEO. All of the tools, he recommends are free. Now when I write, I do so with some level of SEO in mind.
SEO Metrics
In all of 2023, I had 1095 visitors from organic search, also known as traffic from search engines. Very small amounts of traffic. Once I started focusing on SEO my organic traffic started to grow.
From January to July 2024, my organic search has grown to 3,765 visitors and that is only for 6 months of the year so far.
My organic traffic for 2024 compared to this same period for 2023 has increased by over 3,000%! Again super small numbers in the grand scheme of things, but another sign I was on to something.
Why is traffic so important? The more traffic you have, the more opportunity for affiliate revenue which we will talk about next.
How I Made My First $1,000 Blogging
The $1,000 in blog revenue I made this year came from affiliate sales. I write about products and brands that excite me. When I first started my blog, the only affiliate program I belonged to was the Amazon Associates Program. While there are a lot of products you can link to, the commission payouts are minimal. Enough to grab a coffee or two each month. I still belong, but it’s certainly not going to pay the bills.
Then I received an affiliate code from a brand I love with a solid commission payout. I decided to write a post about it, and optimize for SEO. Within a few weeks, I started receiving commission checks. Over the course of a few months, this one post brought in a few hundred dollars of blog income. I couldn’t believe it!
I realized that I had to diversify my affiliate marketing and started researching other brands and programs. Once I was accepted, I started writing about those products, linking to them in my posts, and sharing exclusive discount codes with my readers.
If someone purchases the product through my link, I receive a commission at zero extra cost to my reader. More often than not, they receive a discount.
Of course, I don’t belong to an affiliate program for every product I share but there are a few good ones with solid payouts.
This is how I made my first $1,000 blogging by focusing on SEO and affiliate marketing.
Next up: I’m testing out a Pinterest strategy. If there is one thing I’ve learned from blogging, it’s to never put your eggs in one basket.
Blog Expenses
As you are reading about how I made my first $1,000 blogging, keep in mind there are some expenses to keep my blog up and running. My basic blog expenses total to $316 annually (domain renewal and web hosting).
There are other monthly items that I am experimenting with but they are not necessary. Key investments have helped me to learn and grow faster.
Domain Name
Over the years, I’ve purchased all of my blog URLs through Namecheap. You can get a .COM for as little as $6. There is an annual fee to renew your URL.
Web Hosting
To generate blog income, you need to own your site. You can do this by self-hosting your blog. The web hosting provider I currently use and recommend is Siteground. I’ve been using them for years (since 2019) and rarely have issues. It’s the most costly blog expense.
InfluencerSEO
I’ve invested in a few services through InfluencerSEO to help get things off the ground. I didn’t know enough about SEO and I’m glad I worked with an expert. I learned a lot from the partnership and continue to work with them as I am in this growth mode.
Within weeks of this partnership, my traffic and affiliate income has grown. At the same time, I continue to educate myself more and more. As a solopreneur, sometimes you need to bring in help so you can execute.
Final Takeaways: How I Made My First $1,000 blogging
I hope reading how I made my first $1,000 blogging has inspired you to get your own blog off the ground. Blogging is not easy, especially if you have no formal background in writing online. There is a lot to learn but if you’re passionate, it’s doable.
If you’re an aspiring blogger, or struggling to gain traction, don’t give up! If my small blog can generate some traffic and revenue, yours can to. My advice is to keep reading about how others have succeeded and use that to drive your strategy. At the same time, be patient.
There is no such thing as an overnight success. Everyone successful at blogging has spent time figuring it out. At times, this includes throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
