April 2015 Blogging Income Report

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Here’s my latest income report.  I’ll delve into what I’m doing, how it’s working and how I’m trying to increase traffic and income!

Visitors

Users: 126,318 (up 24%)

Unique Views: 162,746 (up 18%)

Sessions: 140,671 (up 14%)

*I use Padsquad and it inflates my pageviews, however I am now in their new program and by next month my pageviews will be just like everyone else’s.  Horray!

The links included may include affiliate links and I may be paid a small portion of your income with those companies with no cost to you! You can read my full disclosure here. If you go with one of my ad networks, please mention that you heard about them from me! I’d love the referrals!

Ads

Padsquad

Income with Padsquad was up 15% at just about $774! The month was pretty slow until the end.  They often kick it into gear at the end of the month.  However, CPM’s are great so far in May, so keep your fingers crossed. 🙂

The Blogger Network

The Blogger network was up to just under $300 (38% higher).  I am really liking them lately.  I have no desire to change.

BlogHer

Blogher doesn’t compute the full income until later in the month.  The income I had at the end of the month was $166 — which is up 118% from the month prior.  I usually get about 20% more than that after they calculate the fill ads they used.  HELLO BLOGHER, FINALLY!  I actually had put in to terminate my contract, but I have emailed them about the possibility of staying on.  I am happy with last month’s CPM.  We shall see.

Media.net

Total fail.  Even lower than last month.  I’m not sure I will keep reporting this.  I try to add an ad or two every month with them, but it was still under 2 bucks.  {sigh}  Working on SEO and I am hoping that helps my Media.net sales!

Total Ad Sales: $1240 (a 25% increase)

I am trying to aim for at least 1k in ad sales alone.  I obvioulsy attained that, so I am happy.

 Sales

Amazon wasn’t a great month.  I have had a few blogging friends point out posts I could put affiliate links in.  I find the key is just getting them to click over, often they buy something else.  It was just over 25 bucks.

Spreadsheet This fine piece of mathmatical genius sold 2 times last month for 6 whole bucks.  Again, it’s just there because I made it and I thought it would be helpful.  You can buy for only 3 bucks for use on your own blog!  Through that link I even have a video to show you how it works (feel free to make your own, but it’s taken me HOURS to figure out all the formulas I want).

Kindle E-book Not a stellar month.  I sold 4 and I had 4 kindle unlimited copies.  I actually got my first real check from them.  I was confused as to how Kindle Unlimited would get paid, and it was just about 2 bucks/book — which is fairly decent.

I tried workin’ the Ultimate Homemaking bundle this past month, but didn’t sell a single one.  That was disappointing, and it makes me wonder if there are so many “big” bloggers out there doing it, there isn’t really room for the smaller blogs.  I doubt I’ll push it again.

Sales total: 41.64 (Down 59%)

I really think I need to work affiliate better.  I’m open to ideas and suggestions. 🙂

 Sponsored Posts:

I had one sponsored post for 300 dollars in April.  I am happy with that.  My goal is for 1-2.  I probably haven’t had as many as I would like, but my eyes are always open for things that will be a good fit.

Sponsored post total: $300

 Blog income total for March $1581.98 (up 12%)

Traffic was up and income  was up.  Happy about both of those things.  It was a good month around here.

My entire blog CPM including all revenue streams was just about $11.25 per 1000 sessions (which is down from the month prior).  If you just count ad revenue it’s about $9.50.  That means, for every 1,000 visitors to my site — JUST ad income, I make $9.50 (keep in mind my visitors split between desktop and mobile, and those two sets see an entirely different site and ads)  In case you wondered (my spreadsheet calculates that all out for me!).  Again that is per session, not per view (thanks to Padsquad — that will be changing next month to be more stable with other blogs, comparatively).

My year to year change was certainly nice.  It’s 86% higher than last year in April, just under 1k more!  Horray for progress!

 Blog costs:

• RFE hosting (love them — 14 bucks)
• PO Box 6 bucks (need one to have a newsletter)
• Viral Tag 6 bucks — I am letting this run out — I will be switching entirely to….
• Boardbooster, 10 bucks/month.  Love them.  more below.
• Vaultpress 5 bucks I am not using that anymore, I switched to updraft.  yay!
• SEO fixing by KanWebSpeed.com 65.00  (it is 90 minus any commissions of referals I give them — see below)

Total cost : $100

That puts me about $1480 for the month.  I try to spend about 10 hours/week on actual blog “work” (there is plenty of “spare” time used answering comments and posting on FB, but I don’t call that “work” as I just love it).  That means I spend about 50 hours/week which puts my hourly wage just under 30 per hour.   That’s great news for me.  In reality it’s probably 15/week and that puts me closer to 25 or so, but either way I’m thrilled.

4 Fixes:

1.  KanWebSpeed is still working on my site (this is the 3rd time I  have paid for it — which means we just finished up month 2).  Honestly, I haven’t seen any search traffic increases and he and I are in discussions about it.  This is probably the first “blog” he’s done and my blog is HUGE.  I have 10 years of posts!  Anyway, it’s a work in progress.  I’ll update next month.  If you want to try him out use me as your referral, and you’ll get 5% off!

2. I am entirely using Board booster for Pinterest.  He has recently added reports that show you what time of day seems to be the best to pin.  I have changed my pinning to go 24 hours on some of my boards.  I think it has helped.

3.  I was invited to pin on a BHG board.  I feel really honored that they would pick me and it has helped traffic a lot.  I’m also paying it back by pinning other great home tricks posts I find.  That feels good too!

4. I have started doing videos on Facebook to see what it does for my reach.  I think they’re sort of fun to do but I don’t think you’ll see them more than monthly. They take a lot of time, and probably not worth it.  I also monetized the video I did for the cake post (I did a separate short one for FB and then a regular length one for the cake post).  We’ll see if that does anything. 🙂  My facebook reach is doing better and better.  I have been slowly deleting posts with slow reach like Holly Homer teaches, and I do think that has helped.

I am picking up more shifts at my actual job as summer approaches.  I tend to work more in the summer since my husband is “off”.  I’m also 100% unsure of what the future holds for us, but 100% that God is mindful of us and has a plan in mind.  I REALLY hope to know MORE of that plan at my next income report.  Until then!