***This is a post mainly for bloggers. I bet a lot of you will be bored by this, and some of you may be bugged I make money off this blog at all. To both of you, I say click on another post. š I just get a lot of questions about the financial side of things on my blog. I am always honest, so this is part of my honesty. If you donāt like it ā feel free to comment {and I, may feel free to delete}.
So, I have been pushing hard at Pulling Curls since about mid January, so for the sake of nice round numbers. Letās say 5 months.
And it is doing WAY better then I had EVER expected. I remember when Laura told me to read the book (which you can find out more about here) I was on the fence. I just felt like I had tried SO many things, and just couldnāt get it going.
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Hereās a few things Iāve done:
1. I pin about 3 times each day to LARGE group boards. If youāre looking for large group boards, Pin Groupie is a good place to start. Find your niche and go from there.
2. I have taken on a ājobā over at MommySavers that will help promote my blog through my threads there {sort of, not sure about this yet}.
3. I have worked hard to pump my Hootsuite full of good info, about 75% from other people, and 25% from me.
4. I still pin a lot. A lot of good stuff I find, mostly onto my own boards. Pinterest is certainly still a hobby.
And here are the results:
š Bosch Motherās Day Sale! š
The Bosch Universal Mixer was $499 ā now $429 with code PULLINGCURLS
The BLACK/Stainless mixer) was $579 ā now $509 with code PULLINGCURLS
Other specials include:
āļø 25% OFF Sourdough Items & Kitchen Accessories
āļø 25% OFF Select Attachments
āļø NEW! Wheat Variety Bundle: Live Now
There have also been some re-stocks of fan favorites: See all the specials here!
1. Visits. I have gone from about 30/day (on a normal day) to about 3-4,000/day.
2. I have gone from getting a check maybe every 3 months from Blogher to getting monthly income that actually helps our bottom line.
3. I am adding a few sponsored posts here and there. I try to only pick items I love already and ask people to sponsor the post with a Giveaway. Iām not a big fan of free stuff for bloggers, so weāll see how that all plays out. Some of the sponsored posts, I elicit. And some I apply for through my ad network, Blogher. some are paid with cash, some in product. Just depends (and I will always state in the post that I am being sponsored).
4. So, in essence I have gone to making maybe 10 bucks/month on the blog ā to probably close to 450 this month. That doesnāt include sponsored posts, as those are paid at weird times, but those do bring in a nice amount, also.
**This is a big blessing at a point that weāre not particularly sure about the future. I know God has a plan for us, and I do think this blog is part of mine, for many reasons.
I am spending a LOT of time on this. I promote it, I write it, I promote it, I write it.
The best news is that I really mostly love doing blog work. I love designing (just got new business cards!), I love writing and I love talking to other people about things I am passionate about. So, it does not seem as much like a job, but more like a hobby that Iām getting paid for. Which is nice, but doesnāt mean that it doesnāt take up any less time.
So, what do you think of the new Pulling Curls?
Or liked me on Facebook or followed me on Pinterest?
If you ever see something you like here, please share it. Itās because of YOU this blog keeps growing. Thank you!
Do you have something you want to say? I hope so, I love writing this blog, mostly because of the readers. I love comments and things I learn from you. Pulling Curls is the BEST! š
Anyway, I hope this post is helpful to my readers. I know itās not my normal genre. If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out my other blog income posts, or my blog income spreadsheet. Youāll see how far I came since January. š Also be sure to follow my āBusiness of Bloggingā Pinterest board.
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Paola says
Hey! Iām really trying to get some āextraā income since Iām a student from Venezuela who canāt work due to class hours that are not compatible with any job and a university that is 1-2 hours away from my house, so I was wondering if I could still be sponsored if Iām not from the USA but still have an account in the USA and how exactly sponsors work how can I have that much visits I havenāt started my blog mainly e cause I think no one is going to read it and if that happens I will be kind of heartbroken. So, how exactly did u start with 30 visits? Where were your starting visits from ? How do I do to get a paid sponsor? You have motivated me. The economy here sucks & I really need some income
Hilary says
I have ad networks ā if you over over my āetcā header ā you can see my āblogging for incomeā posts. Maybe that will be helpful to you. Igot initial visits from friends on facebook ā mainly, i think.
Marcia Richards says
Hi Hilary. Congrats on your hard work to increase your readership! Iām a fiction writer so my blog wonāt require the amount of work yours does but selling books and getting noticed on Amazon is not something that happens quickly. So, I was thinking about beginning a second blog with my DIY furniture makeovers Iāve been doing as a hobby.
Iām curious about your ads through BlogHer. I belong to that site but donāt spend much time there. Can you tell me where to look on BlogHer to get set up with ads for my prospectively new site?
My husband and I are retired and lost a lot of money in the stock market during the recession. So, Iām looking for an income to supplement social securityā¦something I can do from home. Iād appreciate any info you can offer.
On my blog, I have a page for resources for women and Iād be happy to include a link to your blog as a āthank youā. Also tweeting and sharing this blog post as I know it will be helpful to people in my circle.
Hilary says
Hi Marcia. Blogher ads, is different then blogher the website. They are run by the same major company, but you have to apply to be in the ad network. I say apply now, and put on google adsense in the meantime. That one doensāt have a waiting time or anything like that. I still make decent money off it (and would probably make more if they were in the top spots like Blogher is)
Iād love to be on your blog roll. If you have other specific questions, feel free to reply.
Marcia Richards says
Thanks so much for your help, Hilary. Iāll get you on my resources page by tomorrow and plan to begin plans for my new site tomorrow as well. Iāll keep you posted!
Hilary says
Happy to help Marcia. Good luck!
Deb says
Great post, Hilaryā¦.and thanks for sharing the insider information. Iāve held back from putting any ads on my blog ā http://www.TitusTwoFriends.blogspot.com ā because it is my āministryā (encouraging a mentoring relationship between older & younger women, after the fashion described in Titus 2 of the New Testament) and I didnāt want my blog littered with pop-ups and suchābecause that just irritates me so much when Iām on other blogs.
Iāve got another blog, Nature Study Lessons, which Iāve neglected terribly for the past couple years, busy with other things, but for which I think would be easy to do some Amazon affiliate work (linking to nature study books or supplies). Iām just so clueless (and busy with other things).
Mostly I need to develop a master plan and get cracking on it! Youāve inspired a bit, to get on the stick and treat this as a business.
Thanks for the encouragement and the peek into the back-side of your blog!
Deb ā an older woman!
Hilary says
I certainly donāt think ads are for everyone, but they can help recoup some of your time costs. Good luck!
Erin says
Hilary itās so great to see people who are doing such a great job with their blogs. Iāve just very recently started mine so Iām always looking for tips and tricks so this was a terrific post. Best of Luck to you!!
Erin ~ Pinteresting Treasures
Hilary says
Erin, I am hoping to do them weekly! š
Julianne says
Thank you so much for this! Youāre so honest, which is really helpful. I just started a blog and Iām already really enjoying it. Iām not so sure what I want the end goal to be, but Iām having fun right now. Iāve pinned this and am following you on Pinterest!
xo Julianne
reallifesurreallife.blogspot.com/
Hilary says
Julianne, Iām glad I could be of help. I do love blogging. Off to check out your site!
Julianne says
Thanks so much for the reply and for checking out my blog (and for the Pin)!! I really appreciate it!
Hilary says
Happy to do it Julianne, it was a great blog, I wouldnāt have pinned it otherwise!
Catherine says
I have never heard of BlogHer but I will take a look. I need to find something to monetize my own blog. Adsense isnāt the best.
Thanks for the helpful tips.
Hilary says
I have heard of people having a hard time getting onto blogher latelyā¦ There are plenty of ad networks!
jamie says
I love that your so open to share your experience!!
Great job!!
Hilary says
I hope you found it helpful! I plan to do it frequently. š
Lori Hil says
Congrats! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Hilary says
Oh good! I hope it was helpful!
Katelyn F says
I recently wrote a blog post about how Iāve make money blogging ā http://www.whatsupfagans.com/2014/06/how-do-you-make-money-blogging/ ā but Iām still not at the point where you are at. It sounds to me like you really lucked out in some ways getting approved by Blogherās Ad network. Iāve applied like 3 times, but am always denied. Honestly, I am thrilled with my growth in the last 9 months, since I started doing this thing āfor real.ā Iāve gone from 4k PVs a month to 60k+. Thanks for sharing a little of what works for you.
Hilary says
Katelyn, that is GREAT growth! Iām not sure I mentioned it, but I have been on Blogher for years. I was making maybe 10 bucks/month since about 2010? Maybe before that? Itās just this year Iāve jumped hard on Pinterest and seen the growth. It seems like there are a lot of great networks out there (especially after you get over 100k). Blogher does have restrictions. I just applied to Todayās Mamma and Iāll see how that works for me.
Timeka says
I just read this post today. Fell in love with your honest and take me ad I am attitude. Your post is very informative and just what I needed. Thank you.āŗ
Hilary says
Thanks Timeka ā I plan to do another one in the next day or so. Be on the lookout! š
Angela says
Hilary,
Your transparency is refreshing and encouraging. Thank you for it and for not giving up! Iāve realized that I have a lot to learn and thanks to you, I have an idea where to go to learn it!
Hilary says
Thanks Angela!
Leigh Ann Houston says
This was SO helpfulā¦thank you! Iāve already started putting your advice into action. How in the world do you ask to join a group board on pinterest? I canāt even figure out how to message most people!
Hilary says
Leigh Ann ā the person to the left of the contributors is the board creator. If you go to my MomHacker board youāll see my smiley face there on the left. Make sense?
Kassandra says
This piece of writing will assist the internet viewers for setting up
new website or even a blog from start to end.
website says
Howdy thiŃ is kind Š¾f of off topic but I was wÉnting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors Īær if yßu
havŠµ tĪæ manually code Ōith HTML. Óām starting a blog
soon Ęut ɦave no coding skills Ńo Š wanted to get advice from Ńomeone
with experience. Any helĻ would be enormously appreciated!
Hilary says
Hmmā¦. I have no idea WYSWYG isā¦. so, I mam not much help. My friend Katie at http://www.clarkscondensed.com answers all my tech questions. She has a link on there to her āblog helpā page which is great.
There's Just One Mommy says
That is amazing! I need to be more proactive at using Pinterest, and I am definitely needing to join more group boards! I have seen some growth on my blog this year, but nothing like thisā congrats and I hope it continues for you!
Hilary says
Thank you! Pinterest is GREAT for growing traffic. Good luck!
Gabe @ My Life on a Whim says
Thanks for this! I found your post on Pimterest and I will definitely be repinning, and taking your advice on the pin groups.
Thanks again!
Hilary says
Pinterest has been great for me. I feel like too many eggs are in that basket, and Iām working to build other baskets, but for now Pinterest sure helps! š
Jasmin says
Hi Hilary,
Thanks for being transparent. Many bloggers are reluctant to share their earnings! I too am a mommy of 3, hoping to turn my blogging into a profession. Thanks for the wonderful tip on pinning to large Pinterest groups ā it never occurred to me to try this. Iām going to give it a shot š
Cheers,
Jasmin
Hilary says
I hope itās helpful! Thank for commenting!