Jillian uses affiliate links in this post, meaning she may get a commission for any purchases made using these links. Commissions go towards keeping this site active. For more information, please see her Privacy and Disclosure Policies page. Keep on reading for her 2017 Blogging Report.
New Year, New Blogging Report!
Happy 6 months to me as an official blogger! I decided to finally publish my first blogging report. This is when bloggers are supposed to be “real”, and come clean about how much their blog has made, traffic generated, number of social media followers across platforms, etc. As still a new blogger, of course I have not made tens of thousands of dollars yet. I would be happy with 10 readers a day! Haha. Even though there is not much to report this time, I figured it would not hurt to do at least one yearly report. You have to start somewhere, and it will be nice to have an easy-to-read summary to come back to in the future to compare to in order to see how far I have come.
End of 2017 Blogging Report
Since I started my blog in late June of 2017, I have:
Monetized it through affiliate advertising, and hosting ads from Google Adsense. Total profit between the 2 being about $100 = I got my money back I spent on opening it, and then some! I reached a goal I had in mind, which was to make enough by the end of 2017 to at least be paid back what I spent on things I did to start a blog (buying the domain, a cute theme off Etsy, extra security protection, etc.)
Affliliates have included Modcloth, Maurices, Target, Amazon, Payless Shoesource, and more! Affiliate networks have included Shareasale.com, Commission Junction, and Linkshare (Rkauten Marketing.)
I started using a few new social media platforms I never used before to help promote it. (Twitter & Stumbleupon)
I taught myself how to use several tools to help my blog look good, and to grow. I learned how to use Canva.com for graphics, which is really fun and easy. Tailwind is a good tool for promoting, and I might just upgrade to the full version after my free trial is finished.
I have around 20 subscribers to my blog. While I have not started a newsletter yet, I am thrilled to have this many sticking around.
Social Media Promotion
I opened up a few business accounts through search engine/social media platforms, and more recently started a facebook group (10ish followers so far in the group: www.facebook.com/groups/balanceandblessings/)
My instagram (www.instagram.com/balance_and_blessings) always hit my small monthly goals for number of followers. I am now up to around 450.
Twitter: (twitter.com/jwthepianistlmt) I have 20 twitter followers last I checked, but none on stumble though several of my posts have been highly shared on there.
Pinterest (pinterest.com/balanceandblessings) has been a big drive of traffic to my blog. I have 250 followers, which is also close to my goals I had in mind to reach by 2018.
Goals for 2018
Learn how to monetize through Pinterest with affiliate links.
Make enough blogging that it will not only keep covering the expenses of keeping up said blog, but also help payoff a student loan, a car loan, and perhaps pay for a nice vacation!
Keep growing all my followers (1000 through each social media platform by the end of 2018 would be nice.)
In conclusion, I am happy to have started this journey even though it was way more work and time than I initially thought it would take. I have had some fun experiences, learned a ton that I can also apply to my other business ventures, and met many other bloggers who have been very helpful and kind to network with. I have decided to keep this up as long as I can!
What else is in the works for 2018?
Well, not sure if I want to go back to having a different blogging theme for each month. I will at least do a travel month again, and possibly DIY closer to Spring Holidays. Thinking of trying out some photography blogging once in a while – just some fun pics in less rambly, shorter posts!
Thank you to everyone who has given their advice and time as I scramble to keep this thing going. I am grateful for all those who have read, clicked, shared, stumbled, pinned, commented, liked, and all that other stuff!
Thank you for visiting!
-Jillian
Hello ,
I saw your tweets and thought I will check your website. Have to say it looks very good!
I’m also interested in this topic and have recently started my journey as young entrepreneur.
I’m also looking for the ways on how to promote my website. I have tried AdSense and Facebok Ads, however it is getting very expensive.
Can you recommend something what works best for you?
I also want to improve SEO of my website. Would appreciate, if you can have a quick look at my website and give me an advice what I should improve: http://janzac.com/
(Recently I have added a new page about FutureNet and the way how users can make money on this social networking portal.)
I have subscribed to your newsletter. 🙂
Hope to hear from you soon.
P.S.
Maybe I will add link to your website on my website and you will add link to my website on your website? It will improve SEO of our websites, right? What do you think?
Regards
Jan Zac
Have you joined any facebook groups or pinterest groups that focus on promoting and helping other bloggers? These have really helped me! I have not paid for anything as far as boosting or promoting. Free trails of things (that is how I am using Tailwind) is my friend! Your site looks well laid-out. Sharing my posts on instagram and in the captions or comments under my pins I make from my blog posts on pinterest are helping me attract interested, authentic traffic besides other bloggers. Good luck!