Welcome to April’s business report! Here, I’ll share how I made money online and traveled full-time last month. Let’s dive into this month’s update.
If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you might wonder why I publish my business report each month. It started as an extra income report, focusing on the money I earned from side jobs, excluding my day job. After leaving my financial analyst job in October 2013, my reports now cover all the ways I earn a living through my business.
Many people ask why I share my monthly activities publicly. Some think it’s odd, while others appreciate my openness. Here are the three main reasons I do it:
1. Before blogging, I knew nothing about side hustles or making money online. I thought the only way to boost income was through raises at a full-time job. Seeing others’ income reports inspired me to try side hustling, and I want to show others the benefits and possibilities of making extra money online.
2. Publishing these reports helps me reflect, learn from mistakes, and see what needs improvement. It keeps me accountable and tracks my progress.
3. I want to show that making side money is possible and that there are many legitimate ways to earn from home.
Life has been fantastic since I became my own boss and full-time blogger. I look forward to each day and love what I do. My goal is to show others that you don’t have to hate your job. You can find ways to make money that allow you to enjoy your life.
Now, regarding a recent announcement: I’ve been considering stopping my monthly income reports, but due to popular demand, I’ll continue them with some changes. They will now be “Business Reports,” focusing more on business performance and goals, with fewer exact figures. Instead, I’ll use a pie chart to show income sources. If you want detailed numbers, past reports are available on my income page.
So far, not showing exact numbers hasn’t affected my traffic or subscriber growth. Most readers understand the change, and it seems to be working well.
If there’s anything new you’d like to see in these reports, let me know in the comments!
For April 2019, my income sources included:
– Affiliate Marketing
– Sponsored Partnerships
– Courses (Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing and Making Sense of Sponsored Posts)
– Display Advertising
I regularly earn over $100,000 a month from blogging and have made over $5,000,000 in total. April was another great month for my blogging business, and I have exciting plans for the rest of 2019. Here’s what I’m focusing on to grow my blog:
1. SEO: I’ll take an SEO course to boost my site’s traffic.
2. Social Media Advertising: I plan to learn about Pinterest and Facebook ads to grow my audience and email list.
3. Adding a Shop: I want to sell products like printables on my blog.
4. Creating New Opt-ins: I need to add new opt-ins to attract more subscribers.
April was productive in many areas, and I’m happy with the progress. Here are some updates:
– I’m less than a month ahead in blog posts and aim to be 2-3 months ahead.
– Traffic was over 400,000 page views.
– I’m working on a financial tutorial series for readers.
– My community group on Facebook has over 14,000 members.
– I released a free course on starting a blog, which has over 50,000 sign-ups.
– I also created a free Master Your Money email course with positive feedback.
Popular posts last month included topics on blogging, debt payoff, travel, money lessons, and road trip snacks.
Featured Question: What products can I promote on my blog?
There are countless products you can advertise through affiliate marketing, no matter your niche. From finance and parenting to travel and crafts, there’s an affiliate program for almost everything. If you’re struggling to find programs, you might not be looking hard enough. I recommend taking my course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, where I list over 80 affiliate programs and teach you how to get approved.
My plans and goals for the blog and business include:
– Completing courses on Facebook Ads and SEO.
– Getting to Inbox Zero.
– Creating a freebie opt-in for affiliates.
– Getting three months ahead on blog posts.
– Working less than 30 hours a week.
– Being more present and enjoying life.
– Having fun!
Affiliate marketing continues to be a significant income source. I’m planning out 2019 for affiliate offers, learning more about SEO and Facebook ads, creating a high-quality funnel, and seeking new affiliate products.
Sponsored partnerships were also strong in April. I formed new partnerships with financial companies and continue to see great results.
If you’re interested in earning blogging income, check out my free guides on increasing affiliate income and making money from sponsored posts.
For those looking to start a blog, I offer a free course that covers everything from the technical setup to earning your first income. Join now to learn how I built a $5,000,000 blog!
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to sharing more updates next month!