I‘ve heard a lot of pros and cons about publishing income reports for your online business.
The pros usually include the fact that these reports can be very helpful for online business owners in terms of inspiration (or gloating - depending on where you are at), identifying what works and what doesn’t, etc.
The cons would be displaying your financials for the whole world to see.
So far I see more pros than cons.
Since most of my readers are online to make money, it’s vitally important for us to learn from other marketers’ successes as well as mistakes, and I personally have learned a lot from Pat Flynn’s Monthly Income Reports.
I also recently read an excellent post on Lisa Irby’s blog titled How Does Your Blog Make Money?
That post was based on a question someone asked on Website Babble forum:
We’re all aware by now that WordPress is the easiest way to build a website, but I was wondering how many of you actually make good money? And when I say “good money” I mean enough to enhance your existing lifestyle. I’m not talking about a dollar or two from AdSense per day.
I was at a social media event in Atlanta today and I was talking to all these WordPress users. Some had impressive followings on Twitter, Facebook, even Google+.
For some reason I just assumed a lot of these people did this for a living. As the night went on, I began to learn that very few of them made a lot of money. I don’t think I met one person that was full-time online or even close. And they said it was their goal.
So I’d like to know from the bloggers here, how many of you actually make good money? Yes, WordPress is too cool for school (as the old saying goes), but if your goal is to make money from your site and you’re not making much, what do you attribute that to?
Very valid points, wouldn’t you say?
A while ago, I wrote a post The Truth About Making Money Blogging, in which I spilled the beans on where Traffic Generation Cafe stood in terms of generating income. It quickly became one of the most popular posts at TGC, which, once again, shows that this is something of interest to all of us.
So with all this in mind, I decided to go for it.
Traffic Generation Cafe Snapshot
1. As of January 2012, TGC existed for about 18 months.
2. Here’s a screenshot of my December traffic:
I’ve worked hard on keeping my visitors more engaged, increasing pageviews and decreasing bounce rate - all good indicators of a healthy blog.
Major Happenings in December
1. Change of priorities
Many of you know that our family is going through some adjustments due to the fact that my husband had to walk away from his job.
You can read more about it in this post: Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
The result of that major event was the fact that I never NEEDED to make money with my business, but now it’s the sole income source for our family - the for time being anyway.
That fact lead me to examining how my business is operating, what can be changed and improved upon, etc.
2. Banner Advertising
I started offering paid advertising options, like banners, sidebar links, and sponsored reviews.
I wrote more about my findings on the topic in my post dedicated to accepting banner advertising as a viable income stream.
3. More SEO Traffic
This might sound strange to many of you since you know how fond I am about driving a good chunk of my traffic from Google and other search engines.
However, running a busy blog like Traffic Generation Cafe left me with little time to take care of my own SEO, particularly link building, which is the major driving force behind improving Google rankings.
MORE SEARCH ENGINE TRAFFIC = MORE INCOME
It’s that simple.
So I made it my priority to work on improving rankings for my product reviews specifically, but also other posts that have great potential to capture a high number of Google users.
4. Blog Redesigned
What started with a simple “I want to make some space for paid advertising” turned into a major design overhaul.
It was a great blessing that Ian Belanger of IM Graphic Designs was more than happy to oblige and after much tweaking, the new Traffic Generation Cafe design was born.
Note from Ian:I am really hoping everyone likes the new design of TGC, from the looks of the comments, most are liking so far!
I want to offer something special to the readers here at TGC.
If anyone places an order at IM Graphic Designs and mentions that they found us here at TGC, I will give you a significant discount on your first order. I can’t tell you how much, because that would spoil the surprise
Of course, there was more than just wanting to update the look behind many of the changes you see. There were many usability issues that I was surprised to discover and will talk more about it in one of my future posts.
My Income Report for December 2011
Now onto the juicy stuff.
Here are my income sources for December:
1. Affiliate marketing
- CommentLuv - $1544.50
- Income Blogging Guide - $197.06
- TweetAdder - $182.80
- Thesis Theme - $112.50
- Thirsty Affiliates - $103.25
- Kristi Johnson: Blog Post Promotion - $100
- Market Samurai - $93.12
- TransformX Consortium (misc products) - $70.38
- WPSubscribers Plugin - $42.36
- Media Pass - $12.94
2. Consulting
- $200
I used to be much more active with offering consulting through my blog, but have recently decided to cut down on it to focus on more passive income streams.
I still pick up an occasional client or two, but don’t actively seek them out.
3. Paid Advertisement
- Sponsored Review - $500
- Banner Ads - $275
As mentioned above, this is the new income stream I started working on in December.
I now added several new advertisement banners, including the ones at the top of the blog - we’ll see how I do in January with it.
4. Writing
- $350
Once again, not the type of income I seek out, but I do get occasionally asked to write a paid guest post or two.
*****
TOTAL: $3783.91
Not too shabby, as far as I am concerned.
The only problem I see here is the fact that it’s not easily duplicatable. The biggest chunk came from CommentLuv Premium promotion, which is over at this point, so I’ll have to come up with other ways to replace that income.
Goals for 2012
This will be the year for me to turn Traffic Generation Cafe from a hobby into a business.
And here are some of the goals I’d like to work on to help me get there.
1. Create my own product
I can’t believe I haven’t done it yet, but now it’s my priority.
I am currently working on a link building guide that will break down link building into easy steps and provide an overall link building strategy that anyone can stick with regardless of time or budget constraints.
2. Explore new traffic generating venues
I’d like to learn more about podcasting and mobile marketing in particular - something I’ve been putting off for long enough.
Marketing Takeaway
So what do you think? Was it helpful to learn where such a high-trafficked blog stands in terms of making money?
Image Source: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/cartoons/
This post brought to you by Ana Hoffman
I am the founder of Traffic Generation Cafe and if you liked the post you just read, then you'll love my email updates. Just click on "Get Instant Access" below to join me:
Ana has written 260 great posts for Traffic Generation Cafe.
{ 258 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Ana, Its great to see your income figures. Its Inspiring for me.
Atish invites you to read: Welcome To 2012Onwards.com
Wow, I’m really hoping I could also get at least half of that income of yours Ana. Very challenging.
nhick invites you to read: The Burn Machine – Your advanced way of working and building out muscle’s vigor and cardio power
It can be done!
Ana, your income report is really great. It goes a long way to show all the efforts and determination you have been putting into your blog, Kudos!
MaryJane invites you to read: Tuface Performes At The Asam Award In Malaysia
Thank you, MaryJane!
Ana,
Awesome! Never quit being REAL! You are a very BIG inspiration to your readers. I would love to see more videos with your promotions, you have what it takes! Hope Marty gets that job, have a happy new year, to you and yours
Chad Nicely invites you to read: UPDATE: Making Money with Webinars!
Thank you so very much, Chad, and blessings to you.
Ana,
Wow! That surely is a triumph! Not many can say they earn even $100 a month and you are earning a legitimate income.
I don’t know if you know but I stalk you and your blog, watching how you do things. (In a good way, like for SEO and business, lol.) I watched you campaign for Comluv and TweetAdder and I am glad to see things pay off for you. You give me hope.
You and Pat Flynn are very inspirational in my daily blogging and business. I anticipate his podcasts and would be loyal to yours if you decided to venture there.
I am proud of you and I know you worked very hard to get where you are. HUGE CONGRATS! Thank you for sharing and being an inspiration to bloggers, women and moms.
~Allie
Allie | Ramblings of a WAHM invites you to read: Back to the Blogging Grind
Thank you so much, Allie, and I am really excited to hear that you are “stalking” me to see how I do things; that’s how I learned what to do and not to do myself!
I found successful bloggers and “followed them around”. It’s amazing what you can learn from that and too bad very few new bloggers take their time to do that kind of research.
Thanks for coming by!
Ana, that’s a wonderful move. I’m so happy that you’ve come out of your RED zone and have started making some real money
Anyways would you be interested in sharing how much it takes to run your blog? I mean, the monthly running costs?
Pat from SPI does this and its really helpful to also see the real running costs and could help a newbie or aspiring blogger to understand what to expect
Kudos!
Jane invites you to read: Content Marketing: Success Strategies To Market Your Blog
Yes, I thought about adding that as well, Jane; I will next month.
Last month, my operating costs were around $200.
Thanks for coming by!
Great job! It is really so inspiring to look at these income reports. Thanks for sharing these so generously.
It gives a lot of hope and encouragement to people (like me) who are yet to find a firm foothold in the online world. It is so critical to have role models whose success one can try to emulate. I really appreciate your sharing this information.
Amanda Gordon invites you to read: Backpack Vacuums
Very kind of you, Amanda, and you are very welcome.
This is a good decision to show your income report. It inspires a lot. Thank you for the report Ana.
You are very welcome, Mark!
Ana, you have been providing a lot of free and great value content on this blog. Everyone loves to have more traffic.
I was very excited to see your honest sharing although it’s a little bit under my estimate. You had a killing promotion and profit on CommentLuv. I am sure that you going promote great products helping us driving traffic and could sub it on regular basis.
As SPI Pat said, you are contributing to the internet and money will come. Pat makes killing in affiliate income because of his brand, traffic, and people love buying via his promotion.
Right On, I look forward to seeing your growth and the next one.
Kent invites you to read: My Learned Lessons in 2011
You are exactly right, Kent.
Once you prove to your readers you are worth their attention and trust, affiliate income starts coming in without too much effort.
Fantastic, Ana. Please make this a regular feature, it’s so incredibly helpful and inspirational. I wish more bloggers continued to do this, it seems to have fallen out of favour in recent years.
Jonathan invites you to read: It’s a Cheap, Cheap, Cheap, Cheap World
I definitely will, Jonathan!
Hi Ana,
Keep sharing your income reports. I read every single income report that Pat Flynn is sharing, and I’m learning a lot from it. I especially like the way he is describing every detail about what he did during the month to earn money, and you’re doing a great job as well.
You’re earning more than $3,000 from blogging, that’s just amazing. I can’t wait to be able to earn something close to that from writing. It will hopefully happen during 2012
Jens P. Berget invites you to read: Free Kindle Books – How To Find Them
Thank you, Jens.
Now that we know that it’s achievable even for new bloggers, it’s full speed!
Way to go Ana. I’m not surprised the you made so much from promoting Andy’s CommentLuv Premium. It’s like I said in one of my posts, purchasing one is probably the best investment a blogger could make, especially getting it in the early days when you could offer it at a fantastic price.
Hopefully you can kill these figures as you progress through 2012
Sire invites you to read: The Difference Between A Good Blog And A Bad Blog
I so hope so as well, Sire, and thank you!
Hey All,
I am happy to say that I was Ana’s one consultation for December. I’m shocked to be the only one since she clarified so many things for me and has been kind enough to even answer follow up questions for me.
I have been online for several years but I was starting a new website and just had a few really specific questions about not so basic things. I sent her a list of questions I needed to have addressed and we had an amazing hour talking.
Ana addressed all of my issues and gave me great feedback about my site. I was extremely pleased to know I was actually on the right path. I just needed someone to confirm that.
I love having a mentor and think success is hard to come by without one.
I am sad to know that Ana will be focusing less on consulting - I actually wish she would have some sort of an on going personal mentoring program so that I can take advantage any time.
Thanks to Ana, my website is off to a great start and I am glued to her website to learn advanced traffic techniques and ways to improve overall.
Thanks again,
Susan
Susan invites you to read: Safe Weight Loss Plan
And I loved working with you, Susan - your blog was already in great shape (pun intended), since you read and actually implemented a lot of what I talk about in my posts.
Ideally, I’d love to do more consulting, but that means that I am trading time for money, plus it leaves me so much less time to take care of developing more passive income streams.
I am so very proud of your great improvements, Susan; just goes to show that no matter how competitive your niche is, you can still break through!
If you ever need more help, I am available anytime.
You are the real deal, Ana. Having read your free e-book Seach Engine Domination (which everyone should get before the price goes up!), I would be interested in another book and willing to pay. You have given me so much information for free, it could have blank pages and I wouldn’t complain!
Astro Gremlin invites you to read: What Happened to My Traffic? CommentLuv Enabled Rocket Motor
So sweet you are, Astro; thank you!
It’s interesting to know that you don’t place adsense on your blog and make it one of your income sources.
I agree with one of the comments saying that is difficult or even non-sense to duplicate someone else. I mean that every webmaster has his own way to earn money online based on his skills and knowledge backgrounds. And, you got paid for your expertise. Also, this reports proves that decent traffic isn’t everything..
zamahsari invites you to read: Nokia Lumia 710 Review
No, traffic isn’t everything; monetizing the traffic is where the tricky part comes in.
Congrats Ana, your income on December 2011 is great. I wish I could get the same result like you in near future.
Trung Nguyen invites you to read: 15 Best Ebooks Every Blogger Should Read
Definitely could be done, Trung.
Congratulations Ana. Very refreshing to see you took the dive
I am positive that you will continue to do well.
Personally, I am still debating whether I should follow step given a large chunk of my income comes from other endeavors such as real estate, investments, etc. I am evaluating the feasibility of carving out the online income piece on a repeatable basis. But then again, income from peer to peer lending done online is also online income (though not generated from niche sites / blogs). Dilemmas all over….
All the best in 2012. I know you will shatter all your goals.
Sunil l Wealth Building invites you to read: Emergency Fund Fundamentals, Benefits & Unconventional Uses
That’s incredible diversity, Sunil!
I am sure your readers would love to know more about it.
How about a guest post, by the way? You did a great job on the last two!
Thanks Ana. Definitely contemplating a guest post - need to plan out my 2012 agenda and will certainly reach out to you.
Would love to have your perspective/synopsis of traffic generation on my blog as well sometime.
Sunil l Wealth Building invites you to read: Emergency Fund Fundamentals, Benefits & Unconventional Uses
Probably for 99% bloggers your income looks like dream money
Vi invites you to read: Best new iPad for travellers
Thanks, Ana for sharing…If anybody can double, triple or quadruple their income this month, I am sure you can do it!!!…Go for it!!!
Keep us posted on your successes on your journey…
WAHM Shelley…
WAHM Shelley invites you to read: Top 10 Most Popular Kindle Fire Accessories From Amazon
I will, Shelley, and thanks for coming by!
Hi Anna, you are an inspiration for all newbie freelance writers.
Keep up the good work.
Its good that you are getting so much traffic from Google.
Rizwan Sultan invites you to read: motivation blog
Thank you, Rizwan!
Now we are sure that Alexa rank means nothing!
But the subject of my comment is not alexa, it’s you! How courageous you are to tell us your income! In fact it is the most helpful post you wrote because we can see here the reality of a blog life.
Alexa is really not a great measurement of traffic, Diana, specifically for niche sites like yours.
And thanks for the compliment!
I really like that your income comes from a variety of streams. I’m not really into the adsense bandwagon either.
D. Heath invites you to read: Surviving the Content Farm Crash! : Emotional Recovery
Never use AdSense and don’t add it to my blog…
Nice earnings in December. Looks like you should continue pushing CommentLuv as much as possible. It seems to be the big earner of the bunch. I wouldn’t have guessed it would be that much or do that well. Goes to show you never know. Keep up the good work.
Ray invites you to read: DialMe Year End Stats 2011
I think CommentLuv has seen its day, Ray; for now anyway.
Off to other good products!
That’s awesome Ana. Honestly, I’m not surprised.
Is this something you are planning t do regularly?
Additionally, you absolutely crushed it with your CommentLuv sales.
Nice.
Additionally, beautiful redesign too
Mark
Thank you, thank you, and thank you, Mark.
Yes, I’ll do this every month now. And not only for my readers, but to see where I stand for myself.
Before this report, I never really knew how much money I made per month because I was simply afraid it wasn’t nearly enough to pay for all the effort I put into this.
I am not afraid any more. Now I am just working on bringing those numbers up instead of hiding them. lol
Those are great stats Anna,
I’m still at a lost on how to generate passive income via my blog.. You rock gal!!
Dominique invites you to read: Surviving Dinosaurs Live
So you did what,
just by giving readers their last post visible
which made commentluv pay you?
Alan invites you to read: Google Page Rank Update November 2011
No, it’s a paid plugin that you install on your blog, Alan.
I am an affiliate for that plugin, so every time someone buys it through my link, I get a certain percentage of the sale.
That Link-Building Guide sounds great! My request is that you include a definition of and the benefits of link building. Even tho I’ve been flapping in-and-out of IM since 1999 (hah, was that a laugh or what, in retrospect!), there are still so many things that I, and I’m sure other look-at-that-shiny-thing folks like me, just don’t have an all-around grasp of.
Really appreciate your sharing how a [your] blog can generate an income - that is a treat that I can munch on for awhile.
-M3
I do know what you mean and a great suggestion for my guide!
Hi Ana
Another excellent blog/website with very useful infomation. May 2012 be a great year for you and your family.
Mike
Thank you so very much, Mike, and the same to you.
Hi Anna
Nice to see some income from your blog. I’m still chasing regular consistent $$$ as I suppose we all are.
I started a new site this year so all things are go
Here wishing you and all the readers a happy and very prosperous new year
Regards
Allan
Thanks, Allan.
I suppose we all are in the different stages of pursuing the same thing…
I’d love to hear a regular podcast from you. As for your future product, sign me up as a beta tester.
Clara invites you to read: Herbal Weight Loss
Thanks, Clara!
Hi Ana,
Thanks for your inspiring way. I’ve been needing the impetus to “pursue” my independence, and you’re one of my “guides”. Thank the Lord for your gracious commentary of encouragement and practical wisdom. God Bless you and your family in 2012.
Kind Regards,
John
So kind of you, John, and blessings to you as well.
Hi Ana. This was fascinating. I respect you even more - if that’s possible. Like I said over at my blog, you are a tremendous source of practical tips and inspiration. All the best for 2012. I know you will rock it!
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness invites you to read: Why these 34 Bloggers Inspired Me in 2011
Much appreciated, Marya!
I was using Market Samurai but got frustrated with Google blocks. This is the problem with all desktop research software that that search for and rely on Google data. Any way around this?
David invites you to read: Vitamins and Omega 3 May Help You Keep A Healthier Brain Longer
Unfortunately, not that I found, David.
Keeping MS updated is the best defense, but there are still times when I get too frustrated to use it.
However, it’s still the best software of its kind, so I am willing to bare with it… Plus, not that we have a choice. lol
I am confused now… In your blog you write about gettting traffic to website but you mentioned that you never have time for SEO. And looking at your income i can assume that this blog is the only way how you make money online. So how you teach about things you’ve never implemented?
Galyna invites you to read: SocialADR Coupon Code
I’ve never said I don’t implement what I talk about, Galyna, just the fact that I don’t spend nearly enough time doing it as I should.
Great post Ana! It touched on what I have spent the xmas break thinking about in terms of consulting/freelance work versus passive income. This year I would like to achieve a 50:50 split from consulting and passive. Currently around 90:10 so I have a little work to do. =)
PS - a tip of the cap to you for posting your income online, very ballsy!
Bradley invites you to read: Yelp Australia: You Can Use It To Boost Your Local SEO Results
Thank you, Bradley.
I used to do much more consulting, but never liked how it interrupted my day and I always had to work to get new clients and then keep them happy - you know how it goes.
I think this sort of candid income information helps ground bloggers in reality. Thanks for the insight!
doug_eike invites you to read: Ten Wonderful Things To Give Away
You are very welcome, Doug; thanks for coming by!
Ana, as a “less-than-two-week” blogger, I am grateful to see your inspiring numbers. Thanks for your candor, and for being willing to reveal your own self-doubts; to me, it give you that much more credibility. Your advice has already been quite useful and you’ve inspired me, too. Best wishes for a happy, profitable 2012, full of peace of mind for you and your family.
Thank you so much, Kelly, and allow me to extend a warm welcome to the blogosphere.
I am a living proof that it IS possible to make it online!
Thanks for this information, Ana. Always curious to see if others are “successfully” doing it, ie making income through blogging. Thanks for disclosing, it was very interesting!
Jennifer invites you to read: Changes Ahead for Air Miles Collectors
It’s certainly easy to appear like you are making a nice bundle from a blog, Jennifer, but the truth is even many seemingly successful bloggers don’t make much money.
I am glad I was able to share how I do it.
Hi Ana,
Happy New Year!
Thank you for showing us the true numbers and not flashy lies like some gurus like to do
Could you let us know how you do with your pop-up. Every time I had a pop up on any of my blogs I had people complaining saying that nobody likes that. Is that true or was it just my luck or what? I am very curious about that?
Sylviane Nuccio invites you to read: Two Do’s and Two Don’ts That Every Affiliate Marketer Needs To Know To Succeed
I’ve never heard any complaints about my pop-up, Sylviane.
It converts at about 3%, which is not bad at all.
I have it set up in Aweber to show up every 7 times someone visits my blog and delay it about 90 seconds.
Interesting Ana. If only you were the average and not the exception. We’d all be giving up our day jobs. Still - something to aim for…
Thanks for your transparency and all the best for TGC in 2012. Put me down for a copy of your product, I was wondering when that might happen…
Jym invites you to read: 5 Simple Blog Post Ideas for Quick, Valuable Content
You’ve seen my blog grow since just about day one, Jym.
Now that I’ve been doing it for long enough to know what I am talking about (lol), I firmly believe that these numbers are entirely achievable.
The trick is to find your voice and build loyal readership and the money will follow.
Lovely to see you back online and read your post. I appreciate your honesty and desire to share and teach what you know. Its January and I am looking forward to building up my presence, putting into practice tips and techniques learnt through you and others. When you have time, could you or any other bloggers/commentor writedo a post re how much time you spend on the different tasks/activities you do on a daily/weekly basis to build your blog? I tend to under estimate how long things take and end up not achieving all I wish. Thanks and hugs for a restful and peaceful 2012
That’s a good idea for a post, Ntathu; I’ll add it to my writing schedule.
PS, is the blog still on Thesis?
PPS where does the comment that I haven’t spent enough time on the blog to comment come from - an interesting antispam thingy which I haven’t seen before.
Yes, Fiona, I am still running on Thesis. It’s amazing what you can do with the theme!
The anti-spam feature is a part of CommentLuv Premium. Definitely helps to deter a lot of spammers.
Wow that is really good Anna. Hey, I have another SEO question for you.
I am working for a client and using Market Samurai (courtesy of your link), what a great program, everyone should buy it. Anyway…
My client doesn’t believe the keyword rankings I am giving her because when she checks her searches are customized. I have been getting her to use &pws=0 but I understand that even that is not effective now?
Any solutions?
Geoff
Geoff Talbot invites you to read: No more excuses
You can get her to check her rankings on scroogle scraper
scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm
They pull in google rankings and they are un-customised (and have no ads either)
Rose invites you to read: Wizzley Writing Challenge Diary
I agree with Rose, Geoff; Scroogle.org is the only true “unpersonalized” way to track rankings out there.
Glad you are enjoying MS!
Anna thanks for introducing an income report, I know these type of posts were the thing which motivated me to not give up in the early days.
Your numbers and presentation of the report are impressive. Good luck in 2012
Neale invites you to read: December 2011 Earnings Report
Indeed, Neale - it’s very encouraging to actually see that someone is making a realistic income from a blog.
Saw your report for December; I am sure things will pick up!
Ana, that little cartoon at the beginning of your post says a lot! Thanks for a wonderfully open, honest description of current and potential revenue sources from a blog. Generating meaningful income by blogging is indeed challenging, and you have provided good insights for a lot of bloggers (like me!) trying to figure out how their web sites can become more than just a hobby. Well done, and thank you very much.
Steve invites you to read: Back to the Past: New DeLorean Goes on Sale in 2013
Making money online is a dead end for most since the promises are high and the possibilities are limited by the amount of work we are willing to put into it, Steve.
I’m looking forward to sending you some money myself here in a couple of weeks. I’m a little behind schedule at the moment.
Dave Doolin invites you to read: Destroy Websites for Fun and Profit! (SEO backlinking, of course)
LOL, Dave - I’d love that!
Happy New Year Ana, and Congratulations on great earnings for December! It’s so nice to see someone honestly putting out there their stats and earnings so we can all see what’s possible. I’m trying to convince my husband my blog is like a business franchise that would take a year or two to start making money - but without the initial cash expense! I’m making a little money now - but not enough yet to convince him! But I will - and I love reading your blog for tips, motivation and inspiration to help me get there! Thank you!
Jill invites you to read: Creating Success around the World- Jess from Epheriell Designs
I know what you mean, Jill…
Whenever I’d talk to my husband in the past, the only question he had for me was “How much money are you making?”
Well, now I finally got him to see my blog as a real business!
I know you will too, Jill.
I love you Ana - you have been amazingly successful at creating a database and a huge following in a relatively short space of time and I just can’t believe you haven’t created a product yet! It WILL leap off the virtual shelves. So many of us love your candid approach. Fascinating to see how well you did with CommentLuv, but you need one of those every month or two to keep going at that pace…. Seems to me a product (or two) of your own is your best way forward. You must have lots of friends out there to help you sell it as affiliates too. I reckon, you’ve put in some great donkey work (if you’ll excuse the phrase) over the past 18 months, but the best is yet to come. Good luck and I look forward to buying product no.1.
Happy New Year btw. Fiona
(she of the totally unmonetised blog who keeps meaning to get her act together and has absolutely no right to say things like “I can’t believe you haven’t created a product yet”)
Fiona Cooper invites you to read: How bad are bananas?
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas break, Fiona - great to have you back.
I think you are right; my own product will move these numbers up quite a bit.
Now I just need to figure out where to find a couple of hours per day to actually write something worthy of reading…
More donkey work - here we come!
Thanks for sharing. It’s a confidence builder to know that while it takes time, and a lot of work, it is actually possible to make money by blogging.
Derek Morton invites you to read: Cedar City Real Estate Weekly Update January 2nd, 2012
Hard work and a little thinking outside the box will do it, Derek!
You are correct about thinking outside of the box. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Derek Morton invites you to read: Back In The Day
Very bold and honest to report all your earnings, Anna.
And by acknowledging that the biggest chunk came from the CommentLuv Premium launch suggests to me that you’ll quickly be filling in that space with new and other revenue streams.
Meantime, congrats on such a great month and best of luck in January!
Michael
Michael invites you to read: By: Four Ways To Cut Your Refined Sugar Intake in Half
I definitely need to find more consistent income streams, Michael.
So, when are you going to ask your fans to crowd source some ideas for physical products you can make and sell?
Why, you have some, Jonathan? Do share!
Love this, Ana! And thanks for the mention. I’m sooooooooooo looking forward to your new product. You will probably have a new advertiser soon as I’m getting ready to launch a book on niche websites. I think your blog would be a great place to advertise. Awesome, awesome post and congrats on your earnings.
P.S. Yes, nothing like passive income!
Lisa Irby invites you to read: How to Add Posts to Your Static Homepage in WordPress
Thanks for coming by, Lisa!
I definitely learned a lot from you in the past couple of months and appreciated every piece of advice you were so generous to share.
Congrats on this Ana. This has inspired me because at the moment I’m one of those people still making a few cents per day with Google adsense. Yesterday my big total was 20 cents.
I wish you bigger and better things in 2012.
I’ve been meaning to tell you, but when I subscribed to your blog I wasn’t able to download your complimentary book at the same time. I’ve tried to do so on subsequent occasions, but I keep getting the message that I’ve already subscribed.
Is there anyway I can read it at this later date?
Anne invites you to read: Win Computer System For Your Office Space
I’ll email you my report, Anne; no problem.
Personally, I don’t think AdSEnse is a good way to go for most niches; very few readers actually click on those ads.
Hi Ana,
I’m personally quite grateful for this post. It let me see that I need to stop trying to squeeze money out of one area only and instead focus on increasing my avenues for income, as well as ways of driving traffic to my website.
I think you did great for December. Way more than most people make in their offline jobs.
I’m excited to see what we can both do for 2012!
Bellaisa
Bellaisa invites you to read: 7 Marriage Tips To Keep Your Relationship Spark Alive
Thank you so much, Bellaisa!
Diversifying does take more time, but it’s truly the only way to each any stable income online. If one stream goes, you still have some money coming in.
Thanks for the info.
I’d love to interview you at MollerMarketing.com and talk about the pro’s and con’s of sharing website earnings with readers.
Would you be interested? It could be an email interview or a skype recorded interview.
Thanks for your feedback and sharing this info, including your goals.
Talk soon.
Nate
@mollermarketing on Twitter
Nate Moller invites you to read: INFOGRAPHIC: Where Will Facebook be Next Week/Month/Year?
Ideally, I’d love to, Nate, but realistically, I am working on so many projects that need to take priority right now, that I simply won’t have the time for a while.
Honored to be asked though!
It is good when one learns and progresses. And may be as time goes you’ll get to diversify your income streams more.
Just wanted to say good work Ana.
Philos invites you to read: What are your top concerns as a blogger? (and what to do incase…)
Thank you, Philos!
You can either look at as the glass half empty or the glass half full and the way I see it you were not that far from 10k…all you needed was more traffic in this case. If you would’ve had double the traffic that month, it looks like you would’ve hit a 10k mark.
So I suggest generating more traffic!
One major thing I’ve been tweaking lately is the sales funnel process (ie, a specially designed set of sequentially progressive optimized marketing pages a visitor goes through ensuring sales). Once you’ve tested and proved a funnel that sells, you can always justify buying traffic to that entity..
Of course the above works extremely well especially if you have your own product although I do know of some affiliate programs that allow you to use their sales funnel instead of just a few emails and banners.
And speaking of “own products” I got one of my first ones up and going just before New Years at PowerSeries.marketsecrets.biz
Caleb invites you to read: Building An eMail List Using Google Search Results
Love the way you look at it, Caleb! And you are right: more traffic will only help.
Great sales page for your product: not cluttered, funny, perfectly priced, and sounds like many marketers can use - congrats!
Sales funnel is something I am entirely missing right now; time to change that!
Hey Ana,
Thanks for mentioning my new graphic design service and website. I really appreciate it!
I think it’s great that you are showing everyone your monthly income report. It shows that you really do know what you are talking about, (Not that we didn’t know that already), but now there is proof.
I am really hoping everyone likes the new design of TGC, from the looks of the comments, most are liking so far
I want to offer something special to the readers here at TGC. So, if anyone places an order at IM Graphic Designs and mentions that they found us here at TGC. I will give you a significant discount on your first order. I can’t tell you how much, because that would spoil the surprise
So stop by and check us out.
Thanks Ana and have a great day!
PS. I hope you don’t mind me plugging my site in the comments. I just wanted to offer your readers something special.
Ian Belanger invites you to read: IM Graphic Designs ReDesigns The Traffic Generation Cafe Blog
Pleasure is all mine, Ian.
And I hope you don’t mind that I added your offer to the post - I wanted to make sure no one misses it down here in the comments!
THANK YOU for all your hard work!
Hey Ana,
You are very welcome. Thanks for putting my offer in the post and when I say significant discount, I mean it!
Thanks Ana!
Ian Belanger invites you to read: IM Graphic Designs ReDesigns The Traffic Generation Cafe Blog
Great post Ana. I love your honesty:)
Out of interest what are your expenses?
I too love Comment Luv and well done on being the No 1 seller for it:)
I’m really looking forward to seeing your products being launched this year.
Keep up the awesome work.
Lilach:)
Lilach Bullock invites you to read: My goals for 2012
Yes I agree, income statement alone can be miss leading. until you look at the whole picture, profit and loss, value per visitor, life time value, trends, your time invested. When you go to flippa.com you can see cashflow statements and I believe to run a business, it is best practice to know your exit strategy instead of hoping to make money mindset. Thank you Ana for sharing your professional insights.
Good question, Lilach.
I cut down on a lot of useless expenses lately and as of right now, my expenses are about $200 per month.
Very impressive! Brave to share but being bold and interesting is what makes you different!
I read the annual Technorati State of the Blogsphere and have basically come to believe that barely anybody is making any money (it seems like paying your hosting fees is an achievable goal). In the Mommy Blogger realm even some of the biggest (scary mommy, the bloggess) are barely scraping a few hundred a month, primarily from sidebar advertising.
Clearly you have come up with a nice mix of offerings and are being rewarded with a livable blog wage. Which I believe puts you in the top 1% of all bloggers. So congratulations!
Alexis invites you to read: Happy Festivus and Thanks!
I do know what you mean, Alexis - making money blogging is definitely easier than it sounds, even for blogs with a lot of traffic.
Hats off to you for being transparent. It really is helpful to others, plus I’m sure it helps you analyze your next steps when you’ve got it all right in front of you like that.
I really think creating your own product could be a huge success for you. But don’t make it a “One and done” thing or you’re in the same boat with promoting a new affiliate product - the sales will taper off. I’d recommend you offer some sort of paid subscription/membership on the backend of your product so you can see a more even monthly residual income.
Good luck Ana!
Peggy
Peggy Baron invites you to read: Not Another Boring 2012 Goals Post, Plus a Prize
Good point, Peggy; I definitely need to start working on creating a sales funnel of sorts.
Ana,
I’m excited to hear you are making a book about link building. I’ve always found this the most perplexing part of SEO and I love the way you broke things down in your SEO Report. I’m looking forward to having link building broke down as well.
I think I am writing this ebook (started today!) for myself as much as for my readers, Christina.
I need an actionable step-by-step blueprint and that’s exactly what I intend to write.
Thanks for coming by!
Hey Ana, this was an awesome glimpse into the life of someone who is actually making money with their blog.
To be honest, I’m not even sure I have regular readers on mine, and that is my big blog goal this year - I’m not even worried about it making money.
But I think it is interesting that 2012 has turned into a “make it or break it” year for so many people I know. My business HAS to take off this year, but I got a $500 payday on the 1st from it, so I’d say I’m off to a decent start.
I know a couple other people who have businesses that HAVE to take off this year, but they don’t have as positive of outlooks, and these are massive offline businesses where they have a lot to lose. I’ve also got a fairly close family member who has been battling cancer, and was just given a month to live according to her doctors. Her son and other family (closer than I am) have to figure out how to go on without her, financially and emotionally.
So on one hand I’m looking forward to this year, because I firmly believe it is going to be the best so far. The other side is that there has already been stress and heartache this year.
Everybody, just remember to roll with the ups and downs. Every year has mixed results somewhere - mine just came early. Put a magnifying glass on your successes and keep them going, and don’t let the other stuff bog you down.
I’m sure you’ll find a way to create the income you need, Ana. : )
Lindsey Rainwater invites you to read: Happy New Year!
I don’t want to be in the shoes of any offline business right now, Lindsey; that’s for sure.
$500 is a great start!
Over the past year, I certainly learned to prioritize; something that many business owners struggle with. This year, I am focusing on things that make money directly and discard of the business aspects that kind of make money, but take too much of my time - the time that could be much better spent.
Learning (especially from our mistakes) never really stops, does it?
Lovely report, this is going to help you as well in a great deal as you will want to surpass your last month income and it will help you do more work as well.
Sheyi
Sheyi invites you to read: Best Bloggers You Must Learn From
I surely hope so, Sheyi.
Once again Ana you share some great insights into how and where money is made online.
Thank you for sharing and good luck to your husband in his search for another job.
Much appreciated, Robin!
Very interesting post, and actually your openness in showing your earnings is a kind of gem. Many bloggers boast earning zillions of dollars, usually without giving any real proof, just before trying to sell a wonderful program to become like them and earn zillions of dollars too. Which seldomly happens.
I mean, when no one can check it out it’s esy to say I earn 20.000 dollars per month consistently and if you give me 100 dollars per month to access my inner circle I’ll show you how. And even if the blogger is honest those earnings can be very hard to duplicate. Said in another way, how many John Chows are around? It would be like saying that listening to Steve Jobs everyone could come out with somehting like Apple. Not all formulas can be replicated.
Also, given that in reality is very hard to earn a decent living just from blogging when someone finds the right formula it’s pretty difficult to believe he would tell it to the world. It wouldn’t be such a wise business strategy.
But as I said above being so open you’ve surely put yourself well beyond many bloggers. Anyway from what I see affiliate marketing isn’t such a big earner and at least for now, or for the majority of blogs, Adsense is, unfortunately, the best tool to earn some money as it’s free for both the reader and the blogger. These times too having people to spend money is more difficult than ever also because scratching a bit 95 percent of the times there is a free version of every software and every service.
Nevertheless I think that what really will make the difference in the future will be CrankyAds as it has much more benefits both for bloggers and advertisers, as you already know.
Thanks again for such a good post and have a great day!
hypnodude invites you to read: Positivity in 2012: 10 Affirmations or Intentions for 2012
I definitely know what you mean; I hate hearing “I went from $5 in my pocket to making half a mil online in a year!”
Showing my income the way it is wasn’t easy, but I think it’s much more encouraging than to see unrealistic numbers.
And you are so right: a lot of our success stems from who we are and how we build our online community; not something that can be ever duplicated!
Ana, you’re a star! Everyone secretly wants to know all the nitty gritty about blogging income
I love the new white look and clean cut design you’ve produced and of course your figures (financial) are fascinating: this is a very helpful post and I wish you all the best in 2012 and I believe you will make your dream come true of creating your blog as a real business. Best wishes to all your family, too!
Adwel Lo invites you to read: How To Develop Your Success Mindset Exponentially In 2012!
Thank you so much, Adwel, and glad you like the new look!
Ana,
Congratulations to you! You have done an incredible job of building and promoting your site over the last 18 months. I wish you prosperity, health, and more success in 2012!
Yours In Health!
G.E. Moon II
I appreciate your efforts and wish you a great year in terms of income. This is really a motivating figure for all new and struggling bloggers.
Ana, the reason I have followed you from the beginning, and always enjoyed your information is that you offer help to all levels of bloggers.
That is, the well seasoned, and the brand new-by. There is equal value to be had by all in your posts.
And so, in true form, you cut through the massive pile of BS that is so prevalent regarding just how much ‘BIG MONEY!’ you can make blogging. Doesn’t matter whether your figures are considered low or high by your audience. If I were a brand new-by wondering if blogging was a viable income producer, I could find cold hard facts here to make a decision with.
Thank you, Ana. You have done a great service for the blogging community.
But then, don’t you always?`
You are so right, Gib - hearing that we can make a boatload of money blogging only causes unrealistic expectations and shuttered dreams.
I so appreciate all your support since I started this blog; always such a pleasure to see you here!
Hi Ana,
I agree that you are doing well with your blog, but I think you can count on your husband to find a job soon. One of the great things about your blog is your demeanor and your solid gold integrity. The pressure of maintaining that and making enough to pay all your bills would probably turn blogging into something that wouldn’t be any fun for you. I will pray for your husband to find a job he can live with and that your TGC income goes even higher. Wouldn’t hurt to make too much and sock some away!
Lou
Lou Barba invites you to read: The Wheels on the Bus
Thank you so much, Lou.
My husband is actually on his way to San Francisco right now for an interview tomorrow; could use your prayers!
Cool to see your Income Report, Ana. Keep up the good work. It is always encouraging to see the reports from Pat and Now its you.
Hope to see your income grow exponentially this year
Garish Wasil invites you to read: What You Should Think About Before You Start Blogging ?
I hope so, Garish, and thanks for coming by!
Ana,
This is a big step - to share your income and it is something I have never done.
Not sure why really…just never have.
What I do each month (and this may help you … or it may not!), is have a target income.
So on my white board I have my target income at the top…say $5000 and each time some income comes in, I change the income figure to what is left for the month I have to achieve.
By doing that it helps me focus on some income generating ideas.
Andrew
Andrew invites you to read: What To Do To Gather Ideas For Blog Posts
Andrew-I like this idea..thanks for sharing this tip. That really helps me to focus on how much I need and want to earn. Do you base your target income on your “ideal/dream world income” or on the minimum you need toe earn to cover daily living expenses/savings etc
Ntathu
In 2011 I set the income level each month to what I thought I could make plus 20%.
In 2012, I’m going to double the target to what I actually achieved in 2011.
We shall see what happens.
Andrew
Andrew invites you to read: Successful Corporate Blogs: Your Content Makes The Difference
Love your goals, Andrew; ambitious, but achievable!
Nice job Ana. It’s never easy revealing your personal business, but I get it. It’s a great source of inspiration to me because I am in the same situation. I still have a day job, so I still have cushion. I love your hustle girl. Do your thang!
Sonia invites you to read: Crafting Blog And Social Content That Creates Real Dollar ROI
Thanks, Sonia!
I think that I love any blogger that can write with this kind of openness and honesty about their website/business.
I’m obviously a huge fan of what you do. I’m very excited to learn more from your experiences and hope to share some of mine as we head farther down the internet marketing rabbit hole.
Thanks Ana!
Ryan H.
Ryan Hanley invites you to read: How My Experiment in SEO Will Change the Game on Small Business Blogging
You are so welcome, Ryan, and thanks for you undying support!
Hey Ana.
Congrats on creating such a great income in such a relativity small amount of time.
I’m sure you’ll soon replace the Comment Luv revenue, I have that problem - much of my online business is aimed at seasonal niches, its always a downer when the promotion/season is over and the earnings from that work dry up!
The sheer amount of work and value you deliver will see you soaring in 2012, I am sure of it!
Cheers - Jay
Jay invites you to read: Cookie Clearing Help
Thanks for the encouragement, Jay!
Yes, sounds like we both need to focus on recurring income vs one-time promotions.
This was a really nice post. I hope you had a great holiday. There’s something about the way that you’ve laid out your blog that has a really good feeling to it. Although we haven’t met, you’ve done a terrific job of conveying personality through your site. I can’t put my finger on it, but it may have something to do with the flow of your site and your interaction with your subscribers…anyway, I am hopeful to create a site with as much flow and personality once I better learn wordpress…it’s not as easy as they say.
Happy New Year!
Jaime
Jaime invites you to read: Empower Network Viral Blogging System
Thank you, Jaime!
Hi Anna. It seems that your income is still mostly from affiliate promotions rather than ads. Does that include income that is from active promotion (i.e. sending specific emails for the product) or is it just passive (i.e. reviews and banner ads on your site)?
The numbers are pretty impressive when you look at the income per 1,000 pageviews. $84.30 is a pretty nice number.
I’m looking forward to hearing more about your link building product when it’s ready!
Bill (LoneWolf) Nickerson invites you to read: How To Find PLR
Good question, Bill.
Most of my affiliate income came without active promotion to my list, which I suppose is a great thing.
And I never looked at it from the pageview/income ratio; you are right, it’s not bad at all.
I got one of my first job offers today . I am to build a website for a small business . It is sort of a hobby business selling baby impressions as gifts to the parents. I guess they stick the baby in the mud take and impression and bronze it. O they must remove the baby first.
Anyway my offer to her is to make the website with the on page seo their so it will be ranked as high or higher than the competition in the area,Alberta western Canada. I think for the most part it will rank by default. I have offered to do the website for free to get started in building for cash because it is the kind of business that is getting rolling and does not have much in the way of a online plan so far and it connects to a lot of impressionable people. I have sold a few K in products but not made any cash yet hope this getws it rolling and one day I can post to a few followers that I actually earned cash online. I wish you all success in the new year.
Bruce Mackay invites you to read: Contemporary Dinnerware Reviews
I think removing the baby first is always a great idea, Bruce…
Congrats on your first job, even though it’s not a paid one. Most of use start that way online. Building trust and potential clientele is much more important than making a few bucks in the beginning.
I wish your business all the best!
Ana, I love how your laying it all out for your readers. I takes guts and it really shows how genuine you are. We are at about the 18 month mark for our online biz as well and are going fulltime this month! Totally want to beef up the passive income stream with more/ better affiliate products. December was the first month that we actually hit the 2k mark in affiliate commission (primarily due to a time sensitive launch) Most of last years money came from our own product launches (Jeff Walkers Product Launch Formula actually really works!)
Being part of a couple of power house mastermind groups probably was one of the biggest influences in our success as well.
Best of luck with your own signature product, I’m sure you’ll rock it!
Jeff
http://www.BookMoreBrides.com
$2K from affiliate sales is great, Jeff! Most bloggers don’t ever get anywhere close to it and give up…
Thanks so much for encouragement and I wish your business tremendous growth in the year to come!
Hey Anna,
I thought I had enter a different site when I loaded your blog LOL
I think it’s awesome to be able to see your income á la Flynn, so we can see what your fortes are too.
I knew you were one of the top promoters for CommentLuv but I wasn’t aware you were making that much, congrats!
I don’t know either if it’s a decaying number as the promotions are over but it’s nice to be able to check out that number for December anyway.
All the best for this new year and good luck developing your first product!
Sergio
Sergio Felix invites you to read: Quick Tip to Keep Being Productive and Creative
I know, Sergio - looks pretty sweet!
Yes, I am afraid CL sales are close to being over for now. Not sure if it picks up again in the future, but after several big launches, most people who wanted to have it, got it.
By the way, loved your “a la Flynn” analogy; very catchy!
Thanks so much for the info. It encourages me as I progress on this venture. My marketing coach suggested that I read your blog and I am so glad for the recommendation from her.
I look forward to hearing about your progress with new additions to your blog and work toward a product. I am also looking forward to your venture into podcasts.
Pat McGuire
Patricia McGuire MD FAAP, The Pediatric Profiler invites you to read: A note for parents of special children
Thank you so much, Pat - and thanks to your marketing coach for directing you to my blog!
Great job! I am working on monetizing more, and I see that affiliate marketing is probably a good option. I always want to make it seem like I am not trying to shove things down my reader’s throats, but I see that you do things very naturally. You are a good teacher:)
Dakotapam invites you to read: Complain Less. Bake More.
Affiliate marketing is definitely one of the best ways to make money blogging.
However, it also requires the most upfront work because of the trust that needs to be built between you and your readers. Once that trust exists, no one will feel like you are shoving the products down their throats.
I’ll add my word of “Thanks!’ to all of the above and add this: In the bigger picture, not only have you generated income (and done so the manner YOU’VE chosen), but those numbers are even better than they first appear to be because you’ve got business-expense tax deductions you can take. A Schedule C is a beautiful addition to your tax return! And no, I’m not an accountant, but I AM the mathematically challenged daughter of a very good one. ~:-)
Laura A. Dillivan invites you to read: Here’s "A Little Good-Doing…" for all of us animal lovers!
Very good point, Laura!
Yes, I think this post is really helpful. My question is how much are you really making when you add your time into it? You are very active with commenting as well as being faithful with writing consistently, so I imagine this all takes a good amount of your time.
Also, if you should ever let up in the amount you post, do you think you would be greatly affected in your income?
Elisabeth invites you to read: Britax Chaperone Infant Carrier Car Seat Review
All good questions, Elisabeth.
All in all, I am still putting less hours into my business than I would with a full-time job.
I am still a wife and a mother before anything else.
I don’t think I can do less writing as of right now, simply because I am driven by the fact that I need more referral traffic (thus, I do lots of guest posts), and search engine traffic (thus I write a lot of product and topic-specific posts to bring it in).
In the end, the dream is to work less and make more - who’d say no to that, right? lol
Anna,
First best wishes for 2012, to you and your family.
I think you did well when you did not had to make money - so I am sure
you are going to do very well on 2012- ( when you have to).
Ofer, best4garden
Thank you so much, Ofer; I hope so as well.
Hi Ana,
Will you be doing this every month or is this a one time thing? Nice income from your blog! Congrats!
Richard Brokenshire invites you to read: Today is a Gift …or What I Learned From A Turtle
I am planning on doing this on a monthly basis, Richard.
$3k is good money! More so when it’s all from passive streams of income. My bulk is still in consultation / freelance. While probably about 10% comes from passive. 2012, hoping to ramp things up by a notch to reach $1k passive within this next month.
Great goal to have, Daniel; I am right there with you. I don’t want to do much consulting or writing to make money.
Those are some really good numbers, Ana! You should be very proud
LavaLand invites you to read: The Art Of Ice Sculpture
Hi Ana,
Happy New Year! Yes, this post was very instructional in showing the streams. You help to reinforce the idea that multiple streams DO add up. Even if your top stream dried up, you’d still have 59% of that total.
I’ve been following your advice for awhile, so I appreciate seeing the results on your blog
Cheers,
Mitch
Mitchell Allen invites you to read: Spam Battleground: Episode 1
Thank you so much, Mitch, and you are right: diversification is the key.
hi Ana,
Not too shabby indeed! Congratulations on having both the drive to make it happen and the courage to ‘share all’ with the world. I am truly inspired, as I can see many others are too. Just shows you what you can do when you really turn up the heat.
Happy New Year!
Mandy Swift invites you to read: New Year - New Marketing Strategy??
Just goes to show what we are capable of when cornered, Mandy! lol
Now I can take a deep breath seeing all the positive comments; I was a bit concerned before I hit the “Publish” button.
Ana - Congrats on generating revenue during a tough month for business. It is a bit of a glass half full/half empty result. But if you are enjoying it, seems like the glass is half full with the potential for becoming much fuller in the 2012.
Such a pleasure to see you back, Randy - you’ve been MIA for a while. lol
For me, it’s certainly a glass half full; look forward to making it truly full!
hey Ana,
i am a blogspot blogger, thats why i am confused that how did you earn thousand$ through a comment plugin!?
alan invites you to read: Google Page Rank Update November 2011
Blogspot doesn’t offer even close to the same amount of plugins available to WP users, Alan.
The plugin I made so much money with is the one that allows you to add your last post link in each comment you place on my blog. It’s a great engagement tool!
That’s amazing report keep your good work …cheers
Samrat kafle invites you to read: Surefire ways to Increase Adsense Earnings 70% Overnight
Thank you, Samrat.
Ana, first of all congratulations! It is hard work, and I know you work hard at it, so it’s nice to see it work for you.
But I have to share with you how perfect the timing of this article is for me personally. Over the past 6 months I’ve been trying to make this stuff work for me and it’s been one heck of a learning process. My husband, who only knows how to read his email and headlines on his home page, asked me again to explain what I am doing and how it all works.
Well, at the time he asked I happened to be working off your “toolbox” links and thought it was a perfect example to show him, since I was actually contributing to your December numbers LOL. The good news was that the mechanics started making more sense to him - first hurdle. Then the big question.
“So, how much money do you think anyone can really make with this?”
Yep, now I have the answer. And funny enough, this morning I actually had someone contact me about a paid site that I introduced him to a few months ago. He never did anything with the link, but today he asked me for the link again! So, maybe later today my clickbank account will finally have some of my own proof.
Ana, can’t thank you enough for all of the great things you do here and can’t wait to see your new product (count me in), but most of all thank you for being a virtual mentor to me and so many others.
Susan
Susan Hand invites you to read: Facebook Video | Your Home Shopping Network
Ahh, you are so very welcome, Susan.
I know what you mean about your husband “not getting it”.
The only question mine has asked for a long time was “so, how much money you made so far?” It’s hard to explain that this is more of a long-term business model and certainly takes time to set up.
Thanks for trusting me to point you to the right tools for your business, Susan, and look forward to your new successes in the year to come!
Thanks for sharing Ana! The new design looks great. I’m sure the product will create will rock based on the content you provide here.
Benny invites you to read: 2011 Year in Review
Thanks so much, Benny!
Hey Anna!
Congratulations for the amazing Success TGC has achieved in such a relatively short time - 18 months! WOWZA!!! And deservedly so, squarely centred on your Vision, tenacity, savvy, skills, and relationship building abilities, just for starters, eh
…
And, Congratulations for sharing your 1st Income Report. I so value your open disclosure, as I do with what Pat Flynn shares too.
Sharing this information is immeasurably valuable! It helps us see the “behind the scenes” look into what makes it all really work. So, that we can learn from it, at a way more practical level than those who offer the theory and training programs, but not much more.
I can’t stress that enough to you for taking this step (and to Pat too), it has a big “insider” eye-opening impact!
I have a very strong intuitive sense that 2012 will be a big year for TGC and you. Let it unfold from here…
Ana, Happy New Year for an Awesome 2012!
Cheers
Kathy
Kathy invites you to read: New Year Appreciation
Thank you so much, Kathy - that’s precisely what I was hoping to achieve by stepping out and making the numbers available for the world to see.
I really appreciate your support and enthusiasm; I will certainly do everything I can to make 2012 my year - and hope you are working on the same with your business.
Fore sure Anna, I am so in there, hook, line and sinker, boots and all. This is my year too!
Kathy invites you to read: New Year Appreciation
Wow! That’s great, Ana.
I didn’t realize how much you could make from affiliate products. I’ve just been peddling my own services mostly. I see how that fits together in a business model though. I look forward to your product you create.
Gabrielle invites you to read: Is the Long Sales Letter Dead?
Selling services is great in the beginning, Gabrielle, but in the end your income is as good as the amount of clients you have.
You keep having to build this kind of business model up to keep the income coming in - not the kind of thing I’d like to do for the rest of my life.
Ana
congrats it takes guts and strength to make money online and you got up to that level, Hard Work Pays off to much more success and wealth to you my friend
Kenny Fabre invites you to read: What is a Squeeze Page?
Yes, Kenny; I was afraid the feedback would be “that’s all she’s making after a year and a half online?”
Glad to see the support I got so far and glad I did it.
Ana
my friend don’t worry about what people say, everyone is different and everyone works at a different pace, everyone learns different, and everyone learns in their own way Its only going to get better for you because it took a year for you but some people takes years before they can make any money so everyone is different, but any ways congrats again
Kenny Fabre invites you to read: What is a Squeeze Page?
Wow Ana!
Thats less for what your site provides us
Seeking ahead for a fantastic year ahead
If u could have monetised your site with Google adsense,it would have been around 8-9k $ .
So why dont you use Adsense?
Alan invites you to read: Google Page Rank Update November 2011
I don’t personally like AdSense and when I was doing research on whether to go that route vs paid advertising, all the facts seem to point the other way.
Hi Ana,
I was hesitant to add my 2 cents on what could be perceived as a sore subject with adsense, but since that glass has been broken now I will not feel so bad. Your blog probably could have done better with adsense with your traffic numbers if folks wanted to leave via an ad. At my zenith my adsense income was over 11k a month and you would have surpassed me in my opinion. You have a loyal readership and an engaging site layout that most everybody loves. I think most folks would have forgiven you for adding these types of ads.
There is so much to like here on your site. The header and photo is really killer. The angle of the photo and theme idea, but above all it is the person behind it all that makes it all work and gel. The personal interaction, the extreme time consumption of answering all the comments and emails. I have to say again that your blog is a model for folks to learn from.
Congratulations on the income levels you have achieved, you are in the minority of folks who have made money online on a regular basis.
Jim
First of all, thank you, Jim; you truly touched my heart with your compliment.
Secondly, I don’t mind the subject at all.
Truth is I did consider adding AdSense to my blog before I started doing paid advertisement. I did a lot of research and talked to bloggers who do use it and make money from it.
My conclusion was that AdSense works great on niche blogs/sites.
People in my niche are so accustomed to ignore those types of ads that most of them ignore them.
Also because of my authority and trust I’ve developed, I don’t want to jeopardize that trust if someone follows a link to a questionable product just because the product owner has deep enough pockets to buy some ads.
Ana - that’s amazing of you to share. Regarding income I have had the same problem - my husband’s office was closed exactly three years ago and we had to turn my hobby into something bigger. It took a while for us to figure out what to do but we started building and selling premium WordPress plugins, and we’re working now on our first non-plugin software offering.
But I never concentrated on building any kind of name for ourselves, we are trying to more now to make sure people get to know who we are. You’ve helped me get started on that and when our new product is out I’ll certainly come back to you for some advertising space.
Liz Jamieson invites you to read: No Follow Links - What Is Rel = External Nofollow?
It’s no easy thing to get this kind of business off the ground under pressure, Liz.
I think building a name for yourself definitely helps greatly. Even though I don’t even have a product of my own yet, I feel like I’ve already built a great list of potential buyers.
Gasp! You’re making money, Ana! Keep it up! You’ve inspired me to finally update my blog design in the interests of monetization! Happy New Year!
Dave Lucas invites you to read: #saywhatifeel Snoop Dogg Storms TV and Twitter
LOL, Dave - I had the same reaction when I saw the total.
Ana,
thank you for showing - I think it’s a great idea - even if there are no millions so far I know how much work it is and how much it will be until it turns into the big $$$. Congratulations to your success! Beside all - the money is much better earned online self-employed than in a 9-5 job.
Good luck for the future and thanks for the encouragement!
Monja invites you to read: Easy Keyword Research
So far it’s definitely better than working a low-paying job and making someone else rich, Monja; that’s for sure.
You deserve every nickel of that $3,700! Your sharing your results is just a reflection of how sincere you are as an entrepreneur.
As an online entrepreneur, I know what it takes to succeed on the internet. Launching your own product is the way to go. I have seen my income go up and down since I started online in 2005. Having a steady active list of subscribers and products that are highly effective are the two keys for long term income.
I am focusing on residual income and helping others achieve residual income. I can earn money over and over again just like the cable, insurance agents, internet service providers, and phone companies do. Work smarter, not harder. Have a great 2012 everyone!
Danielle Parsons invites you to read: Black-Eyed Peas with Kale and Sweet Potato
Residual income is my ultimate goal, Danielle, and it’s not the one that’s easy to achieve in blogging.
Work smarter - that’ll be my goal for the year to come.
Hi Ana
That is very interesting reading. I am a bit surprised that you have not earned more on consulting. I am sure that there are a lot of companies that would love your assistance when it comes to SEO and traffic optimization. As I see it that is where you can earn the big money. Thank you for sharing your numbers with us
Thomas invites you to read: Review of Freemake Video Converter for PC
I stopped advertising consulting a while ago, Thomas (I even took the navigation button out). It’s just not something I enjoy doing or would like to develop as an income stream.
Well Ana, It looks like you have lots of other ways to earn money so I guess you just stick to them. It might also be better only to have a few areas and then focus 100% of them. Good luck Ana.
Thomas invites you to read: How to check and improve Loading Times on your Blog
Well, I for one was expecting you to be a millionaire by now! I’m joking of course. I think everyone has the dream of having blogging as a full time job. As said earlier, it’s a very competitive niche you’re working in and your site is still quite young..
You introduced me to two products; commentluv and market samurai, and I thank you for both!
Good luck in 2012..
Regards,
Graham
Graham Bell invites you to read: Which Tablet Computer Best Tablet PC Review
Wouldn’t that be nice, Graham… lol
Thanks for your support and look forward to seeing you around in the year to come.
I am waiting for your link building guide
vinodh invites you to read: Http xml post request url
Yes, Ana, it was helpful to me for comparison to my own and differnet goals.
Michael invites you to read: St. Mikulas Night in Prague
Glad to hear that, Michael.
Ana! You deserve it. It is your hard earned money. You can be very proud to publish it. I am happy to see you contented.
Thank you, Sreekumar!
Congratulations on your massive success since you launched TGC. Well done for sharing your December’s income. You definitely rocked it with CommentLuv!
I’m looking forward to your product!
All the very best for 2012, my friend!
Mavis
Mavis Nong invites you to read: Blogging Success - Reflecting on my Exciting Blogging Journey in 2011
Thank you, Mavis!
Of course, this month I’ll have to find a different product to rock with to even come close to the same earnings. lol
Impressive, honest and strong. Quite like the image of you you project in your blog and e-mails letters!
I sur hope your business will grow fast and quick and I wish you a happy new year!
Thank you!
Very inspirational. Many of us would like to get to that point, or even half way to that point. It’s nice that you’ve broken it down into your income streams.
I think this will help many people realize that you need to promote the best quality products for the best ROI.
Creating my own product is on my list too. I just haven’t decided or discovered what I “bring to the table” yet. I know it’s something and I’ll have my own unique twist to it, but it hasn’t appeared.
Thanks for sharing!
Patti
Patti Stafford invites you to read: The Trek Into How to Build an Email List
Thank you, Patti.
Yes, creating your own product is a challenge even if you take the time constraints out of the equation.
It has to be different enough for people to go WOW! I need this!
Building a little authority also helps with sales.
Absolutely fantastic Ana. I love the transparency and it really teaches people something.
I think creating your own product is a brilliant move, and if it’s exceptionally good (which I’m sure it will be), you’find ll people share it and talk about it (which drives people to search for it
)
Rock on!
Jason Fonceca invites you to read: Do You Have Dysfunctional Or Healthy Energy In Your Relationship?
Thanks, Jason.
Talking the talk and walking the walk are two different things, aren’t they?
Ana:
Kudos on your successes in December. I know the struggle of being the only income; which led to the sale of TFB. Anyways, I know whatever product you create will be a phenom.
Mobile marketing WILL take off this year as it is still an untapped resource where bloggers are concerned. Imagine getting a text message from my favorite blogger; uh you of course!
best of luck in 2012.
Lisa
Lisa invites you to read: Mobile Ads Will Dominate 2012
Such a wonderful surprise to see you here, Lisa! I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with this year; blogosphere is not the same without you!
Im always lurking around TGC Ana!!! Im trying to put together a more personal style blog this year so it’s easier for me to write. All your tips and tricks should make this as painless as possible!!!
Lisa invites you to read: Why You’ll Never Be a Traffic Generation Cafe
A great report that inspires a lot … Agree with your words that the reports can be helpful for business owners in terms of inspiration.
Hope you succeed in your goals for 2012
Salman invites you to read: Samsung MV800 Review : Flip-out Display
Thank you, Salman; I’ll try.
Ana, congrats,
I didn’t grasp what you did mean under your own product?
Could you point to any blogger with his own product, as an illustrating example?
Gennady invites you to read: New Trends in Spamming: Spam Fused into Antispam Protection with Spamming Visitors Instead of Web Sites
Meaning something I sell for money, Gennady, vs just giving it away for free like I am doing right now on my blog.
Most bloggers who’ve been around for a while have a product for sale; take Pat Flynn for example, who I mentioned in the post above.
Congratulations!!!.Keep up your good work.
Mir Imran Elahi invites you to read: Top 6 tips on how to retrieve from Bad links
Hello Ana
Thank you for your post about december earnings.
These kind of posts is very encouraging - it shows that others have managed to achieve something great, it shows that someone has achieved much more than we do. And thanks to that we know where we want to come!
Best regards and congratulations
Kris
Krzysiek Roznowski invites you to read: Sigma DP1s ver Sigma DP1x – similarities and differences
And that’s exactly what I was hoping for, Kris.
It’s amazing that you have not made your own product. Please let me know when you will have this out. I’ll be waiting impatiently….Great post by the way.
Paul
Paul invites you to read: By: Mike
TGC takes so much time to run that I’ve had hard time sitting down and actually writing something that will make money, Paul.
I’ll make the effort to change that though.
It’s fantastic how you generates your income. I’m sure it will go up in the very near future. I’m watching out for you, please keep it up
Hope so, Tram!
Congrats Ana! I am looking to start something similar as well
I too get inspired by Pat Flynns posts and I think it drives you personally to do better the next month.
Keep up the great work.
Joshua Zamora invites you to read: How To Get Targeted Website Traffic From YouTube in 3 Easy Steps
It’s also nice to see which affiliate products make money, Joshua. Not necessarily because we can do the same, but as a guidance.
Happy New Year!
Hi Ana, Happy New Year and thanks for this post.
Lot’s of people make money by telling people they make money. I’m sure this post alone is going to bring in more money. I already see how
Enstine Muki invites you to read: 8 Twitter Apps to make money on Twitter
I was hoping for that as well, Enstine. lol
Teaching people who to make money is one thing, but walking the walk is completely different!
Congrats Ana, the comment luv promotion was great.
I also like the cleaner, modern look here.
Your own product - what do you have in mind? a traffic bootcamp? Paid webinars? I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Income from blogs, my blogs have kept us since 2007 and last year we earned approx $300,000 from them (bricks and mortar business). Birds on the Blog earns around $500 a year (goes to charity) and my personal sandpit does reasonably well as too. It can be done and easily done, it just takes being consistent and showing up.
Sarah Arrow invites you to read: Using Hootsuite to manage your blog and social profiles
Thanks, Sarah - glad you like the look; I am very happy with it as well.
You are so right; anything is possible if you “show up”. Very inspiring to hear your numbers; that’s amazing!
Ana,
Wow really impressive I must say.
It’s very cool how you have multiple income streams. Great business model and you’ve done an outstanding job of making money in a (in my opinion) difficult niche.
Keep up the great work!
Gerald Weber invites you to read: The Future of How Google+ Will Impact Search Rankings
Thanks, Gerald - always great to see your smiling face on my blog!
Thanks for being so open about how you have generated income for your business. I have not given my blog or my personal projects the love they deserve up to this point, and I can see what a huge difference that makes. As a writer, I have been going the guaranteed money by working for clients, but all the while neglecting what I should have been nurturing…
Thank you for the heads up! My eyes are now wide open…and I am focused like a laser beam on building MY business:)
DeniseGabbard invites you to read: Kickstart Write and Get Paid!
That’s the spirit, Denise.
If all we do is write and work for clients, then how is it different from a regular job? This is even harder since you have to constantly find new clients and keep them happy…
All the best with YOUR business in the year to come!
Way to go Ana! Loved the post and wishing you a very profitable new year ahead.
Sonal invites you to read: How to use EFT to Overcome Resistance to Doing Something
Much appreciated, Sonal!