If you are new to my blog, you may be curious as to what this blog is about, and why I publish monthly income reports. My First Month Blogging I made over $250 and you can too – Here’s how!

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When I learned that making money blogging was a real thing, I began to track exactly how much money I was making every day with my website. I did this because I am data-driven, but also because I wanted to show you that making a full-time income at home working online is possible.

It’s my strange way to collect data, try out new blogging strategies, and share with you what actually works, from the very beginning!

Every month, I share my journey, as a brand new blogger, who is using Pinterest to drive traffic to my website. As you read through my archive of blog posts, you can see that I share my real stories and experiences. All the same steps you will go through!

Why I started blogging for money

I started this blog because I wanted to share with you, how I began to save for retirement in my 50’s, as a college dropout, with absolutely zero in savings, and growing my nest egg to over $1,000,000.

I know that many people struggle with personal finance and money management. By sharing my journey and strugggles here on this personal blog, you can see how I, working part time every evening after my 9-5, saved enough money to retire comfortably.

I have always thought that blogging was the future – I compare it to the story about planting a tree:

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today

Chinese Proverb

Additionally, I like to compare every blog post like starting a forest. Every time you click the publish button, you have planted a little seed on-line. Over time, that seed grows, and eventually, after you publish dozens and hundreds of articles you have an entire forest!

Besides, starting a blog is literally FREE! It is so cheap to get started, that if it doesn’t work out, you haven’t lost anything financially. There is no reason to not try!

When I started down this path, I knew it was possible to make money online, but I wasn’t 100% convinced I could actually do it. Let me tell you that if this 50 year old man can, you can too!

I learned you don’t have to be a good writer, or have a lot of tech knowledge, or even blog everyday. I really was a noob when it came to this stuff.

What you have to do is start.

What’s holding you back?

I actually surprised myself when I made over $200 my first month blogging. It doesn’t seem like that much when you hear about people making $100,000 a year or more, but at least it is a start!

Anyway, I’m super happy with my progress blogging, and am writing this post to help beginners like you!

August Blog Income Report

Hi – and welcome to my August blog income report.

For those of you who are new, this is my very first income report. But I’ve created a special category so you can see my progress through the years as my on-line income (hopefully) grows.

It is also nice to be able to express my self and help readers like you while getting rewarded with a small affiliate commission. And best of all my blog is 100% free to you – and always will be!

To be honest, most bloggers don’t have early success – they need to blog for 4 to 6 months to see results.

I think this is because they don’t go in 100% FULLY!

Every day, I spend 2-3 hours (either before or after my regular job) to write blog posts, research keywords, and promote my site to get traffic.

Honestly it is a lot of work, but as you can see it really pays off!

You don’t have to do all these things everyday, but this is how I did it.

I spent so much time researching the current best blogging techniques, the best and fastest way to get traffic to my site, and how to use affiliate links to make money. Then I did exactly what other successful bloggers did. I got to work!

There is still so much for me to learn, and the on-line world is always changing and growing (have you heard about AI blogging?)

This didn’t happen overnight – but it did happen! Just like starting a tree from a tiny seedling, the growth takes time.

so, now on to the good stuff!

What I did this month to improve my blog income

As this was my very first month blogging there was a lot to do.

There are so many sources to look to when starting a blog. I did a ton of research leading up to my launch, and found one to be heads and shoulders above the rest. For me, the Roadmap was the best overall program to get my new digital business up and running.

I had some serious goals going into my first month of blogging, and with planning and work (yes actual work) I was able to accomplish all of them.

1. Sign up for a domain name
2. Get Affordable Website Hosting
3. Install WordPress
4. Choose a theme
5. Install Google Analytics
6. Install plugins
7. Research Keywords and topics
8. Publish 26 blog posts
9. Add affiliate links to relevant blog posts
10. Start a Pinterest page
11. Make 3-5 pins for each post to drive traffic

Most months won’t have all this activity – it will mostly be just 4 steps – (steps 7-10)

Sign Up for a Domain Name

This was the easiest of all.

After a bunch of reading about clever names, and cute websites, I decided to just use my real name. That’s right! I am my own brand, now!

By choosing to use EricHegwer.com because in my community in real life I am known to be an amazing (and humble) trivia player. I have a lot of knowledge about a great many things, and my goal is to share them with you!

Plus I have some long term goals that I want to share with you eventually. Not right now, sorry.

When I pivot to my next adventure, I want to continue to use this site to share that journey with you, all the while keeping everything I’ve shared previously with you still available.

I was able to sign up for my domain name, at the same place I used for hosting – which I’ll explain next.

Get Affordable Website Hosting

There are a lot of different web hosts available.

For over 20 years I’ve been using DreamHost. They have affordable fast hosting that is great for beginners as well as advanced bloggers. Plus they have a 1-click WordPress installer that makes setting up your new WordPress blog a dream (literally).

After setting up my account, I was able to claim my own name, and get some fast managed hosting for my new personal blog.

Plans that include everything start at $2.95 per month, and with that you get so much:

• 1 Free Domain name
• Unlimited hosting
• 1-Click WordPress install
• Free Email
• SSL Certificate (for security)
• Extreme Speed
• 100% uptime guarantee
• Money back guarantee

From the beginner who is just starting out, to an experienced web designer, over 1.5 Million users trust Dreamhost. I do, and you should too!

1-Click to Install WordPress

DreamHost’s 1-click WordPress installation is designed to simplify the process of getting a website up and running, making it accessible even for those with minimal technical expertise.

With just a single click, the system automatically installs WordPress, taking care of all the complex steps like database creation and file configuration behind the scenes.

This hassle-free setup saves time and eliminates the frustration of manually installing WordPress, allowing users to focus on building and customizing their site without any technical hurdles.

In addition to its simplicity, DreamHost’s 1-click installation ensures that your WordPress site is set up with the latest version, complete with essential plugins and a default theme.

The process is quick, typically taking just a few minutes, and the user-friendly interface guides you through the initial setup.

Whether you’re launching a blog, an online store, or a business website, DreamHost’s 1-click install makes it easy to start your WordPress journey smoothly and efficiently.

Choose a WordPress Theme

Because I had such lofty goals to get started, I didn’t want to spend a lot of time picking out and designing a wordpress theme.

I know there are millions. of different ones out there, and that you need to pick one that helps you to stand out, plus is easy to navigate.

But I also realized that for these first few months I wouldn’t have a lot of traffic – that means not a lot of people would be visiting my site.

So to start I chose the built in WordPress theme Twenty Twenty-Three. It is lightweight, easy to customize, and looks pretty good!

It is also mobile friendly, which brings me to one of my next points –

Install Google Analytics

Perhaps the most helpful tool for a new blogger are all the free tools.

Google offers a robust suite of free tools that are essential for new blog owners looking to establish their online presence.

One of the first steps is to claim your site with Google Search Console, a powerful tool that allows you to monitor your site’s performance, submit sitemaps, and ensure your content is properly indexed by Google.

This not only helps your blog get discovered by search engines but also provides insights into how visitors are interacting with your content.

Google Search Console alerts you to any issues, such as broken links or mobile usability problems, giving you the chance to fix them and improve your blog’s overall performance.

Keyword research is another crucial aspect of blogging, and Google offers tools like Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends to help you identify popular search terms and topics in your niche.

These tools allow you to discover high-traffic keywords, analyze search volumes, and even spot emerging trends that can drive more visitors to your blog.

Additionally, Google Analytics provides in-depth data about your audience, including where they’re coming from, what pages they’re visiting, and how long they stay on your site.

By leveraging these free tools, new blog owners can effectively optimize their content, enhance user experience, and grow their audience.

Install WordPress Plugins

WordPress has everything-you-need-in-one, but it is not 100% perfect.

So I added some free plugins to enhance my site, increase my SEO, and get me to the coveted #1 positions on Google faster.

The first 5 plugins I installed are:

1. Akismet (anti spam)
2. Easy Table of Contents – to make reading blog posts easier
3. Internal Link Juicer – to create links within my site quickly
4. Simple Author Box – so You know who I am
5. Yoast SEO. The free version because it is super powerful all by itself.

These plugins help me to rank faster, write faster, and make the blog easier for you to read.

They are all compatible with each other, and the basic WordPress theme I chose so there aren’t any conflicts.

Over time, I know I’ll add more plugins – including an affiliate link manager, and others, but for now these 5 plugins are all you need!

Research Keywords and Topics

I knew I wanted this to be an informational blog. One that helps new bloggers like you to get up and running fast.

I also wanted a major theme to be about making money on-line.

But you don’t have to have those topics as your goals. You could blog about anything you are passionite about:

• How to make Greeting Cards
• Bicycle Touring the USA
• LEGO Model Railroading

These are all examples of topics I actually wanted to try at one point. I still may someday.

But, because this was going to be a blog about how to make affiliate income online, and targeted towards new bloggers and people who want more money in retirement, I used the Google Keyword tool to search for keywords related to those topics and began to write articles about them.

It was just that simple!

Publish 26 Blog Posts

Then for the next month, I published jsut about 1 blog post per day.

Each post took 1-3 hours of me just sitting down at the keyboard and writing out my thoughts on the topic.

I like to use a controversial blog post writing method called the “Minimum Viable Product”.

Basically what I do is write 2000-3000 words on a topic. I don’t add a lot of graphics, or links. I just pound on the keyboard until every last thought I have on a topic is out.

Then I click publish.

I let Google decide how good the article is.

This can take weeks or months, but I’m super patient.

I keep an eye on my Google Search Console (that Installed eariler in the month) and see which posts are beginning to get traction and move up in the SERPS.

For those posts that increase, I then go back and add links, images, and screenshots.

I don’t really change the text, because that is what Google “reads” and I don’t want to change that for fear of affecting my newly gained rankings.

Add Affiliate Links to Relevant Blog Posts

For the posts that do well, or start to do well, I add Amazon links to the products I mentioned in the posts. And that is where I start to make my money!

Signing up for the Amazon Affiliate program is easy. this isn’t the influencer program.

You don’t need to make videos, or scan products.

All you have to do is find a product you like on Amazon, and then using the special link that you get when you are accepted into the program, you link from your site to Amazon.

Then whenever anyone clicks on that link, anything they buy on amazon during the next 24 hours you get credit for!

For example, I linked to a microphone for blogging, and someone bought an entire podcast setup including a standing desk, soundproofing foam, and a boom arm too! They spent a bunch of money, and. I got a commission just for referring them!

Start a Pinterest Page

There are a lot of different ways to drive traffic to your new blog.

You could start promoting on social networks like Instagram or TikTok. You could start a podcast or YouTube channel.

For me, and the audience I identified, I turned to Pinterest to get my blog traffic up.

Pinterest is a great platform because it is called a visual search engine.

Users type in what they are looking for like recipes, or crafts or whatever, and the site returns Pins (images) that link to blog posts or products related to their query!

From my keyword research, I learned that a lot of people use Pinterest to search for the topics I was interested in writing about. In fact, according to my data about 1 in 2 people find this very web page from the pins I’ve made on Pinterest!

But, Pinterest is a slow growth strategy. Don’t expect results overnight.

You have to put the work in!

That’s why I…

Make 3-5 pins for Each Post to Drive Traffic

After I had a handful of blog posts, I began to work on my Pinterest strategy.

Again there is a lot of info out there on the web about how to Pin correctly but here’s what I did to get started

1. I created a business profile and linked it to my website.
2. I created 5 new boards a day for 7 days and added keyword rich text to the description, while also “pinning” 20-30 relevant pins to each board
3. I began to create my own pins and add them as appropriate to the boards I created.

Lots of people use Canva or Tailwind to create and schedule pins. I don’t have the budget just yet for that, so I do everything manually and create my pins in Apple Keynote (their free version of Powerpoint).

I simply find good performing pins in the category I am interested in, and then use them for inspiration to create new ones!

At first I was very slow – it would take me 15-20 minutes to make a single pin.

But after I made a few dozen different ones, I could use them as templates and just change the text and colors and images to suit my new blog posts!

So how many page views did I get this month?

My first month I got 610 page views with a 1.1% Click through rate. I don’t think these are normal for most people, but I put a ton of work in, and am extremely happy with the results.

This is an actual screen shot of my Google Search Console after my first 31 days of blogging.

It felt like a lot, and it was! But I wanted to see results, that that is what I got!

Most of my traffic came from Google, with a small fraction from Pinterest. It will be interesting to see how this number changes over time so stay tuned!

How much money I made my first month of Blogging

Overall I made $241.05 from two affiliate sources.

• Amazon Affiliates
• Rakuten

I made $185.46 from Amazon Affiliates (most of that was from the one podcast microphone sale).

This is an actual screen shot of my Amazon affilaite dashboard

Additionally. I made $55.81 from the Rakuten network promoting some other services mentioned in my blog posts.

One discouraging thing is that I also applied to over 30 other affiliate programs and was turned down from 99% of them because my site was either too new, or I didn’t have enough traffic.

I’ll be honest – that was a bit discouraging, but all it means is I need to try harder and work more to get my numbers up!

Blogging Goals for September:

Even though I accomplished so much, this is really a long term venture and I am FAR from being done!

Some goals I have for the month of September are to

1. Write 15 more blog posts
2. Create 100 new pins
3. Add a free digital product – I’m thinking about a giantic list of affiliate programs you can join!
4. Start an email list

For some long term goals, over the next few months I hope to:

• Create better content for you!
• Start a podcast where I interview other successful bloggers
• join more affiliate networks
• Explore other topics like RV-ing and AirBnb.

August Blog Expenses

For the month of August, the first month I started my blog, I tried to keep my expenses to a minimum. In fact, aside from my time, I only bought one thing!

All my content is produced on a 2020 13″ Macbook Air.

I use the free suite of Google products (like Sheets, and docs, and analytics), plus I love using apple Keynote for graphic design – I know I’m weird like that.

the only expnse I paid for was my hosting at Dreamhost which was 2.95 for the month.

So I made $241 on a $3 investment. That is an 81.7 times increase! I doubt I’ll see that every month but who knows – if I can continue to keep the blog “lean” and generate maximal returns I think the sky is the limit.

Of course I probably put in 80-100 hours total work for the month, but in reality I would have been watching movies, or doom scrolling.

Plus I learned so much and had so much fun!

It is very easy to fall into the trap of signing up for a lot of different programs when you are just starting out.

But don’t do it! You can start with a simple hosting plan and some free plugins!

Just be creative, and all the answers you need can be found on these pages!

My tips for the First Time Blogger

Starting a blog can be an exciting journey, but it’s important to begin with a clear plan.

First, define your niche and target audience.

Knowing who you’re writing for and what you’re passionate about will help guide your content and make your blog stand out.

It’s also essential to choose the right blogging platform for me WordPress was the only choice.

Invest time in learning the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) so your content is more likely to be discovered by readers.

Focus on creating high-quality, valuable content consistently, as this will help build your audience over time.

In addition to creating content, think about your blog’s design and user experience.

A clean, easy-to-navigate layout with mobile responsiveness is key, as many readers will visit your blog from their smartphones. Most readers will scan until they find something that resonates with them or answers their question.

Don’t forget to engage with your audience—respond to comments, ask for feedback, and create a sense of community.

Social media is also a powerful tool for promoting your blog; be sure to share your posts on platforms where your target audience is active. I chose Pinterest, and you shoudl too!

Finally, be patient. Building a successful blog takes time, so stay consistent and motivated even if progress seems slow at first.

Final thoughts on starting a blog

Starting a blog is an empowering way to share your voice and connect with a like-minded audience.

While the journey may seem challenging at first, with the right planning, consistent effort, and a focus on providing value, you can create a space that resonates with readers and grows over time.

Remember to stay patient, keep learning, and enjoy the creative process—your blog has the potential to become a powerful platform for your ideas and passions.