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One type of post many bloggers use on their site is a blog income report. But before you get lured into a false sense of believing them, make sure you know why these posts may not be all they are cracked up to be.
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If you follow any bloggers, the first part of each month often brings a recurring post. The income report. But should you trust what they say? Are these really helpful?
Struggling to know what to focus on with your blog?
What to focus on, and the mistakes to avoid making, to turn your blog from a hobby into a business.
WHAT IS A BLOG INCOME REPORT?
A blogger income report is a post or article where bloggers share how much they made the prior month. They list the income from all sources, such as advertising, affiliates, or the products they sell.
WHY DO BLOGGERS SHARE THEIR BLOGGING INCOME?
There are several reasons why many share these each month. Some of them are just excited to share their journey. But most of them (not all) usually include links to courses or products that teach you how to blog.
They are a marketing tool. Like a gift guide or product review, they encourage people to click to buy something.
IS IT WRONG TO DO AN INCOME REPORT?
Of course not! If you feel like you want to share this with the world, then, by all means, knock yourself out.
But, before you jump in and type one, you will want to make sure that you are helpful and not smarmy.
WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR EARNINGS REPORT?
A well-written blogging income report will pull back the curtain on how to make money blogging. It will include information on advertising networks, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and product sales. Not only that, but they will also disclose their expenses.
And, if the blogger is honest, they will often include screenshots verifying income from different sources or detailed information about where they make their income.
Many times, these reports also include struggles or what the blogger changed that month to try to make more money. Those strategies can be helpful.
As stated above, they also include links to their courses, books, or other products that people can buy so they too can make money, as well as disclose their expenses.
More often than not, they are a marketing tool to get you to buy their products or those they recommend.
DO I HATE THEM?
Honestly? I have a love-hate relationship with them. I love it when bloggers are honest and helpful and are not trying to sell people. I don’t like most of them because I don’t think they are all they claim to be.
MISLEADING TITLES
For starters, I often feel that the titles are very misleading. They may say they made $20,000 in income from blogging this month. But, once you start reading, you see they spend $15,000 in expenses (including advertising). That means their real income only $5,000.
I wish that these reports and titles would be more accurate and say “Net Profit” rather than “Monthly Income.”
But they don’t.
Why?
Because saying I made $20,000 blogging this month sounds a whole lot more interesting than to say you made $5,000 net profit. It gets people clicking and wanting to read.
FALSE EXPECTATIONS
Another reason I am not a fan because I think they set new bloggers up with false hope. If someone is making $50,000 a month, that is great. Heck – I’d love to make that too!
But, the thing I know that is not something every person can attain.
Sure, it’s possible.
However, it is more an exception than the rule for most bloggers. You may get there over time, but the truth is most do not.
A MARKETING PLOY
I also feel that the reports are used only to market other courses for readers to buy. It is a way to get more sales, making them more affiliate income, so next month’s report shows more money.
Don’t get me wrong! I use affiliate marketing myself on my site. And I understand why they do them. But when you say you made $25,000 and you took this course, that is why they sign up. They want to learn too.
And learning is great. We all have to do that. But I would instead read about a blogger who says I took this course, and when I started, I was making $20 a month. I used those tools, and over 36 months, I finally made $25,000 a month.
That is just being honest. Otherwise, it can come across in the wrong way.
NO PROOF OF INCOME
Then some can say they make any number without evidence to back it up. I could say I made $28,472 in affiliate income last month – but I’d be lying.
Unless someone shows you screenshots, they can say what they want. There is nothing to back it up, and there is no way to verify if what they say is true or not.
The truth is that not all blog income reports are legit. Sad. But true.
ARE ALL INCOME REPORTS BAD?
Now that does not mean that there are not some great reports out there to read. Not at all. Some bloggers do an excellent job and are incredibly transparent, and I commend them for that (and wish this were more the norm than the exception).
CAN BE ENCOURAGING
The only reason that I like them is that I feel those that are well-done (you know, share stats, aren’t being overly salesy, have proof to back up their claims) is that they can be encouraging.
If a post talks about where the blogger began, and they are honest and open about the numbers, they can be uplifting to help bloggers realize that the sky is the limit when it comes to blogging.
WHY I WON’T DO SHARE HOW MUCH I MAKE BLOGGING
That all aside, I don’t think anyone has the right to know how much money I make blogging. I mean, we don’t ask doctors or nurses how much they make, do we? And we don’t expect them to tell us.
The truth is, success is more than just what shows on your financial statements. It is what you are doing every day that makes you happy.
If you blog and make $20,000 a month and are miserable, are you really happy? The money is excellent, but does your site bring you joy (beyond the money).
I’ve had my share of ups and downs over the past ten years I’ve been blogging. I’ve had times when I’ve wanted to quit. But I didn’t. And why was that? Because I genuinely love what I do. Helping others and being an inspiration for them is where I find my success.
Think about that. What defines success for you? I genuinely hope that it goes beyond the dollar.
Struggling to know what to focus on with your blog?
What to focus on, and the mistakes to avoid making, to turn your blog from a hobby into a business.
Hey Tracie,
So glad to see this!
I’m in my second-year blogging. One thing I learned quickly is that more than 80% of every blog I visit has a section on how to make money blogging – across all niches. I found this odd from the get-go. The irony of this is as I got further along and learned how to view a sites traffic and stats it became apparent that in most cases unless every visit becomes a sale the numbers don’t add up.
Then, it was obvious that most of these reports are a lure at best. The lure is to get you to buy their content that contains the secret sauce. Or, their affiliate link to the secret sauce the other created. Add to this that other bloggers then blog about the top dogs creating traffic for themselves and the top dog. A never-ending circle creating more validation that “it must be true”. And, never is the income or revenue validated.
Your example of $20K revenue and the $5K net is low. Some are claiming millions! At the end of the day, going forward to me this is how I see it. You run a business; you file business taxes. Show your balance sheet or it’s bull. A screenshot means nothing for me, a graphical artist can create these with little effort. The how much you netted as an individual is neither here nor there unless it’s a sole proprietorship – which, most are not.
I think there are some powerhouses that make a fortune. I think the rest are full of it.
Lastly, while all this content on “how to make it big blogging” is wrapped in legal disclaimers. I think it’s just a matter of time before the FTC jumps on this. Eventually, dishonest people will get called out.
FYI, I make $25 million a year. Can I prove it? Nope….. LOL
Nikki
Oh girl! You and I are soul sisters! 😉 Thanks for your honest response and sharing what you have learned and how you see this (as a newer bloggger).
Keep on going – you’ll get there. And when we both make $25 million let’s meet on a beach and sip cocktails!
Thank you so much for posting this, it’s so good to hear! You are one of my favorite bloggers to follow (I’m in your and Carly’s FB groups) because of your honesty. It’s so refreshing and relieving.
There are SO many people just trying to sell and aren’t actually giving any value. I bought an ebook recently that claimed it would teach someone how to take those next steps AFTER starting to become a better blogger/influencer. The landing page said what it would teach you and even what pages those topics could be found on once you bought the book. It was $5, so I bought it. I was so incredibly disappointed. Not only were the topics not on the promised page numbers, but the promised content was for total beginners or not even there at all. I immediately asked for a refund and vowed to myself to always be extremely, over the top honest with my audience. Thanks for setting the example for being an amazing blogger!
Thanks again, Tracie!
Unfortunately, this is all too common. It is one of the reasons it took me so long before I created products and services.
I want to make sure that what I offer has value. And, that the value you get far exceeds what you pay. There is a lot of free stuff out there and it can be hepful.
But, when read an amazing sales page you feel you are missing something. There has to be a secret you don’t know . But, you often do or it just did not provide enough help for you to figure it out.
There is NO secret formula. There is just following people who provide you help. If someone gives and gives to me and does not sell then I find that I am more interested in paying. When people just sell and sell I don’t trust them.
Tracie,
This post is very refreshing to read.
When my husband and I started our blogging journey seven months ago, our decision to start was spurred by one of the income reports that you speak of in this post.
We purchased the course linked in the income report and a domain, from an affiliate link in the post, with dollars signs gleaming in our eyes. The Kool-Aide was awesome.
After completing the course, I look at the income reports through a different lens. I can easily see now that a bulk of the blogger’s income comes from teaching people how to make money.
(How embarrassing! I thought I was a savvy adult)
Fortunately, we love the Kool-Aide and do not regret our decision to start blogging.
The thing is, I can see how someone could fall prey to this type of marketing.
Although we are only seven months into our journey, I seven months exceeds many of the startup blogs today -unrealistic expectations.
Thank you for taking the high road!
Unfortunately, you are not alone. This happens more often than not. And it frustrates me.
If you make $10k a month and that comes from telling others how to make $10k, you aren’t really making money the right way. It is a pyramid scheme.
I hate when bloggers are taken advantage of and I wish it did not happen. But, it will continue to.
Around here talking about how much money you make is not something you ever do. It’s a faux-pas. So it’s hard for me to reconcile this with feeling okay about bloggers putting it all out there. It can often come across as “look at me!” Which is gross.
I understand that it can be used as a teaching tool and can be helpful, , but more often than not I find that to be distracting and lead me into places that take me off my path. And no matter how good hearted the intention is behind it, I find it to be a turn off.
Ive learnt my lesson, now I keep my head down and find a select few mentors that I like and trust such as Tracie.
Seriously Tracie, you are awesome!????
Awww….thanks! I am humbled to be one of those you trust. And you are right — stay focused and do not allow the pretty lights to district you.
HI Tracie, I really appreciate this post. I find myself overthinking and doubting myself all the time, because I don’t want to be dishonest or deceptive. Your post reminded me that worrying about these things will only help me stay on the honest path, and that creating from this place will still attract readers and subscriber – that there is an audience for the honest bloggers too!
Thanks Heather! And yes, honest bloggers can definitely find their audience. You will achieve greater success in being authentic and real.
Tracie,
I have been reading your blog and love your work. Success is when I see people who work with our team transformed – they are no long.er on the same level like when we first met.
In reality, to make money, you will spend money. Look at the budget for Facebook ads alone?
A tight marketing budget plus ethical ad tips and tactics can give you awesome results.
This is my opinion in regards to blogging income.
There is a very thin line between ‘facts’ and ‘copywriting.’ Lead generation for successful branding, sales, and marketing is not what we knew. Some bloggers may have achieved overnight success on the back of a single post. Others it months (if not years).
Remember, there is a consistent message plastered on the internet on social proof. Thus, you will not miss the false and misleading ones. It is like those who pay to pose for photos for content creation – ‘showing’ lavish lifestyles on social media platforms.
I have added this post to Flipboard, Mix and Pinterest.
I love the people who say they have made millions of dollars blogging. But.. in watching their latest video you notice that they have Ashley furniture.. OMG!
There is certainly nothing wrong with Ashley furniture if you are an ordinary, everyday person. But.. millionaires DO NOT fill their homes with Ashley furniture! That is laughable and just proves how oblivioius they really are.
You can learn a lot simply by being observant. Pay attention to what you see.. and what you read.
I ran across another person who claims to be making 5-figures a month. But, then she goes on to say she wishes she had know what she knows now when she first started blogging.. TWO YEARS AGO. What? Did I read that correctly?
In two years most blogs are just beginning to generate some decent income. But, this young woman is not only making 5-figures a month in only two years of blogging.. she has also created a course on how you can do it too. Seriously??
I am surprised she doesn’t take a class in CPR so that two years from now she can teach us all how to do heart surgery.
Be very careful WHO and WHAT you believe!
Grreat post. Thank you for sharing such an inspiring information.