Affiliate Marketing

This 40-12 months-Outdated’s $9k/Month Weblog Took 4 Months to Get Into Mediavine


After Brenda Kosciuk turned a mother, she craved a artistic outlet, so she began her weblog, Paper Coronary heart Household. As she had a full-time job and a household, she had little or no time, and he or she wrote her preliminary posts whereas she was nursing her child.

Right this moment her website is incomes as much as $9k per thirty days, despite the fact that she solely works on it for about 10 hours per week. There was even a 2-year interval the place Brenda fully ignored her weblog, and though her visitors and earnings dipped, they made a comeback when she began up once more.

It took Brenda simply 4 months to qualify for Mediavine, and Pinterest nonetheless accounts for a very good portion of her visitors.

Maintain studying to seek out out: 

  • What her weblog was initially about
  • Why she shifted her focus
  • The place her earnings comes from
  • Her prime advertising methods
  • Her views on search engine optimization
  • Her key phrase analysis instrument suggestions
  • How she approaches content material
  • Whether or not she outsources or not, and why
  • Her prime assets and instruments
  • Her greatest problem
  • Her biggest accomplishment
  • Her predominant mistake
  • Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs

Meet Brenda KosCiuk

My identify is Brenda and I reside in Pennsylvania together with my husband and two daughters. I work full-time as a Spanish and English as a Second Language trainer. I’m additionally the proprietor and CEO of the web site Paper Coronary heart Household.

Why She Created Paper Coronary heart Household

After the beginning of my second little one, I discovered that I used to be placing all of my time and vitality into my youngsters. I used to be feeling that I used to be dropping myself and I used to be craving a artistic outlet. I noticed a variety of running a blog success tales on-line, and it was very interesting to me. As a baby, I liked writing and creating. I’ve at all times had an entrepreneurial spirit. 

Initially, I created Paper Coronary heart Household as a approach to assist moms simply doc their youngsters’s lives. This content material by no means actually carried out properly for me. Due to this fact, the content material on my website has since developed into being pregnant, child, breastfeeding, and actions and printables for youths.

I wrote about 20 articles earlier than I even went reside with my website in August of 2017. Virtually all of these articles had been written whereas I used to be breastfeeding my child, many occasions in the midst of the night time!

How A lot Cash Brenda’s Making

I’m presently incomes between $6,000 and 9,000 a month by way of Paper Coronary heart Household. A really massive majority of that earnings is from advert income. 

The breakdown is as follows:

  • 90% of earnings from Mediavine
  • 5% from affiliate packages 
  • 5% from my very own merchandise

I began running a blog in August of 2017 and certified for Mediavine in December of the identical yr. My web page views went from only a few thousand to over 100,000 in a single month on account of one submit that went tremendous viral on Pinterest. Sadly, this could by no means occur now.

I skilled a variety of development within the first two years. Then, on account of a really demanding instructing schedule, I just about stopped creating content material and selling my weblog from July 2020 till Might 2022. 

There was positively a dip in my web page views and earnings throughout that point, however since I’ve gone all in for the final yr once more, my web page views and earnings have each grown to be greater than ever earlier than.

The time that I’ve to commit to my web site could be very restricted. There are some weeks after I hardly work on it in any respect, however I might say I work on my enterprise on common 10 hours per week.

Her High Advertising Technique

For Paper Coronary heart Household, I develop my enterprise solely by way of search engine optimization and Pinterest. Though many bloggers have shied away from Pinterest in the previous few years, the platform continues to carry me roughly 50% of my visitors. In my busiest month of December, Pinterest brings nearer to two-thirds of my visitors.

I believe probably the most essential methods for immediately’s Pinterest is to get interplay on new pins rapidly (not a straightforward process). I’ve been capable of get very new pins traction rapidly by:

  1. Asking my electronic mail record to pin particular new pins
  2. Getting the timing proper. I’ve had quite a few seasonal pins go “viral” in the previous few months when pinned 2-3 weeks earlier than visitors begins to select up for that subject.

Additionally in opposition to what’s typical, my RPMs are greater from my Pinterest visitors

When selecting key phrases, I often search for key phrases that I consider are attainable on Google and that will even be widespread on Pinterest.

I’ve a spreadsheet that ranks my prime pages’ web page views from Google and Pinterest. I attempt to write comparable content material to these key phrases which are performing properly on Google and Pinterest.

The Significance of search engine optimization

search engine optimization is essential to my enterprise and it’s the supply of visitors that has grown probably the most over time.

Once I take a look at my prime posts, the inspiration for a lot of of them got here from my very own expertise as a mother. There are just a few posts that I wrote as a result of after I was actively looking for that data, I used to be disillusioned with the entire outcomes on web page certainly one of Google.

There are another posts that I created just because I used to be creating these actions and assets for my very own children. 

I had at all times recognized about search engine optimization but it surely took some time for me to get actually severe about it. I took the course Silly Easy search engine optimization, however I don’t suppose I used to be tremendous severe about search engine optimization till the previous yr.

There was a fellow blogger who used to create key phrase “timber” primarily based on what you had been already rating for. She now not does it, however that was very useful for me earlier than I understood key phrase analysis myself.

There are just a few assets that I really like utilizing for key phrase analysis that I don’t hear many individuals discuss.

The primary is Key phrases All over the place. I really like Google outcomes when I’m researching a key phrase as a result of it offers me a lot data. Key phrases All over the place offers me the typical search quantity and the DA of the web sites that rank on web page one. That is extremely useful data and may rapidly assist me resolve if the key phrase is value going after.

I additionally love utilizing Low Fruits. I not often hear about different bloggers utilizing this, however the free model will give hundreds of low-competition key phrases with the clicking of a button. I typically enter my broad subjects into Low Fruits with a view to get content material concepts. Then, I’ll look these key phrases up in Google utilizing Key phrases All over the place with a view to resolve if it’s really a viable key phrase. I’ve discovered some actual gems utilizing this course of.

I additionally get lots of my key phrase concepts from Google Search Console.

Hyperlink Constructing

Hyperlink constructing is one thing that I’ve not been in keeping with however I’ve lately made it a precedence. I’ve landed some actually nice hyperlinks utilizing HARO and in addition lately used a link-building service.

Brenda’s Content material Creation Course of

I might like to say that I select a subject and write on that subject incessantly till I can’t anymore with a view to grow to be an authority on the subject. That’s what I might advocate. 

Nevertheless, due to my busy life outdoors of running a blog, many occasions with a view to keep motivated I merely select to write down on the key phrase that I’m most motivated to write down at that second. It is probably not one of the best technique, however I believe it’s the finest technique for me. There’s positively multiple approach to achieve success in running a blog!

I additionally lately began utilizing RankIQ and I discover that it helps me to rank extra rapidly on web page certainly one of Google.

Her Electronic mail Listing

I do have an electronic mail record of about 13,000 subscribers and solely use free printables with a view to develop my record. Throughout sure months, my electronic mail record grows a lot quicker on account of seasonal content material.

I electronic mail my record as soon as per week.

Brenda’s Ideas on Outsourcing

I’m very a lot Kind A. I’m a management freak. I really outsourced my Pinterest for one month in the beginning of this yr after which I canceled it as a result of I simply couldn’t do it. I do know that there are a variety of completely different philosophies on the market on the topic, but it surely’s essential for me that my weblog represents me. 

I’ve incessantly thought-about outsourcing writing, however I do know I might by no means be proud of it. I consider (and perhaps I’m incorrect) that in my particular area of interest, mothers wish to join with different mothers. My writing type could be very impersonal. I would like my readers to really feel like they’re getting recommendation from a pal. I additionally take pleasure in the whole course of, from key phrase analysis to creating graphics and writing weblog content material.

I do nearly all of my writing after my children have gone to mattress. In any other case, I attempt to slot in a little bit bit on the weekends when my youngsters are occupied.

Her Favourite Sources

For me, podcasts are one of the best media for consuming data. I take heed to podcasts whereas I’m driving to work or driving my youngsters to gymnastics apply. 

I really like listening to the Area of interest Pursuits podcast and The Running a blog Millionaire podcast. I get a lot useful data from each podcasts, however Area of interest Pursuits supplies unbelievable motivation, which is priceless to me.

Her High Instruments

The three most helpful instruments that I take advantage of are Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and RankIQ.

Google Analytics is solely certainly one of my favourite instruments as a result of it motivates me. If I’m having a implausible day with excessive web page views, it makes me wish to write extra content material with a view to have extra of these days. If I’m having a low day, it motivates me to crank out the content material, too.

Google Search Console might be my favourite instrument. I’ve had nice success with altering focus key phrases fully in accordance with the knowledge that I get from GSC. 

Her Largest Problem

My greatest problem has been and at all times might be work/life steadiness. I at all times really feel that I’m failing in a number of areas of my life, whether or not or not it’s in my marriage, my children, my enterprise, my instructing job, or my social life. 

I consider that is why it was so arduous for me to get again into running a blog after stopping. I merely couldn’t work out make it work with the whole lot else I had happening in my life and had zero motivation to restart.

Her Biggest Accomplishment

On the identical subject, I consider my most essential accomplishment was not letting the overwhelm and lack of motivation defeat me. I made my approach again to running a blog and have discovered little methods to take care of my motivation. That features watching Google Analytics each day, listening to podcasts, and studying about blogger success tales.

What She Needs She Knew When She Began

Once I first began out, I believed that I wanted a bunch of content material earlier than my website went reside. This couldn’t be farther from the reality! I believe I spent about 8 months researching and writing content material earlier than my website really went reside. 

Right this moment, I might advocate that struggling bloggers take a look at what works or at what’s working for others and replicate that. Again and again.

Her Essential Mistake

My greatest mistake was ready two years earlier than I discovered the motivation to place time into my enterprise once more.

Brenda’s Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs

My recommendation can be to learn and take heed to motivating tales of on a regular basis individuals who have constructed their companies from the bottom up. 

Additionally, if one thing isn’t working, don’t be afraid to re-evaluate and take a look at what’s working. If I hadn’t experimented with completely different subjects for my weblog, I wouldn’t be the place I’m immediately.