How much money are bloggers making during this pandemic?

Earlier, I’d written a post about why there’s no better time than now to start a blog. I’m sure there are a lot of sceptics wondering if blogging really is feasible and if you can really make money blogging with this terrible economic climate we’re facing.

You’re thinking, there are more people surfing the net, but no one would be spending advertising dollars on blogs. You’re thinking, everyone would be more prudent with regards to online shopping hence commission earnings are likely to drop too.

A Nielson study concludes that “despite challenging circumstances and disruption… high consumer confidence, growing middle classes and increasingly digitally savvy shoppers… Consumer shifts at this level include increased online shopping, a decline in-store visits.”

If you’re not convinced about blogging yet, I’ve brought on some veteran bloggers who’ve been running their personal blogs for a while now and still monetizing their blogs, even during this downturn!

They range from beauty and wellness to travel and finance. Below you can find the exact topics they cover, how much traffic they get and how much they’re earning even during the difficult months of February and March when most of our blog traffic plummeted.

The numbers provided below are provided in the months of February and March only. Actual traffic numbers are higher pre-Covid. Just imagine how much more these bloggers (and you) can potentially earn!

For those of you who currently own your own blogs and are feeling dismayed about blogging because of the reduced revenues, I get it.

I was unmotivated and feeling lost for a period of time too. It felt like everything I’d worked hard for is for nought, and it seemed really pointless to continue working on a travel blog when no one is searching or purchasing travel products right now.

Knowing that at the end of the tunnel, the economic climate is only going to bounce up higher and stronger was what kept me going.

I’ve been working triply hard (since being stuck at home with no distractions) optimizing my old posts, coming up with affiliate ones and seeking ways to challenge myself.

I’m putting out more free blogging resources on the blog to help fellow bloggers and I’ve recently launched my very first course on SEO. I’ve never felt so motivated for some time now!

I hope these examples below and their individual words of wisdom can give you a reference on your blogging potential and bolster you to keep going, or for those of you new to blogging – to start a new blog.

Dollars stated in USD.

Beauty

The Holistic Enchilada

Topics: Curly hair and clean beauty, sharing tips on embracing naturally wavy and curly hair and making the switch to cleaner, personal care products.

Average monthly traffic: 157,500

Demographic

Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, UK
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Female

Average monthly income: $4500 (S$6,200) 

Income streams: Ad network, affiliate marketing, digital course, consultations

Average time spent working on blog: 30 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Continue to put out good relevant content that your readers would normally expect but try adding in more relevant affiliate links and digital products. Despite lower traffic in March, my income doubled. I launched my course at the beginning of March and that’s the main reason my income increased.

Wow, I’m so impressed! This blog is testament to the fact that any topic of interest can gain interest, even if you think it only serves a small minority.

And you can even sell a course on a topic as niche as maintaining curly hair!

Fabulous and Fun Life

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Topics: Australian beauty blog covering all things beauty related including a strong focus on beauty-related buying guides aimed to assist readers find the best beauty appliances and beauty products to suit their needs and wants.

Average monthly traffic: 7,500

Demographic

Top 3 countries: Australia
Age group: 25-55-year-olds
Gender: Female

Average monthly income: $900

Income streams: Affiliate marketing, Instagram posts, ad network

Average time spent working on blog: 7 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

I am lucky that my niche has not been affected as much as the travel niche. Readers who are now unable to visit beauty salons and hairdressers are searching for DIY beauty information they can implement at home themselves.

The time I do spend on my blog, I am trying to make as productive as possible, searching for competitive keywords I can rank for and writing new posts aimed to maximise affiliate sales for Christmas later this year.

I am also continuing to optimise posts that are performing better than my other ones during this time.

While we can’t control what is happening in the wider world we can continue to make small positive improvements to our blogs to help ensure that at the end of this pandemic we are all as strongly positioned as possible.

Craft 

Swoodson Says

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Topics: Sewing, hand embroidery, crafts

Average monthly traffic: 173,000

Demographic

Top 3 countries: US, UK, Canada
Age group: 25-55-year-olds
Gender: Female

Average monthly income: $4450

Income streams: Ad network, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, e-products (PDF sewing patterns)

Average time spent working on blog: 20 hours a week (she’s a stay-at-home mum and home schools her two young kids)

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

I think it’s a great time to reconnect with what you really love writing about. It can be tough to keep working when you’re stressed due to the pandemic; why not make sure it’s something you’re truly passionate about?

It’s easy to get caught up in sponsored opportunities or chasing trends but I’d guess your audience is always going to gravitate towards whatever you’re most genuinely engaged in.

On a more practical level, looking at what posts are doing well and if you can optimize them or build from them, maybe your readers are looking to different content than normal because of the circumstances, so do a self-audit!

Parenting

The London Mother

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Topics: An online magazine on all things London, lifestyle and parenting

Average monthly traffic: 42,000

Demographic

Top 3 countries: US, UK, Canada
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Female

Average monthly income: $4000

Income streams: Ad network, affiliate marketing, consultancy

Average time spent working on blog: 20-25 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Don’t give up! Think about what your audience wants. Be willing to pivot even if it’s on tasks/content you’re not passionate about.

Be mindful of any sponsored work you do – be sensitive to how this will appear to your audience.

More than ever, be useful. Can any of your existing content be tweaked to give it an at-home focus?

Collaborate with brands on giveaways, without charge if you can. Your audience will appreciate it and they are a great traffic driver.

Katherine Rosman

Topics: Early-stage parenting with an emphasis on postpartum care, breastfeeding and baby sleep issues.

Average monthly traffic: 38,500

Demographic

Top 3 countries: USA, UK, India
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Male/ Female

Average monthly income: $521

Income streams: Display ads, affiliate income

Average time spent working on blog: 15-20 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Creating an income from a blog is an endless rollercoaster. Traffic and income has taken a hit, and while that sucks we know that things will come back when the world stops hurting.

The key to long-term success is consistent effort regardless of external circumstances.

This is a time where others in the space might feel discouraged and let their emotions sap their motivation. You can take advantage of this by focusing on what you can control and continuing to execute your growth plans unfazed.

With so many people stuck at home, you will never find a better time to reach out to others in your niche and start building relationships. There will be opportunities for cross-promotion that can create lasting benefits way beyond the current crisis.

Lifestyle Queensland

Topics: Lifestyle and parenting blog, ranging from anything pregnancy, baby and toddler-related to personal interests.

Average monthly traffic: 7,300

Demographic

Top 3 countries: Australia
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Male/ Female

Average monthly income: $469

Income streams: Affiliate sales through her buying guides

Average time spent working on blog: 8 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Search is trending upward again with both traffic and income increasing nicely. I’ve been thinking a lot about why this might have happened and looking at my articles, it’s ones about home appliances and kids products like scooters or crafting supplies that are making a lot more sales than usual.

Obviously, people want things that can keep them or the kids entertained at home and, thankfully, I’m benefiting!

I am really concentrating on getting content ready and ranking for Christmas. I know that may sound crazy this early but I decided that, with the year getting off to a rocky start, I need to come out the end of it as strong as possible!

Travel 

WildJunket.com

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Topics: Adventure travel, family travel and unusual destinations

Average monthly traffic: 140,000 pageviews

Demographic

Top 3 countries: US, UK, India
Age group: 25-40-year-olds
Gender: Female/ Male

Average monthly income: $2500

Income streams: Ad network, affiliate marketing

Average time spent working on blog: 30 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

I’m working on several projects to diversify my income stream. I’ve just launched my map store – it’s an online store selling custom city map posters and unique illustrated maps for kids.

I am also selling my photography in print i.e. followers can buy print wall art or canvasses with my best photos imprinted. Lastly, I’m also about to publish an ebook with a collection of my travel narratives that have been previously published in magazines.

My biggest tip is to think about what people are doing now during this period. Many are reading, watching videos, doing craftwork and home decor. So if you are thinking of creating products, try to aim to meet their needs.

Paulina On The Road

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Topics: Outdoor and sustainable travel

Average monthly traffic: 125,000

Demographic

Top 3 countries: US, UK, Spain
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Female

Average monthly income: $2500

Income streams: Ad network, affiliate marketing

Average time spent working on blog: 30-40 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Try something new! I mostly wrote destination guides but now I discovered my love for other types of articles that provide value such as staycation quotes or guides to the outdoor adventure books that I enjoyed reading. I also connect a lot with other travel bloggers via Facebook group, this helps a lot since you realize that you are not alone in this.

MY RIG Adventures

Topics: Travelling Australia in a caravan, camper trailer or RV, with a heavy focus on road tripping full-time

Average monthly traffic: 17,500

Demographic

Top 3 countries: Australia, US, UK
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Male/ Female

Average monthly income: $620

Income streams: E-products (downloadable spreadsheets, packing checklist for travel planning), ad network, affiliate marketing

Average time spent working on blog: 40 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

It’s easy to get disheartened with the lower numbers, but it makes for the perfect time to focus on tasks that will lead to long-term gain. Things such as building backlinks and SEO will pay off down the track when the downturn is a thing of the past.

Dive Into Malaysia

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Topics: Planning a trip to Malaysia. It covers things to do in Malaysia, places to stay, how to travel to and around Malaysia and everything related to having a great trip in this country.

Average monthly traffic: 25,500

Demographic

Top 3 countries: Malaysia, Singapore, US
Age group: 25-54-year-olds
Gender: Male/ Female

Average monthly income: $400

Income streams: Affiliate marketing, ad network

Average time spent working on blog: 5 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

As a travel blogger, it’s tough and you need to learn to accept that things are going to be bad for a while but that this doesn’t mean that your blog won’t be fine in the long term.

Keep at it, keep being smart with how you spend your time and do what you can to get your blog in the best position to bounce back as quickly as possible when this is over.

Starting another blog in another niche can be a good way to diversify your income in case something happens like this again.

Insta Travel Style

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Topics: Travel, lifestyle and events

Average monthly traffic: 13,500

Demographic

Top 3 countries: US, India, Brazil
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Male/ Female

Average monthly income: $350

Income streams: Affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, ad network, freelance writing

Average time spent working on blog: 20 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Focus on content curation – Try to research and check trends.

This period is best to network with fellow bloggers and do link exchanges, guest posts and work on SEO.

Start a new blog; if you have ever thought of in the past.

Learn a new skill. It can be anything from graphic design, video editing, or Photoshop.

Travel Crusade

Topics: Travel, environment and wellness

Average monthly traffic: 1,532

Demographic

Top 3 countries: India, US, UK
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Female/ Male

Average monthly income: $200

Income streams: Sponsored posts, E-book sales

Average time spent working on blog: 20 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Relax, maintain good hygiene and avoid street food. Exercise and stay fit!

Places in Pixel

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Topics: Travel planning, Off-beat trips (especially treks) and travel photography

Average monthly traffic: 12,000

Demographic

Top 3 countries: US, India, UAE
Age group: 25-45-year-olds
Gender: Female/ Male

Average monthly income: $130

Income streams: Ad network, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts

Average time spent working on blog: 30-40 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Get creative and use the situation to your advantage! This was also the biggest tip I received while listening to some podcasts about earning during this pandemic.

For example, since ad-revenue is down, placing FB ads also became cheaper. Thus we thought of utilizing this time to build our email list by advertising on FB so as to reach more people.

Finance 

DollarSanity

Topics: Personal finance

Average monthly traffic: 50,000

Demographic

Top 3 countries: US
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Female/ Male

Average monthly income: $2,000

Income streams: Affiliate marketing, ad network

Average time spent working on blog: 20-25 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Focus yourself on posts that can be interesting during these times. For instance, e-commerce-related content lost its traffic but “work from home” content skyrocketed, with new traffic coming mostly from Pinterest. Update them, republish and make new pins.

Survey Suzi

Topics: Personal finance, parenting and making money online

Average monthly traffic: 9,500

Demographic

Top 3 countries: US, India, UK
Age group: 25-44-year-olds
Gender: Female

Average monthly income: $700

Income streams: Affiliate marketing

Average time spent working on blog: 10 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Honestly, it’s to be kind to yourself. There is so much going on that it’s hard to concentrate on blogging sometimes and that’s okay. Concentrated on SEO traffic so that even if you don’t have much time to work on your blog right now, your site is still getting traffic on its own.

Food

Erhardts Eat

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Topics: Recipes perfect for the entire family, ranging from healthy vegetarian, not so healthy desserts and everything in-between!

Average monthly traffic: 60,000-70,000

Demographic

Top 3 countries: USA, Canada, Australia
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Female

Average monthly income: $1100

Income streams: Ad revenue, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing

Average time spent working on blog: 10-20 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

During this crazy time, I have found it helpful to make my bed, get dressed, workout and start my day how I always have. I find that this helps motivate me to get to work recipe testing, or working on my laptop instead of binge-watching Netflix all day.

It’s so easy to fall into a habit of sleeping in, or living in sweatpants when there is nowhere to go, so getting your morning started right can lead to a much more productive day!

Wellness

This Anxious Mum

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Topics: Mental health and self-improvement aimed at mothers

Average monthly traffic: 1,200

Demographic

Top 3 countries: USA, UK, Australia
Age group: 25-34-year-olds
Gender: Female

Average monthly income: $900

Income streams: Instagram sponsored posts

Average time spent working on blog: 30 hours a week

Biggest tip for hustling during this period

Plant seeds. This is a growing time, so focus on SEO, building links and creating content that will blossom in a few months’ time.

Did you read that right? 1200 monthly pageviews and she earns $900 for that? This goes to show that you don’t need huge traffic to monetise your blog!

Hopefully, the above blog examples give you some idea on how the different niches, demographics and traffic come into play when it comes to monetizing your blog.

Also, it’s evident that you don’t need to spend copious amounts of time to grow a profitable blog! As long as you’ve got your content strategy in place, you just need to work smart, not hard!

Mostly, the online world is your oyster and there’s nothing really stopping you. So start hustling now!