I am so happy to feature Jessica, the very first fitness mommy blogger on my site! It may be because I just gave birth to my third little baby so getting back in shape is on my mind again. And also, there’s nothing like your toddler saying that you have two babies, one in your tummy and one in your arms to jump start your fitness routine!
Jessica is a full time fitness blogger over at www.easylivingtoday.com. She is a mom of two baby boys and is positive that blogging is the best decision she has ever made! Not only does she get to help other moms on their weight loss journey, but she gets to stay home with her little ones while doing it.
Mom Fitness Blog Success Story
What I like most about Jessica’s blog, from my perspective, are the multiple methods she uses to monetize her blog while she truly helps and inspires moms to get back in shape.
Below she shares her story and methods! At the end of the post I’ll review a few key aspects of Jessica’s blog that make it amazing.
Related:
From Jessica…
I started my blog, www.easylivingtoday.com, on a whim when I was 7 months pregnant with my first son. I was working at a desk job that I absolutely hated and was working 11 hour days.
At the time, I knew I wanted to quit that job and stay home with my baby. I also knew there were people making money blogging, so I figured I could too. I had no idea what I was doing and was talking about everything under the sun without any clear focus. That was my first mistake, to be followed by many others lol.
How I Made My First Dollar And Get Traffic to My Mom Fitness Blog
I made my first dollar (literally) two months in to blogging and it was from Amazon affiliate sales. I also made a few cents through ads!
Now I monetize my blog through ads, my e-books, affiliate sales and sponsored posts.
This past month I earned $20,031 and I have been blogging for 3 years. I go in to more detail about where my income comes from in my blog income report. It is a few months old, but the same ideas still stand.
I get traffic through Pinterest, Google and my newsletter. I am not great with Social Media and am still trying to figure that one out!
Related: How to Grow Your Blog’s Traffic – Tried and True Methods and How to Make Money with a Amazon’s Affiliate Program
How I Grow My Email List
The thing that drives the most signups to my site is a pop up box on my blog.
I email my list once a week and I basically have a talk with them and try to inspire them or give them a needed push in some way. I also make sure to link to my most recent blog posts in every newsletter.
Related: How to Grow an Email List for Beginners
My Advice for Beginning Mom Bloggers
Be patient. I know that is not what you want to hear, but it really does take time. Yes, there are some miracle stories of bloggers earning a full time income in one year… but that is not the norm! I didn’t earn a full time income until I was 2 years in and thought about quitting a million times. You have to be patient and stick with it, but you don’t want to quit right before something great happens.
Also, know that you will make mistakes and those mistakes will not be the end of the world. You will learn from them and you will grow. But if you let every mistake you make tear you down, you will be miserable and will give it all up for something that, in the end, was not that serious.
Furthermore, when you are a blogger you are putting yourself out to the world and not everyone is going to have nice things to say to you. As a matter of fact, “mean girls” are real and you may have to deal with a few of them. Don’t let that dim your sparkle.
Remember that flowers don’t compete with other flowers, they just bloom.
Jessica is a full time fitness blogger over at www.easylivingtoday.com.Alrighty, as I promised, here are the things I love about Jessica’s blog! Think of this as a mini blog review that I’m doing for her site – but you have access to it too! I want to showcase the things she’s doing well so that you can apply the tips to your niche and blog!
Use Amazing Headlines That Understand Your Audience
Checkout the headlines below of a few of her most recent posts. I couldn’t stop myself from clicking through to them all and absorbing the information.
I love motivational quotes! And I’m in her perfect market – it feels like she knows exactly what I need right now as I start my postpartum fitness journey.
What a great headline below! Sure, it’s great to workout and get back in shape – but most of us want to look at least a little cute while we’re doing it right? She’s also recognizing that women are lifting more now than ever, and not just doing cardio.
Not only does she blog about healthy eating too. She recognizes one of the big problems women have with starting a new diet. Preparing and cleaning out your already existing junk food is hard, and she gives tips to start the journey.
Think of your audience, are you helping them prepare for the improvement you’re recommending? How are you helping them get to the point of being ready to implement your advice?
Identify a Problem
This image below is perfect for her post! Most moms have the excuse that they can’t workout because they don’t have time.
What excuses do your audience have that prevents them from changing? How can you help them overcome those excuses and obstacles?
Top excuses for many niches include:
- I don’t have time
- I don’t have the money
- I’m not good enough
- It’s too hard
Offer Clear Solutions
If your niche is makeup for moms, you could generate posts such as:
- A simple morning makeup routine in under 10 minutes
- 5 Professional Makeup Tools under $25
- How to do the Smokey Eye like a Pro!
Use Clear Categories to Direct Your Reader
Even though Jessica’s blog is diverse and includes many big topics, she finds the common ground between all of them and ties them together.
Fitness for moms. Clean eating for families. How to manage life as a fit parent. Holiday healthy shopping.
Her fonts and pictures are clean and crisp and look very professional.
Investing in professional stock images can go a long way for your blog!
You can blog about a variety of topics and still be super successful. If niching down is too hard for you, start off with a more general blog until you find your passion and voice. Different blogs all have different strategies for making money. Make sure you know what type of blog you’re creating!
Do the Little Things
See that little icon next to the blog name in the tab? That’s called a favicon and it makes your blog look super professional! I see many beginning bloggers who forget to update their favicon. And it’s such a simple way to look ‘like the big kids’.
In the Blog by Number course I show you how to create a favicon and upload it.
Sometimes it’s the subtle things that build trust with your readers. Congruent fonts and colors. Well lit images with bright colors. Using the same tone of voice throughout your blog.
You never want someone to come to your blog and love the first post but feel like they’ve entered a scene in Stranger Things when they click through to other posts and pages.
Use Social Media Well
I love the cover Jessica uses for her blog’s Facebook page. It’s crystal clear who she is targeting and what she aims to do for them. “Simplified Weight Loss for Busy Moms” – brilliant!
She understands that her audience is busy, I mean, goodness, they just had a baby! And secondly, the knows they need simple solutions. When you’re juggling a new baby, older siblings, a job and a new lumpy mom body, you need simple solutions to lose the baby weight.
Her cover image is cute and simple. It also ties in well with the images she uses on her blog.
Instagram – Be Real!
Browsing through Instagram can do harm to your confidence. I know this all too well. At 6 months pregnant I looked well beyond 40 weeks pregnant; my belly grows quickly and I look ‘full term’ for about 3-4 months! I remember so clearly seeing other pregnant moms on Instagram with a 6 month pregnant belly who still had abs! Honestly, Instagram can be a dark hole if you’re not careful.
That’s why I love Jessica’s Instagram profile. She’s built over 12,000 follows by being real! I love that she shows her before and after pictures. She’s a beautiful mom and she’s proud of her body. It’s refreshing to see unfiltered images of a real mom on the same weight loss journey as I am.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself online. People need to see who you are, not a copy of someone else.
Making Money with Affiliate Marketing with a Fitness Blog
Affiliate marketing is a fantastic way to make money online. You don’t have to have your own product to sell, but you can promote other items or services that you love, and get a commission when someone makes a purchase through your link.
The first product Jessica recommends in this post is from IdealFit.com – and she offers a 10% coupon code! This gives the reader an extra incentive to click through her affiliate link and make a purchase.
The second product she recommends is from Amazon. It’s smart to recommend both inexpensive and expensive products. For the more pricey products, write a great explanation why the reader should purchase it.
The more you show how this product will improve the life of your reader, the more likely they’ll be to purchase it. Treat affiliate products like your own – give examples, share testimonials and show pictures of how you use the product yourself.
If the reader can imagine themselves using this product too, then they’ll be more likely to buy.
Related: How to Make over $1,000 with a Small Blog using Affiliate Marketing
Blog Review in a Post
I hope you enjoyed Jessica’s advice and this blog review in a post. Sometimes it’s easier to see examples of what you should do than just to talk about it in theory.
Please let me know if you’d like to see more of this! I enjoyed doing it!