How These 40-Year-Olds Earn $7k+ From Their Site, Etsy, and TpT Stores Via SEO and Pinterest

Vee Rae and Karla Midwood first met by way of their daughters, and never solely did they share a connection from the beginning as mothers, however additionally they had the identical skilled objective: to be entrepreneurs.

Collectively, they launched into an journey. 

First, they dipped their toe into the Etsy market in 2021 with a store promoting reasonably priced printables for every kind of celebrations. As soon as that was up and working efficiently, they began their very own web site: Little Halo J. Then they opened a Lecturers Pay Lecturers retailer. 

Right now, they’re proud to have offered over 28,000 merchandise on Etsy, plus many extra on their web site and TpT retailer. With their web site not too long ago becoming a member of Raptive, they’re seeing much more success.

They escaped unscathed from the HCU and immediately are incomes over $7k monthly throughout a number of platforms. 

Hold studying to seek out out:

• Precisely how they met and acquired began
• What occurred with their retailer initially on Etsy
• Why they created their web site
• What actually moved the needle for his or her web site
• How they selected their area of interest
• How they give you concepts
• The place their earnings comes from
• What advertising methods work for them
• Their ideas on web optimization
• Their method to key phrase analysis and hyperlinks
• How they create content material
• Their ideas on record constructing
• Their go-to instruments and sources
• Their largest problem
• Their biggest accomplishment
• Their primary mistake
• Their recommendation for different entrepreneurs

Meet Vee and Karla

We’re Karla and Vee, the artistic minds behind the web site Little Halo J. 

We first crossed paths by way of our daughters (who by the way have been born on the identical day!). We shared the identical concepts about eager to be our personal bosses at some point, however we have been simply undecided find out how to make it occur.

Karla spent a few years within the journey trade, and Vee had labored as a personal investigator, however we each wished a option to escape the 9 to five.

Then, at some point we have been chatting and brainstorming, and that day over espresso we determined to discover promoting on-line. 

We initially delved into making and promoting vinyl decals. Whereas this offered properly, it was very time consuming, so we began in search of different choices.

We bought a Cricut machine and watched YouTube movies on find out how to make the decals. We offered these at native markets.

We transitioned shortly from bodily merchandise to promoting printables attributable to their passive nature and scalability.

Initially beginning with a store on Etsy, our journey has prolonged and now contains our personal web site, specializing in promoting printables and running a blog about celebration video games and concepts.

When we’re not placing pen to paper or engaged on our enterprise, we juggle the thrill of motherhood as we each have youngsters and household canine. 

Household is on the core of what we do and if we’re not immersed in writing or engaged on our enterprise technique, you can find us planning our subsequent household vacation or just absorbing the solar down on the seashore.

Why They Created Their Web site and Shops

We each wished an outlet for our creativity and to earn an earnings exterior of our regular 9-5 jobs. We didn’t know what route to take however noticed big potential within the digital obtain market, so we determined to begin there. 

Earlier than launching our enterprise, we did some analysis and saved a watch on some top Etsy sellers in our area of interest and took notice of what number of gross sales they have been making every day. This actually stunned us and spurred us on understanding that we actually may generate profits doing this. 

We may see that some prime sellers have been making over 60 gross sales day-after-day, and based mostly on their common promoting worth we estimated their earnings to be round $200 per day. 

This was at off-peak instances, and their gross sales dramatically elevated over well-liked instances similar to Valentine’s Day and Easter.

Desirous to spend as little cash as attainable to begin this enterprise, so we purchased a Canva subscription, and within the evenings we created a bunch of printable merchandise and listed them on Etsy.

We have been so excited and thought we have been onto a profitable mixture. We launched our retailer simply earlier than Easter and had a incredible response to our Easter-themed merchandise. 

Nonetheless, we had not executed sufficient analysis into pricing, and regardless of the preliminary success, our earnings have been very skinny. 

We didn’t enroll in any particular course, however gained our information from totally different sources: weblog articles, podcasts, and YouTube. We selected a distinct segment that we love and are repeatedly educating ourselves. 

Selecting a distinct segment we’re taken with has been essential in serving to to develop Little Halo J right into a worthwhile enterprise that we get pleasure from.

The expertise and information now we have gained alongside the best way have led us to create an book on Easy methods to Promote on Etsy.

This e book is our method of sharing what we have realized, by offering a sensible information for others trying to embark on an analogous path. You’ll find the ebook on our web site. 

We confronted one other surprising twist when, only a few weeks after launching our Etsy store, we have been hit with a short lived closure. This closure lasted three days and occurred with none warning or rationalization. This was a pivotal second that made us reassess our enterprise technique. 

We nonetheless have no idea what triggered the short-term closure of our retailer, however have heard that infrequently, Etsy does shut down brand-new shops. We contacted Etsy quite a few instances by way of e mail after which 4 days after being closed, Etsy reopened our retailer and we have been again up and working.

We may nonetheless see the potential in printable merchandise and our preliminary success was sufficient to push us into taking the leap and launching our personal web site. Gross sales continued to return in and we have been making some pocket cash, however not sufficient for us to take our new enterprise critically. 

We poured hours into our web site, and though we may see our web site site visitors rising, for the primary 18 months we have been nonetheless incomes little or no and our goals of leaving our common jobs have been placed on maintain. 

However all of that modified after we added a weblog to our web site and began critically specializing in key phrases and web optimization. Including the weblog turned out to be a recreation changer by attracting extra guests and eventually turning our web site right into a worthwhile enterprise.

Throughout this time, our Etsy store additionally thrived. 

How Vee and Karla Come Up With Concepts

In the case of creating our printable merchandise, we like to combine issues up. 

We begin off with a little bit of key phrase analysis with KeySearch, trying out what buzzwords are hottest. This helps us faucet into the present tendencies and determine what persons are at the moment trying to find.

Now we have a particular area of interest that’s centered on celebration themes, video games, and concepts however we may also create merchandise exterior of this to faucet into present tendencies. 

We normally begin by in search of key phrase that normally aligns with our celebration area of interest. We’ll then write a weblog put up and attempt to create a relatable printed product so as to add to that put up.

An incredible occasion of that is our Printable Household Reunion Video games weblog put up. For this, we created a wide range of printable household reunion video games so as to add to the content material of the article. 

Equally, with our Princess Celebration Concepts weblog put up, now we have created related merchandise like a Princess Treasure Hunt and Princess Cupcake Toppers. 

We really feel these merchandise are useful to our readers and improve the content material of our posts.

You may see these examples and the way we combine our printables with our weblog content material right here:

This technique helps us keep a stability between sticking to our area of interest and leveraging well-liked tendencies to supply a various vary of merchandise.

We additionally preserve an in depth eye on what’s sizzling on Etsy. 

Trying out what’s well-liked and the bestsellers provides us sense of what persons are loving proper now. We take notes on profitable merchandise, see what patterns emerge, and let that encourage us to cook dinner up recent and new additions to our lineup.

We’re working in the direction of our preferrred enterprise mannequin, however on common, we every dedicate about 25 hours per week to our enterprise. 

This time is invested in a wide range of duties together with creating new merchandise, managing our web site, Etsy retailer, and Lecturers Pay Lecturers (TpT) store, in addition to running a blog and staying up to date with the newest tendencies in our area of interest. 

We’re constantly tweaking and enhancing our work methods to develop Little Halo J to the purpose the place it matches our imaginative and prescient completely.

How A lot They’re Making

Our earnings does range all year long relying on the seasons, with spikes round Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.

Our Etsy store has offered over 28,000 merchandise with a median month-to-month income of $3,200 during the last two years.

Along with our Etsy retailer, our web site now options over 430 weblog posts and a store that has change into a thriving income stream. Our web site is producing over $1000 monthly in gross sales and Little Halo J is now on a premium advert community, Raptive. 

Since becoming a member of it on October sixteenth, final month we hit over $3,000 in advert income, and this month is on observe to make $4500. 

Web site Gross sales:

Raptive Advert Community

We’re persevering with to broaden our enterprise attain and opened a Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) shop in March of this 12 months. Regardless of being a comparatively new enterprise, the TpT store generated over $433 in income in November 2023. 

Our common month-to-month earnings are:

• Web site Little HaloJ – (printables) $1000
• Raptive Advert community – $3800 
• TPT – $435 
• Etsy – $3200

Little Halo J is getting roughly 193Kk pageviews monthly (145K periods).

And nearly all of our site visitors is from natural search.

Their Prime Advertising and marketing Technique

In the case of advertising, we use web optimization and depend on Pinterest and e mail. Our well-liked posts will convey individuals to our web site the place they will obtain freebies and join our e mail record.

Once we first began our enterprise, our web optimization information was fairly fundamental. We realized the ropes by way of self-education: studying quite a few weblog posts, becoming a member of blogging-focused Fb teams, and watching tutorial movies on YouTube for sensible, visible steering. 

This method allowed us to steadily construct our web optimization expertise, instantly contributing to the expansion of our enterprise.

Our Pinterest technique has been considerably influenced by the insights from Carly, creator of the Pinteresting Methods course. 

Her method has guided us in growing a method that works properly for our enterprise.

The Significance of web optimization

We imagine that web optimization is completely essential for our enterprise and our on-line presence. With nearly all of our site visitors coming from natural search, having understanding of web optimization is indispensable. 

We attempt to keep up to date within the web optimization world with their continually evolving tendencies and algorithm updates.

We method web optimization very merely. 

Firstly, we give attention to plenty of key phrase analysis. We don’t wish to be spending plenty of time writing weblog posts or creating merchandise that persons are not trying to find. 

We use instruments like KeySearch to assist determine low-competition key phrases with an honest search quantity. This helps us goal particular niches and create content material that we all know our viewers is actively trying to find.

Then we get to work creating high-quality, related content material. We attempt to ensure that our new content material shouldn’t be solely fascinating, but in addition optimized for search engines like google.

One other vital a part of our web optimization technique is on-page optimization. This implies we optimize our meta descriptions, titles, and pictures.

And at last, we’re creating a powerful backlink profile, with inner linking inside our web site additionally taking part in a major function.

So general our web optimization technique is about creating worth for our clients and making it simpler for them to seek out us on-line. We nonetheless have quite a bit to be taught, so it’s a steady strategy of making an attempt, testing, and adapting, however the effort is properly price it given the affect it has on our site visitors and enterprise development.

Through the newest Google Useful Content material Replace, we have been fortunate to not have been impacted in any respect, and our site visitors continues to go up and up.

Key phrase Analysis

We search for low-competition keywords in KeySearch. 

We attempt to goal key phrases which have a search quantity of over 100 and an issue rating of underneath 35. 

Then we attempt to write one of the best article we are able to to rank for these phrases.

Hyperlink Constructing and Inside Linking

Link building is an important a part of our web optimization technique. It actually helps to enhance our web site’s authority and in addition drives quite a lot of referral site visitors to us, together with serving to with our search engine rankings.

Certainly one of our key methods we use is inner linking. We use Link Whisper to assist us with this.  

By way of backlink constructing, we actively take part in round-up posts. This method has been fairly efficient in gaining high quality backlinks and growing our on-line visibility.

To search out these alternatives, we joined quite a few Fb teams devoted to round-ups. These teams are nice sources for connecting with different bloggers and web site house owners trying to characteristic varied content material. 

By participating in these communities, we’re in a position to contribute to round-up posts which might be related to our area of interest, which in flip helps in constructing our web site’s authority and attain.

Their Content material Creation Course of

Our method to creating content material is fairly simple. 

We begin with some good previous key phrase analysis. Each of us dive into this, in search of subjects that not solely excite us however are additionally one thing that we predict our viewers is in search of. If we stumble throughout a weblog put up concept that we’re each eager on, we are saying, ‘Let’s write about this!’

We preserve every part organized with a easy Google spreadsheet. It’s our go-to for planning who writes what and when. This fashion, we’re all the time on observe with our articles, and since now we have a fairly comparable writing model, all of it flows collectively properly.

Each week, we get collectively and do our analysis. It’s a mixture of brainstorming, trend-spotting, and including recent concepts to our spreadsheet. It is not nearly protecting our content material up to date; it’s additionally our time to sync up and ensure we’re on the identical web page.

Our technique is centered round offering worth to our readers by way of well-researched and interesting content material. By staying in sync with one another’s work and protecting a gradual movement of content material concepts, we be sure that our weblog stays related and informative. This has been key to rising our weblog and connecting with our viewers.

Now we have system in place in terms of publishing content material. 

We common 4 to five posts per week and have discovered that being in line with posting new content material has actually helped with our development. We don’t outsource something, however as we’re rising, this will likely be one thing we might want to contemplate.

Their E-mail Checklist

Sure, we at the moment keep a small but engaged e mail record, primarily comprised of shoppers who’ve made purchases or downloaded our freebies. That is an space we’re engaged on as we notice the worth in rising your e mail group.

Presently, to develop our email list, we use incentives on our web site, encouraging guests to subscribe with provides like freebies and reductions.

We use Omnisend as our e mail supplier and at the moment have 3000 individuals on our record. 

We notice the significance of rising and sustaining your e mail record however that is an space now we have not put a lot give attention to. Going ahead, that is one thing we will likely be engaged on extra actively within the new 12 months.

Their Favourite Sources

Certainly one of our go-to sources and one we suggest to everyone seems to be the Niche Pursuits Podcast. Now we have gained so many precious and sensible suggestions and recommendation from listening to this podcast. 

One side we love is the success tales. These are so motivating and inspirational and in addition make clear the various methods to achieve success in on-line enterprise. 

Listening to the in-depth discussions between Spencer and Jared on a large number of subjects, from SEO strategies and internet affiliate marketing to area of interest choice and running a blog suggestions are all extraordinarily related for anybody trying to develop their on-line enterprise.

Their Prime Instruments

First, Canva Pro is an absolute game-changer for us. It’s so user-friendly and has a spread of options which we use for shortly and simply creating our printable merchandise and advertising supplies. 

We are able to shortly design professional-looking merchandise, which has saved us a lot time and streamlined our workflow considerably.

Second, KeySearch is our go-to software for web optimization and key phrase analysis. It is simple to make use of and useful for understanding market tendencies, discovering what our viewers is trying to find, and optimizing our content material to rank larger in search outcomes. 

We imagine this software has been instrumental in driving natural site visitors to our web site.

Lastly, the Pinterest native scheduler is an important a part of our advertising technique. This permits us to plan and schedule our pins so we are able to keep a constant presence on Pinterest with out having to spend all day on the platform. 

These three instruments kind the spine of our digital technique, which permits us to create, optimize, and promote our merchandise successfully in a extremely aggressive on-line market.

Their Greatest Problem

Certainly one of our largest challenges has been the unpredictable nature of on-line platforms, notably when confronted with surprising occasions just like the short-term closure of our Etsy retailer. 

Moreover, we have realized that outsourcing shouldn’t be our sturdy go well with. Balancing the necessity to delegate duties whereas sustaining the standard and imaginative and prescient of Little Halo J has been a studying expertise. 

We perceive the advantages of outsourcing, however discovering the proper stability and trusting others with our model has been a gradual course of.

Their Biggest Accomplishment

Our most vital accomplishment up to now, and one which we’re most pleased with, has been securing a spot on the Raptive advert community. 

From day one, this was a significant objective for us, and reaching it was such a particular second in our journey. Being accepted onto Raptive is a reward for all the exhausting work and dedication now we have put into rising our web site.

It is extra than simply an advert community for us; it exhibits our skill to create an internet site that not solely attracts substantial site visitors but in addition delivers worth to each our viewers and advertisers.

What They Want They Knew When They Began

Do not stress about every part being good straight away. 

Trying again, we want I knew that it’s very okay to not have every part found out from the get-go. You are going to be taught and get higher as you go alongside. 

Do not let the worry of not being good maintain you again, give attention to staying dedicated and enhancing little by little. 

Their Foremost Mistake

Our largest mistake was not beginning to write weblog posts earlier. Whereas we had all the time been centered on web optimization and key phrase analysis from the start, we did not initially notice the large worth that common running a blog may add to our enterprise when it comes to site visitors and engagement. 

Moreover, whereas we have been energetic on Pinterest, in hindsight, using a Digital Assistant (VA) to assist us maximize our presence there may have actually accelerated our development and allowed us to focus extra on different facets of our enterprise. 

Recognizing these has helped refine our technique and drive our enterprise ahead.

Their Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs

Our largest piece of recommendation is to embrace the journey with all its ups and downs. Constructing a profitable on-line enterprise is a marathon, not a dash. Additionally, don’t be afraid to experiment and be open to pivot when vital. 

Understanding the worth of your distinctive voice and concepts available in the market and what units you aside can usually be your biggest energy. We began Little Halo J in our mid-40s, proving that it’s by no means too late to chase your entrepreneurial goals. 

Imagine in your imaginative and prescient, and know that success is achievable at any age.